Sport
Seven Days in Seven Points
Graziano Pelle is now the joint fifth highest-paid player in the world
It just sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? At the age of 30 Graziano Pellè, who only has 17 Italian caps to his name, has signed a contract with Chinese side Shandong Luneng – you know, that footballing powerhouse – that will see him earn £260,000 per week. That’s £39.2k per day, or £1.6k per hour, if you want to break it down a little bit. Many Southampton fans are clearly gutted that Pelle has deserted the south coast in favour of Chinese riches, but can you blame him? How often to you get the opportunity to bag £13m for a year’s work?
Will Ronaldo now retire from international football?
Having won the European Championships, is it time for Ronaldo to retire from international football? The man is a phenomenon, and at the age of 31 is showing no signs of slowing down, but surely time will begin to take its toll in the coming years. At the time of the next World Cup he will be 33, and by then it’s probably safe to assume he will have lost a yard of pace. When it comes to defending Portugal’s European crown he will be 35 – surely too old to still be the dominant force he is today. Ronaldo is a man that constantly strives to be the best, so why would he continue to represent Portugal? What is there now for him to achieve, other than a most unlikely of World Cup triumphs? Ronaldo will always want to go out on a high, and, for a Portuguese international footballer, there is surely no bigger high than this.
Celtic have reached a new low
Scottish football is regularly used as a punchline to many an English football fan’s jokes, and you can see why. They don’t help themselves, do they? Celtic, the country’s premier club, lost 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League Second Round clash with Lincoln Red Imps – a semi-professional football club from Gibraltar. It should have been a dream first game for Brendan Rodgers – a simple European tie against lowly opposition to blood new players and get the old boys back in the swing of things. However, Rodgers – who afterwards said it was ‘no embarrassment’ to lose to a team who, at this stage of the tournament last year, were defeated 3-0 by FC Midtjylland of Denmark – believes it was always destined to be a ‘tough game in tough conditions’. Celtic will no doubt win the second leg, but this is surely a new low for the Scottish champions.
Is Sam the man for England?
So, Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has emerged as the favourite for the England job. The big man, who has made a habit of rescuing doomed clubs, now looks likely to be the person tasked with revitalising a disgraced national side. Big Sam would surely be few people’s first choice for the job, but would anyone better want to take it? Aside from the obvious financial benefits, the next England boss will be committing themselves to a life of constant media scrutiny and untold levels of fan abuse. Insults will not upset Sam, and he has been vilified in newspapers countless times, but at the end of the day, is he the man to take England forward? Can he lead the Three Lions to any semblance of international glory? The FA seems to think so, but I am far from convinced.
Is Kante off to Chelsea?
Is seems that Kante, the Leicester man who dominated the Premier League last season, is going to be linked with a move away for the entire summer. Various reports state that he is being targeted by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and, now, Chelsea. The French international, whose Euro 2016 campaign only served to strengthen his reputation, appears settled at the King Power, but who’s to say if he will be able to resist the riches on offer courtesy of Europe’s elite sides? Rumours are circulating via social media that Chelsea have had an offer of £29m accepted for the 25-year-old, which begs the question – will Kante reject Champions League football in favour of a big money contract?
Can Janssen help Spurs reach the next level?
In today’s market, a £17m price tag hardly raises an eyebrow. However, it is still a lot of money. A LOT. At 22 years of age Vincent Janssen, who has previously only played for Dutch sides Almere City FC and AZ Alkmaar, is a youngster blessed with natural ability, but he is still relatively untested. Yes, he has represented the Netherlands on five occasions and yes, he has managed to bag 3 goals for his country, but he is still something of an unknown quantity. We have seen players come from the Dutch top tier and succeed in the Premier League – Luis Suarez and Christian Eriksen – but we have also seen disastrous flops – Afonso Alves and Jozy Altodire. We must now wait and see, but hopefully – from a Spurs perspective – he will be the man to make Spurs title contenders.
Iceland’s welcome home was incredible
And didn’t they deserve it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruLH1v7NpJA
