SHE WON SILVER AND BRONZE MEDAL AT THE OLYMPICS IN BRAZIL NOW SHE HAS SIGNED THE PAPERS TO GET HER KILLED.

Her name is Marieke Vervoort.

Go to a restaurant in this pretty Belgian town, and all the diners know her. They come over to congratulate her on winning two medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympics; she raises a glass to a family celebrating a birthday.

For a few hours, she's the life and soul of the party.

But, at 37, the Belgian wheelchair racer suffers such pain she wakes her neighbours by screaming in the night. As she watches her precious, fiercely defended independence dwindling, she has planned her own death.

Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, and eight years ago Vervoort signed the papers which will, eventually, allow a doctor to end her life. It's not that she wants to die. She wants to live. But she wants to live on her terms

She was just 14 when the diagnosis was made and gradually her life became "a constant battle".

In spite of it, she achieved a distinguished career in wheelchair racing, winning 100m gold and 200m silver in the 2012 London Olympics, and now a silver medal in Rio.

But the punishing training schedule is proving too hard. This was her last Paralympics, she confirmed, making her Rio achievement bitter-sweet.

"It's a feeling of 'Yes, I won a silver medal'", she told the BBC. "But there is also another side to the medal, the side of suffering and of saying goodbye to the sport. Because I love the sport, sport is my life."

The possibility of euthanasia gave her the courage to keep going as long as she has, she says, adding that euthanasia must not be characterised as "murder."

"It gives a feeling of rest to people," she says. "I know when it's enough for me, I have those papers."

Read More

THE MOST OBVIOUS OMISSIONS FROM THE 55 MAN SHORTLIST FOR FIFA PRO 11

The 55-man strong Fifpro XI shortlist has been released and we identified a number of notable omissions.

Whilst the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez have made the final cut, Eden Hazard, Philippe Coutinho and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have all missed out.

Leicester’s Jamie Vardy is the only English player to be included in the final considerations, but his teammate Riyad Mahrez has been excluded.

Casmiro, Isco and James Rodriguez all miss out despite winning the Champions League with Real Madrid in May.

Meanwhile, Euro 2016 winners Jose Fonte and Renato Sanches did not make the final shortlist, which was voted on by 25,000 players around the world.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen has also missed out on the final cut, despite winning the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey this year with his club Barcelona

The Premier League’s Young Player of the Year Dele Alli was not included either, alongside teammates Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld.

Squawka’s 55-man shortlist of notable ommissions by home nation and club:

Goalkeepers (7): Gianluigi Donnarumma, Thibaut Courtois, Hugo Lloris, Marc Ter-Stegen, Roman Burki, Jan Oblak, Petr Cech

Defenders (15): Andrea Barzagli, Sergi Roberto, Laurent Koscielny, Filipe Luis, Juanfran, Jose Gimenez, Jose Fonte, Fabinho, Marquinhos, Shkodran Mustafi, Hector Bellerin, Daley Blind, Cesar Azpilicueta, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen

Midfielders (26): Casemiro, Saul Niguez, Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana, Blaise Matuidi, Riyad Mahrez, Koke, Gabi, James Rodriguez, Isco, Bernardo Silva, Angel Di Maria, Sadio Mane, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Fernandinho, Julian Weigl, Raheem Sterling, Dele Alli, Josh Kimmich, Douglas Costa, Mohamed Salah, Marek Hamsik, Joe Allen, Mousa Dembele, Renato Sanches.

Attackers (9): Kevin Gameiro, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Roberto Firmino, Mauro Icardi, Alvaro Morata, Anthony Martial, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembele, Romelu Lukaku.

 who do you think is the most notable omission ? Add your comment below

Read More

WILLIAN RETURNS, MATIC REMAINS: IF CONTE PICKS THIS 3-4-3 CHELSEA XI THEN THEY WILL SURELY DESTROY MAN CITY

The games keep on coming for Antonio Conte and Chelsea…

Last weekend’s clash against Tottenham will live long in the memory of Chelsea fans, given that it was a game of such important against a side that has built quite the rivalry with Chelsea over the last few years.

An impressive Victor Moses goal in the second-half sealed the points for Antonio Conte’s men – but the Italian will have no time to rest on his laurels.

Up next is a tough trip to the Etihad, where Conte faces his stiffest test yet – a game against Premier League favourites Man City.

The Guardiola-led side have done well this year, and some are already touting this game as a title decider.

With so much riding on the game, it is absolutely essential that Antonio Conte picks the right team on Saturday – and we’re expecting a change or 2.

With that said, if Conte picks this 3-4-3 Chelsea XI then they will surely destroy Man City

GK – THIBAUT COURTOIS

Thibaut Courtois has been in a rich vein of form over the last few weeks – and he appears to be finally living up to the hype.

He will need to be on form.

 CB – DAVID LUIZ

What a revelation David Luiz has been!

He is the most important man in this defence, and Conte will be hoping that his regular mistakes don’t rear their ugly head.

CB – GARY CAHILL

Chelsea’s captain in the absence of John Terry.

A good performance will be needed.

CB – CESAR AZPILICUETA

Cesar Azpilicueta is the most consistent man in the Chelsea first team.

There is nothing to worry about when he’s in the side.

LWB – MARCOS ALONSO

Marcos Alonso has looked good so far, but he will need to be on form to deal with Man City’s rampaging attack.

Can he handle it? We think he can…

CM – N’GOLO KANTE

This will be N’Golo Kante’s toughest test yet.

He will need to be all over Sergio Aguero in order to stop the deadly forward.

CM – NEMANJA MATIC

A strong performance against Tottenham proved his position in the side was justified – and a repeat performance will be needed.

 RWB – VICTOR MOSES

How good was Victor Moses last week?

He scored the winner and is sure to start this week.

LW – EDEN HAZARD

Eden Hazard is a man bang in form – but he needs to start turning up in the big games.

The clash against Man City is a perfect time to start.

ST – DIEGO COSTA

Diego Costa was unbelievable last week.

His display deserved a goal, but his hold up and transitional play were essential.

A repeat performance please, Diego.

RW – WILLIAN

Pedro doesn’t deserve to be dropped, but the offensive threat of Man City means that Willian could return.

He is a hard worker, and Man City are seriously good going forward. Pedro isn’t as defensively minded as the Brazilian – so this one makes a lot of sense.

Read More

FIFA WORLD BEST UNDER 21 PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION 8 PLAYERS IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE 2 NIGERIANS

 FIFA WORLD BEST UNDER 21 PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION  8 PLAYERS IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE 2 NIGERIANS.

SEE THE FULL LIST BELOW, WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN

The full list: Dele Alli (Tottenham),
 Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), 
Leon Bailey (Genk),
 Riechedly Bazoer (Ajax),
 Gabriel (Monaco),
 Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen)
, Carlos Fernandez (Sevilla),
 Andreas Christensen (Gladbach),
 Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich),
 Ante Coric (Dinamo Zabgreb),
 Amadou Diawara (Napoli),
 Mahmoud Dahoud (Gladbach),
 Danilo (Benfica),
 Moussa Dembele (Celtic),
 Ousmane Dembele (Dortmund),
 Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan),
 Breel Embolo (Schalke), 
Gabriel Barbosa (Inter),
 Aleksandr Golovin (CKSA),
 Goncalo Guedes (Benfica),
 Demarai Gray (Leicester),
 Marko Grujic (Liverpool),
 Alen Halilovic (Hamburg),
 Kelechi Iheanacho (Man City),
 Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), 
Viktor Kovalenko (Shakhtar),
 Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea),
 Lucas Hernandez (Atletico),
 Emanuel Mammana (Lyon),
 Nathan (Vitesse), 
Olivier Ntcham (Genoa), 
Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), 
Renato Sanches (Bayern),
 Jairo Riedewald (Ajax), 
Ruben Neves (Porto),
 Antonio Sanabria (Real Beits),
 Leroy Sane (Man City),
 Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen), 
Youri Tielemans (Anderlecht),
 Almamy Toure (Monaco) 

WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN?

Read More

What are the new Premier League rules?yellow card for taking a penalty wrongly,no Red card for Penalties...

What are the new Premier League rules on intimidation, offside and penalty run-ups?

EVERYTHING you need to know about the new rules around referees in the Premier League.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) have made nearly 100 alterations to the game which will come into force in the Premier League for the first time.
It follows the FA Cup allowing an extra substitution in the three final rounds if they go to extra-time on the recommendation of IFAB.
The biggest changes will be concerning players surrounding and abusing the referee.
Anyone running to contest a decision, arguing face-to-face with officials and players using 'visibly disrespectful' actions will be booked.
Players will also be sent off for confronting officials and using insulting/offensive language or gestures.

Has the offside rule changed?

Partially. The halfway line is now neutral, meaning to be offside you must have a part of your body (expect hands or arms) inside the opposition half.

Free-kicks awarded for offside must also now be taken from the spot of the offence.

Can you stop in a penalty run-up?

You can stutter but you can't stop. A penalty-taker who slows to a stop before shooting will now be booked and a freekick will be awarded to the other team

How has the kick-off changed?

Previous laws meant you had to move the ball forward into the opposition half from kick-off, typically with two people standing over the restart.

But now the ball can be kicked straight back - as it was at Euro 2016.

Can you now be sent off before kick-off?

Yes. Referees can now send players off in the tunnel or even earlier if a red-card offence is committed outside of the 90 minutes.

The period in which players can be sent off will now start at the referee's pre-match inspection and end when he leaves the field after the final whistle.indirect free-kick awarded to the opposition.

Can you be sent off after conceding a penalty?

Not any more. Teams will no longer be triple-punished for an accidental foul in the box that results in a red card and therefore a suspension.

An accidental foul that denies a goal-scoring opportunity in the penalty area will only result in a yellow card. The penalty effectively restores the goal-scoring opportunity so a red card is seen as too strong a punishment.

As the amendment states: "When a denial of a goalscoring opportunity offence is committed by a defender in the penalty area, the penalty kick effectively restores the goalscoring opportunity so the punishment for the player should be less strong (e.g. a yellow card) than when the offence is committed outside the penalty area. However, when the offence is handball or clearly not a genuine attempt to play or challenge for the ball, the player will be sent off."

A deliberate foul or a handball however will still result in a straight red.

Do players still have to leave the field for treatment?

No. If a player is fouled and requires treatment as a result of a yellow-card or red-card challenge, they will not need to leave the field to be seen to by a physio or doctor.

Can the fourth official let players return to the field of play?

If a player leaves the field to change his boots, the fourth official may check his new equipment before allowing him back onto the pitch.

Before the referee had to come over and permit his return.

Can managers give away a free-kick?

Yes! Free-kicks and even penalties can now be awarded if members of the team, playing or non-playing, off the field of play cause the game to be stopped.

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone was sent to the stands in April after a member of his backroom team threw a ball onto the pitch during a La Liga game in an attempt to interrupt an opponent's attack.

To address what was threatening to become a growing trend, the law has been changed so that if play is stopped due to interference from a team official or substitute, rather than the award of an indirect free-kick or drop ball, the referee will now award a free-kick or penalty kick to the opposition.

 Handballs

In an effort to stop referees brandishing yellow cards for every handball, "preventing an opponent gaining possession" has been removed from the list of bookable offences.

Handball is now a yellow card offence when "it stops/interferes with a promising attack".

 Player behaviour

 

Referees have been urged to take a stronger stand on "intolerable behaviour" by players following a joint statement by the Premier League, English Football League and FA.

Running to contest decisions, arguing face-to-face with officials, and "visibly disrespectful" actions will result in yellow cards.

Red cards will be issued to players who confront officials and use insulting and/or offensive language or gestures towards them.

The aim is to "reduce disrespectful conduct such as aggressively challenging decisions or running from distance to confront an official."

A complete breakdown of the amendments to the laws of the game can be found on FIFA's website.

Are they working?

The first match under the new regulations saw Hull take on champions Leicester.

The promoted side took the lead but just after half-time, referee Mike Dean adjudged Demarai Gray to have been bundled over in the penalty box and awarded the Foxes a controversial spot-kick.

However, the Hull defenders made no protest to the referee, suggesting players will heed the new rules on referee intimidation.

Read More

Jose Mourinho slams referee Clattenberg and under-performers after derby loss

 

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has slammed under-performing players and referee after their 1-2 loss to Manchester City in a very highly anticipated clash.
Mourinho have started Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard ahead of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as the decision proved wrong by the end of first half.
The Red Devils were completely outplayed for the first 40 minutes as Pep Guardiola’s side looked at ease despite playing at Old Trafford. The Citizens were two goals ahead before Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled a goal back going into half time break.

Both Mkhitaryan and Lingard made way at half time as United came back into the game strongly in the second half and dominated at spells which the fixture even but they couldn’t find a goal throughout the half despite their impressive counter attacks.
Mourinho feels that two big decisions went against Manchester United as they should have had two penalties in the second half. He beleives Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo went in on a rash tackle on Wayne Rooney and Nicolas Otamendi handled the ball in the box later in the game.
‘I think the first half they were much better. We started to win back. We started the game with players below the normal level,’ he said after the match.
‘We need to be sharp the way we think, the way we play. We had a few players below that level and we were made to pay.
‘The second half was completely different. We were in control, much more dangerous. We had chances to equalise.
‘I have two or three players in the first half who if I know what was going to happen I would not play them. Sometimes players disappoint managers.’
‘I am disappointed with the decisions of Mark [Clattenburg].

‘Outside the box [Bravo’s challenge] is a free-kick and a red card. It was a penalty.
‘The second one [Otamendi ‘handball’] also is a penalty. He knows the cross is not going in his face but to his back.’
The loss meant Manchester United have now lost their first game in the Jose Mourinho era and would like to maintain their form after their hard-fought loss to Manchester City.

Read More

PREMIER LEAGUE VS LA LIGA:WHICH IS WORLD BEST LEAGUE

There have been argument over the years on which league is the best league in Europe and the world at large with people drawn between this two league here we look at certain criteria  and determine the better of the two

1.TEAMS
2. FINANCIAL POWER
3.PUBLICITY
4  PLAYERS STRENGTH
5. LEAGUE COMPETITIVENESS

NOTE:WE ARE CONSIDERING THE LAST 15YEARS AS WE ONLY BASE ON RECENT STATISTICS


TEAMS: We have to be careful in our analysis here because we are considering the league and not the teams but in considering the league we have to consider the teams and at present when considering the teams we use UEFA coefficient to judge and according to that statistics which looks at the performance of teams in the last five years in Europe we have 3spanish teams in the top ten with 2English teams making the top 10,Real Madrid and Barcelona makes the top 3 without any English team English teams has 4 representatives to Spanish 6 in the top 20 and 6 English to 8 Spanish in the top 50 so according to teams Spanish La liga comes top.

2.FINANCIAL POWER : The English league €2.2 billion per year in domestic and international television rights while the Spanish la liga generates about 1billion per year. According the the most reliable source Forbes there are 6 English teams in the list of the top 10 richest teams in the world to the Spanish la liga 2 and there are 8 English teams in the top 20 to Spanish 3 therefore English league is far superior in this.

3.PUBLICITY:The Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people the average Premier League match attendance exceeded 36,000 which is second only to the German Bundesliga, La Liga is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world, with an average attendance of 26,741 the third-highest of any professional association football league in the world, behind Germany's Bundesliga and England's Premier League the premier league comes top here again.
                                                                         
4.PLAYERS STRENGTH: La Liga-based players have won the highest number of FIFA World Player of the Year awards (11), Ballon d'Or awards (19) and UEFA Best Player in Europe awards (4). La Liga players also represent the most FIFPro World XI and UEFA Team of the Year. since the inception of the Ballon d'Or award Spanish teams have produced winners in the following orders Winners:11 Second place finish:10 Third place finish:6  while the English league has produced in the following order Winners:1 Second place finish:6times Third place finish:7times considering all this the Spanish league is better.

 5. LEAGUE COMPETITIVENESS: In judging this we pick the harder league to win as the most competitive so we look at how many points has won the league in the last 15 seasons and how many different teams has won the league.We start with the English league
POINTS TABLE GOTTEN FROM WHOSCORED.COM

 ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE WINNINGS WITH POINTS SINCE YEAR 2000

SEASON	TEAMS	POINTS
2000/2001	Manchester United	80
2001/2002	Arsenal	87
2002/2003	Manchester United	83
2003/2004	Arsenal	90
2004/2005	Chelsea	95
2005/2006	Chelsea	91
2006/2007	Manchester United	89
2007/2008	Manchester United	87
2008/2009	Manchester United	90
2009/2010	Chelsea	86
2010/2011	Manchester United	80
2011/2012	Manchester City	89
2012/2013	Manchester United	89
2013/2014	Manchester City	86
2014/2015	Chelsea	87
2015/2016	Leicester City	81
	TOTAL	1390

NOW WE LOOK AT THAT OF THE SPANISH LA LIGA WINNERS WITH POINTS SINCE 2000

SEASON	TEAMS	POINTS
2000/2001	Real Madrid	80
2001/2002	Valencia	75
2002/2003	Real Madrid	78
2003/2004	Valencia	77
2004/2005	Barcelona	84
2005/2006	Barcelona	82
2006/2007	Real Madrid	76
2007/2008	Real Madrid	85
2008/2009	Barcelona	87
2009/2010	Barcelona	99
2010/2011	Barcelona	96
2011/2012	Real Madrid	100
2012/2013	Barcelona	100
2013/2014	Atl. Madrid	90
2014/2015	Barcelona	94
2015/2016	Barcelona	91
	TOTAL	1394

  As we can see here the Spanish league as amassed  more points although little than the premier league which gives the premier league a little  edge here.
 We also want to consider the autonomy of the leagues which takes a look at how many different teams has won the league within the stated time
English premier league- Manchester united,Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and  Leicester City (5 Teams)
Spanish La Liga- Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Atl. Madrid (4 Teams)
The English league comes out on top here too so regarding league competitiveness we are giving it to the English league.

  

FINAL VERDICT - THE ENGLISH LEAGUE COMES OUT ON TOP IN 3 OUT OF FIVE ASPECT THAT WAS LOOKED INTO WITH THE LA LIGA HAVING TWO SO WE GIVE THE ENGLISH LEAGUE AS THE BEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD ALBEIT CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY THE LA LIGA

Read More