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Two fans in hospital as Chelsea urge caution after Naples ‘incident’

1 minute ago

Chelsea have urged fans travelling to Naples for Wednesday’s Champions League game to “exercise extreme caution” after two supporters needed hospital treatment.

The city has a long history of cases of away supporters being targeted by Napoli ultras.

“The club is aware of an incident that took place in Naples,” a Chelsea statement said.

“Two fans are being treated in hospital, having sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The club would like to remind all supporters to exercise extreme caution whilst in the city and take note of the advice shared ahead of this fixture.”

Fans on social media claimed Chelsea supporters had been stabbed, but there has been no official confirmation of how the injuries were caused.

Around 2,500 Chelsea supporters have tickets for the game, with fans urged to meet at designated areas so they can travel to the ground by shuttle bus under police escort.

In travel advice that was issued to fans earlier this month, Chelsea said: “During Uefa competition matches, attacks on away fans have sometimes occurred in Naples.”

Supporters have been urged not to walk around the city and to avoid wearing club colours or emblems that identify them as Chelsea fans.

Liam Rosenior’s side need a win against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to go directly into the last-16 stage of the Champions League.

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Trump says US will end support for Iraq if al-Maliki reinstated as PM

President Donald Trump has threatened that the United States will end support for Iraq if Nouri al-Maliki, a former prime minister with ties to the US’s longstanding foe Iran, is reinstated to the post.

Trump, in his latest intervention in another country’s politics, said on Tuesday that Iraq would be making a “very bad choice” with al-Maliki, who just days previously was nominated by the Coordination Framework, the largest Shia bloc in parliament, as its candidate.

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“Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq,” he said.

“If we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom. MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump’s comments are the starkest example yet of the Republican president’s campaign to curb Iran-linked groups’ influence in Iraq, which has long walked a tightrope between its two closest allies, Washington and Tehran.

In a letter, US representatives said that while the selection of the prime minister is an Iraqi decision, “the United States will make its own sovereign decisions regarding the next government in line with American interests”.

As part of Trump’s pressure campaign, Washington has also threatened senior Iraqi politicians with sanctions on the country should armed groups backed by Iran be included in the next government, the Reuters news agency reported last week.

Al-Maliki, 75, is a senior figure in the Shia Islamist Dawa Party. His tenure as prime minister from 2006 to 2014 was a period marked by a power struggle with Sunni and Kurdish rivals and growing tensions with the US.

He stepped down after ISIL (ISIS) seized large parts of the country in 2014, but has remained an influential political player, leading the State of Law coalition and maintaining close ties with Iran-backed factions.

George Moghalu Resigns From Labour Party

Former Labour Party governorship candidate in Anambra State, George Moghalu, has resigned his membership of the party.

Moghalu announced his resignation in a letter shared on his X handle on Tuesday.

In the letter, dated January 26, 2026 and addressed to the Chairman of Ward 1, Labour Party, Uruagu, Nnewi, Moghalu said his decision took immediate effect.

“I bring you the good wishes of my family and to formally inform you of my resignation from the Labour Party, effective today, the 26th of January, 2026,” the letter read.

He thanked the party for the opportunity to contest the 2025 Anambra State governorship election on its platform.

READ ALSO: Anambra Election: Why I Lost In My Polling Unit – LP Candidate

Moghalu also requested that his regards be conveyed to party members, signing off the letter as “Ohamadike Na Nnewi.”

Before joining the Labour Party in October 2024, Moghalu was a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he served as National Auditor.

The former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), a position he held between 2019 and 2023, resigned from the APC in August 2024. He cited personal reasons and the need for a “better platform” to pursue his governorship ambition.

Moghalu later secured the Labour Party governorship ticket in April 2025 ahead of the Anambra State governorship election.

However, in the November 8, 2025, election, Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), defeated him and others to pick a return ticket as Anambra governor.

Benfica’s Jose to kill Real with love, says Madrid boss ‘like his child’

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho said his Real Madrid counterpart, Alvaro Arbeloa, was like a child to him, in the run-up to their Champions League meeting in the final round of league phase matches.

The veteran Portuguese manager, known for his fiery temper and fierce tongue, coached Arbeloa at Madrid during his time at the helm of Los Blancos between 2010-2013, and had a strong relationship with the former defender in a dressing room that was splintering.

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After a comment from Mourinho last week about being “surprised” when inexperienced managers lead big European clubs was viewed as a dig at new Madrid coach Arbeloa, he said he would never try to make life hard for his former charge.

Former Inter Milan coach Mourinho said in Italy that his words were also being taken as criticism of the appointment of Cristian Chivu at the Serie A side last year.

“There is one problem – both Chivu and Arbeloa are my children, they are not just ex-players of mine, but they are special,” Mourinho told a news conference on Tuesday.

“Speaking about Alvaro, I would say that he is one of the players – from a human point of view, from a personal point of view, and personal empathy – he is one of my favourites of them all.

“Obviously, he is not the best player who has played for Real Madrid, but he is certainly one of the best men who has played for me at Real Madrid.”

Mourinho said he was surprised when he himself was offered the chance to lead Benfica at the beginning of his coaching career in 2000, so his words could not be taken as an insult.

“The last thing I would do would be to put pressure on him,” explained the 63-year-old. “I want everything to go well for him, and for him to have a fantastic career as a coach.”

Mourinho said he had not spoken to Arbeloa since the 43-year-old replaced Xabi Alonso at the helm, but that there was no need to.

“My telephone number is very complicated, because there’s only the club’s number, and after that, only my family has it, and then my other phone is always changing, changing, changing,” explained Mourinho.

“People lose my contact, and I lose theirs too, and with Alvaro, it’s not necessary to have a call to say ‘good luck’, he knows it.

“In the same way that I [want Real Madrid to win games], Alvaro wants to beat Benfica, but then after that, he hopes Benfica always win, that’s for sure — no call is necessary.”

Mourinho admitted he could not speak for Arbeloa’s quality as a coach yet because he had not watched Madrid’s reserves or youth teams play.

“I cannot analyse him as a coach because I do not know him,” said Mourinho.

“I’ve only seen results, not followed with my own eyes the trajectory of the youngsters at Madrid.

“I have no advice to give him. The only thing that is important for me is that he is happy, that he likes it, because coaching these days is a very difficult mission.”

The GAA Social meets All-Ireland winner Danny Quinn

22 minutes ago

On this week’s GAA Social podcast, Thomas and Oisin catch up with Danny Quinn, an All-Ireland winner with Derry in 1993, whose life was turned upside down in May 2011 when his wife Catherine passed away at the age of 42.

Danny married Catherine in between the Oak Leafers’ Ulster final victory over Donegal and All-Ireland semi-final win over Dublin and they went on to have three children: Amy, Conor and Dara.

However, just weeks after Dara’s birth, Catherine became unwell with Quinn accepting “life went down a different path” as it was discovered she had pulmonary hypertension – a terminal lung disorder only treatable by transplant.

Despite a donor being found, a double transplant at Royal Papworth Hospital in England was unsuccessful, leaving the husband and wife to return home on the eve of Christmas to break the news to their children.

“That was some kick in the teeth,” Quinn, Principal of Anahorish Primary School, told the podcast.

Danny and Catherine Quinn on their wedding day

Following his wife’s passing, the Bellaghy native found comfort through his work, friends, family, GAA club and community.

There were challenges along the way as Quinn’s life, once dominated by Gaelic football, was now centred around raising his children and mastering the domestic tasks at home, but the can-do attitude Catherine lived by is carried on by Quinn, who says he was “very lucky to meet Catherine and I’m a better person to have met her”.

“This has not been easy. A mother going home to tell three children she is going to die is not easy. Sitting down to explain it hasn’t gone well is the worst experience of your life, but we came out the other side of it.

“It’s not a great experience and not one I want anyone to have to deal with, but it forms your character and makes you who you are. Life is to be enjoyed, so get out there and get on with it – that was Catherine’s attitude to it.

“Catherine never felt sorry for herself, just said it was one of the challenges you get and that’s how she was throughout the illness.

“What I’ve learned from this is the importance of life.”