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In the aftermath of their elimination from the Champions League, Coach Maurizio Aarti has said that the Old Lady could be suffering from a curse in their inability to win the premier European trophy.

On Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace helped Juve to a 2-1 win in Turin, but they fell in the last-16 tie on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draws with a French side, Lyon.
Memphis Depay had given Lyon the lead in the second leg before Ronaldo’s double, with Juve’s wait for a first Champions League title since 1996 to go on.
Sarri, who is under increasing pressure at the helm, said the Serie A champions were cursed in the competition.

“We are out of a competition where we won six out of eight games we played, we drew one and lost one. That means that in eight matches we got 19 points,” he told a news conference.
“If there were a Champions League table we would be first or second. Instead, we are out. That’s why I feel incredibly sad. It makes me understand that in this competition Juventus are cursed.

“If I weren’t so bitter, I would get out of this match with a smile on my face, because I saw the lads in good shape again, they gave all they had, they fought until the end, they put their heart and soul into the match. I appreciated it.”

Lyon and Juventus were both awarded controversial penalties during the second leg, with Depay and Ronaldo converting.
Sarri felt the spot-kick given to Lyon was “crazy” as he rued the first-leg away loss.
“We played a good match. In a match where we had to come from behind, we found ourselves one goal down because of a crazy penalty, because in my opinion, it shouldn’t even have arrived at the box because I think there was a clear enough foul on [Gonzalo] Higuain. And the penalty itself I think it is debatable,” he said.

“The referee was clearly unfit for a situation like this because for us to concede that goal was like to concede two goals. We were good because we stayed in the game and turned the match around, but we spent a lot of energy.
“We had two or three chances to score towards the end with headers from Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain and I think [Leonardo] Bonucci, so I think we were close to the qualification.

“If we have to have a regret it has to be for our performance in the first half at Lyon. At these levels, it is something you pay for.”

After suspected Fulani herders once again attacked and killed more than 20 persons in four Southern Kaduna villages on Wednesday, a resident of Kibori, one of the villages, who spoke to our correspondent in Lagos said it was obvious that the Kaduna State Government under Nasir el-Rufai is fully behind the dastardly activities of the suspected Fulani herders.

The resident, Jacob Garba, while relaying previous Killings in his Community which necessitated his relocation to the Nigerian commercial capital, said security agents deployed to the area are aiding the herdsmen to kill their people.
He said: “Let me tell you, in the past year, I have lost seven family members in these Killings.

“There are some homes you cannot see even one person standing.
“In the last attack that brought me to Lagos before the lockdown, we were sleeping in the night when these herdsmen came.
“I was awake reading a newspaper and I heard a shout from a neighbor’s house and before I peep from the keyhole, there was a heavy knock on the door and I knew who they were because that was not the first or second.
“I have previously lost my younger sister and an elder brother in the same attack.
“They broke our door and started shooting even without seeing anybody. In that situation, my father was killed, and also my cousin staying with us.
“There is a curfew in my place but where are the security agents whenever these people come?
“Whenever the youths will want to form a group to keep awake, police will come and arrest us.
“On several occasions, they have arrested us just because we try to secure our communities.
“On many occasions, the Fulani people will come down and burn almost the entire village.

“We have always had crisis there but since el-Rufai came as governor, they kill and any form of retaliation will meet with resistance from the government security agents.
“It is that bad and that is why I have to relocate with my remaining one sister and brother to Lagos,” said Garba who formerly worked as a banker before his ordeal.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the gun welding suspected herders killed 21 people during attacks on four Kaduna State villages, the Police confirmed on Thursday
An unspecified number of houses were burnt by the marauders, including one belonging to a dead colonel.

Police spokesman Muhammad Jalige said three people were injured.

The attacks were followed by the killings that have been going on in the southern part of the state.
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) disagreed with the police on the figure of the dead and on the number of villages attacked.

“Prior to now, they were all shut down with fierce armed military men patrolling and enforcing the 24-hour curfew. But when the gunmen struck, they were not on the ground.

“Four Atyap youths from Majuju and Kibori villages who went to farm under the curfew were arrested by soldiers after being thoroughly beaten and handed over to the police who whisked them to SCID, Kaduna. They have been denied bail since 26th June 2020.
“Last night (Wednesday), around 11 pm, truck-loads of armed Fulani militia made their way through military checkpoints under the curfew and stormed Apiashyim and Kibori villages. They laid siege to Apyaishyim, killing, looting, and burning houses. In the wake of the cruelty, they left six people dead, and 20 houses burnt.

“In nearby Kibori village, seven persons were killed by the marauding, pampered Fulani militia.

“Around 12 am, they struck Atakmawei sleeping community and carried out another carnage after which 12  persons were killed and 10 houses burnt.

Just like Garba, SOKAPU accused Governor Nasir El-Rufai of “tying up our law-abiding people under an irrational, protracted curfew which is obviously intended to cause maximum harm to our communities.”

“By the time they were done, 22 bodies were recovered at about 12 pm today (Thursday) but we are still conducting searches. They also burnt several houses.”