TUT Advances To Men’s Varsity Football Final 2017

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) have advanced into the finals of the men’s Varsity Football 2017 for third time conservatively after they drew 1-1 in the semi-finals against Central University of Technology (CUT).

TUT won 5-4 on penalties in a match that took place on the 14^th of September 2017 at TUT Main campus at Pretoria.

Sithembiso Ncube, TUT goalkeeper and Man of the Match said the team is happy that they have reached the finals and he is happy that he received the Man of the Match award.

“Our target was playing nine games and we did it. We want to defend our trophy. From the first whistle I believed that today it’s my way to shine and that is why I was rewarded with Man of the Match”. Noted Ncube.

TUT Captain, Themba Ndlovu, who is a candidate for the Player of the Tournament and has already, registered 5 goals and 4 assists in 8 games, said they are happy with the win and they expected a tough game from CUT.

“We knew CUT will throw everything at us after we beat them in front of their fans. With this win we have advanced to the final and we are very happy as a team and also we appreciate the support from our fellow students”. Stated Ndlovu.

TUT Head coach, Bushi Moloi, said he thanks god for advancing into the finals for third time conservatively and he believes they stand a greater chance of winning the competition.

“We have a good team. I thank the boys for going all out in this competition and giving their best to each and every match. Without God we wouldn’t have done this that’s why I always tell my players to pray before and after the game.” Concluded Moloyi.

Pirates Maintain Unbeaten Run

Orlando Pirates have maintained their unbeaten run in the league after outplaying Blue and Gold Army AT FNB stadium on the 19^th of September 2017.

The Mayfair based outfit were the better side on the night missing several opportunities but were able to win the game in the 82^nd minute after Thabo Qalinge was assisted by the 17 year old Lyle Foster to make it 1-0.

It is a work in progress for the Mayfair based outfit this season under new coach Milutin Micho who has guided the Buccaneers to the fist position on the log.

Tebogo Moleya, a journalism student at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and sports reporter said that Bucs are way better compared to last season and maybe they might finish in the top 4 on the log.

“Bucs are way better than last season, you can tell that they want to win games and they are ready to go against any team this season unlike last season”.

“It is very possible that with their current performances, they might finish in the top 4 on the log even though it is still early to tell.” Said Moleya

Orlando Pirates Head Coach Milutin Micho, said that he gives the credit to the players for sticking to the tactics and he is very happy about Lyle Foster’s performances.

“First of all I want to give credit to the players for sticking to the tactics and it is not easy playing against a competitive team like Cape Town City who are in the MTN 8 Final.

They have been fighting for the league up to last matches last season.” Concluded Micho.

“I am very happy that Lyle Foster got more minutes and he showed that he’s future of our football.”

Cape Town City Head Coach Benni McCarthy said that they did very well and they were in control of the game but they didn’t take their chances.

“We did very well, we were in control of the game but we didn’t take our chances”

“I think the best team on the day won and Pirates have good players up front.” Stated McCarthy.

Orlando Pirates have played 5 games with 3 wins, 2 draws, no defeat and eleven points.

TUT Favorites To Retain their title?

TUT Varsity Football team poses for a team photo at TUT main campus

TUT have established itself as the best football team in this competition, having already won it several times. The Pretoria based outfit outperformed 2015 winners UWC, winning the match 4-2.TUT Captain Themba Ndlovu who scored three goals in the night and who has been already identified as the candidate for the Player of the Tournament, having already registered six goals and four assists in 5 games.

Many have said that the talented forward deserves a contract with a professional team after his splendid performances guiding his side to the top of the log, having already played 5 games with 4 wins, 1 draw, nom defeat and 13 points.

TUT head coach Bushi Moloi said that he is very happy with this win, he believes that they can win it, and he also thanks God for guiding his team throughout this tournament.

“I am very happy with this win, we stand a good chance of winning this tournament.”

“We changed our back four, any team that does that commits suicide and our goalkeeper was caught napping two times but I thank God for guiding us throughout this tournament” Moloi concluded.

University of the Western Cape Head coach Salie Adams, said that they were poor technically and they could have done much better.

“We were very poor technically, we tried maintaining balance in our team and it’s not easy coming here and sealing a win”.

He also quantified that he thinks that their individual errors was their main downfall coming to this game.

“We have to fix our mistakes because our individual errors were our main downfall coming to this game but I am very happy with the progress in my team".

TUT Captain Themba Ndlovu, said that he is very happy with this win but missing the penalty in the game was his downfall

“I am very happy that we won this game, we conceded two soft goals but that’s something that we can fix and missing the penalty was my downfall”.

When the talented forward was asked about their chances of retaining their title and his personal odds of securing a contract with a Premier Soccer League (PSL) team and winning the Player of the Tournament, he said that they will have to work hard as a team and as an individual.

“We will have to work hard as a team to increase our chances of retaining this competition and I will also have to work hard to be the candidate for the Player of the Tournament or securing a contract with a professional team”. The 24 year concluded.

Barcelona Reach Agreement With BVB For Neymar’s Replacement

dailymirror

Spanish giants FC Barcelona are alleged to have agreed a deal with Borrusia Dortmund for Ousmane Dembele who has been identified as a replacement for Neymar JR who shockley moved to Paris Saint Germain. Paris Saint Germain (PSG) has made Neymar JR the most expensive football player in the world after activating his £198 million buy-out clause from the Catalans.

The Arena based outfit rejected several bids from Barcelona for the talented French winger who has been tipped to win the World Player of the Year Award instantly. Barca is desperate to sign the 20 year old and it is believed that has worked as an advantage for BVB who have an asking price of £137 million for former Rennes starlet.

The 20 year old will be the second most expensive football player after an estimated £137 million fee has been agreed between the Spanish and German giants. Ousmane Dembele went awol after Barcelona came knocking on the door for his signature and that resulted to BVB suspending the player and missing out on the France World Cup qualifiers players selection.

According to BVB official website, Ousmane Dembele has agreed a 5–year deal with the Catalans and will have his medical on Monday. It is just a matter of time for the deal to be concluded. Teboga Moleya, a Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) journalism student and sports reporter said that this is a very good move for the 20-year old but he has a gigantic void to fill and he must adapt to the culture of the team and learn to play with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

“This is a very good move for the 20- year old but he has a very massive void to fill in the Camp Nou based outfit”.

“Considering the fact that he is the second most expensive football player in the world now, he will have to work hard and try to adapt to the culture of the team and most crucially learn how to play with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi”.

Ousmane Dembele had a very good season with BVB scoring 10 goals and providing 20 assists in the 2016/2017 season.

Run with the color life gives you

Directorate of Extracurricular Development (DED) hosted an annual event at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) to welcome first year students.The Colour Run is the world’s first colour event that was started in August 2016 as an event to promote healthiness and happiness by bringing the students together to participate in the happiest and most colourful exercise. 

It is the original paint race and has created a completely new genre of colour dash running events that continues to grow exponentially every year.Now the second largest event series on the campus. The Colour Run has proven to be successful because it has brought together both students from North and South campus.

With a little twist this year, the directors of the DED split the students into five groups and they were supposed to create their own original dance routines in the selected different genres (Hip Hop, Kwaito, Izikhothane and isiBhujwa). The first group to complete the genres, advances to the next stage and they stand a greater chance of winning the competition.

The 5 kilometer run was organised from the small gate to the cricket field at South Campus, a kilo meter apart there were posts were you get poured with different colours to give the students the excitement of the run. The event has certainly brought the students together and gave them a chance to get to know each other out of lecture rooms and away from their demanding academic lives.

 Fact Box

Students feel more welcomed and relaxed after this event because they are now familiar to each other on a daily basis.

DED has aimed at improving the lives of first year students on campus.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY9WlXcLzl8&feature=youtu.be

Audio link: https://soundcloud.com/slaka-752955639/deds-interview-on-tut-student

Lucky Lekgwathi: They Need To Chop And Change

Former Orlando Pirates captain Lucky Lekgwathi said that he is not happy with his team performances last season and he is also disappointed by senior players because they not coming to the party.The 40 year old also highlighted that all the senior players are afraid to take responsibility and help new players to adapt in the team. 

“I am very disappointed by the senior players because they are afraid to take responsibility and help new players to adapt in the team”.

“It is not easy to play for a team like Orlando Pirates, you need to adapt to the playing style of the team and be comfortable when playing because the fans are very intimidating if they don’t see the results”. 

The Garankuwa born former player also stated that he is very sad that  the management let Wiiliam Okpara, former goalkeeper and assistant coach leave because he was very good and he knew how to lift the spirit of the team.

“I am very sad that the management released William Okpara from his services because that man was a leader, he knew how to lift the spirit of the team and he also knew how to motivate the boys.

He also quantified that he thinks the team needs to chop and change if they want to challenge for the league, MTN 8, Telkom Knockout and the Nedbank cup.

“I think the team needs to be choped and changed if they want to challenge for the league, MTN 8, Telkom Knockout and the Nedbank cup, the current squad needs to be chopped and changed.

Lucky Lekgwathi also itemized to the Republic Mail that he thinks that he thinks Brighton Mhlongo is a good goalkeeper and he started very well after the death of Senzo Meyiwa 

Fact Box

Lucky Lekgathi’s stated that the main downfall for Orlando Pirates this season is that the senior players are not coming to the party.

The Mayfair based outfit need to reshuffle their team.

Audio link: https://soundcloud.com/slaka-752955639/lucky-lekgwathi-interviewwav

Video link: 

Neymar: I Want To Win Fifa Balloon d’Or

Former Barcelona superstar Neymar JR is currently the world most expensive football player after Paris Saint-Germain activated his buy-out clause from the Catalans.The Brazilian starlet cost the French giants a world record fee of £198 million after signing a 5 year deal with Parc Des Princes who have made the former MSN member one of the highest paid athletes in the world with approximately £550 000 salary a week.

dailymirror

The talented forward wants out of Messi’s shadow with immediate effect and he also wants to win The World Player of the Year award instantly considering the fact that he’s 25 years old this year and he hasn’t won it. The talented forward has been tipped continuously by close friends and family to end Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Baloon d’Or dominance for the past 10 years.

For Neymar JR to be considered as the best player in the world, he needs to compete with his former teammate Lionel Messi who has been regarded as the best player of all time.

Neymar wants to be the main player wherever he plays and PSG have promised to help Neymar to reach his full potential instantly and most vitally they gave him a number 10 jersey and that has made him very happy as it shows that they bought hi m to be a star player or the one to watch.

thesun

As quoted by Marca, Neymar said that he wants to win The World Player of the Year award and it is every players dream to it.

“Of course I want to win the Balloon d’Or one day. It is every player’s dream to win it”

“It is not something that is in front of my mind, I didn’t come here to be number one, just the opposite, I came here because I want a new challenge”.

mundodeportivo

The 25 year old move to PSG shocked everyone in the world as no one thought that a human being can be worth that kind of money. Neymar junior’s move to PSG is influenced by money, the fact that he wants to win the World Player of the Year instantly and most crucially he wants out of Messi’s shadow.

Fact Box

Neymar JNR is the world most expensive football player in the world after Paris Saint Germain (PSG) activated his £198 million buyout clause from Barcelona.

PSG have made Neymar one of the highest paid athletes in the world with approximately £550 000 salary a week.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEw7Pbkj7_4

Audio link: https://soundcloud.com/slaka-752955639/neymar-jnr-s-move-to-psg-fan-interview

The Buccaneers not in the top 8 for the first time ever

Orlando Pirates have not qualified for the Top 8 finish for the first time in the history of South African football.This has been a bad season for the Buccaneers failing to win even a single tittle and many have said that Irvin Khoza is failing the team, at this point it’s very possible for a team of Pirate’s calibre to be relegated if they continue playing their poor football.

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The Buccaneers have been changing coaches constantly and that has proved continuously to be their downfall. On the 11^th of August 2017 (Friday) the MTN 8 competition will be starting as every football fan is looking forward to the kick offs of the games. It has been a long time since the Buccaneers have won a major title and that has really cost the team in terms of convincing the fans to come and support their side whilst in action.

It is very unusual for the MTN competition not to have a team of Pirate’s calibre and that has not set well with the fans as they started to misbehave in the stadiums, breaking the broadcasting equipment’s during live matches. Orlando Pirate’s poor performances last season led them out of the MTN 8 competition and being crashed by both Pretoria giants Mamelodi Sundowns by 6-1 and Supersport United 6-0.

soccerladuma

At this point, if the Buccaneers continue with their poor performances, it is very likely that the team might be relegated to the National First Division (NFD) like Moroka Swallows who were once regarded as one of the best best team in the country.

The Mayfair based outfit did not qualify for the MTN 8 for first time in their history finishing the season sitting on the eleventh position, having played 30 games in the league with 6 wins, 15 draws, and 9 defeats conceding 40 goals securing 33 points.

Fact box
The Buccaneers did not qualify for the MTN 8 competition for the first time in the history of the South African football.

The Mayfair based outfit did not qualify for finish the season on the eleventh position.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TteGi8EuX9c

Audio link: https://soundcloud.com/slaka-752955639/zweli-nkosi-interview-on-pirates-failure-to-qualify-for-the-mtn8

Oupa Manyisa parts ways with Orlando Pirates

Orlando Pirates former captain Oupa Manyisa has decided to part ways with the Buccaneers. There has been a lot of speculation regarding the talented midfielder’s future at the Orlando based outfit linking him to the Brazilians. This has been a shock move to the Sea Robbers’ fans as they expected their captain to guide them and lead the team during this difficult period.

sowetan

Many believe that Manyisa’s move to the Brazilians is influenced by the fact that Ezimnyama have been under performing recently and the former Mayfair based outfit captain didn’t want to take the blame as a senior player and as a captain.

With amid interest from the Chloorokop based outfit, the 30 year old saw it as an opportunity to leave Ezimnyama before the beginning of the 2017/2018 season. Pitso Mosimane is currently a reining Africa’s best coach and he knows where he needs to improve his squad and he showed that by sealing a move for Ace and Jorge Lebese. 

Zwelibanzi Nkosi, a journalism student and Orlando Pirates fan said that there’s a lot of competition in Sundowns and he thinks that this is a suicidal move for him considering the fact that he’s very old and the Brazilians have a lot of talented players like Themba Mzwane.

soccerladuma

“I think this is a suicidal move for him because there’s a lot of competition in Mamelodi Sundonws than there is at Pirates, we must remember that he’s very old and Pitso Mosimane’s boys are very talented, for instance, Themba Zwane”. Zweli said.

“I think this is a downfall for him because he’s not going to get any game time” Zweli concluded.

Oupa Manyisa and Jorge Lebese from The Glamour boys have both signed with the Chloorkop based outfit. Ace spent nine years with Pirates having joined the team in 2008 and made 270 appearances scoring 27 goals. Many have said that this move is influenced by money and disloyalty from Oupa Manyisa and they are very disappointed by his act.

Fact box
Oupa Manyisa and Jorge Lebese have signed with the Brazilians.

Oupa Manyisa's move to the Brazilians is influenced by money and his age (30).

Jorge Lebese's move to Mamelodi Sundowns is due to his lack of game time with the Naturena based outfit.


Audio link: https://soundcloud.com/slaka-752955639/oupa-manyisas-move-to-mamelodi-sundowns

Video link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpg6Hd7dvPg

Messi magic leads Barca to Copa Del Rey tittle

It was a very emotional game for the Spanish giants, Fc Barcelona against Alaves last night. For the 2016/2017 season, Barcelona have only won the Copa Del Rey missing out on the league tittle to Real Madrid and being knocked out in the Champions League quarter finals by Juventus.

thesun.co.uk

Lionel Messi ensured that his side are not going to complete the season without a tittle with his splendid performances scoring a beautiful curling goal after exchanging passes with his compatriot Neymar Jnr in the 30th minute. Alaves equalized after 2 minutes when Theo Hernandez scored a beautiful free kick leaving Cilleson with no chance.

Neymar put Barcelona ahead in the 45th minute after a wonderful team goal with more than four players having a touch in the ball before he easily tapped in after being played by Gomes. The talented Brazilian star became the first player to score in three consecutive Copa Del Rey finals.
Barcelona were at it again when the best player in the world started with his solo displays assisting Paco Alcater in the 48th minute just before half time. Messi has scored 40 or more goals in each of the last eight seasons in Spain making him the most consistent player in the world alongside Cristiano Ronaldo his long time compatiot

mirror.co.uk

This was Luis Enrique's last game as FC Barcelona head coach. The Spanish giants have never lost a final game when Messi scored. He is the leading goal scorer in Europe this season with 54 goals in all competitions.

FC Barcelona vs Alaves link: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob7aMUeGgXw

Make it or break it for Amajita

It's a must win for Amajita against Italy tomorrow. Amajita have put themselves under pressure after loosing their first game against Japan on Sunday. The South African under 20 team have been regarded as one of the favorites to lift the FIFA under 20 World Cup after their splendid performances during the AFCON earlier this year in Zambia loosing 1-0 to the host in the Semi-finals.

timeslive.co.za

The absence of the most talented player who is under 20 at the moment in South Africa is a big blow for Thabo Senong and the country as whole. Phakamani Mahlambi is not part of the 20 man squad that was chosen to compete for the FIFA under 20 World Cup. According to TimesLive, "Mshini" was withdrawn from the squad with the hamstring injury being replaced by Ajax Cape Town defender Sirgio Kammies.

SAFA said Mahlambi sustained his injury while training with his club. "As for the FIFA rules for the tournament, no player can be replaced from the squad without proof of an injury", SAFA's statement read. Bafana Bafana and SA under 20 team doctor Thulani Ngwenya revealed in the statement that Mahlambi's injury had been inspected and found to be "very significant".

sowetanlive.co.za

"Judging from the evidence revealed by the Ultrasound film that has been send by Mahlambi's club and has been forwarded to the FIFA Medical office, the player's injury is very significant and unfortunately it can't be managed before any of our World Cup games" Ngwenya said.

"Surgery would be  better option to enhance recovery however, he will still not be ready for this World Cup tournament and it is for this reason why he has been withdrawn"

Many believe that if Phakamani was part of the 20 man squad, Amajita would have won their opening game against Japan. Thabo Senong Amajita head coach said: "it is very unfortunate that Phakamani can't be with us, but we have to forge ahead. " This has also given us the chance to re-evaluate our squad, so we decided to call up Sirgio Kammies so as to add numbers to our defense because we feel that we have enough strength in attack".

iol.co.za

"Kimmies was part of the team's preparations prior to the the under 20 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Zambia (in March) as well as the World Cup, so he knows the team and how we operate". The SA under 20 will face Italy tomorrow at 10:00 and will again face Uruguay on the 27th of May 2017 (Saturday) at 13:00.

Thabang Mahlo, a second year journalism student at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and football analyst said that the country needed Phakamani Mahlambi to stand a great chance of winning the tournament."We needed Phakamani Mahlambi to stand a great chance tournament, surely the spirit of the team is very down due to his injury, he was the main player for the team, we needed his creativity, you could see the way the boys were playing against Japan that if the young man was there we would have scored three or four goals".

Amajita will have to win their next two games against Italy on the 24th of May (Wednesday) and Uruguay on the 27th of May 2017 (Saturday) if they want to qualify for the next stage in the competition.

Phakamani Mahlambi YouTube link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfyIAjo9hrA

Gavin Hunt's eye for young talent leads him to PSL tittle

Bidvest Wits head coach Gavin Hunt, has guided the Braamfontein based outfit to their first Premier Soccer League title. The students have proven this season that they can be the team for the big occasion and one of the most dangerous team in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) alongside African giants and champions, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Gavin Hunt has won the Premier Soccer League tittle four times now with three of them coming from Supersport United during 2007/2008, 2009/2010, 2010/2011 seasons and one coming from Bidvest Wits in the 2016/2017 season. He has proven to be one of the most successful coaches in South African football alongside Pitso Mosimane, Clive Barker, Gordon Igesund, Ted Dumitru and Jeff Butler.  

iol.co.za

It is confirmed that Bidvest Wits are the Premier Soccer League champions for the 2016/2017 season thanks to their players for remaining consistent in the top level of football because it's not easy. It comes with a lot of responsibility, a lot of pressure and that never die attitude to win the league. We must remember that Bidvest Wits are not a buying team as the "Big three" namely Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

We must not forget that in this era we are in now, when it comes to football, there is no such thing as the "big teams and small teams", the likes of Bidvest Wits, Cape Town City and Supersport United have proven that it's all about the development of the team, mentality of the players and having a good coach who knows how to select his players for certain games and be able to rotate them.

citizen.co.za

Gavin Hunt believes in young talent and that has worked for him. Let's be honest, Gavin Hunt has never bought a big name player in his entire life, the likes of phakamani Mahlambi and Phumulani Ntshangase, were not big name players when they first signed under "The Clever Boys" but now he has turned them into superstars.

In South Africa we do have a lot of talent in football but those players are not recognized due
to their disadvantaged background. We have a lot of football academies in South Africa and we must remember that an academy its not like a development where you don't pay anything you just play football until you get promotion to the open side of the team.

BidvestWits.co.za

In  football academies, young football players have to pay trialing fees and monthly payments because it's a football business. You pay to show them that you are talented but what happens if you can't pay the trialing fee and the premiums? I assure you that you will kiss your dream goodbye. I personally thank Gavin Hunt for believing in the young talent, we definitely need that in South African football. We must remember that talent alone it's not enough, it needs someone who will spot that talent and be able to develop it.

alexnews.co.za

FC Barcelona has a youth academy called La Masia, that produced the likes of  Lionel Messi, Dani Alves, Xavi Hernandez, Andreas Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Hector Bellerin, Victor Valdes, Thiago Alcantara, Pedro Rodriguez, Cesc Fabregas, just to name a few. Those players have proven to be the greatest players in the world of football and they won many tittles with Pep Guardiola who's now Manchester City head coach in England.

According to Wikipedia, La Masia holds 300 players and has been praised since 2002 as one of the best in the world, being a significant in FC Barcelona's European success as well as the Spanish national team's success at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European championships.

FcBrcelona.com

In South Africa we need a football platform like that so that we can discover young talents as early as possible. But the main issue will remain the issue of  trialing fee's and premiums. We thank football legends like Harold "Jezzy Queen" Legodi for giving young talent a platform in his football academy that is based in Johannesburg called Africa Sport Youth Academy.






                                          

Chelsea win the league in style and rewarded with £150 million

English Premiership giants Chelsea, have won the league under new manager Antonio Conte. The Italian coach has helped the Stamford Bridge based outfit to redeem their form after they went on a number of games without winning and that led to one of the greatest managers in the history of football to be sacked. Jose Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea after he lost 2-1 to Leicester in May 2015 leaving them to 16th place just a point above relegation zone.

Football leans.com

New manager Antonio Conte, has ensured that Chelsea re-establish themselves as one of the best clubs in Europe with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Paris Saint Germain and Monaco (France) Juventus (Italy), Benfica and Porto (Portugal), Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United (England).

Playingfor90.com

With the likes of Edin Hazard and Thibaut Courtois (Belgium), Willian Borges da Silva (Brazil), Pedro Rodriguez, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa (Spain), Ngolo Kante (France) Victor Moses (Nigeria) and Nemanja Matic (Slovak), Antoinio Conte has ensured that the Stomford Bridge based outfit qualify for the Champions League and they bring back what's theirs, the English Premier League. Many have said that this is the best team that Chelsea have ever had in their history, having played 37 games with 29 wins, 3 draws, 5 defeats, 80 goals and 90 points with one game remaining.

pressdemocrat.com

According to Daily Mirror, the Blues have won the league tittle for the 5th time in 13 seasons but it is a first for Antonio Conte. Chelsea's price is set to be the most lucrative price in the history of Premier League standing at the staggering £150 million. They will be the first champions to benefit from the latest TV deal worth over £8 billion to all 20 clubs in the Premier League. 

Each club is set to receive £80 million from international TV rights, commercial contracts and the "equal share" payment. A further fee is added based on how many times each side have been shown live on TV this season. Chelsea's position as champions will see them net a further windfall of around  £40 million through a merit payment.

thesun.co.uk

With EA Sports awards coming soon, the Blues and the White hart lane based outfit Tottenham, have three nominees each for the player of the season award. The nominees for EA Sports player of the season award are as follows, Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Jan Vertonghen (Totenhamm), Cesar Azpilicueta, Eden Hazard and Ngolo Kante (Chelsea), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) and Romelu Lukaku (Everton).

Many believe that Edin Hazard is the sweetheart to win the award with his sumptuous performances this season and that the 26 years old will compete with Neymar junior ( Barcelona and Brazil) and Gareth Frank Bale (Real Madrid and Wales) for the FIFA ballon d'or award after Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina) and Cristiano Ronaldo's (Real Madrid and Portugal) dominance for the past nine years.

gettyimages.com

As reported by Metro.co.uk, the talented Belgium international will also like to win the award at some point in his career but says that many players will be in the running after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo retire. "I hope to win the Ballon d'Or one day", Hazard told Sky Sports. "It's in my mind. If I don't it won't be a problem".

"I try to make a good career, the best I can, but I think other players deserve it also". When Ronaldo and Messi retire, maybe it will be another couple of players like Neymar, Paolo Dybala or Antoine Griezman, who knows? We will see. It's not something I think too much about".  "Could I win it? If I play next season, we win the Champions League and I win the World cup with Belgium, why not? In the last 10 years. the Ballon d'Or winners play in Spain but it's not automatic. If a player is better in England, he will win it".

sportskeeda.com

The 26 year old has played 39 games with sixteen goals and nine assists this season helping his side to win the Premier League.