American tennis star, Serena Williams, has revealed she doesn’t want her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. to play tennis when she grows up.

The star player said her daughter will not have a normal life if she follows her footsteps.

Recall that the mother of one withdrew from the year’s opening Grand Slam, which will be played as from Jan. 15 to Jan. 28 because she needed more time to be ready to defend her title after giving birth to her first child in September.

Speaking to Vogue magazine, Serena said, “I would hate her to have to deal with comparisons or expectations. It’s so much work, and I’ve given up so much. I don’t regret it, but it’s like Sliding Doors: Go through a different door and lead a different life.

” I’d like her to have a normal life. I didn’t have that.

“I think sometimes women limit themselves. I’m not sure why we think that way, but I know that we’re sometimes taught to not dream as big as men, not to believe we can be a president or a CEO, when in the same household, a male child is told he can be anything he wants.

” I’m so glad I had a daughter. I want to teach her that there are no limits.”

Liverpool have confirmed the £142m sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.

The Brazilian will become the third most expensive player in history after the Reds agreed a deal which will net them £105m up front, with a further £37m in performance-related add-ons.

Coutinho has flown to Spain to complete the transfer, having been given permission to miss Liverpool's warm-weather training camp in Dubai.

A statement on the Reds' official website read: "Liverpool FC can confirm Philippe Coutinho will be leaving the club after a transfer agreement was reached with FC Barcelona, subject to medical and agreement of personal terms.

"The player now has permission to complete the usual formalities to conclude the transfer immediately."

The 25-year-old has missed the last two games with a sore thigh, but negotiations between the Reds and Barcelona have progressed swiftly with a deal now finalised. Coutinho will attend Barcelona's game with Levante on Sunday, and could make his debut for his new club on Thursday in the Copa del Rey against Celta Vigo.

Barcelona were keen to land the midfielder in the summer, only for Liverpool to refuse to sell despite two formal offers.

But with Coutinho's determination to leave remaining, the decision has been taken to allow him his dream switch, rather than waiting until the end of the season.

Liverpool made efforts to convince the former Inter Milan star to stay at Anfield until the summer, but were unable to do so.

Now, the question is how Jurgen Klopp and the club's recruitment staff go about reinvesting the money.

The Reds are in the middle of a 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions, seeing off neighbours Everton in the FA Cup on Friday night, but losing Coutinho, who has scored 12 goals this season, is a huge blow to a side competing on three fronts.

It also continues the worrying trend of top talent leaving Liverpool in their peak years. Going back to 2004, the Reds have lost Michael Owen, Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling, with Coutinho the latest star added to that list.

Liverpoolecho

Late goals by in-form Jesse Lingard and fit-again striker Romelu Lukaku helped Manchester United to reach the FA Cup fourth round as they ground out a 2-0 home win over Championship (second-tier) side Derby County on Friday.

The visitors looked likely to force a replay before Lingard struck with a first-time shot in the 84th minute for his fourth goal in as many games after a fine brace in a 2-2 Premier League draw with Burnley and another in a 2-0 win over Everton.

Lukaku, who returned from a head injury and came on as a halftime substitute for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, broke away and powered his shot past goalkeeper Scott Carson at the death as Derby threw men forward in search of an equalizer.

The outcome pleased United manager Jose Mourinho, who praised Lingard and Carson after he produced a barrage of superb saves.

“It was a great shot by Jesse Lingard in the top corner, he’s in a moment of confidence where things go well for him,” Mourinho told the BBC.

”He’s a good professional and a fantastic kid in the dressing room.

“I was feeling that we were close to scoring and we never stopped trying. But when you get past 80 minutes and the goal hasn’t come, you fear the second match. But the team kept trying so I knew the goal could arrive.”

United had missed a string of chances as Lingard hit the post with a fierce arrowed shot several minutes before he broke the deadlock and Marcus Rashford also found the woodwork with a glancing header in the opening half.

Carson kept out an array of stinging long range efforts, including three from Paul Pogba as United struggled to find a way through a resolute and well-organized visiting defense.

Reuters

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he has been invited to former footballer George Weah's inauguration as Liberia's president.

But Wenger, who signed Weah when he was Monaco coach in 1988, expects to be too busy to make the trip from London for the Jan. 22 ceremony.

Weah, a former FIFA World Player of the Year, was elected president last week in Liberia's first democratic transfer of power in more than 70 years.

Wenger says "it's down to the fact that one thing that was common in George's attitude is being strong mentally, absolutely unbelievably convinced that he has a mission."

Wenger recalled Weah "crying when war was on in Liberia," and added "this guy is an example for everybody who plays football."

AP

AF has named Egyptian, Mohamed Salah as the 2017 African Footballer of the Year while Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala picked the award for the female version.

The award gala took place in Ghana inside the beautiful International Conference Centre in Accra with a host of former award winners on parade. The newly elected Liberian president George Weah was represented by his lovely wife and also in attendance was ex-Barcelona winger Emmanuel Amuneke, ‘Prince of Monaco’ Victor Ikpeba and the mercurial Kanu Nwankwo.

The event which was sponsored by the Aiteo group was filled with glamour as a fine core of music artistes light up the stage in a well-timed and organised show.

Egyptian Mohamed Salah beat Gabon’s Aubameyang and Sadio Mane of Senegal to win the 2017 CAF player of Year which was a career first for the Liverpool flying winger.

Salah enjoyed a remarkable 2017 as he powered Egypt to their first World Cup since 1990 when he scored a dramatic stoppage-time penalty against Congo during the qualifiers.

The 25-year-old helped AS Roma finish second in the Serie A behind Juventus, scoring 15goals with 11 assists – that earned him a big money move to Liverpool and he has hit the ground running with 17goals in 21 matches in the premier league so far.

For the female category, Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala won her third Women’s Player of the Year prize, beating Cameroon’s Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene and Chrestina Kgatlana of South Africa.

“It’s been truly an emotional journey through 2017,” an emotional Oshoala said after picking her award. “I must say this is one of the special moment in my career because when I left Arsenal and moved to China a lot of people said that, Asisat your career is going to be gone but I told myself that I can do this and I think I have done that.  I want to use this opportunity to encourage all the young girls do not let anyone talk you down, don’t listen to anyone, just follow your heart.”

The Nation 

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed they will sign Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from PAS Giannina in the current transfer window.

According to British media reports, Mavropanos will complete a move to the Emirates Stadium this week in a deal worth around 2 million pounds.

When asked about the deal after Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Wednesday, Wenger said: “Yes but he’s not ready to play for us, we’ll give him out on loan.”

Mavropanos, 20, has impressed at both ends in his first full season in Greece’s Super League for PAS Giannina, scoring three goals in 14 appearances.

Reuters

Arsene Wenger is facing the prospect of a stadium ban after being accused of questioning the integrity of referee Mike Dean and verbally abusing him in the official’s room after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Wenger was furious that West Brom were awarded a late penalty from which they equalised and, even after receiving a four game touchline ban last January for pushing Anthony Taylor, accusing him of “dishonesty” and, according to the official’s report, telling him to **** off, he still angrily confronted Dean.

It is understood that the Arsenal manager has been accused of swearing at Dean during an exchange in which the referee’s partiality was questioned. There is also a suggestion that Wenger may have entered Dean’s changing room before the 30-minute “cooling off” period that referees can insist upon.

Wenger was formally charged by the Football Association on Tuesday afternoon but, before that, he also escalated his already public criticism of Dean’s decision to award a penalty when Kieran Gibbs’s cross struck Calum Chambers’ arm. “This one is a bit of a farce,” said Wenger. “He sees what he wants to see. Some decisions that have happened to us this season are unbelievable.

“That is a concerning coincidence. I was not happy at all with the movement that the referee made to show why he gave the penalty, because that didn’t correspond at all with what happened. It’s a bit worrying.” Separate to the charge for confronting Dean, the FA will also now study these comments and may seek further explanation from Wenger. Managers can criticise a referee’s performance but not question their integrity.

Wenger was furious with Dean's decision to award a late penalty against  Arsenal  CREDIT: ACTION IMAGES 

The incident involved Dean has already been referred to an independent commission and Wenger has until 6pm on Friday to offer his own response. A decision is then likely to be made early next week but a fine, touchline ban and full stadium suspension are among the potential sanctions. The fact that it is less than a year since Wenger’s previous touchline ban – when Arsenal suffered in his absence – will also be taken into consideration. 

Wenger was unrepentant on Tuesday in his wider assessment and, with a video assistant referee being trialled next Monday in the FA Cup, the Premier League have stressed that technology would have aided Dean. “The angle from which Mike Dean saw the incident made it look like Calum Chambers was attempting to handle to ball,” said a spokesman for the Professional Game Match Officials’ Board Limited. “If VAR had been in use, Mike would have made a more informed decision. He would have had the chance to see the reverse angle which shows the Arsenal defender was trying hard not to handle the ball.”

Wenger believes that there is still inconsistency in the interpretation of handball and says that referees should stop visiting the clubs in an attempt to clarify rules. “They don’t look to have the same rulebook,” said Wenger. “They should spare that visit because they never respect what they say. We want them to respect the game and make the right decision and the ego should not interfere in that.

“They have a shortage of referees. I think the system of promoting young referees doesn't work. We should have a bigger league of referees and the guys who have a bad patch, get them to go down to the second division and promote young refs.”

Asked how he wanted referees to approach a game, Wenger said: “Quick, clear decisions. Sometimes I say to the fourth official when, after five minutes the goalkeeper starts to waste time, ‘Look up there, there are people who pay a lot of money to watch football.’ They have to serve the game like we have to serve the game. They have not to be the star.”

Wenger is also irritated by referees spending time talking to players. “People want crisp, sharp action - this is the 1950s, where the referee talks to him: ‘If you’re not nice, I might punish you.’ Come on, let’s not waste time. We don’t live in the dark ages.”

Arsenal’s referee on Wednesday night against Chelsea, when they will be without defenders Nacho Monreal, Sead Kolasinac and potentially Laurent Koscielny through injury, will again be Taylor. “I never look at the referee - I just think they guy will try to do a good job,” said Wenger.

Telegram

Joshua is currently locked in talks with WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker and revealed this week that the fight deal was ’95 per cent done’. But, should that fight fail to make it over the line, Joshua will conduct a voluntary defence and Povetkin will be the opponent.

Povetkin is fresh off a points victory over Christian Hammer and that win earned him WBA’s top ranked contender spot. Joshua is eager to hold onto all his heavyweight titles, which means a mandatory defence is likely in 2018. Just as Joshua defended his IBF title against Carlos Takam in October, Povetkin will most likely get a shot at the WBA strap this year.

Joshua has spoken at length about his ambition to at some stage hold all four major world titles and that will mean holding onto his WBA belt. Povetkin is an experienced opponent who fought 24 rounds and two fights in 2017 after previously recording five stoppages in a row. The Russian has had issues with doping watchdogs and was forced to compensate Deontay Wilder after That showdown was canceled as a result, but a life-time ban handed down by the WBC on Povetkin was lifted this month. Joshua has another major 12 months ahead of him and is likely to fight at least twice this year, if not three times.

The 28-year-old returns to training this month in preparation for a March fight in Cardiff, with Parker the frontrunner to be Joshua’s next opponent.

Metro