Sports
Arsenal’s Spanish manager, Arteta under pressure to lead club out of the wilderness
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta appeared to be the perfect fit but now the Spanish manager is being assailed by fans across the world, including the President of Rwanda, after the Gunners’ worst start to a league season in their 118-year history.
The 39-year-old is being targeted by increasingly disenchanted fans who have turned their ire from unpopular American owner Stan Kroenke on to him.
The boos which emanated from the home stands following Chelsea’s 2-0 win on Sunday — Arteta appeared to be the only person not to hear them, declaring afterwards “I see a lot of positives with the crowd and the team today” — could reach fever pitch by the end of this week.
Arsenal face a tough League Cup clash at in-form Championship side West Brom on Wednesday and then face Premier League champions Manchester City away on Saturday.
Kroenke at least untied the purse strings in the close season despite the Gunners facing a Europe-free campaign after finishing eighth.
Arteta has so far spent £130 million ($177 million) but an early return of no points and no goals in either of their league games has already got the fans concerned that another season of mid-table mediocrity awaits.
Their disappointment with Arteta is all the greater because of his Gunners’ pedigree, something that his predecessor fellow Spaniard Unai Emery lacked.
The former midfielder’s experience at having played under Arsenal’s legendary manager Arsene Wenger from 2011-16 and serving his managerial apprenticeship under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City marked him down as the ideal candidate.
Arsenal were keen to lure him away from City in 2018 when Wenger left but had to wait till December 2019 to secure him after Emery failed to fire up the side.
Arteta made a good start, winning the FA Cup in 2020 with victory over Chelsea at Wembley but there has been little to cheer since.
The Spaniard can point to extenuating factors for the disappointing start to this season like losing key players such as Alexandre Lacazette and £50 million signing Ben White due to coronavirus.
He bridled at the scathing assessment last week of the President of Rwanda which is an official sponsor of Arsenal — “We just must NOT excuse or Accept mediocrity,” Paul Kagama tweeted — but former players believe that is what his team are serving up.
‘A cushy life’
Chelsea’s Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku gestures toward supporters at the end of the match during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in London on August 22, 2021. Chelsea won the game 2-0. JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP
Former striker Ian Wright shook his head in bemusement at the latest display against Chelsea — Arsenal’s 20th Premier League defeat in the 60 matches Arteta has taken charge of.
“When you looked at the way that Chelsea played us and the way (Romelu) Lukaku played, either they (the Arsenal players) are not prepared, they are not listening, or they can’t perform what he (Arteta) wants them to do,” he said on BBC’s Match of the Day.
“I don’t know what the tactics were. For me it was quite frightening.”
Sol Campbell, who won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups under Wenger, says Arteta is probably safe for the moment because the club spent so much time and energy on getting him.
However, Campbell is worried by the lack of steelinness in either the defence or midfield, which was painfully exposed by Chelsea.
“Arsenal was built on that type of football, skilful and strong,” he told Sky Sports.
“I want to see more of that and more character.
“With Arteta, they have been chasing him for a long, long time. I think they will look at it and say ‘let’s see what this guy can do’ but there is always a time limit.”
Roy Keane, not known for his patience as a player, manager or pundit, lays the blame instead at the feet of the senior players.
“I would give him (Arteta) longer, you have to give the manager longer,” said Keane.
“Arsenal have a lot of very good, young potential players but it is just potential.
“I don’t think Arsenal have the real, top senior quality players who have good habits that will help the young lads.
“There are players at Arsenal on massive wages and you can’t shift them.
“They won’t want to leave Arsenal because they are settled in London, they have a cushy life.”
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.
South Africa vs Nigeria: Why we failed to defeat Super Eagles – Percy Tau
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.
Kanu advocates for establishment of standard soccer academies
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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