Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti has been awarded the Premio Scirea by Italian journalists, it was announced on Monday.
The award has been running yearly since 1992 and is given to players over 30 who have had an "exemplary career".
For the first time this season it was also open to foreign players who have been plying their trade in Serie A for at least 10 years and Argentine Zanetti thus became the first foreign winner.
The honour is named after Gaetano Scirea, the legendary former Juventus sweeper, who spent 14 years at the Italian giants after beginning his career at Atalanta.
The former Juventus and Italy captain died in a car accident in Poland in 1989 when he was the assistant coach at Juve under Dino Zoff.
Zanetti polled 231 of the 371 votes to join the likes of Franco Baresi, Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Gianfranco Zola and Alessandro Del Piero as winners of the award.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
TomTom hails Falconets, rewards team with $8,750
THE official candy of Nigeria’s national teams, TomTom, has applauded the Falconets for reaching the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany.
TomTom, which rewarded the Super Eagles and the Golden Eaglets for their shots on target at the Nigeria 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola and the World Cup in South Africa, is also rewarding the Falconets with $250 for every shot the girls have got on target in Germany.
The Falconets made history on Sunday by defeating defending champions, USA 4-2 in a gripping quarter-final clash in Augsburg that ended in a penalty shootout after full and extra-time could not separate the sides.
The win took the Nigerian girls to their first ever semi-final in the competition after they crashed out in the quarter-finals in each of the previous three editions.
In the course of their impressive run to the last four, the Falconets have racked up 35 shots on target (nine in their first group match against England, eight in the 2-1 victory over Japan, five in the 1-1 draw with Mexico, and 13 in the epic win over USA), bringing their total earnings so far to $8,750.
The Commercial Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, makers of TomTom, Mr. Idorenyen Enang, says the Falconets have brought smiles back to the faces of Nigerians.
“The Falconets have really made us all proud again; they have brought back relief, soothing relief like TomTom,” he said moments after the victory over USA.
“The players have shown us that there is a very bright future for Nigerian football and that we overcome any setbacks if we are determined to reach the top.
“They have proven that they are worthy of commendation and reward. It is no mean feat defeating the defending champion of the World Cup, but these young women have pulled it off. We are proud of them.”
TomTom, which rewarded the Super Eagles and the Golden Eaglets for their shots on target at the Nigeria 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola and the World Cup in South Africa, is also rewarding the Falconets with $250 for every shot the girls have got on target in Germany.
The Falconets made history on Sunday by defeating defending champions, USA 4-2 in a gripping quarter-final clash in Augsburg that ended in a penalty shootout after full and extra-time could not separate the sides.
The win took the Nigerian girls to their first ever semi-final in the competition after they crashed out in the quarter-finals in each of the previous three editions.
In the course of their impressive run to the last four, the Falconets have racked up 35 shots on target (nine in their first group match against England, eight in the 2-1 victory over Japan, five in the 1-1 draw with Mexico, and 13 in the epic win over USA), bringing their total earnings so far to $8,750.
The Commercial Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, makers of TomTom, Mr. Idorenyen Enang, says the Falconets have brought smiles back to the faces of Nigerians.
“The Falconets have really made us all proud again; they have brought back relief, soothing relief like TomTom,” he said moments after the victory over USA.
“The players have shown us that there is a very bright future for Nigerian football and that we overcome any setbacks if we are determined to reach the top.
“They have proven that they are worthy of commendation and reward. It is no mean feat defeating the defending champion of the World Cup, but these young women have pulled it off. We are proud of them.”
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
NFF move elections to December
Elections into the board of the Nigeria Football Federation have been moved to December by the new leadership of the body.
The elections were originally scheduled to hold at the end of August, but a top member of the NFF informed KickOffNigeria.com that following the meeting in Abuja on Saturday night which saw the impeachment of President Sani Lulu and two of his principal officers, the new board had resolved to move the elections to give all parties a fair shake at the process.
"We resolved to move the elections to December to allow everyone with legitimate grievances to come forward and give us enough time to address those grievances."
Lulu's impeachment still needs to be ratified by the NFF Congress, and KickOffNigeria.com was also informed that that Congress would be convened within a month.
"We intend to call a congress between two weeks to one month from now to brief them on the decisions taken so far by the executive committee and seek ratification."
There is however, a twist in the tail, as some delegates who will make up the Congress informed KickOffNigeria.com that while they will ratify the decision of the Exco to impeach the leadership, they would also be moving to impeach the current leadership as "they were also part of the Lulu administration".
The elections were originally scheduled to hold at the end of August, but a top member of the NFF informed KickOffNigeria.com that following the meeting in Abuja on Saturday night which saw the impeachment of President Sani Lulu and two of his principal officers, the new board had resolved to move the elections to give all parties a fair shake at the process.
"We resolved to move the elections to December to allow everyone with legitimate grievances to come forward and give us enough time to address those grievances."
Lulu's impeachment still needs to be ratified by the NFF Congress, and KickOffNigeria.com was also informed that that Congress would be convened within a month.
"We intend to call a congress between two weeks to one month from now to brief them on the decisions taken so far by the executive committee and seek ratification."
There is however, a twist in the tail, as some delegates who will make up the Congress informed KickOffNigeria.com that while they will ratify the decision of the Exco to impeach the leadership, they would also be moving to impeach the current leadership as "they were also part of the Lulu administration".
Nigeria reverse withdrawal
The Nigerian government has reversed its decision to withdraw the Super Eagles from international competition until 2012, according to AFP.
A spokesman for President Goodluck Jonathan announced the shock departure on Friday after Nigeria's poor performance at World Cup 2010 when they finished bottom of Group B with just one point. The absence would have seen the nation miss qualifying for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
The comment provoked a strong reaction from FIFA as they threatened to withdraw financial help, stop Nigerian referees from officiating in international matches and its clubs from partaking in African club competitions.
A letter had been sent to the Super Eagles' hierarchy with a deadline of 6pm today which had laid out the consequences. FIFA strongly resists any political interference in the running of national sides and uses a host of sanctions to forbid the action.
The move follows a hectic weekend for the Nigerian authorities after three members of the Nigeria Football Federation - FA president Sani Lulu, first vice-president Amanze Uchegbulam and Taiwo Ogunjobi, Technical Committee chairman of the NFF - were impeached after financial improprieties.
A spokesman for President Goodluck Jonathan announced the shock departure on Friday after Nigeria's poor performance at World Cup 2010 when they finished bottom of Group B with just one point. The absence would have seen the nation miss qualifying for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
The comment provoked a strong reaction from FIFA as they threatened to withdraw financial help, stop Nigerian referees from officiating in international matches and its clubs from partaking in African club competitions.
A letter had been sent to the Super Eagles' hierarchy with a deadline of 6pm today which had laid out the consequences. FIFA strongly resists any political interference in the running of national sides and uses a host of sanctions to forbid the action.
The move follows a hectic weekend for the Nigerian authorities after three members of the Nigeria Football Federation - FA president Sani Lulu, first vice-president Amanze Uchegbulam and Taiwo Ogunjobi, Technical Committee chairman of the NFF - were impeached after financial improprieties.
No Super Eagles for two years
The Nigerian national team has been withdrawn from all football for the next two years by the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan.
This follows the Super Eagles’ first round elimination at the 2010 World Cup, where they failed to win a single match and managed just a solitary draw against Korea Republic.
Jonathan’s decision is based on the finding of a presidential taskforce set up to investigate the failures of the team.
The taskforce’s chairman, Rotimi Amechi, confirmed the move – which is yet to be officially conveyed to Fifa – saying it was to ensure “the embarrassing outcome of the World Cup in South Africa won’t repeat itself”.
“We had all sorts of maladministration. We found out that the problem with Nigerian football is structural. The nation has been punished enough. People have had heart attacks because of Nigerian football.”
Just where that leaves Lars Lagerback, the Swedish coach who was recently offered a new four-year deal, remains to be seen.
This follows the Super Eagles’ first round elimination at the 2010 World Cup, where they failed to win a single match and managed just a solitary draw against Korea Republic.
Jonathan’s decision is based on the finding of a presidential taskforce set up to investigate the failures of the team.
The taskforce’s chairman, Rotimi Amechi, confirmed the move – which is yet to be officially conveyed to Fifa – saying it was to ensure “the embarrassing outcome of the World Cup in South Africa won’t repeat itself”.
“We had all sorts of maladministration. We found out that the problem with Nigerian football is structural. The nation has been punished enough. People have had heart attacks because of Nigerian football.”
Just where that leaves Lars Lagerback, the Swedish coach who was recently offered a new four-year deal, remains to be seen.
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