Former Chelsea And African Star Loses Range Rover Worth 22 Million Naira

Ex-Chelsea star Michael Essien's Surrey home was targeted by burglars, who made off with his flash Range Rover Vogue. The Ghanian super star was out of residence when the event took place.

Police have confirmed that the £75,000 (22 million naira!) vehicle, which is a sleek black version of the luxury ride was stolen earlier last month, on April 7. The search is still on to find out the whereabouts of the perpetrators of the deed.

Midfielder Essien now lives in Italy, playing for AC Milan, however he still owns the home which was purchased during his time at Chelsea.

Essien, 32, arrived at Chelsea in 2005, joining from Lyon for a reported £24.4million. He went on to play for Real Madrid before moving on to Italy to play for AC Milan.

Mikel Obi Enjoys Bicycle Ride With His Russian WAG

Super Eagles midfielder John Obi seems to be enjoying his injury-free self as he enjoys a bicycle ride with his Russian girlfriend Olga Diyachenko.

Olga who is reportedly engaged to the Chelsea midfielder took to her Instagram to post a photo of both of them enjoying a bicycle ride together. "Swim, jog, cycle... We are so triathlon ready!," she wrote alongside the photo.

Olga Diyachencko reportedly met Mikel in London where her millionaire father runs a chain of businesses. She is also reportedly related to Chelsea's Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich. 

Ibrahimovic Gets Another Beautiful Edifice Named After Him

The Zlatan Suite in Clarion Hotel, Malmo, Sweden

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has attained almost godlike status in his home city of Malmo and now one hotel has paid him the ultimate compliment by rebranding their presidential suite as ‘The Zlatan Suite’.

The Clarion Hotel’s gigantic 1,076 square-foot suite, which has ‘monstrous views’ of the harbour opens on May 2 and will have portraits of the Paris Saint-Germain striker adorning its walls.

However, if guests want to experience a slice of Zlatan-related culture then they will have to dig deep in their pockets. One night in the Ibra-like shrine will set you back  £690 i.e.             (About N210k)

Hazard And Kane Scoop 2014/15 PFA Awards, stars in PFA team, while Fabregas and Aguero are left out

The 24-year-old Belgian poses with the trophy after collecting the gong at a glittering award ceremony at London's Grosvenor Hotel

Didier Drogba posted this picture on Instagram of Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic, Cesar Azpilicueta, Hazard, John Terry and Cesc Fabregas

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard was the toast of the English game as he carried off the PFA Player of the Year award.

The 24-year-old Belgian has scored 18 goals across all competitions for his club this season, helping the Blues win the Capital One Cup and putting them on the brink of a first Premier League title since 2010.

Hazard has dazzled for Chelsea this season as the Blues look certain to win the first Premier League title of Jose Mourinho's second stint

Hazard (front) skips past the challenge of Manchester United's Wayne Rooney as the Chelsea man launches another attack prior to scoring the only goal of the game

He was rewarded for his sterling performances with the top individual award of the night at the Grosvenor Hotel in London.

Victory in their next two games - at Leicester and at home to Crystal Palace - would see Chelsea wrap up the championship

He took the Young Player of the Year prize 12 months ago, and has rapidly progressed to the top award.

Hazard's goal last weekend earned Jose Mourinho's men a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

He picked out that moment as one of his best of the campaign.

Asked to describe his season in a single word, Hazard struggled.

'I don't want to say 'amazing' because it is not finished yet - maybe amazing!' he said.

Mourinho has long sung the praises of the 24-year-old, believing he is rivalled by only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the global order.
 

Hazard has already won silverware this season, with the brilliant Belgian clutching the Capital One Cup with countryman Thibaut Courtois

 

The PFA Premier League Team of the Year for the 2014-15 season was announced ahead of Hazard being named Player of the Year

 

Hazard was earlier on Sunday named in the PFA Premier League team of the year - for the third time in his three seasons in England.

He was one of six Blues players in the XI, along with captain John Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa.

Harry Kane capped a tremendous breakout season by walking away with the Young Player of the Year award

Kane was only handed a starting spot by Spurs in November, with the 21-year-old hitting 30 goals in all competitions this season also scoring on his debut for England

Tottenham's Harry Kane - the only English attacking player in the team of the season - took the 2014/15 Young Player of the Year award.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable rise to stardom, scoring 30 goals for Spurs in all competitions this term despite not being given a regular starting slot until November.

 

Ji So-yun (left) won the PFA Women's Player of the Year, while Leah Williamson won the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year

Elsewhere, Ji So-yun of Chelsea Ladies won the PFA Women's Player of the Year, while Leah Williamson of Arsenal Ladies won the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year.

WRAPPED UP! Bayern Clinch Record 25th Title In Germany

Bayern Munich clinched their third consecutive Bundesliga title courtesy of Wolfsburg's 1-0 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Pep Guardiola's side beat Hertha Berlin 1-0 on Saturday to put them within sight of the title. Wolfsburg had to beat Gladbach, who move up to third, to make Bayern wait another week for their 25th title, but lost to an injury-time Max Kruse goal. Treble-chasing Bayern are in the Champions League and German Cup semis.

They will have little time to celebrate this success as they face rivals Borussia Dortmund in the last four of the domestic cup on Tuesday. Bayern are bidding for their third consecutive domestic double, and second treble in three years.

Guardiola has won five domestic titles in his six years as a manager; three out of four with Barcelona and now two in two for Bayern. The Bavarians face Barca in the Champions League semi-finals in May.

Europe Review: PSG Put Six Past Enyeama, Aubamenyang Scores, Premier league action Plus More!

Team mates celebrate Lavezzi's goal

Winger Ezequiel Lavezzi grabbed a hat trick and striker Edinson Cavani scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain bounced back from its lackluster performance against Barcelona by thrashing Lille 6-1 which had Super Eagles captain Vincent Enyeama in goal to move three points ahead of Lyon at the top of the French league on Saturday.

PSG also boosted its goal difference to close that gap on Lyon, which has a marginally better goal difference but Lyon moved back to the top after a win away at Reims on Sunday. Though PSG still has a game in hand.

PSG will be looking to plunder more goals on Tuesday when it plays its game in hand at home to 19th-place Metz.

Aubameyang celebrates with Kagawa after creating the goal for the midfielder

Borussia Dortmund winger Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored an audacious penalty and set up another goal in a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday to keep their Europa League hopes alive.

The Gabon international took over the penalty duties with Marco Reus on the bench and chipped his 24th minute spot kick down the middle of the goal with keeper Kevin Trapp diving early.

He then charged down the wing and cut back for Shinji Kagawa to tap in as Dortmund, last season's runners-up, moved up to eighth place on 39 points, three behind Augsburg in sixth with four games left in the season.

Pinzi holds the ball well against AC Milan

Second-half goals by Giampiero Pinzi and Emmanuel Badu gave Udinese a 2-1 win over Milan in Serie A on Saturday, further diminishing their slim hopes of playing in European competition next season.

Milan moved down to ninth on the log after an unexpected loss at Udinese with 43 points and six games to go, six points adrift of sixth-placed Fiorentina who also more surprisingly lost at home to relegation threatened Cagliari.
Udinese dominated from the start with Antonio Di Natale testing goalkeeper Diego Lopez's reflexes after 42 seconds.

Antoine Griezmann celebrates another goal for Atletico

 

Antoine Griezmann took his Liga tally for the season to 21 with a double as Atletico Madrid bounced back from Champions League disappointment to beat Elche 3-0.
Diego Simeone’s side suffered defeat to rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, and looked somewhat lethargic early on in the first half - as Atletico struggled to contain Elche on the counter attack.
The Argentine coach watched from the stands after being sent from the touchline in Atletico’s last Liga game against Deportivo La Coruna.

 

Barcelona and Real Madrid continued their excellent form and tight race for the liga tittle with respective wins in their Spanish primera league matches defeating Espanyol and Celta Vigo respectively. Neymar and Messi were the goalscorers as Barcelona ran out two nil winners with both teams receiving a red card each. 

Messi celebrates his goal

Hernandez celebrates another goal for Real

And Javier Hernandez continued his first team starts with two goals on Sunday as Real saw of the threat of Celta Vigo to remain in contention for the Primera liga tittle.

In the premier league, Tottenham managed to hold Southampton to a draw as both teams played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Gabriel Pelle scoring a  brace for Southampton. Four other matches in the Premier league also ended in draws this weekend with Liverpool - Westbrom among them, so also the highly anticipated Arsenal vs Chelsea match. The match ended in an anti-climax with neither team able to break the deadlock. So Arsene Wenger still continues to search for that much needed win over counter-part Jose Mourinho.

Man United players looking Hapless as their team is mauled by Everton

United coach, Louis Van Gaal looking on helplessly as his team fall to another defeat at the weekend

 

But the biggest talking point remain the total demolition of Manchester United by Everton at Goodison Park. 

 Goals from James McCarthy, John Stones and Kevin Mirallas condemned United to their third successive Premier League loss at Goodison Park as well putting their hopes of a top-four finish at risk.

United need to step up their game in the few remaining matches to be able to confirm eligibility for Europe's elite club competition.
 

Chelsea fans called 'The C-Team' storm Emirates Stadium to turn Arsenal sign blue ahead of London derby

The group of prankster called themselves the 'C-Team' as they carried out their 'mission'

 

The four practical jokers carry the blue and white letters as they look to make their mark in north London

 

The group of Chelsea fans set off blue smoke bombs and covered the Arsenal sign outside the Emirates 

One of the men, wearing a Diego Costa mask, celebrates as blue smoke hits the red side of London

 

A man in a Jose Mourinho mask looks to the camera during the Chelsea Fans Channel prank

A group of Chelsea fans stormed Arsenal's Emirates Stadium this week in a lighthearted attempt to lay a blue marker down as the Premier League clubs prepare to do battle on Sunday. 

The four fans labelled themselves the 'C-Team' while wearing Jose Mourinho, Diego Costa, Didier Drogba and Cesc Fabregas masks to hide their identity before parking up outside Arsenal's north London home.

As the famous A-Team soundtrack kicks in, a narrator claims: 'In 2004, a Portuguese general known as the special one put together a crack commando unit. 

Unfortunately for the pranksters, their hard work was on show for all of 10 minutes before club staff came out and took the 'Chelsea' boards down. 

The Chelsea Fans Channel prank comes just days before Mourinho's side travel to the Emirates in search of what will be a crucial three points. 

The Blues know victory against Arsenal on Sunday will all-but secure the Premier League title with Mourinho's side needing two wins from their next two games.

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final draw

The draw was made at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday morning

Pep Guardiola will be reunited with Barcelona after his Bayern Munich were paired with the Catalan giants in the Champions League semi-finals. 

The manager is to return to the Nou Camp for the first time since leaving in 2012. Real Madrid face Juventus in the other semi-final. 

The first legs will take place on May 5/6 with the returns the following week.

But it is the match-up between Bayern Munich and Barcelona, Coach Pep Guardiola returns to the club where he made his name and that throws up the most exciting prospect.  

The Bayern side swept Porto aside this week, hammering them 6-1 after suffering a surprise defeat in the first leg. 

Barcelona, meanwhile, were relentless in their pursuit of a last-four place, beating Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Paris Saint-Germain comfortably.

Pep Guardiola is to return to the Nou Camp as Bayern Munich face Barcelona in the Champions League

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique will be going up against their former boss Guardiola in the last four

Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid side secured their place in the last four by sneaking past city rivals Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, thanks to Javier Hernandez's last-gasp winner.

That saw Real through to the semi-finals for a fifth year in a row, although Juventus will look to halt their quest to become the first side to retain the Champions League.

The 'Old Lady' have the best record of all the semi-finalists, having progressed to the final on seven of their 10 appearances at this juncture.

This is the first time Juventus have made the last-four of UEFA's flagship club competition since 2003, when a Pavel Nedved-inspired side won the second leg against Real 3-1 - 4-3 on aggregate - overturning a 2-1 first-leg deficit.

Javier Hernandez scored a last-gasp winner for Real Madrid against Atletico to put them into the semi-final

JUVENTUS vs REAL MADRID - 
 HEAD TO HEAD 

Overall in Europe: 

Juventus wins - 7

Draws - 1

Real Madrid wins - 8

 

Champions League only: 

Juventus wins - 5

Draws - 1

Real Madrid wins - 5                                              

 
BARCELONA vs BAYERN MUNICH -
 HEAD TO HEAD 

Overall in Europe: 

Barcelona wins - 1

Draws - 2

Bayern Munich wins - 5 

Champions League only:

Barcelona wins - 1

Draws - 1 

Bayern Munich wins - 4 

Sunderland star charged with having sexual activity with a 15 year old

Adam Johnson leaves Peterlee police station after being charged with three offences of sexual activity

 

Johnson was accompanied by his lawyer as the Sunderland winger arrived at the police station on Thursday

 

Adam Johnson has been charged with three offences of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl and one of grooming.

The 27-year-old – who answered bail at Peterlee police station in County Durham on Thursday – will now appear at Peterlee Magistrates Court on May 20.

A statement from Durham Police said: ‘Adam Johnson, a professional footballer aged 27 from Castle Eden, County Durham has this afternoon been charged with three offences of sexual activity with a child under 16 years old, plus one offence of grooming. 

 Johnson was initially arrested on Monday, 2nd March and was charged after he answered his police bail today (Thursday) at Peterlee police station.

‘He will appear at the magistrates court in Peterlee on the morning of Wednesday, May 20th.’

Gerry Wareham, CPS Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North East, said he believed there was a realistic prospect of conviction and it was in the public interest for him to be charged.

'Following an investigation by Durham Police, I have today authorised police to charge Adam Johnson, aged 27, with four offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The offences are alleged to have been committed on one girl aged 15 at the time,' he said.

'Adam Johnson was arrested on 2 March this year.

'We have reviewed the available evidence in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and concluded that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to charge Adam Johnson with one offence of meeting a child following sexual grooming, contrary to Section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and three offences of sexual activity with a child, contrary to Section 9 of the Sexual Offence Act 2003. The alleged offences date from 30 December 2014 to 26 February 2015.

He was driven to the police station in a silver 4x4 before entering to answer his bail 

Durham Police have charged the defendant accordingly and he is due to appear before Peterlee Magistrates on 20 May.

'May I remind all concerned that the defendant has a right to a fair trial. It is very important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

'I would also remind people that the complainant in this case is entitled to lifelong anonymity under the law. For these reasons, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.'

The former England international was suspended by Sunderland pending the outcome of the police investigation after he was initially arrested at his £1.85million mansion on March 2 on suspicion of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.

The £1.85million house in the North East where Johnson was arrested in March

 

Johnson pictured with his girlfriend Stacey Flounders in 2012 after Manchester City won the Premier League

 

The "Little Pea'' settles bitter champions league Madrid derby

The Real Madrid team bus greeted by thousands of supporters outside the ground ahead of kick-off in the European tie

Fans show their support for the Real Madrid squad as they arrived at the Bernabeu for the UCL match with rivals Atletico

Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti embrace amid the Madrid derby as both teams went head to head at the Bernabeu

 

In the end it took a Mexican to end this utterly absorbing stand-off, the irrepressible, if rather unimpressive, Javier Hernandez scoring the goal that ended almost 180 minutes of deadlock between these fierce city rivals.

Only here on loan from Manchester United for a season, it was a goal that means Hernandez will be adored at the Santiago Bernabeu long after he has gone.

Chicharito scores the only goal of the two legs in the Champions League quarter-final between the Madrid neighbours

 

Hernandez celebrates as he became the hero for Real Madrid late on during the Champions League quarter-final 2nd leg

 

Cristiano Ronaldo joins in with the celebrations at the Bernabeu as Hernandez sneaked the winner against their rivals

 

But it was also a reward for ambition over the more conservative approach of Diego Simeone and his well-drilled side; for the team that enjoyed twice as much of the ball and the better of the chances that were created in this tense, niggly Champions League quarter-final tie. 

It was hard to see what Atletico were trying to achieve at times. A victory on penalties perhaps. But when Arda Turan was dismissed in the 75th minute for what looked like a harsh second yellow card for a challenge on the all-too theatrical Sergio Ramos, an opportunity suddenly presented itself to Real.

Ronaldo reflects after a missed chance during the Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid tie in the Champions League quarter-final second leg

A frustrated figure until Atletico were reduced to 10 men, Cristiano Ronaldo made a jinking, purposeful run into the penalty area before executing the all-important pass. Hernandez had missed his earlier chances. One of them a clear cut opening thanks to a wonderful reverse-pass from Isco. But this time he delivered, the Little Pea scoring arguably the biggest goal of his career with a sweeping effort from 12 yards.

Arda Turan is sent off by German referee Felix Brych in the 76th minute as Atletico were forced to play with 10 men

Turan receives a pat on the back of the head by Real Madrid's Fabio Coentrao after the Turkey international was sent off

 

In the starting line-up only because of an injury to Karem Benzema, Hernandez performed much as he has all season here. Committed and energetic but just lacking the class of his temporary club-mates.

But with this contest only two minutes from moving into extra-time, goalless if far from gutless, Hernandez made no mistake when it mattered most.

 

 

 Real Madrid striker Hernandez had been having a frustrating evening for Real Madrid up until his goal in the 88th minute

 Hernandez couldn't quite believe how he missed his chance to give Real Madrid the all-important lead at the Bernabeu before his goal.

Ancelotti seems to beat Atletico when it matters most. In last year’s Champions League final. Here on Wednesday night. Seven times already this season these two teams had met and seven times Real had failed to conquer their less glamorous neighbours. But there is a reason why Ancelotti is the only living manager to have lifted the European Cup on three occasions, and today he is a significant step closer to winning the greatest club competition of all for an unprecedented fourth time.

But this was extra special. This was a Madrid derby with a difference and the deafening roar that greeted the end of the Champions League anthem said as much. You could barely hear yourself think never mind what the person sat next to you was saying, and it was no different when Turan was dismissed and when Hernandez then struck the decisive blow.

For Ancelotti it must have come as something of a relief after the tactical juggling he had to perform in the absence of key personnel.