Paradise News

Category: Sports

  • WWE partner with Manchester United


    Image Credits: Getty Images

    Sponsorship and partnerships have become part and parcel of top league football nowadays.

    It used to be just the kit manufacturers and main shirt sponsors that would cover the kit with other partnerships advertised around home grounds.

    Now, clubs are looking for more opportunities to boost revenue and branding, seeing some interesting choice of partnerships.

    In an interesting move, Manchester United are one of 13 major clubs to enter into a partnership with the WWE, bringing the two sports together for fans of both.

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    WWE release football themed belts

    WWE Legacy Belts
    Image Credits: WWE

    Now, Cultaholic Wrestling has revealed that the WWE has announced a partnership with “13 major” football clubs across Europe.

    The partnership comes in the form of legacy belts for each of the 13 clubs which fans can buy to show their love of wrestling whilst showing support to their club.

    Alongside Manchester United, Premier League sides Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Aston Villa and Manchester City have joined the partnership.

    Outside of England, the Premier League sides are joined by Rangers, Celtic, PSG, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund.

    The collection follows the release of officially licensed NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and Collegiate WWE Legacy Title Belts, marking wrestlings cross-partnerships with a series of other sports.

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    Source: Centred Devils

  • Manchester United share price drops dramatically


    Image Credits: Getty Images

    It’s widely known that Manchester United are facing significant financial pressures, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe executing a series of cost-cutting measures across the club.

    To date, 250 members of staff have been made redundant, with a further 200 set to follow in the second wave of redundancies, with Annie Hale, the people and transformation director in charge of the redundancies leaving herself in the summer.

    In a recent interview, Sir Jim Ratcliffe elaborated on the state of the club, pulling no punches as he explained that without his investments and cost-cutting schemes, United would have gone bust by this Christmas.

    Well, The Red Devils have just taken another hit, as their stock price drops rapidly.

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    Manchester United stocks take huge hit

    Finbold has reported that Manchester United’s stock price has plummeted, dropping by a huge 30.22% since INEOS took on co-ownership at the club.

    At the time in late 2023, Manchester United stock was trading at $19.75, however it’s now only standing at $13.78, dropping 20.61% since the start of 2025.

    However, Wall Street are still optimistic that Ratcliffe’s scheme will come good, with the financial institution standing by their “buy” rating suggesting that United is a good stock for investors to get involved in.

    It’s understandable why there might be concerns around this though.

    United only have one opportunity left of getting European football for next season, which would come with winning the Europa League, whilst in the Premier League the chance of them fighting up from 14th to last seasons eighth  place looks slim.

    However, with financial experts backing United’s stock for a rise, it’s clear that they at least believe that Ratcliffe has several plans up his sleeve to restore the club back to its successful days, both on and off the pitch.

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    Source: Centred Devils

  • Manchester United identify Geovany Quenda alternative


    Image Credits: Getty Images

    Manchester United have suffered a major blow ahead of the summer transfer window.

    The Red Devils have Sporting Lisbon’s Geovany Quenda at the top of their shortlist to strengthen the right wing.

    Quenda was a strong candidate for United’s recruitment team due to working under Ruben Amorim in the Portuguese capital before Amorim took charge in Manchester.

    However, Premier League rivals Chelsea have swept in and signed the 17-year-old before United.

    Now, The Red Devils have identified a strong alternative to Quenda at one of Sporting Lisbon’s rival clubs.

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    Manchester United scout Roger Fernandes as Geovany Quenda alternative

    MUFCAcademy has reported on Twitter that United are now looking to S.C. Braga’s Roger Fernandes in place of Quenda.

    It’s understood that talks with Fernandes’ team could take place as early as next week.

    Whilst there’s nothing concrete in place, the 19-year-old is one of the top options to fill the right-wing-back role currently held by Diogo Dalot.

    The reported praised the youngster, describing him as “versatile on both flanks while excelling in the final third with his quick and close control dribbling.”

    This style of play fits perfectly with Amorim’s tactics, using dynamic wing-backs, whilst his youth plays into INEOS’ strategy of recruiting young stars.

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    Source: Centred Devils

  • Tottenham Hotspur to be paid millions by Sir Jim Ratcliffe

    Tottenham Hotspur have been competing with Manchester United for most underwhelming team for the 2024/25 season.

    At the beginning of the campaign, both sides would have been looking at a tilt for UEFA Champions League places.

    Instead, they’ve ended up closer to the relegation zone than the top four.

    It’s now a race to see who will finish further down the table out of the two sides.

    For both clubs, the UEFA Europa League is the only way to turn an abysmal season around.

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    Both Spurs and United have made it to the quarter finals of the competition.

    In an interesting twist of fate, they could meet each other in the final as they’ve been drawn together on the other side of the draw from each other.

    Ange Postecoglou’s men will be hoping to get one over on their opponents if they do meet at that stage.

    One arena that they have met this season is now resulting in Tottenham Hotspur being paid millions by Manchester United part owners INEOS.

    For those unaware, INEOS have a sponsorship deal with Tottenham as their official 4 x 4 partner via their Grenadier vehicle.

    INEOS sponsorship material and branding can be found across the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a result.

    But it seems that this is no longer the case.

    The Daily Mail report that INEOS have made an early exit from their sponsorship deal with Tottenham after a pay-off agreement was reached between the parties.

    Worth several millions of pounds a season, the newspaper report that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS have paid a significant sum to leave the agreement early.

    Initially signed in 2022 as a five year deal, this development allows Spurs to look for a new partner will still getting some payment from the United owners.

    It was reported last month that INEOS were looking to end their deal with Tottenham and it’s believed they’re also looking to cut short a deal they also have with the New Zealand rugby team.

    The funds saved are meant to be reallocated towards their newest and biggest venture – Manchester United Football Club.

    That wish seems to have been made now, with INEOS branding no longer seen at the recent UEFA Europa League game with AZ Alkmaar.

    United fans will be hoping some of that saved cash can help fill the coffers at Old Trafford.

    With a new stadium on the way, every penny put into the club is going to count.

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    Source: Centred Devils

  • Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he’ll leave Manchester United


    Image credits: Getty images

    Sir Jim Ratcliffe has certainly had an eventful first year at Manchester United.

    In just over 12 months, United have seen their worst ever finish in a Premier League season, followed by and even worse campaign.

    Across the two half-seasons, INEOS have seen two different permanent managers with three different coaching teams, a significant change of directors and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

    To ease the financial pressures on the club, Ratcliffe has sanctioned 250 redundancies with 200 more to come as well as cut concessions on tickets and reduced funding to affiliated groups.

    However, Ratcliffe has announced these moves were vital otherwise United would have gone bust by the end of 2025.

    Whilst it may have been necessary to cut back to avoid financial breeches with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), the way in which it’s happened has caused much controversy, which has not gone unfelt.

    Speaking about the backlash for his decisions in an interview with The Times, Ratcliffe commented: “It can be unpleasant.”

    He continued: “If I draw a bit of the ire, I can put up with that. But I’m no different to the average person. It’s not nice, particularly for friends and family.

    “So, eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I’d have to say, look, enough’s enough guys, let somebody else do this.

    “They can’t really come to a match, the Glazers. They’ve retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I’m getting all the bloody stick.”

    The in a big statement, the INEOS owner added: “To be honest with you, if I fail, I’ll step down.”

    He continued: “But I don’t think I’ll fail. As soon as we start playing good football and start winning, it will change.”

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    Source: Centred Devils

  • New goalkeeper to debut for Manchester United vs Leicester City


    Image Credit: Getty Images

    It looks like Ruben Amorim is set for a shock debut in tonight’s English Premier League game against Leicester City.

    And it’s in the goalkeeping department that a new name will appear in the Manchester United teamsheet.

    Goalkeeper has become a bit of a problem for United.

    Andre Onana, brought into the club at great expense by former manager Erik ten Hag, has been riddled with inconsistency since swapping Inter Milan for The Red Devils.

    Brought in to play out from the back, a trait that was deemed out of reach for David de Gea, the former Ajax goalkeeper has been troubled by dropping clangers every now and then.

    Last season’s UEFA Champions League exit has attributed to many errors made by the Cameroon international.

    And the errors have continued on a consistent basis since then.

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    Even Sir Jim Ratcliffe had a slight dig at Andre Onana in interviews recently.

    Due to that, there have been a lot of questions around the future of that number one position within the Old Trafford goals.

    Altay Bayindir, the current number two, hasn’t been given a real go, despite his heroics helping the team past Arsenal in the FA Cup.

    There have also been reports linking United with buying other goalkeepers.

    And it seems that Ruben Amorim is going to try another ‘keeper in the game against The Foxes at the King Power Stadium.

    According to Twitter user sully_sayz, 22-year-old Dermot Mee is going to make his debut for the club in the Leicester City game.

    Mee is a Birmingham born Northern Ireland goalkeeper and is set to deputise for Andre Onana in goal.

    While Onana has been primarily criticised for his performances in the United goal, it’s not believed that he’s dropped.

    Instead, it seems that it’s a fitness issue keeping him out of the side.

    Either way, it’s going to be a great opportunity for young Dermot Mee to show the Old Trafford faithful what he’s capable of.

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    Source: Centred Devils

  • Manchester United interest payments to double


    Image Credit: Getty Images

    The current financial situation of Manchester United have been a hot topic over the past week or so.

    Interviews from co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe have put the finances of the club at the forefront of the conversation.

    Sir Jim even claimed that Manchester United would have gone bust without his investment into the club.

    For a club that, pre-Glazers, was once the richest in world football, that’s a startling fall from grace.

    One of the other topics of conversation for this week has been the new look Manchester United stadium.

    Manchester United released official images of the new 100,000 seater stadium that would replace the existing Old Trafford one as the new home for The Red Devils.

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    However, a question that has cropped up with this news is, how will United fund the new stadium?

    At an estimated cost of £2bn, the monetary outlay for the club is going to be huge.

    How is a club that is allegedly on the verge of bankruptcy going to pay for such a stadium?

    According to Bloomberg, the club is expected to refinance its existing debt as part of any deal to raise funds for the stadium.

    Such a move will see its interest payments basically double as a result.

    Bloomberg detail that the club raised $425 million in 2015 for bonds due in 2027 – paying 3.79% when benchmark interest rates were historically low.

    Lenders are unlikely to offer Manchester United terms below 6%-7% according to sources speaking to the financial publisher and that would mean more money coming out of the club on interest payments.

    Interest payments have been a scourge of the United fanbase for a long time – with the club estimated to have lost £1bn on interest fees generated from the debt leveraged by the Glazer family.

    Adding another layer on top of that for the new stadium would be another blow.

    But there could be light at the end of the tunnel.

    According to Bloomberg, once the stadium is complete, a refinancing on more attractive terms could happen.

    If that were the case and the stadium was generating a significant level of revenue for Manchester United, then MUFC fans might find the short term pain palatable.

    Anything other than that will go down like a lead balloon amongst the United faithful.

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    Source: Centred Devils

  • Anambra govt flags off 2025 Solutions schools sports competition

    Anambra govt flags off 2025 Solutions schools sports competition

    By Ovat Abeng

    The Anambra Government has flagged off it 2025 schools sports competition across public, private and mission schools in the state.

    The flags-off ceremony took place at the Anambra State Sports Development Commission’s conference hall in Awka, on Wednesday.

    The competition is tagged; “2025 Anambra Sports Solution Initiative (ANSSI).

    In his address shortly after the unveiling, the Chairman of the Anambra State Sports Development Commission, Mr Patrick Estate Onyedum, said the competition would kick off on the 19th March, and ends on 27th June, 2025.

    Read Also: C’River: NCWS advocates improved socioeconomic conditions for women

    According to Onyedum, the competition which is the third edition, is part of the manifesto of His Excellency, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo to develop sports from the grassroots.

    He said as a product of school sports, I saw it as the opportunity to actualize Mr. Governors vision, hence the birth of ANSSI.

    “ANSSI is sports competition involving primary and post primary schools including public, federal, private and mission at various age categories (U-12, U-14, U-18).

    “I make bold to say that within two years of ANSSI, the State is now the cynosure of all eyes as our athletes have performed creditably in national and international competitions

    “Our ANSSI products are scartared all over world including United States of America, Europe and Asia. In Nigeria here, two of them are enjoying full scholarship from a sports academy in Abuja.

    “Our records at the National Youth Games has continued to improve. As at the time ANSSI came on board, the madal haul of the State was not more 5 gold medals. But as we are sitting here now, we have moved from 7 to 9 gold medals in the last NYG in Asaba. To this end and to maintain the tempo, we have donated sports equipments ( tennis boards, basketball courts, etc to some schools to encourage them.

    “Let me also inform you like I mentioned earlier, many States are now copying the ANSSI model of going back to schools to bring back the glory days of sports in Nigeria.

    I call on all the participants (Officials and athlete) to adher strictly to the rules of the competition.

    This 3rd edition which would commence on the 19th of March, 2025 across the 21 LGA and 3 Senatorial zones in the state promises to be an improvement on the last edition.

    The Chairman commended it collaborators, the State Ministry of Education, the management of private and mission schools in the state, members of the press especially SWAN members for their continued support.

    In their separate remarks, the State Commissioner for Education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, representative of Healthy living with Nonye Soludo, Mr Jide Obu, Chairman of Anoacha local government area, Comrade Romanus Ibekwe, the State Chairman of SWAN, Chimezie Anaso and the representative of Anambra State Association of Town Union ASATU, Engr. Chidi Obiodu, described the initiative as a thing of joy,

    They assured the Commission of their full participation during the competition.

    It was also gathered that over fifteen thousand people are expected to participate in the school games.

  • Dolphin Cricket Foundation and CSED Initiative Hold Village Cricket Tournament

    A two-day Invitational Cricket tournament was recently held among four secondary schools in Benin City. The competition was organised by Dolphin Cricket Foundation in collaboration with Community Sports and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative. The event which was held at the premises of IDPs Uhogua was meant for cricketers below the age of 12 years old. It witnessed upcoming cricketers exhibiting various skills as they expressed themselves with excitement.

    The competition followed a round-robin format, where all schools played against each other. This structure gave the students more game time and opportunities to showcase their skills. Each match was played in a 5-over format, ensuring that all games were completed within the time limit.

    The four schools that took part in the tournament were:

    1. Christlike Schools Uhogua (host).
    2. Okhunwun Junior Secondary School.
    3. Iguadolor Secondary School.
    4. Beacon of Success School.

    At the end of the competition, Christlike School emerged as champions, winning all three of their matches. The other three schools each won one game but lost to Christlike School. To determine the second and third positions, aggregate scores were used. After collation, the final rankings were as follows:

    First place: Christlike Schools (3 wins).
    Second place: Beacon of Success School.
    Third place: Iguadolor Secondary School.
    Fourth place: Okhunwun Junior Secondary School.

    The girls also had an opportunity to participate, as Okhunwun Junior Secondary School female team played a match against the Christlike School female team. Christlike School won the game.

    At the end of the competition, cash awards were presented to the winners in the first, second and third positions. The cricket equipment and kits that were used in training students of the four participating schools were donated by Lord’s Taverners, a UK based sports recycling charity.

    The participating cricketers, tournament officials and the authorities of the participating school are of the view that the tournament was a great success. As it provided the young students a foretaste of what match day cricket is. It also provided the tournament organisers the opportunity of promoting cricket at the grassroots level, as the participating schools were based at the outskirt of Benin City – village cricket. Furthermore, it provided the young cricketers a platform to showcase their talent and put into practice some of the knowledge that they have learned from coach Cyril Musa, who is also a UNIBEN social work graduate.

    It would be recalled that at the recently concluded T20 U-19 Female Cricket World Cup that was held in Malaysia, nine of the players were cricketers from Edo State. As a result, the Edo State Cricket Association and the Edo State Sport Commission have to ensure that they provide P.E. Teachers in cricket playing schools the required basic training to develop their understanding of the game, as well as map out a clear career pathway for them to combine classroom teaching with playing the role of community coaches in rural areas. It is hoped that some of the cricketers in this tournament will be able to transition into cricketers that will represent Nigeria in future at the junior and senior levels.

  • NDDC Representative, Orok Duke, Equips Canaan Table Tennis Club for Niger Delta Games

    NDDC Representative, Orok Duke, Equips Canaan Table Tennis Club for Niger Delta Games

    The Chairman of Canaan Table Tennis and Cross River State Representative to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Rt. Hon. Orok Otu Duke, has bolstered the preparedness of the state’s table tennis contingent with the acquisition of top-tier equipment, kits, and accessories worth 2.5 million naira ahead of the highly anticipated Niger Delta Games in Uyo.

    In a statement made available to newsmen, Duke underscored his unwavering commitment to the advancement of table tennis, recalling the modest beginnings of Canaan Table Tennis and its meteoric rise to prominence. “When we embarked on this journey years ago, many dismissed our vision as inconsequential, but today, the narrative has been rewritten. Canaan Table Tennis has not only brought laurels to Cross River State but has also stamped its authority on the global stage,” he declared.

    He thanked governor Bassey Otu once again for the unwavering support for sports and table tennis specifically.

    Read Also: Gov Otu commissions 440kwp mini solar grid in Etung

    Reflecting on the club’s recent exploits, Duke emphasized the importance of strategic preparation in sustaining their winning streak. “Our last outing at the International table tennis federation (ITTF) African Club championship in Tunisia was a testament to our dedication and prowess. Such achievements do not materialize by happenstance; they are products of meticulous planning and rigorous training. As we approach the Niger Delta Games, we must reinforce our identity as champions and exhibit the hallmark of excellence that defines us,” he asserted.

    The Cross River contingent, known for its dominance in the sport, is not merely attending the games for participation but to reaffirm its supremacy. “We are not just heading to Uyo as spectators; we are going there to make a resounding statement. Victory is our tradition, and we shall once again etch our names in gold,” Duke affirmed.

    With the latest procurement of high-performance gear and accessories, Canaan Table Tennis is primed for yet another remarkable outing. Expectations are high as the team gears up to showcase its dexterity, resilience, and championship pedigree on the grand stage of the Niger Delta Games.