European Leagues

‘There’s One Thing That Irritates Me About Osimhen’ – Jose Mourinho Reveals

Jose Mourinho Reveals ‘Problem’ he has with Victor Osimhen after seeing Napoli loanee join Fenerbahce’s arch-rivals

Jose Mourinho has admitted to a “problem” he has with Victor Osimhen after seeing the Napoli loanee join Fenerbahce’s arch-rivals Galatasaray.

Mourinho’s relationship with Osimhen goes back to their encounters in Italy’s Serie A, where the Portuguese was managing AS Roma, and Osimhen was a standout for Napoli. They will once again cross paths as the Nigerian chose to shift base to Turkey in the summer after seeing his proposed moves to Chelsea and Al-Ahli fall through.

In a candid reflection, Mourinho acknowledged Osimhen’s abilities but highlighted a particular behaviour he finds frustrating when facing him on the pitch.

“He’s an incredible talent. Galatasaray have secured a fantastic player,” Mourinho said in an interview with HT Spor.

“I’ve never had an issue with him personally, but there’s one thing about him that irritates me when he’s on the opposing team. During one of our Roma-Napoli encounters, I took the time to speak with him. I told him, ‘You and Salah are currently the best African players, following in the footsteps of legends like Drogba, Eto’o, and Weah. But you cannot continue to play the way you do.’ He tends to go down too easily, and that’s where my problem lies.”

Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray could be short-lived, as reports suggest that his loan deal includes a release clause that can be activated by top European clubs as early as the January transfer window. This means that the Nigerian could head to English shores from Turkey in just a few months.

Osimhen is expected to make his debut on September 14 when Galatasaray face Rizespor in a Turkish Super Lig fixture. Just a week later the striker could come up against Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.

Premier League

Scholes suggests Amorim may need to offload up to 14 players at Man United

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes believes that current manager Ruben Amorim may need to offload up to 14 players as part of a major rebuild.

Scholes stated that Amorim faces a far bigger rebuilding job than Mikel Arteta did at Arsenal, citing the challenges Amorim has encountered since taking over at Old Trafford. The 40-year-old manager recently referred to the team as the worst in the club’s history.

Scholes highlighted Arteta’s transformation of Arsenal, which began when he inherited a team in disarray. Arteta’s success came through significant player changes, such as moving on Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Ozil, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Amorim appears to be following a similar path. He has left Marcus Rashford out of his matchday squad for over a month and has also sidelined Casemiro.

“The trouble Amorim’s got is there’s not just three of them,” Scholes told The Overlap fan debate. “You could be talking about 13 or 14 of them he doesn’t want.”

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Slot rests key players for Champions League clash against PSV

‘Something Is Wrong’ With Liverpool' - Arne Slot Admits Ahead Of AC Milan Clash

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has opted to leave out several key players for their upcoming Champions League match against PSV on Wednesday night.

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and seven other prominent players have not made the trip to the Netherlands, with Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Luis Díaz also being rested.

Slot is focusing on Liverpool’s busy schedule, with important Premier League and Carabao Cup fixtures ahead.

Caoimhin Kelleher is set to start in goal, while fringe players such as Wataru Endo, Darwin Núñez, Federico Chiesa, and Harvey Elliott are expected to feature. Cody Gakpo, a former PSV player, will also be part of the squad and could face his old team.

Liverpool’s squad for the match includes:

Goalkeepers: Kelleher, Jaros, Davies.
Defenders: Quansah, Bradley, Norris, Nallo, Tsimikas, Robertson.
Midfielders: Endo, Mabaya, McConnell, Morrison, Morton, Nyoni.
Forwards: Chiesa, Gakpo, Elliott, Kone-Doherty, Danns, Núñez.

Premier League

PGMOL stands by referee Michael Oliver amid controversial red card, assigns him to key fixtures

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has decided not to drop referee Michael Oliver for the upcoming Premier League fixtures despite recent controversy.

Oliver has faced criticism for his decision to send off Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly during Saturday’s match against Wolves. The 39-year-old referee issued a straight red card to Lewis-Skelly after he caught Wolves defender Matt Doherty’s calf and ankle with his studs. The decision was upheld by VAR, and Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory at Molineux.

There had been speculation that Oliver would be sidelined due to the backlash and online abuse. However, he is scheduled to referee Wednesday’s Champions League clash between Barcelona and Atalanta.

The Premier League has confirmed that Oliver will officiate Ipswich Town’s match against Southampton at Portman Road on Saturday.

Additionally, he has been assigned to handle next month’s rescheduled Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park.