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Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
'I idolised Santi Cazorla - now we're one win from getting promoted together'
Real Oviedo star Kwasi Sibo has gone from watching Santi Cazorla on TV as a teenager in Ghana to playing alongside the former Arsenal star as his team chases promotion On June 11, Oviedo fans were treated to the kind of scenes supporters across Europe have become familiar with over the last 20 years. Hometown hero Santi Cazorla, now 40 years of age, sent a free-kick into the back of the Almeria net to put his boyhood team into the Segunda Division play-off final and within touching distance of a return to La Liga. It's the sort of thing fans have witnessed during Cazorla's time in England with Arsenal, as well as in spells with Spanish clubs including Villarreal and Malaga. What's more, he preserved his reputation as one of the world 's most two-footed players by scoring with his nominally weaker left foot. Cazorla's team-mate Kwasi Sibo was one of those fans who was still a child when Cazorla was in his prime years. The Ghanaian - who played a part in the move which led to Oviedo winning the set-piece - knew what was coming before Cazorla even stepped up to send the ball beyond Almeria keeper Fernando Martinez. 'I remember how he won the foul - it was a ball from Colombatto to me, and I didn't even see him [Santi] - I just heard his voice, I heard him shout 'Sibo' and when I heard his voice I knew where he was coming from,' Sibo tells Mirror Foofball. 'And then his first touch was unbelievable… and when we won that free-kick and I was standing there looking at the position of the ball, I was like 'this ball's already in the net', because of the man behind this ball at this crucial moment. 'When we're talking about Oviedo, Oviedo is Santi Cazorla. When we are talking about the corazon of this club, the heart of this team, it's Santi Cazorla. So I was so happy. I didn't know how to celebrate when he scored that goal for us because it was a very important goal in our life.' Sibo still sometimes needs to pinch himself when he remembers he's partnering Cazorla in Oviedo's midfield. While he grew up supporting Chelsea, an Arsenal-supporting friend from his Under-14s team in Ghana made sure he watched Arsene Wenger 's team most weeks… and quickly found a new favourite player. 'Because I was a midfielder, I was like 'the way your guy is playing, he plays so simple, he's so smart, he's so intelligent - I really like him',' he recalls. 'My friend was like 'yeah, that's Santi Cazorla from Spain and I was like 'whoa, I love this guy'. I was a Chelsea fan but I was like 'I love this guy'.' He admits some of his friends laughed at him when he talked non-stop about Cazorla back in Ghana. Years later, though, he can count the veteran as a team-mate and a friend. Now 27, Sibo has had a long and winding journey to the upper reaches of Spain's second tier. He was spotted by Watford while playing in Armenia, joining the then-Premier League club at the age of 20, but never made an appearance in English football. He has continued to trust the process, as he puts it, and now an opportunity in a big five league is within touchig distance. He's already living the dream by playing with Cazorla, but things can get even better. Sibo quickly built a career for himself in Spain, playing for Ibiza and Betis B - but not the Betis first-team - before joining Amorebieta in 2022. After winning promotion to the Segunda Division in his first season, he had the chance to take on his idol in the 2023-24 campaign, but even then he had to wait that little bit longer. 'I started getting a passion for him since when I was in Ghana, and when I found myself in the second division in Spain last season, I was in Amorebieta, and we were playing against Oviedo,' Sibo says. 'I saw him coming from the tunnel and I was like 'oof', then in my mind I was like 'this is the guy that I was sitting at the back watching on TV, and now I'm supposed to play against him?'. 'He didn't start that game and I was so mad, I wanted him on the field! I wanted to see how he moves, how he kicks a ball, how he changes something in the game.' Sibo still cherishes one of the photos he has from that game, when he put in a crunching tackle on Cazorla before profusely apologising, but there was an even more important moment in the return fixture. He had already shown Cazorla what he was like on the pitch, and next it was time to get hold of his shirt. 'We'd come to play against Oviedo and that time we were in the relegation zone, we had to win or take a point but still I was thinking about getting his shirt when I was playing,' he says. 'That game, too, he didn't start. When I was there I was still like 'I want him to start, I want to feel his presence on the field'. 'So in my head, when the ball went for a throw I would just be looking at the bench, looking at him like 'Oh god, this is a dream that I'm living right now'. Even him sitting on the bench watching me - being in the same category, being in the same league - I was like 'God, this is so beautiful'. 'I never imagined the day would ever come. I always said it to my friends, that time when I was in Ghana, if someone told me a time would come when you play against Santi Cazorla I would say 'my friend, what are you saying?'. 'The moment he came [onto the pitch], I ran to him and was like 'Please, I asked for your jersey, do you remember?' and he smiled and said 'Yeah, I remember'. 'He's so humble, his calibre, the kind of person he is, the kind of image he has in Europe and in the world. He was waiting for me in the tunnel [after the game] holding his shirt. When I saw him I was very nervous. I took the shirt and was going to the dressing room and he was like 'My friend, where are you going?', so I stopped. 'He was like 'I want your shirt, give me your shirt'. So I was in my head 'wow, Santi Cazorla wants my shirt too?'. 'I gave him my shirt and took his shirt, and when I took his shirt then, I went to the dressing room and gave my shirt to my guy like 'hey, this shirt, i don't want you to wash it. Just leave it like that'.' That very same shirt almost landed Sibo in trouble later that same year. After signing for Oviedo, but before the move was announced, Cazorla's team reached the play-off final against Espanyol. Sibo, who had gone back to Ghana on holiday, went to the shops wearing Cazorla's shirt and shared a photo on Instagram. In his head, he was showing his support for a player he had idolised since childhood, but that's not how everyone on the internet interpreted it. 'My agent called me asking 'Why are you wearing an Oviedo jersey now?' and I was like 'No, I'm wearing my idol's jersey. We played against them, we exchanged shirts, and I'm wearing it. I don't know what you are saying,' he recalls. 'He said 'You need to take it off. People are asking me has Sibo signed for Oviedo?' but people had already taken screenshots of the picture and posted it on Twitter.' The move was made official in July last year, less than a fortnight after Oviedo lost narrowly to Espanyol to miss out on the decision had been made much earlier than that. 'The moment I saw Oviedo was part [of the conversation], and me knowing that next season I'm going to share the same dressing room with Santi Cazorla, I was like 'Let's go for this offer, I want this team',' Sibo says. 'My agent wanted to go through what all the other offers were but still I wanted Oviedo. I was like 'I'm sure, 100 percent, I want Oviedo'.' The 'never meet your heroes' cliche is one that doesn't apply here. Not only is Cazorla an inspiration on the pitch, but he's helped Sibo in every aspect of his career. 'On my first time training, in pre-season, he was doing personal stuff in the gym so he wasn't part of the team group. But the day he came onto the field for the first training, I was playing but then at some point I stood and was looking at him like 'what is this?' Sibo says. 'Both feet? The control with the left and the right is moving, the right is controlling and the left is going.' This moment, playing on the same team, sharing the same dressing room with someone I've been idolising since my childhood, it's something that I don't know the words I can use to describe it. It's so beautiful and I'm always grateful. 'The kind of person that he is, the way he treats everyone, the kind of professional that he is, his personality apart from being a footballer, his personality outside the field is something that always helps us to learn more. Someone like him, at that level, you see him after training and he's at the gym. You see him working out. So it's a plus for the others to learn from him. 'Many times when we are training he talks to me, and I love to listen to him so much because he knows more about football. He knows more about the game. 'I am a midfielder, he is also a midfielder, so any time he talks to me I'm like "ok idol". I love that and I think it's helping me improve my game even more, because sharing the same pitch with him, I'm learning a lot and I think I'm improving and I'm really happy for that.' It has been a dream season already, but there's still a chance for things to get even better. Oviedo lost 1-0 in the the first leg of their play-off final against Mirandes, but the second leg will come in front of a partisan home crowd who will give them every opportunity to turn things around. 'For me, I believe in my colleagues, I believe in the team, I believe in the work we have done throughout the season and I believe if we want to let everyone know we have done a great job this season, this is the opportunity,' Sibo says. 'This is the chance, on our own soil, to finish the job. 'If there's one thing about this team that's crazy it's the fans. This team deserves to be in the Primera - the fans, the kind of reception they give to us any time we have a home game or a crucial game, it's amazing. 'It's more than a club who is in the Premier League. We know that they are always behind us so we have to give everything for them on Saturday.' Watch Real Oviedo vs CD Mirandés in the LALIGA HYPERMOTION Final Second Leg this Saturday at 8pm on LALIGATV or Premier Sports 2. 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Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
🎥 Bizarre 98th-minute own goal, 3-3 thriller in play-offs 😱
An almost unbelievable scene caused chaos at El Sardinero Stadium and ignited the Spanish Segunda Division playoffs. In the 98th minute, Racing Santander secured an incredible 3-3 draw against Mirandés thanks to one of the most absurd own goals ever seen, worthy of the craziness of a video game. Advertisement The sequence is unbelievable: after Racing hit a sensational crossbar, the ball bounced off the head of a Mirandés defender and hit the post. On the line, Julio Alonso desperately tried to save with a slide... but hit the inside post again and sent the ball into the net. It's a last-minute equalizer, and the stands go wild! The match, the first leg of the promotion playoff semifinals for a spot in La Liga, was a spectacle of emotions. Mirandés, coached by Italian Alessio Lisci, struck hard with Izeta and Rincon. Racing, trailing 1-3 after Reina's goal in the second half, showed pride in the final moments with Martín and then with... the involuntary Alonso. Advertisement In the other semifinal, Real Oviedo made a big move by beating Almería 2-1 away, setting up a fiery return leg. But the spotlight is all on the incredible finale in Santander: a sliding door worthy of the top league. The emotions aren't over: in four days, the return matches will take place, with the La Liga dream still alive for everyone. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
The Irish Sun
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Sevilla flops forced to spend night at training centre after defeat as ‘violent' fans launch horrific attacks
SEVILLA stars were forced to spend the night at their training ground after angry fans stormed it following their defeat to Celta Vigo. The club's poor season continued on Saturday thanks to a 3-2 defeat away to Celta Vigo. 4 Sevila suffered a 3-2 defeat to Celta Vigo on Saturday Credit: EPA 4 Furious Sevilla fans took out their season's frustrations by attacking the club's training ground Credit: X 4 Footage on social media showed fans storming the ground after breaking through a gate Credit: X And a small number of the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan faithful showed their anger by attacking the club's training ground. Footage on social media showed an angry mob attacking and breaking through the training ground's protective gate. According to READ MORE FOOTIE NEWS Sevilla issued a scathing statement on the incredible act of violence, in which they urged the authorities to take serious action. It read: 'Sevilla FC strongly condemns the organised vandalism that took place this Saturday night at the Jose Ramon Cisneros Palacios Sports City, following the first team's arrival at the facilities after the match against Celta de Vigo. 'Sevilla FC requests that the Security Forces and Corps exercise the utmost diligence to locate those responsible for these despicable acts, perpetrated by a gang of organized radicals who acted with extreme violence. 'Beyond the complaints, Sevilla FC is committed to doing everything in its power to assist in the pursuit of the perpetrators of these crimes. Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS 4 Sevilla are six points above the relegation zone with three La Liga matches remaining Credit: REX "It will try to help identify those involved in these actions and will act relentlessly in the event that they are Sevilla FC fans and members. 'Finally, Sevilla FC expresses its absolute condemnation of any protest that involves violence and criminal acts like those seen this Saturday, May 10. Ex-Premier League star Jesus Navas breaks down in tears as he plays final home game for Sevilla 'The club is certain that these actions do not represent the Sevilla fans, who are also aware of the significance of Tuesday's match against UD Sevilla are a mere six points above the relegation zone following Saturday's defeat to Celta. Hot on their heels are 18th-placed Las Palmas, whom they'll host at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan on Tuesday night for an old-fashioned relegation six-pointer. Defeat to Los Amarillos could all but condemn Sevilla to the Segunda Division as they face tricky ties against Real Madrid and
New York Times
15-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Brentford owner Matthew Benham close to agreeing deal to buy Spanish third-tier side Merida AD
Brentford owner Matthew Benham is close to agreeing a deal to buy Spanish third-tier side Merida AD. Based in western central Spain, near the Portuguese border, Merida AD are currently fifth in the Primera Federacion's group 2 with six games to play, which would qualify them for the playoffs for a spot in LaLiga's Segunda Division. Advertisement Founded in 2013 after two previous Merida-based teams went bankrupt, the club have been owned by British/American businessman Mark Heffernan since 2021 and they play at the Estadio Romano, a 14,600-capacity ground owned by the local council. A former banker turned gambler, Benham is the founder of statistical research firm Smartodds and the owner of betting exchange Matchbook. Now 56, Benham is known for his data-based approach to decision-making and has been funding Brentford, his boyhood club, since 2007, when they were in dire financial straits. The deal for Merida AD is expected to be announced on Tuesday and it will be Brentford's new holding company that will own the club. Under Benham's watch, the west London club have climbed from English football's third tier to the Premier League, which they reached for the first time in their history in 2021. Benham's millions have also helped to build Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium, which opened in 2020. Merida AD will not be Benham's first foray into multi-club ownership, as he was also the majority shareholder of Danish side Midtjylland between 2014 and 2023, during which time they won three domestic titles and became known as one of the best academies in Scandinavia. (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
New York Times
17-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Real Madrid meet with Spanish refereeing body over VAR audio from Espanyol match
Real Madrid officials met with Spanish refereeing body CTA at the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) headquarters on Monday to listen to the audio files from the video assistant referee (VAR) of their recent La Liga match against Espanyol. Madrid were angered by a decision from on-field referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz to show Espanyol defender Carlos Romero a yellow card for a 60th-minute challenge on Kylian Mbappe that was not overturned by VAR official Javier Iglesias Villanueva. Romero went on to score the game's only goal on February 1. Advertisement The club's indignation led to them sending an official communication to RFEF president Rafael Louzan and the Spanish government's High Sports Council (CSD) in which they requested to hear the VAR audio. Madrid had the opportunity t0 listen to the audio from the VAR officials throughout the match and their communication with the on-field referee, while they would also have the opportunity to hear other dialogue throughout the game. Madrid were represented by their club CEO Jose Angel Sanchez and secretary of the board Jose Luis del Valle at Monday's meeting. CTA president Medina Cantalejo described the meeting as 'very cordial' and 'very transparent', and added: 'We are always open to explaining the decisions.' VAR audio tapes from La Liga matches are available to all participating clubs and it is not unusual for club executives to meet referees each week at Las Rozas, the headquarters of the RFEF. This was, however, the first time that Madrid officials had attended such a meeting and the club opted to not go to an extraordinary meeting of La Liga and Segunda Division teams earlier this month to address recent refereeing issues. Madrid's refusal to attend the meeting came immediately after the 1-0 defeat at Espanyol in which they requested the 'immediate submission of VAR audio' from the match due to their unhappiness at several refereeing decisions. The club's request of having the audio sent to them was rejected on the grounds that it could be manipulated, but they would be allowed to listen to them at the RFEF headquarters. Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti also criticised the decision not to send off Espanyol's Romero in his post-game news conference. 'The decision made by the referee and the VAR is inexplicable,' Ancelotti said. 'Everyone saw it. The most important thing is to watch and protect the player, fortunately, nothing happened.' Advertisement Madrid have subsequently felt hard done by officiating decisions in subsequent La Liga matches. In the 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid on February 8, when referee Cesar Soto Grado judged that Aurelien Tchouameni had stepped on Samuel Lino in the 18-yard box in the 35th minute, with Antoine Griezmann scoring the resulting penalty. On Saturday, Jude Bellingham was sent off in controversial circumstances in Madrid's 1-1 away draw against Osasuna for swearing towards referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero, while Eduardo Camavinga conceded a penalty in the 57th minute in an incident which led to the equaliser. Madrid are top of La Liga but will be overtaken by Barcelona should they defeat Rayo Vallecano on Monday night, courtesy of the Catalan's superior head-to-head record. GO DEEPER Real Madrid vs La Liga's referees: A timeline of mistrust ahead of Atletico derby
