Sport
“He Became a Talker” – Neymar Responds to Rodri’s Advice to Vinicius Junior
Neymar, the star forward for Al-Hilal, has responded sharply to recent remarks made by Manchester City midfielder Rodri about Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.
Rodri, who clinched the 2024 Ballon d’Or last month after edging out Vinicius for the prestigious honor, offered some advice to the Brazilian winger earlier this week.
In his comments, Rodri suggested that Vinicius would benefit from focusing more on the game to improve as a player.
He remarked, “Vinicius is intelligent and will understand with time that paying more attention on the pitch will make him better.
He’s young and in a club like Madrid, which upholds strong values, he’ll receive good guidance.”
The comments were seen by some as constructive criticism but raised eyebrows among others, particularly Neymar, who jumped to defend his fellow Brazilian.
Taking to Instagram, Neymar wrote, “He [Rodri] became a talker now,” a pointed jab that suggests he felt Rodri’s advice was unnecessary or unwarranted.
Rodri’s words come during his recovery from a season-ending knee injury, which has kept him sidelined for Manchester City.
Despite his absence, the midfielder remains a central figure in football conversations following his stellar year that culminated in winning the Ballon d’Or.
Known for his composure and leadership on the field, Rodri’s Ballon d’Or victory is seen as a testament to his pivotal role in Manchester City’s treble-winning season, which included their first-ever Champions League triumph.
On the other hand, Vinicius Junior continues to be a key player for Real Madrid, dazzling fans with his flair and attacking prowess.
Despite narrowly missing out on the Ballon d’Or, the 23-year-old remains one of the brightest talents in football.
With the pressure of performing for one of the world’s most demanding clubs, Vinicius has faced his share of scrutiny but continues to thrive under the spotlight.
Sport
Super Eagles Star Calvin Bassey Opens Up on Nearly Walking Away from Football
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
Sport
CAF Fines Egypt $5,000 Over Post-Match Media Violation After Zimbabwe Clash
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Sport
Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle Opens Up on Benching Big Names
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
