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Sergio Aguero: The history of the FA Cup meant it was always a special competition to play in
Stake’s global representative, Sergio Aguero, reveals his memories of playing in the FA Cup, why it was a special competition for him to win, how Pep Guardiola will keep his players motivated against Peterborough in their fifth round tie, and what this side could achieve this season.
The FA Cup has an amazing history and I am proud to have won the competition
The FA Cup was always one of my favourite competitions to play in because of its history and because of the many famous players and teams to have won it.
When I was living in Spain and here in Argentina, everyone knew about the competition and its history.
We came so close to winning the FA Cup in 2013 but were beaten by Wigan in the final. It was hard for us because we had a very good team, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta all started that game.
But we were all very new to the club and it was only the start of our journey. I think we did okay in the end!
We were back at Wembley for my second FA Cup final in 2019 and that day went much better for us when we beat Watford.
We were so happy to win it and to be a part of FA Cup history was a very proud moment for me.
The tradition of the FA Cup is one of my favourite things about the competition, it was fun to meet Prince William to get my medal after the game and the celebrations with the fans afterwards was so special.
Everyone says that the FA Cup is magical and it is true, it was always really fun to play in and you felt proud to represent your team in the competition.
The day we played in the FA Cup was
always special because there was so much excitement in the team and the fans were always extra happy to see us play well.
Playing teams in lower divisions in the FA Cup is harder than you think, so Pep will have the City players focused ahead of the Peterborough match
Not many people know how hard it is to play in the FA Cup. In England, you play a lot of matches and a lot of competitions, but as a player, it’s really exciting because you have the chance to try and win lots of different competitions, and winning finals is something that you are always proud of as a footballer, which means every game is important.
To get to the final you have to play against lots of different teams and some new ones that you might not have ever played against before. Playing against new teams and new players and at new stadiums is always hard because you don’t know 100% what you’re going to be playing against. We watch the teams in the Premier League and Champions League a lot and we all have friends and international teammates that play for them, but when you draw a team in the FA Cup that you don’t regularly get to play against or know too much about, it’s always a difficult experience.
When we played against a new team or a side in a different division, we were always expected to win, but it’s not as easy as that. Every manager always made sure the preparation for an FA Cup game was exactly the same. The training was the same, we worked hard on our jobs for the match and we went into the game knowing what we had to do, it made no difference if it was the final or first round.
This is exactly what Pep Guardiola will be doing with the team this week. Pep is a winner and he hates to lose, you don’t win the number of trophies he has without this attitude. He will be making sure the Manchester City players are ready for the game against Peterborough in the same way as if it was any other match.
There’s added pressure on Manchester City to win in the FA Cup and Peterborough will look to familiar tactics to beat them
When you are the team in a higher league and you have to travel to a team in a league below you it is difficult because the crowd are always so excited that their team might cause an upset and get to beat a Premier League team! When you get to the ground you are quickly aware that everyone really wants you to lose – the fans let you know when you arrive. It’s not just the
home crowd that are extra excited to see you lose, but it is everyone watching at home also, we know this and try not to think about it and focus on our job for the day.
We played against Wigan, again, in 2018 in the Cup at their stadium and it was one of the hardest matches. They defended so well and frustrated us, we had all of the possession and so many chances, but they scored late and knocked us out, that’s how it is in knockout football. If Peterborough think that they can win then they should watch that game and do the same as Wigan did.
Peterborough will be tough for Manchester City because the team has just travelled to Portugal in the Champions League, had a tough game against Tottenham, then they’ll play away in the Premier League threes days before the match and then they have to play Manchester United after the FA Cup game, but the team has so many good players in every position and everyone is used to this way of playing now.
Manchester City are hungry to win every competition
At Manchester City, we wanted to win everything, every match and every trophy, and that will always be the case at the club now. I think Manchester City are in a great place to win the Premier League again, they also have a good chance in the FA Cup and in the Champions League too, but this might be competitive, but I think it is possible that they win all three. Winning a treble like this would be a huge achievement and they have a team and manager that can do it this season.
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Infingame appoints Ernest Lewicki as new Head of Sales to spearhead global expansion
Infingame, a fast-growing iGaming aggregator, has announced the appointment of Ernest Lewicki as Head of Sales in a significant step to support the company’s global expansion strategy.
Lewicki arrives at Infingame with significant sales leadership and business development experience within the iGaming and Adtech industries, previously heading roles at BETEGY and DATA.BET.
In his new role, Lewicki will be responsible for developing Infingame’s strategic sales plans and expanding the company’s global client base.
His focus will be on leveraging Infingame’s robust product offering to meet the evolving needs of operators and game studios, as well as fostering partnerships that advance the company’s mission to deliver exceptional value and customer service.
Operating within the iGaming space since 2015, Infingame and its content aggregation platform boasts over 12,000 games including slots, live casino games and crash games from renowned industry providers via a single API integration.
Securing Lewicki’s signature underlines Infingame’s intent of becoming a leading aggregator, as the company continues its rapid expansion which has already seen it establish strong presence across Latin America and Europe, with plans to enter Africa upon the horizon.
Ernest Lewicki, Head of Sales at Infingame, said: “I am excited to step into the role of Head of Sales at Infingame. In particular, I am looking forward to leveraging my experience to further strengthen our market position and build lasting relationships with our partners.
“Our goal is to set new standards in the iGaming industry through continuous innovation and client-focused solutions.”
The post Infingame appoints Ernest Lewicki as new Head of Sales to spearhead global expansion appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Registrations up 100% as iGB L!VE consolidates its position as igaming’s fastest growing expo
The number of industry professionals registering to attend July’s edition of iGB L!VE, the last to be held in Amsterdam prior to its 2025 relocation to London, is more than double that achieved at the same stage of last year’s record-breaking campaign.
According to the latest data released by Clarion Gaming over 2,000 applications have been received as of 10 May, a figure which underlines iGB L!VE’s status as the global business event which connects the leading igaming affiliates, operators, tech vendors, game providers and suppliers.
Confirming the unprecedented response Portfolio Director Naomi Barton said: “iGB L!VE is already the industry’s fastest growing business event and to be so far ahead of last year’s campaign which culminated in a record unique attendance of 7,299 (+44% y-o-y) and 14,500 on-site visits is of course massively encouraging.
“There are unparalleled business growth opportunities awaiting iGB L!VE attendees with the show providing free access to in excess of 300 exhibitors and sponsors occupying 21,000+ square metres of gross space, a figure which is 35% higher than in 2023.
She added: “Each metric that we reference is in positive territory and I am confident that everything is in place for the anticipated 9,000+ iGB L!VE attendees to celebrate the fantastic times enjoyed by everyone in Amsterdam and to look forward to the next exciting chapter opening in London, which of course is the home of igaming.”
The post Registrations up 100% as iGB L!VE consolidates its position as igaming’s fastest growing expo appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Imagine Live Appoints Chief Commercial Officer
Imagine Live expands its senior leadership team with the appointment of Barry Mahon as CCO.
Imagine Live, the live casino studio provider, today announced that it has expanded its senior leadership team with the immediate appointment of Barry Mahon as Chief Commercial Officer.
In this role, Barry will be responsible for development, business relationships, and revenue management, driving the commercial strategy and contributing to the continued growth of Imagine Live.
Barry has held senior leadership positions in commercial and operational roles in both the land-based casino industry and online. With over 30 years of experience, Barry has worked for operators and platform providers and brings a unique blend of passion, dedication, and vision to Imagine Live. His extensive knowledge of live-streaming casino products is an asset that will help drive Imagine Live’s further growth.
Barry Mahon, CCO, shares his excitement: “Imagine Live, a company that truly values its customers and places them at the heart of its operations, has proven itself to be a customer-centric focused provider in its operational studios and product and game development. This unwavering commitment to our customers will continue to guide our strategies and decisions.
I join Imagine Live at an exciting time in the scale-up and expansion of the business. We are not only opening more live dealer studios but also introducing innovative new live game formats such as Robin The Fair and Dynamite Roulette to service the growing demand across regulated markets in Europe and further afield. Our continued focus shall be to deliver a premium live gaming experiences with high player engagement and revenue growth, including key account management and partner relationship development.”
The post Imagine Live Appoints Chief Commercial Officer appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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