Nicki Minaj And Mariah Carey 'American Idol' Fight: That's It?

Latest episode reveals that the judges' fight started over a country-music debate, and earlier leaked video shows what the producers left out.

When it came down to it, the R&B mega-diva and the hip-hop queen got into it over — you guessed it — the issue of authenticity in country music!
Wednesday's (January 23) "American Idol" featured the showdown everyone's been waiting for: the spat between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj that briefly shut down production on the show's Charlotte, North Carolina, audition rounds and gave gossip magazines the juicy Mariah/Nicki beef they had been craving when video leaked online. And when these two megaplatinum megastars went at it, poor Summer Cunningham — a 20-year-old contestant from Warner Robins, Georgia — was caught in the middle.

Nicki Minaj Walks Out On 'American Idol'

Cunningham had just wrapped her audition, singing "Lean on Me," when Keith Urban asked her where she saw herself as a singer. When she answered that she felt she'd already done "the country thing," Urban took offense at what he considered a slight to his genre. That led to Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson debating the merits of her country chops, while Minaj — who had already given her approval of the singer — gave exaggerated eye rolls at the other end of the table. (In voice-over leading up to the fight, host Ryan Seacrest explained it had already been "a long day of judging" prior to the blowup.) When the conversation came back to Minaj, after Carey said she could hear country music in Cunningham's voice, Minaj offered an exasperated, "For a minute, I thought it was, like, a country music debate."
"Why are we, like, picking her apart because of, like, a country comment?" Minaj asked her fellow judges, specifically Carey and Jackson. "I mean, you guys make comments about everybody in popular music all day, nonstop."
"Really, is that what I do?" asked Mariah, who had already entered into Level 3 Diva Mode, and was quickly ascending up the ranks. (If there was an award for hair flips and quiet-but-meaningful head turns, Carey would win, hands down.) Carey, Minaj and Jackson talked over each other, until Minaj began to talk about painting artists into a corner, a topic she's touched on as a judge already. "I feel like we're going into, 'Are you country, ARE YOU COUNTRY, DO YOU LIKE COUNTRY?' " she said, turning up her voice.
Carey: "I'm sorry, it's just that that's what I do, Nicki. So when I'm making comments, I'm trying to help her, as opposed to just talk about her outfit."
Minaj: "Let me continue to speak."
Carey: "Of course, you always do. Go ahead."
Minaj continued, "All we're actually doing is just scaring her into lying. Like she said what she said, she has every right to say that and feel that." Turning to Cunningham, she told her, "You have a great voice."
What do fans think of the fight? Head to our RapFix blog!
The conversation turned back to Cunningham's mention of country as a genre, and Minaj said to Carey and Jackson, "I feel like you're trying to make her claim it." Carey interrupted, saying, "That isn't what ... " but Minaj talked over her. "Instead of forcing her to claim something, my view is that we're making them try to change their minds."
"I think it's asking who she is," Carey explained. Minaj shot back, "Watch the tape back, and you'll understand." A miffed Mariah replied, "Really, is that what you do? Really? So you watch the tape back?"
An uncomfortable-looking Cunningham was still standing before the judges, and they told her she was headed to Hollywood. (This is, after all, a singing competition, and the judges are there to listen to the singers.)
As Cunningham was leaving, Mariah snipped, "I love this moment," and followed it with, "Yay country!"
Jackson, who had clearly sided with Mariah in the argument, took it upon himself to tout his 30 years in the business and his ability to offer "a little help, insight" to the contestants, which really ticked off Nicki. "Oh, you're right, I'm sorry. I can't help her. Maybe I should just get off the f---ing panel," she huffed, and walked off the set.
"Nicki's mad, she's walking out!" Jackson announced, to which Mariah replied, "That was my move. I was gonna do that the next time she ragged on me." Off camera, Minaj could be heard saying, "I'm done!"
Of course, she wasn't done. After commercial break, a highlight reel ran, spotlighting various news outlets covering the early October spat. Some contestants wondered aloud what it would be like to go in front of the judges the day after the big fight, and when Carey entered the building on the next day of auditions, a camera man asked if she was looking forward to more of the same on Day 2. "Hope not," she answered.
In the video from that day that leaked online in October, things definitely got a little more heated — and a little more personal — but producers clearly chose to edit things down. "I told them, I'm not f---ing putting up with her f---ing highness over there," Minaj says in the clip obtained by TMZ but left out of Wednesday's episode.
When asked later by MTV News how she and Carey were getting along after the fight, Minaj said, "We're fine," stretching the two words out in a way that let people read into her comments whatever they wanted.
The Charlotte auditions continued, but the Mariah/Nicki feud seems far from finished. Remember, we've still got several months of live episodes to look forward to, which gives them plenty of time to debate the merits of country music, or whatever other topics they feel like discussing.

Nicki Minaj And Mariah Carey 'American Idol' Fight: That's It?

Latest episode reveals that the judges' fight started over a country-music debate, and earlier leaked video shows what the producers left out.

When it came down to it, the R&B mega-diva and the hip-hop queen got into it over — you guessed it — the issue of authenticity in country music!
Wednesday's (January 23) "American Idol" featured the showdown everyone's been waiting for: the spat between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj that briefly shut down production on the show's Charlotte, North Carolina, audition rounds and gave gossip magazines the juicy Mariah/Nicki beef they had been craving when video leaked online. And when these two megaplatinum megastars went at it, poor Summer Cunningham — a 20-year-old contestant from Warner Robins, Georgia — was caught in the middle.

Nicki Minaj Walks Out On 'American Idol'

Cunningham had just wrapped her audition, singing "Lean on Me," when Keith Urban asked her where she saw herself as a singer. When she answered that she felt she'd already done "the country thing," Urban took offense at what he considered a slight to his genre. That led to Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson debating the merits of her country chops, while Minaj — who had already given her approval of the singer — gave exaggerated eye rolls at the other end of the table. (In voice-over leading up to the fight, host Ryan Seacrest explained it had already been "a long day of judging" prior to the blowup.) When the conversation came back to Minaj, after Carey said she could hear country music in Cunningham's voice, Minaj offered an exasperated, "For a minute, I thought it was, like, a country music debate."
"Why are we, like, picking her apart because of, like, a country comment?" Minaj asked her fellow judges, specifically Carey and Jackson. "I mean, you guys make comments about everybody in popular music all day, nonstop."
"Really, is that what I do?" asked Mariah, who had already entered into Level 3 Diva Mode, and was quickly ascending up the ranks. (If there was an award for hair flips and quiet-but-meaningful head turns, Carey would win, hands down.) Carey, Minaj and Jackson talked over each other, until Minaj began to talk about painting artists into a corner, a topic she's touched on as a judge already. "I feel like we're going into, 'Are you country, ARE YOU COUNTRY, DO YOU LIKE COUNTRY?' " she said, turning up her voice.
Carey: "I'm sorry, it's just that that's what I do, Nicki. So when I'm making comments, I'm trying to help her, as opposed to just talk about her outfit."
Minaj: "Let me continue to speak."
Carey: "Of course, you always do. Go ahead."
Minaj continued, "All we're actually doing is just scaring her into lying. Like she said what she said, she has every right to say that and feel that." Turning to Cunningham, she told her, "You have a great voice."
What do fans think of the fight? Head to our RapFix blog!
The conversation turned back to Cunningham's mention of country as a genre, and Minaj said to Carey and Jackson, "I feel like you're trying to make her claim it." Carey interrupted, saying, "That isn't what ... " but Minaj talked over her. "Instead of forcing her to claim something, my view is that we're making them try to change their minds."
"I think it's asking who she is," Carey explained. Minaj shot back, "Watch the tape back, and you'll understand." A miffed Mariah replied, "Really, is that what you do? Really? So you watch the tape back?"
An uncomfortable-looking Cunningham was still standing before the judges, and they told her she was headed to Hollywood. (This is, after all, a singing competition, and the judges are there to listen to the singers.)
As Cunningham was leaving, Mariah snipped, "I love this moment," and followed it with, "Yay country!"
Jackson, who had clearly sided with Mariah in the argument, took it upon himself to tout his 30 years in the business and his ability to offer "a little help, insight" to the contestants, which really ticked off Nicki. "Oh, you're right, I'm sorry. I can't help her. Maybe I should just get off the f---ing panel," she huffed, and walked off the set.
"Nicki's mad, she's walking out!" Jackson announced, to which Mariah replied, "That was my move. I was gonna do that the next time she ragged on me." Off camera, Minaj could be heard saying, "I'm done!"
Of course, she wasn't done. After commercial break, a highlight reel ran, spotlighting various news outlets covering the early October spat. Some contestants wondered aloud what it would be like to go in front of the judges the day after the big fight, and when Carey entered the building on the next day of auditions, a camera man asked if she was looking forward to more of the same on Day 2. "Hope not," she answered.
In the video from that day that leaked online in October, things definitely got a little more heated — and a little more personal — but producers clearly chose to edit things down. "I told them, I'm not f---ing putting up with her f---ing highness over there," Minaj says in the clip obtained by TMZ but left out of Wednesday's episode.
When asked later by MTV News how she and Carey were getting along after the fight, Minaj said, "We're fine," stretching the two words out in a way that let people read into her comments whatever they wanted.
The Charlotte auditions continued, but the Mariah/Nicki feud seems far from finished. Remember, we've still got several months of live episodes to look forward to, which gives them plenty of time to debate the merits of country music, or whatever other topics they feel like discussing.

Kanye West And Consequence Feud Will Take 'Five Minutes' To Settle

'Love & Hip Hop' star coyly challenges Kanye to a fight during a radio interview on Monday.

Consequence and Kanye West have been through happier times, but these days things continue to sour. On Monday, Quence once again aired his grievances with his former rap running mate, and at the top of the list was Yeezy's failure to congratulate Cons on the birth of his first son, Caiden.
"He never even reached out," the "Love & Hip Hop NY" star said of his former friend, when he appeared on Power 105's the Breakfast Club morning show in New York on Monday. "I didn't never want no money from Kanye as far as my son was concerned. It's just a matter of, 'Yo congratulations; your life is changing.' That's a friend, so when you're not my friend no more and I ghostwrote for, I'ma tell everybody."

Consequence Says His Feud With Kanye West Is Over

The Queens MC says he doesn't want anything from Kanye these days, only a meet-up to settle the score. "I'm straight. I'm not asking nobody for nothing. If anything, give me five minutes," Cons said hinting that he'd like a one-on-one fight with West.
"I'll take five minutes for them having the nerve to say, 'Run up on Yeezy the wrong way, I might murk you myself' when my girl was nine months pregnant," he said pointing to Jay-Z's "Otis" lyric which Cons believes was about him. "I'll take five minutes from whoever got five for me."
Cons has had no qualms about telling the world about the lengths he's gone to assist 'Ye creatively. In May 2011 the Movies on Demand MC came on MTV's "RapFix Live" and claimed that he's been involved in the writing process of every Yeezy album up to 2008's 808s and Heartbreaks.
In September 2011, Cons came to "RapFix Live" to reveal that the feud between him and West was over, but whatever truce the two struck up seems to be over now. Jen the Pen, the mother of Consequence's son and "Love & Hip Hop" co-star, went on to allege that while Kanye and Kim were carrying on an affair behind the back of Kim's ex-boyfriend Reggie Bush a few years back, Cons was the one who kept the secret. It was a widespread rumor, which many believed to be true, but could never really confirm. "When he was sticking Kim, when Kim was with Reggie, you know whose secret that was? That was our secret when the rest of the world didn't know," Jen said.
The tirade spilled over, and Quence went on to throw shots at Yeezy's G.O.O.D. Music soldiers Pusha T, Big Sean and his cousin Q-Tip. "I will wash Big Sean up," he boasted after challenging Sean's and Pusha's manhood.
The barbs didn't sit well with Pusha, who took up for Yeezy via Twitter. "Confucius says if a man purchased the very teeth u have in your mouth, u should NEVER speak ill of that man...," he wrote taking a swipe at Quence's overbite, which Push suggests 'Ye paid to fix.
"Hey @PUSHA_T you might wanna ask Confucius who I spoke 2 today before you go any further... G.O.O.D. Night!!!," Consequence fired back.
Should Kanye West respond to Consequence's challenge? Let us know in the comments!

what Was Rihanna Shooting With Terry Richardson In California?

Terry Richardson and Rihanna.
Photo: Courtesy of @TerryRichardsonStudio's Instagram

Time to put on your detective hats, guys! According to Instagram, Rihanna hit up Terry Richardson's California studio yesterday. Terry, wearing his classic plaid and aviator frame spectacles, assumed his hallmark thumbs-up pose beside a leaning tower of fierce. Pop music's Barbadian bad gal of the moment was clad in a teeny black bralette, high-waisted cut-off shorts with printed pockets peeking out, a leather-sleeved, oversized, camouflage jacket, solid black wayfarers, and a black Polo bucket hat. Yes, the year is 2013, and Rihanna is wearing a bucket hat. Take notes. Aside from Ri's adventurous headgear choices, though, we want to enlist you on a quest to figure out what new project these two were shooting together!
At first glance, we had desperately hoped that Terry would be shooting Rihanna's River Island collaboration campaign. It's not that far off considering he's snapped fragrance images for Beyonce before. We did a little digging on Twitter, though, and found this Easter egg of a tweet from Rihanna:

OooOOOHhh! A new MAGAZINE COVER shoot! Going back through both Rihanna and Terry's collective history with mags, that doesn't really narrow anything down, but we're excited and will be keeping our eyes and ears glued for more updates. What magazine do you think Rihanna and Terry are shooting for? Let us know in the comments below!

The most important difference between Facebook and Google

Google and Facebook are both highly innovative, highly profitable Silicon Valley-based internet companies that have - in just the past decade - altered the way humanity obtains information and communicates. That's what they have in common. But they differ from one another in a crucial way that could make all the difference for the two companies going forward.
Edmond Lau, who describes himself as an "Ex-Google Search Quality Engineer", yesterday responded to the following question on Quora:

What are some company-wide organizational and operational attributes that work well at Facebook, but don't work so well at Google?

with this remarkably insightful answer:

The biggest organizational philosophy that works well at Facebook but doesn't work well at Google is Facebook's value of "Move fast and break things."  In Zuckerberg's S-1 letter from earlier in 2012, he wrote, "The idea is that if you never break anything, you’re probably not moving fast enough." [1]  At Google, if you break something, the dominant cultural response would be that you didn't do enough testing.

This translates into a few operational differences:

• Facebook engineering can attain much higher iteration speeds than Google. Moving fast leads to Facebook mottos like "ship early and ship often" [2], which is not something that's culturally ingrained at Google.
• Google generally ends up with higher quality code and more test coverage  since more time is spent per launch and since not breaking things is important.  Shipping later and less frequently also means receiving initial user feedback later and receiving less user feedback over time, so there is likely also a stronger tendency at Google to overdesign products relative to at Facebook.
• Moving fast lets Facebook place more bets and validate more ideas with less effort per idea, which lets it more quickly hone in on the ideas that produce the highest impact.  Conversely, Google is more likely to over-invest in the products and features that ultimately end up failing because it takes more effort to validate each idea.

Facebook's only about a tenth of the size of Google in number of employees [3, 4], so time will show whether the culture of moving fast and breaking things will continue to scale as the company grows and as more things break.

Casillas out of Manchester United clash with broken thumb

The Spain international will be out of action for an estimated six weeks after breaking a thumb during his side's 1-1 draw with Valencia on Wednesday

Getty Images

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has been rocked by the news that captain Iker Casillas will be out for an estimated six weeks after breaking his thumb during the 1-1 draw with Valencia on Wednesday.

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• Casillas suffers hand injury for Madrid

The keeper was forced to leave the pitch after 17 minutes of play at Mestalla, and the club have now announced that he has sustained the injury, meaning he will miss the Champions League tie with Manchester United next month.

"After carrying out initial X-rays at the La Moraleja Sanitas Hospital, it has been confirmed that the footballer Iker Casillas has suffered a fracture at the base of the first metacarpal on his left hand," a statement on the Madrid website reads.

"It will be assessed again by a specialist later today to decide what treatment will be followed."

The knock will keep Casillas out of action for an estimated six weeks, meaning he will certainly miss the clash with Untied in the Spanish capital.

Additionally, the 31-year-old is doubtful for the return against the Red Devils, while he could also be forced out of the Clasico versus Barcelona on March 2.

Buffon deserves Ballon d'Or, says Agnelli

The Juventus president realises that it has been a long time since a goalkeeper won the award, but feels the Italy star deserves recognition for his fine career

AFP

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli feels that Gianluigi Buffon deserves to win the Fifa Ballon d'Or before he retires as a reward for everything he has done for football.

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Barcelona star Lionel Messi has won the previous four editions of the prestigious individual award, but club supremo hopes that the Italy international can bring the prize back to Serie A in the upcoming years.

"History states that from 1978 until 2007, the Ballon d’Or was regularly won by players competing in Serie A," he said at a press conference.

"After this 30-year period, the trophy has subsequently been away from Italy for five years. My hope is that Gigi manages to halt the negative run by bringing it back in the next two years.

"Given that just one goalkeeper, [Lev] Yashin, has had the honour of lifting it, I think it would be a correct acknowledgment of what Gigi means to Juventus and the world of football as a whole."

The 34-year-old Buffon inked a new deal with Juventus until June 2015 on Wednesday.

Hazard will not face police charges after kicking a ball boy in Chelsea's Capital One Cup exit at Swansea

The 22-year-old was sent off for violent conduct after trying to kick the ball from under the 17-year-old in an incident that overshadowed the match at the Liberty Stadium

Reuters

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard will not face criminal charges after kicking a ball boy and being sent off in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at Swansea.

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The match finished 0-0, meaning victory for the Swans after they won the first leg 2-0, but the talking point was the incident involving the Belgium international and the 17-year-old ball boy.

CHELSEA LATEST
7/1	Celtic are 7/1 to beat Brentford 3-0 in the FA Cup with Paddy Power

The teenager fell on the ball with Hazard kicking out as he attempted to retrieve it which led to the player being sent off by referee Chris Foy for violent conduct.

Hazard later apologised for the incident and Swansea have now confirmed he will face no action from the police for his behaviour.

"The police have interviewed the boy and his father and there are no charges going to be pressed, as far as they are concerned that is the matter closed,” a Swansea spokesman revealed.

"The ball boy has been into the Chelsea dressing room after the game and shaken hands with Eden Hazard. The likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard were exemplary in their behaviour in welcoming him into the dressing room.

"Chelsea asked if he could come in and our kit lady took him in and they shook hands, he is fine.

"As far as we are concerned the matter is closed. He has been a ball boy here for six years with no incidents here at the stadium."

The Blues interim manager Rafa Benitez added that the matter would be looked at by the club, and blamed Hazard's actions on frustration.

"The ball boy has been in the dressing room talking with Hazard and they have apologised to each other. They know they were wrong, that's it," he added.

"He was wasting time, Hazard was frustrated, he wanted to get the ball back quickly so they have both made a mistake and we cannot say too much.

"We will deal with this internally. We will analyse and wait to see if there is any action from the FA."

Real Madrid & Barcelona continue to dominate football rich list as Manchester City enter top 10

The Spanish giants continue to be the benchmark in the Football Money League as they have expanded their lead over the top clubs from England, Germany and Italy

Getty

• Real Madrid crowned as world's richest club for eighth year in a row
• Top-six placings remain unchanged
• Clubs from five different countries in top 20
• Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund & Napoli climb most places - five
• EPL has most representatives
• Italy continue to struggle
• Combined revenues grow 10 per cent

Real Madrid and Barcelona once more dominate football’s rich list as the Spanish duo are still miles ahead of their rivals from England, Germany, Italy and France. According to the 2012 Deloitte Football Money League, published on Thursday, the Liga giants remain the only clubs with annual revenue over €450 million.

Real Madrid top the Football Money League for the eighth year in succession, thus equalling Manchester United’s dominance in the top position during the first eight years of the Money League, and became the first club in any sport to surpass the €500m revenue threshold in a single year. 

"It is an impressive achievement for Real Madrid to have surpassed €500m in revenue in a single year. Real have led the way in the phenomenal rate of revenue growth achieved by the game’s top clubs," Dan Jones, Partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said.

However, the reigning Spanish champions are being chased hard by arch-rivals Barcelona, whose growth in 2011-12 leaves them only €17m short of the €500m mark. Even though the Catalans couldn’t quite match their on-pitch success from 2010-11, the club enjoyed €32.3m (seven per cent) revenue growth. 

United’s failure to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League in 2011-12 meant they were unable to prevent a Spanish one-two for the fourth successive year, but Sir Alex Ferguson's side remain the proud number three in the rankings.

For the fifth successive year, the clubs comprising the top six places in the Money League remain the same. 

"An unchanged top six emphasises the fact that these clubs have some of the largest fanbases and hence strongest revenues, in both domestic and international markets," Jones commented.

The Money League top 20 again comprises clubs from the ‘big five’ European leagues, seven of which come from the English Premier League, while Italy have five teams in the top 20, and Germany four. Spain and France, meanwhile, have to settle for two representatives each.

"It’s always interesting to see the disparity between the top two in Spain and the rest of the league. There are no other Spanish clubs in the top 20. A key change that would improve the overall state of finances in Spanish football would be a collective broadcast deal. It sounds like the Spanish government have put collective payments on the agenda on that level which, if it happens, can only help with the competitiveness of the division," Mark Roberts, Senior Consultant within the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, stated.

The top 10 consists of teams from only four leagues, as Ligue 1 sides Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais sit only 16th and 17th respectively.

Manchester City (seventh) are this year’s joint highest climbers, along with Borussia Dortmund (11th) and Napoli (15th), moving up five places and claiming a top 10 position for the first time.

DELOITTE MONEY LEAGUE - THE TOP 10
CLUB 1. Real Madrid 2. Barcelona 3. Manchester Utd 4. Bayern Munich 5. Chelsea 6. Arsenal 7. Manchester City 8. AC Milan 9. Liverpool 10. Juventus	11-12 REVENUE €512.6m €483m €395.9m €368.4m €322.6m €290.3m €285.6m €256.9m €233.2m €195.4m

"City’s Premier League title winning season combined with participation in the Champions League, helped drive 51% revenue growth to €285.6m, the largest absolute and relative growth of any Money League club," Austin Houlihan, Senior Manager in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said.

As pointed out before, the English Premier League has the most representatives, and this situation seems unlikely to change any time soon.

"The Premier League still has the most representatives in the top 20 of the list. Clubs will get another €20-30m from the new broadcasting deal so in the future there will be more English clubs challenging for those positions. The most there has been in the list is eight but I think we could be seeing as much of half of the list represented by the Premier League," Roberts pointed out.

Italy's future on the other hand seems far less rosy as their facilities generally don't match their reputation.

"The poor financial performance of Italian clubs goes back to their matchday revenues. Juventus have benefitted from their new stadium, which increased their matchday income by about €20m. For the Milan clubs and the Rome clubs, the stadia is a limiting factor on their revenue generation. They simply don’t have the facilities and don’t get the gates to compete with matchday incomes in other countries. Italy has gone to collective selling of broadcasting and that is a positive start in improving that," said Roberts.

The combined revenues of the world’s 20 highest earning football clubs have grown 10% on the previous year to reach €4.8bn in 2011-12.

"The combined revenues of the top 20 clubs have quadrupled since we began our analysis in 1996-97," Jones explained.    

“Whilst eight of the top 20 clubs experienced a drop in revenue in 2011-12, in most cases this was due to less successful on-pitch performances in European club competitions, rather than wider recessionary impacts. 

"Combined, the 20 Money League clubs contribute over one-quarter of the total revenues of the European football market.  The top 20 can be expected to generate over €5bn between them in 2012-13."

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR SLIDESHOW OF THE TOP 20

Commenting on the impact of Uefa’s financial fair play break-even requirement, Paul Rawnsley, a Director in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said:

"Whilst the Money League covers clubs’ revenue performance, there is an increasing focus within European football on clubs achieving more sustainable levels of expenditure relative to revenues, particularly given Uefa's financial fair play break-even requirement.    

"Disciplined and responsible governance structures and financial management within European football, whilst providing the platform for investment in facilities and youth development, should only be encouraged."

All revenue figures in the Money League report are based on the 2011-12 season or the most recent available calendar year.

It focuses on each club's revenues from day to day football operations, including matchday ticket and corporate hospitality sales, broadcast rights revenues including distributions from participation in European club competitions, sponsorship, merchandising, and other commercial operations, but excluding transfer income.

Boko Haram Threatens Africa – Jonathan

West Africa, Central Africa and North Africa are all at risk if the threat of the radical sect, Boko Haram is not contained.
This is according to President Goodluck Jonathan who in a CNN interview on Wednesday stated that the sect has linked up with some of Al Qaeda terrorists in northern Mali and other North African countries.
The President had earlier stated in his presentation at the World Economic Forum holding in Davos, Switzerland  that terrorism in the African continent is being fuelled by the attractive rewards it offers terrorists, from hostage-taking to drug trafficking and instigating crises in different countries.
He added that Africa needs the cooperation and support of the international community to deal with the problem on the continent.
President Jonathan also pointed out that the deployment of Nigerian troops to troubled Mali is to prevent it from spilling over into other West African countries.
In the interview with CNN, President Jonathan admitted that initially Boko Haram caught Nigeria off guard but that the country is now making progress to contain the sect.
The President also denied suggestions from the US State Department that the officers of the Nigerian military and the Joint Task Force, battling the sect members have carried out indiscriminate killing in their counter insurgency.
He warned that unless the crisis is properly handled, Africa risks being overrun by terrorists who have the potential of destabilizing investments on the continent.
At the end of his interview on CNN, the President promised that power supply will improve reasonably by the end of 2013.

Tiwa Savage checks into the most expensive hotel in the world! Oh!

 

tiwa savage is enjoying her self
 at the most expensive hotel in the world.. hmm money is good oh

Scientist To Resume Bird flu Research Halted Over Terrorism Fear

Scientists around the world declared an end on Wednesday to a moratorium on researching mutant forms of the deadly H5N1 bird flu that had raised international biosecurity concerns.
Announcing their decision to resume what they say are risky but essential studies of the avian flu strain, the scientists said the work would only be carried out in the most secure sites in countries that agree it can go ahead.
That will allow work to start again in key laboratories in the Netherlands and elsewhere but not yet in the United States or U.S.-funded research centers, pending further safety and security guidelines there.
Scientists voluntarily halted research on H5N1 transmission a year ago due to fears that information about how to create potentially dangerous viruses could be used for bioterrorism.
Flu experts said they have recognized those fears and worked hard to calm them, and now it is time to push on. They say the studies are essential for a deeper understanding of H5N1, which many fear could one day spark a lethal pandemic in humans.
“We want the world to be better prepared than we currently are when an H5N1 virus causes a pandemic,” said Yoshihiro Kawaoka of Tokyo University, a leading researcher on avian flu.
“We understand the risks associated with our research and we take every precaution to conduct H5N1 virus experiments safely.”
He told reporters on a teleconference the research would boost efforts to develop global flu “biosurveillance”, early warning systems, as well as better flu drugs and vaccines.
In a letter published jointly by the journals Nature and Science, 40 flu researchers from the United States, China, Japan, Britain, the Netherlands, Canada, Hong Kong, Italy and Germany wrote: “This research – as with any work on infectious agents – is not without risks.
“However, because the risk exists in nature that an H5N1 virus capable of transmission in mammals may emerge, the benefits of this work outweigh the risks.”
Wendy Barclay, a flu virologist at Imperial College London and one of the letter’s signatories, said lifting the moratorium would lead to scientific discoveries that would have “direct consequence for human and animal health”.
All research into H5N1 transmission was halted in January 2012 after teams at the University of Wisconsin in the United States and at the Dutch Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam created mutant forms that can be transmitted directly among mammals, meaning they could in theory also pass between people.
MUTATIONS HAPPEN IN NATURE
Currently, bird flu can be transmitted from birds to birds, and birds to humans, but not from humans to humans. When it does pass from birds to humans, it is usually fatal. Scientists are concerned the same mutations needed to make it transmissible among mammals in a lab could one day happen in nature.
When news of the work emerged late in 2011, it prompted the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity to call for the scientific papers about it to be censored to prevent details falling into the wrong hands.
The censorship call sparked a fierce debate about how far scientists should be allowed to go in manipulating infectious agents in the name of research.
Barclay said this had been a “knee-jerk response from certain quarters previously naive of this approach, expressing horror that scientists were brewing up deadly diseases.”
During the moratorium, the World Health Organization (WHO)recommended that scientists explain the biological and other security measures they use to contain the virus and make more effort to show why the research is so important.
“The laboratories have expanded on their containment and security system … and I think the value of the results has been recognized,” John McCauley, director of the WHO collaborating centre for flu research at Britain’s National Institute for Medical Research said.
Ron Fouchier, from the Rotterdam lab which led one of the studies, said his team would start fresh research on H5N1 viruses “in the next few weeks”.
“We really need to understand how these viruses become airborne,” he told reporters in the teleconference, saying that was the primary goal of the work.

Kenya To Build $14.5bn Konza Technology City

 
President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya has launched a $14.5billion project to build an IT business hub named Konza Technology City.
The new city dubbed “Africa’s Silicon Savannah,” located 37 miles from the capital; Nairobi will take 20 years to build.
Despite Kenya’s usually divisive politics, the project which has the backing of all political parties is expected to create more than 20,000 IT jobs by 2015, and more than 200,000 jobs by 2030.
Konza, a part of the government’s ambitious Vision 2030 will take advantage of the growing number of software developers in the East African nation.
“It is expected to spur massive trade and investment as well as create thousands of employment opportunities for young Kenyans in the information communications technology (ICT) sector,” President Mwai Kibaki said at the ceremony to launch the construction, adding it would be a “game-changer” for the country’s development.
He called on domestic and foreign investors to take advantage of Konza’s “tremendous opportunities”.
According to the Konza information website, the city wants to attract business process outsourcing, software development, data centres, disaster recovery centres, call centres and light assembly manufacturing industries.
A university campus focused on research and technology as well as hotels, residential areas, schools and hospitals will also be built.
Konza Technopolis Development Authority has been charged with the responsibility to oversee the building of the IT hub, which will be built in four phases.

5 People Beheaded In Maiduguri

 
The Nigeria Police has come out to announce the death of five people in an attack by Islamists in Maiduguri, yesterday.
Two witnesses, who asked not to be named, said they heard cries for help at around 2:30 a.m. from a house in the Jiddari Polo area of Maiduguri and later saw five dead bodies with what looked like machete wounds.
“Five people were slaughtered today but we can’t say who did it because they fled before security personnel arrived,” police spokesman Gabriel Jibrin said by phone.
Separately, residents and a Reuters witness said they heard a loud explosion and around 30 minutes of gunfire in the town, close to borders with Niger and Chad.
Military and police said it was too early to give any details on any casualties from the explosion and gun battle.
This is the third attack by the terrorists in the region, this week.
Gunmen suspected of being members of Boko Haram killed 13 local hunters who sell bush meat Islamist militants disapprove of on Monday.
Suspected members of the Islamist sect riding on motorbikes shot dead five people playing an outdoor board game on Tuesday. Two others were wounded.
culled from channelstv.com

Peter Okoye and Lola Omotayo welcome baby girl

Reps Seek To Ban Energy Drinks In Nigeria

A motion which seeks to ban the sale and consumption of all brands of caffeinated energy drink in Nigeria has been passed by the House of Representatives.

This followed a motion by Yacoob Bush-Alebiosu on the perceived devastating health effects of the caffeinated energy drinks on Nigerians.
He expressed concern that heart diseases caused by the consumption of these energy drinks, especially amongst young people, is alarming and threatens the health condition of younger generations.
The house mandated its committee on health to investigate the importation, distribution, sales and health implication of energy drinks in Nigeria and report to it within four weeks.
channelstv

Keshi Wary of Ethiopia Threat After Burkinabe Draw

It was not an impressive opener for the Super Eagles in the Afcon 2013 after the squad gave out a late goal to settle for a draw against Burkina Faso.
Lesson learnt, Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has said he won’t be closing his ears on the note of warning sounded by Nigeria’s next opponent Ethiopia saying that addressing Sewnet Bishaw boys as a team not up to standard is wrong.
The Ethiopians have shown what they are made of after the squad with 10 men forced African champions, Zambia to a draw in Group C’s opening game on Monday.
Keshi said the Ethiopians have proved why they ensured their qualification for the Afcon 2013 with their performance against the Zambians.
Keshi also admitted that his team will have to buckle up as it has now been proven that the Super eagles will be up against strong opponents in the group.
“There are no weak teams here, and Ethiopia showed that they deserve to be at the competition. The group is a strong one,” said Keshi.
“The next game against Zambia is very important. We will put behind us the Burkina Faso game,” said the Nigerian coach.
Meanwhile, Nigerians who are football lovers have complained of biased nature of refereeing against the Super Eagles claiming that it was an obvious move by the Angolan referee against the Super Eagles of Nigeria in favour of their opponents on Monday.
The Eagles were held to a 1-1 after the Burkinabe scored the equaliser 40 seconds to the end of the match in the on-going AFCON in South Africa.

Fashola Discusses Making Lagos An IT Hub With Google Chairman

Lagos state Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), yesterday had a meeting with Executive Chairman of Google Inc., Eric Schmidt to discuss the deepening of the state’s role as the hub of the multinational internet corporation’s initiatives in Nigeria.

The meeting which held at the State House, Marina had several government officials and members of the Google team in attendance.
The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr Obafemi Hamzat was in attendance alongside his Science and Technology counterpart, Mr Adebiyi Mabadeje. The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs Olushola Oworu, Director, Google Idea, Mr Jared Cohen, Country Manager Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan, Deputy Chief of Staff, Governor’s Office, Ms Moji Rhodes and member, Lagos Innovation Advisory Council, Mr Tomi Davies were all present at the meeting where it was revealed that Lagos is the hub of Google Inc.’s initiatives in the country
Channels TV

Lagos Shuts Down Mile 12, Ketu Markets

The Lagos State Government on Tuesday shut down the Mile 12 and Ketu Fruits markets over non-compliance to the state sanitation law.

The Commissioner for Environment, Tunji Bello, who announced the closure of the markets, said both markets were closed for flagrant abuse of the environmental sanitation law and indiscriminate loading and off- loading of goods on the main road, creating traffic bottlenecks for other road users.
According to him, there were inadequate toilets in the markets, while traders messed up the surrounding environment with human wastes, saying the closure of the markets became inevitable after several unheeded warnings to forestall epidemics and other health hazards in the state.
Mr Bello said markets were meant for business activities and not for residential purposes and that converting markets to residential purpose would evidently cause untoward consequences on the environment.
culled from channels tv

Wenger: We were never in for Zaha

Arsene Wenger has denied that Arsenal are interested in Crystal Palace youngster Wilfried Zaha, as Manchester United look set to complete a deal for him.

GettyImagesWilfried Zaha is in demand across the country

Zaha, 20, has attracted the attention of the top clubs in England and is viewed as one of the most talented midfielders of his generation. However, while reports suggest that United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has opted out of a four-day training trip to Doha in order to tie up a deal worth £12 million, Wenger has claimed that he was never interested.
"If Zaha goes to Man Utd, good luck to him," Wenger told a press conference on Tuesday. "We were never in for him. Never."
Despite Wenger's words, ESPN understands that Arsenal did place a bid for Zaha last week but Palace's demands and the player's seeming desire to continue the next phase of his career at Old Trafford has ended their interest.
Arsenal are still looking to bring in two players in January, with French trio Yann M'Vila, Yoann Gourcuff and Toulouse midfielder Etienne Capoue all linked in recent weeks.
Wenger, though, refused to admit who he has been tracking, saying: "I will not give you any names. We are working very hard. It's not the number of players that counts, but the quality."
When pushed over a report that Gourcuff was offered to him he added: " I don't want to talk about that as it puts Lyon in a bad position and the player as well. You have to respect that the player has a contract somewhere and is playing. As long as the transfer is not on for anybody then it is better not to talk about it."
The French boss did, however, talk up West Ham midfielder and possible target Mohamed Diame - who has a reported release clause of £3.5m in his contract - as he revealed: "He has a great presence in the games, I have seen him have a big impact.

2013 Presidential Inaugural Ball Gets Fun.

For those trying to keep track of all the star power and A-list performers who descended upon the nation's capital for President Obama's second inauguration over the weekend, it was a difficult task due to the seemingly endless list of events, concerts and balls. And just when we thought things were winding down on Monday (January 21) evening following an action-packed weekend of pomp and circumstance, the stars once again came out in full force to support the president at not one but two inaugural balls.
The official Inaugural Ball was so massive that it had to be spread over five different exhibit halls in the Washington Convention Center, which naturally allowed for more attendees — who numbered in the thousands — and more performers. One of the acts who received the extra-special invitation to perform at the event was one of music's biggest success stories of last year: Fun.
The smartly dressed, suited-up group kicked off their energetic performance with their current hit "Some Nights," followed by "One Foot," which included mid-song encouragement from frontman Nate Ruess in which he asked the audience to sing along. The six-time Grammy nomineescontinued their lively set with their latest single, the inspirational "Carry On" and concluded with the song that put them on the map, "We Are Young."
Check out the best of Inauguration 2013 style with Sasha, Malia and Michelle Obama!
"We are absolutely thrilled be here tonight," Ruess told the enthusiastic audience. "It's a real honor."
Ruess told MTV News ahead of their performance that they wanted to bring a lot of emotion to their performance, and it seems as though they delivered on that goal.
"You bring a lot of emotion [to the performance]," Ruess said. "I was writing a set list for it, and three of the songs could be closely related to how we feel about Obama and the change he's been involved in making. For me, it's super, super emotional."
Obama's Inauguration in Instagrams!
Other performers at Monday evening's Inaugural Ball included Alicia Keys, the "Glee" cast, John Legend, Far East Movement, Katy Perry, Soundgarden and Usher.
MTV News is on the ground in D.C. for Inauguration Weekend bringing you the latest from the presidential events, performances and parties right through the final ball tonight. And although the election's over, you can still get involved by heading over to serve.mtv.com.

Beyonce Belts Out National Anthem For President Obama's Inauguration

As the country celebrated President Obama's second inauguration, one of his loudest and proudest supporters, Beyoncé, showed her love for the POTUS on Monday (January 21) when she took the stage to perform the national anthem in Washington, D.C., during the ceremonial swearing-in.
The day was filled with moving speeches, performances and tributes to the United States, and as the event came to an end, it was Bey's time to sing for the president. After the Benediction was delivered by the Reverend Luis Leon, Beyoncé was up to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner." As she made her way to the podium, she gave the First Lady a kiss and interacted with Vice President Joe Biden.

Beyonce Hits High Note At President Obama's Inauguration

In a demure black dress highlighted with black sequins and emerald-green drop earrings, she was backed by the U.S. Marine Band for her emotional, diva-fied version of the national anthem. On her way out, she greeted the president, who said to her, "Thank you so much."
Get the inside scoop on Beyoncé's inauguration style!
This marks the second inauguration that Beyoncé has performed at for Obama. She previously took the stage at the 2009 festivities when she belted out the Etta James classic "At Last" as the president and first lady danced with each other during the Neighborhood Ball that year.
2 Chainz goes behind-the-scenes of the inauguration!
Beyoncé has been a longtime supporter of Obama, stumping for him not only during his first campaign but also during this past election season. Last April, the pop superstar penned a heartfelt letter to Mrs. Obama, in which she wrote, "I am proud to have my daughter grow up in a world where she has people like you to look up to."


In September, she and hubby Jay-Z teamed up for a fundraiser for President Obama. The pricey soiree was held at the rapper's 40/40 Club in Manhattan and raised upwards of $4 million for the Obama re-election campaign.
Katy Perry celebrates President Obama's second term!


Months later, on Election Day, B once again spoke up about her support of Obama in an open letter she released on her website, in which she cited all the reasons she'd be voting for Obama last November 6. She wrote, "Everyday we see your heart and character, inspiring all of us to give more of ourselves. You are the leader to take us from where we are to where we need to be."
That same day, the singer joined Instagram and made a splash when she posted a photo of herself rocking a T-shirt that read "Texans for Obama." She also posted photos of herself at the ballot on her website.
will.i.am calls inauguration weekend "historic and nostalgic."
Then, earlier this month, all her hard work paid off when it was announced she'd have the honor of performing the national anthem with the eyes of the country on her as Obama begins his second term as president. 


2 Chainz Gets Recognized At Inauguration For His Politics

MTV News is on the ground in D.C. for Inauguration Weekend bringing you the latest from the presidential events, performances and parties right through the official swearing-in today. And although the election's over, you can still get involved by heading over to serve.mtv.com.

Selena Gomez's New Confessional Album A 'Big Turn'

'It will be interesting to kind of have my fans know everything I went through, through music,' Gomez told MTV News.

NEW YORK — After taking more than a year off to focus on her budding movie career, Selena Gomez is ready to get back on to the music scene, and this time she's holding nothing back.
Gomez kicked off her return Saturday when she hosted an exclusive one-night-only concert benefiting the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Hitting the stage for the first time in over a year Gomez told MTV News that she was "so nervous" to be performing the all acoustic set.
While the "Spring Breakers" star didn't sing any new music at the event, she did admit that she is eager for fans to hear a very new, more revealing side of her on her upcoming album, her first since 2011's When the Sun Goes Down.

Selena Gomez's New Album Will 'Tell All'

"I think for me it was actually interesting to see that towards the middle of me recording my record, a big turn happened to me and it was incredible to see how I applied that to music because I've never done that before and it's great, Gomez told MTV News. "I think the older I'm getting the more I'm just kind of like I'm cool to share my side of the stories as much as I can, so I'm having a lot of fun."
And while Gomez didn't reveal whether those stories involve her on-again, off-again longtime boyfriend, Justin Bieber, she did admit that the "big turn" she was referring to had to do with a shift in both her personal and professional life.
"Through 'Spring Breakers' and experiencing so much last year it will be interesting to kind of have my fans know everything I went through, through music," Gomez said.
And lucky for all the Selenators, because it looks like they won't have to wait too much longer to hear Gomez's tell-all new music.
"March hopefully," Gomez said of when the first single would be released. "Yes. I'm gonna say that because that's what I'm gonna make sure happens."

Are you excited for Selena's new music? Let us know in the comments below!

Lupe Fiasco thrown off stage for bashing Obama at inaugural concert

Lupe Fiasco was kicked off stage at an Obama Inauguration party in Washington D.C last night after launching into an anti-Obama rap during his set...

He was booked as the headliner for the StartUp RockOn concert in celebration of Obama's reelection, and during his performance of 'Words I Never Said' Lupe spit,

"Limbaugh is a racist / Glenn Beck is a racist / Gaza Strip was getting bombed/ Obama didn’t say s--- / That’s why I ain’t vote for him / next one, either / I’m part of the problem / my problem is I’m peaceful"

Next thing you know, Lupe's mic went silent and the lights on stage went out. Lol. He refused to leave the stage so a team of security guards came on stage and asked him to go

isnt she hot? rukky sanda??

Henry Okah found guilty of 2010 Independence Day bomb attacks

A South African court this morning convicted the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Henry Okah, of masterminding twin car bombings during Nigeria's 50th independence celebrations in October 2010 that killed twelve people and injured several others.

He was also found guilty of masterminding the two explosions in Warri in March 2010.

Henry Okah was found guilty on all counts and faces a minimum sentence of life in prison.

uti wants a wife to marry

Even though he is tall and handsome, which are the main criteria most ladies look for in their dream man, Uti Nwachukwu has remained single even after clocking over 30.

At the moment, he has not been confirmed to be romantically linked with a woman. The closest was with Nollywood actress, Beverly Naya, which was vehemently denied by the fast-rising actress.

While responding to a marriage related tweet some hours ago, the 2010 Big Brother Africa All Stars winner hinted that he will marry soon but needs to get a wife first.

Uti tweeted, "I wee marry sooooooon and very sooon. lol. Na to find the wife first na."

Though no specific time was stated as to when Uti would get married, his 'wedding announcement news' will definitely be greeted with joy. It might also put an end to speculations about his rumoured sexuality.

Call To Order: 100m Youths Write Tonto, Cossy Over 'Dirty' Lifestyles

An aggrieved youth from Abuja has written an open letter to controversial actresses, Cossy Orjiakor and Tonto Dikeh over what he described as their 'dirty' lifestyles, which is now polluting the new generation.

An unedited letter written by Prince Tijani Dauda on behalf of 100million Nigerian youth reads;

I am personally writing this letter, on behalf of all Nigerian youths, home and abroad who have so much, on many occasions, on social networks, media, e.t.c raised displeasure over the recent attitude and lifestyle of the said two actress/musician, COSSY ORJIAKOR and TONTO DIKE.

These two classes of people have decided to take the bull by their horn, to pollute, pontificate and parade themselves in the name of stars, to display nudity to our society. We are living in an age where our children are intelligently enlightened by what they see, and in most cases, they tag some of these actress as role models.

This is not a good example to our children, youths and people of our dear country Nigeria that is so blessed and has respect for culture, ethnic and religion. It doesn't speak well at all. The recent post of nude pictures of Cossy has generated a lot of controversies, and if properly checked you will see how our youths are crying to call for a stop to this irresponsible act. Enough is enough.

We can't take it anymore. Our culture forbids it. Islam forbids it. Christianity forbids it.

We are therefore, calling on this able, respected and well known body to take immediate step to ensuring that it is stopped and they should be served a warning notice.

A copy of this letter has also, at this same time being transmitted to other relevant entertainment bodies and government.
God bless Nigeria.

Signed
Prince Tijani Dauda
Abuja FCT

Omosexy To Feature Akon In Her Next Album

Call her whatever name, Omotola Jolade-Ekeinde, is a big fish in a large ocean. In a bit to prove to her detractors that she's got class, Omosexy as she is fondly called, has enlisted the help of producers from Akon’s Konvict Music.

After taking a break from music for a while to concentrate on movies and most recently, her reality show, ‘The Real Omosexy’, the mother of four is back in the studio working on her music career.

‘I am currently working with Grammy award winning producer Kendrick Dean and Verse Simmonds from Konvict Music and we are looking to feature a special guest’, she disclosed.

Omotola didn't want let the cat out of the bag yet, her aides, have disclosed to Nigeriafilms.com that the 'special guest' she intends to feature is no other person than the award winning, Senegalese-born star, Akon.

Omosexy, as the actress is fondly called has been on and off music since her first album ‘Gba’ in 2006.

Real Madrid deliver best 45 minutes of the season as Mourinho's stars fight for common cause

The champions produced probably their best game of the season as they swept aside Valencia 5-0 at Mestalla. More importantly, the win was all about unity after recent tough times

Getty Images

COMMENT
By Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer

They had been fighting for weeks. Off the pitch, Jose Mourinho had fought with Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria, Iker Casillas and others, while reports claimed the coach had also fought with a fan and that squad members were fighting in factions, between themselves. But on Sunday, all of the Real Madrid players finally fought for a common cause - and the result was spectacular.

Don't Miss

• Karanka calls for consistency at Madrid
• Player Ratings: Valencia 0-5 Real Madrid

• Match Report: Valencia 0-5 Real Madrid
• Ozil: I want to end my career with Madrid

Madrid had looked ordinary and benefited from a couple of questionable calls from the officials as they edged past Valencia in the side's Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg 2-0 win on Tuesday night. That was at home, with the trip to Mestalla in La Liga on Sunday looking far more tricky. It proved to be anything but.

Valencia were pushed back from the outset by a magnificent Madrid, who started the match in a higher gear than they had managed to find at any time on Tuesday. Gonzalo Higuain missed a glorious early chance before burying a second opportunity and the visitors were well on top, with Sami Khedira guilty of two misses as the half wore on.

But it was an 11-minute period before the break where the damage was done. Di Maria, desperately disappointing for much of the current campaign, was superbly set up by Ronaldo for a simple second. The Portuguese then added two of his own within five minutes, before a second strike from the Argentine on the stroke of half-time made it 5-0 to Madrid at the interval. Cristiano and Angel had been breathtaking and finished the first 45 minutes - the team's finest half of the entire season - with two goals and an assist apiece. Valencia, so competitive on Tuesday, seemed shell-shocked.

The home side had been awful - especially in defence - in front of their own fans, many of whom decided to depart at half-time, conscious that things were unlikely to get any better. The second half at least provided pride and even some good chances for Valencia, although no further goals were added at either end and the hosts finished the night with a five-goal defeat at Mestalla for the first time in their illustrious history.

Since taking over as coach in 2010, Mourinho has won each of his three league matches at Mestalla, including a spectacular 6-3 success in his first season. But this was even more impressive, particularly after some testing times of late at the Santiago Bernabeu.

DI MARIA & RONALDO - BACK TO THEIR BEST
PLAYER RATING | ANGEL DI MARIA
4.5	The Argentine looked up for the match from early on and made his return to the line-up count. After setting up Higuain for the opener, he added two goals of his own.
PLAYER RATING | CRISTIANO RONALDO
4.5	Started fairly slowly but soon showed his quality to devastating effect. Did brilliantly to set up Di Maria for Madrid's second before grabbing himself a pair of excellent strikes.

Raul Albiol confirmed a heated discussion between Mourinho and Ronaldo had taken place in the wake of Tuesday's win over Valencia, while Di Maria has also had his problems with his boss but responded positively after the coach challenged the winger last weekend to give more. After Sunday's match, the player claimed he had "shut a few people up", while assistant Aitor Karanka described the performance as a "psychological click".

Mourinho, meanwhile, has also seen his defence keep four clean sheets in a row despite the absence of both Pepe and Sergio Ramos and the inclusion of Albiol. And he has witnessed a positive reaction from Iker Casillas, too, after the goalkeeper was dropped for two games either side of Christmas. On Sunday, the focus was back throughout the side and the coach must take credit for that. Against Valencia, all of the energies were channelled in the same direction and Madrid showed that if they can do that, they are an extremely dangerous team indeed.

This was much more like the Madrid of 2011-12, and although the champions cut Barca's advantage over them to a still-distant 15 points, the manner of the victory at Valencia will give the club confidence as greater challenges await, starting on Wednesday at Mestalla again in the Copa del Rey.

It has taken until late January but Mourinho's team have finally hit the heights and this performance proves the considerable threat they will pose to rival clubs in both the cup and the Champions League. Real Madrid are back in business and should they build on this form in the coming weeks, they may be peaking at the very best time of all. Somehow, through a mixture of motivation and psychology, Mourinho has his players back on board and fighting only for the greater good. Long may it continue.