Sports
Arsene Wenger tips “special” Arsenal to challenge for Premier League title next season
Arsene wenger tipped Arsenal to challenge for the Premier League title next season without him despite seeing their dire away form continue after Konstantinos Mavropanos saw red.
Wenger took charge of his penultimate match at the King Power Stadium as his 22-year reign comes to an end.
His side’s night started badly they fell behind to Kelechi Iheanacho’s early 14th minute opener.
And it swiftly got worse as his team’s hopes were hit by the sending off youngster Mavropanos just 60 seconds later.
But Wenger was heartened by the 10-man Gunners’ fighting back to level after the break through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Yet the home team ran out easy winners as Jamie Vardy struck from the spot 15 minutes from time.
Riyad Mahrez then made 3-1 in the 90th minute after a composed finish.
It means the Gunners are still yet to win away in the Premier League this year which doesn’t bode well for Wenger’s final game at Huddersfield on Sunday.
But Wenger insisted: “If you look at our season we have championship-winning home form and away from home we have the consequences of many things.
“A lack of confidence causes a few bad results and after that we neglected some games because we were in the Europa League.
“But the quality is there and the spirit is exceptional.
“I think if the team get one or two good away results next year they will play for the Premier League next season, I am convinced.
“There is something in special in that team that will come out next season and I am convinced Arsenal will be one of the contenders next year.”
The Foxes opened the scoring after Christian Fuchs clipped a pass to the back post, Fousseni Diabate touched it back and Iheanacho rifled in.
It was Iheanacho’s seventh goal, just his second in the top-flight, for the club since his big-money £25million move from Man City last summer.
The Nigerian international was then involved in Mavropanos’ dismissal when he charged down the defender’s clearance and sprang clear.
Rookie Greek stopper Mavropanos,20, pulled Iheanacho back and was swiftly shown a straight red by referee Graham Scott.
Arsenal keeper Petr Cech had a busy first half making saves from Harry Maguire, Adrien Silva and Iheanacho.
After the break the game started to open up as Shkodran Mustafi had to clear off the line from Diabate.
But Aubameyang smashed in his ninth goal at the second attempt in the 53rd minute with his left-foot after being denied by Eldin Jakupovic following great work by Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Yet the Foxes prevailed after Henrikh Mkhitaryan was penalised for connecting with sub Demarai Gray in the box.
Contact was minimal but Vardy thumped in the spot-kick emphatically for his 18th Premier League goal this term.
Mahrez then grabbed his 12th of the season in the last minute to give Claude Puel his first win in five matches and leave Wenger bemoaning Scott’s display.
The Frenchman added: “I disagreed with the red card because he wasn’t the last man.
“The penalty is very creative, imaginative from the referee.
“I have watched it again and it is a nice dive”
But Wenger admitted he was touched by the whole stadium singing: “One Arsene Wenger” late on as he got an ovation.
“I am grateful for the reaction of the crowd,” he said. “But overall I am frustrated after we lost the game as usual when we lose a game.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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