Sports
Arsene Wenger admits Alexis Sanchez transfer has been “destabilising” – but Arsenal have “best possible solution” in Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The rebuild at Arsenal will be long and bumpy but at least they can finally start thinking about the future.
In truth, it feels as if Arsenal have been stuck in limbo all season, not knowing whether their star player is coming or going or if he is going to bother trying from one game to the next.
Arsene Wenger admits the whole Alexis Sanchez saga has been “destabilising” for the club and the other players have been weighed down by “uncertainty.”
It almost felt as if the shackles came off against Crystal Palace, Arsenal played with freedom and they were determined to prove there is life after Sanchez.
Sanchez was always a difficult character, most world-class players have an ego to match and he divided the dressing room because he is a brilliant talent but was also a diva with his strops and sulks.
Wenger admitted the atmosphere had suffered because Sanchez overshadowed everything and the players had been affected. When asked whether the uncertainty has destabilised some of the players, Wenger replied bluntly: “Yes. Not the other players, just the team.
“You work in a newspaper and there are periods when the atmosphere is less enjoyable than others. It is the lack of clarity.
“It is not losing players, teams are used to that. But it is fact you have uncertainty in the group – that they don’t know if he will be here or not. Once it is clear, the team gets used to it.
“There is always life. Arsenal Football Club is 130 years old and many big players have left. Will it go a bit less good? We will see.”
Arsenal have sold some big players in recent times with Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri going on controversial deals which left the fans in uproar for different reasons. Van Persie because he went to Manchester United, Fabregas because it was a long, painful goodbye and Nasri jumped ship to join Manchester City for a big pay day.
This time, Wenger believes Arsenal can come out of the other side stronger because Henrikh Mkhitaryan is coming in the other direction with Arsenal convinced they can do a deal for Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Wenger said: “We have a strong squad that does not depend on one player. Let’s not forget that if Alexis Sanchez goes, somebody else will come in who has quality as well.
“It is not that we are only losing a player, we are gaining one as well. And we are still active in the transfer market and trying to bring players in.
“We have tried to find the best possible solution and that is we lose a world class player but we did not lose him without getting somebody after.”
Arsenal have known they were heading for this for a long time as it was clear Sanchez did not want to re-sign and the fear was the immediate fall-out from the sale.
Lose to Palace or suffer a setback and it would have turned toxic at the Emirates.
The fact they blitzed Palace with four goals in the opening 22 minutes was a dream for Wenger.
Nacho Monreal, Alex Iwobi, Laurent Koscielny and Alexandre Lacazette were on target. Monreal also provided two assists and was outstanding before hobbling off, as a precaution, after just 33 minutes. Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere were sublime in midfield.
Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic got a late consolation but it was a good day for Arsenal and they really needed it.
It has been a painful time, the uncertainty has been difficult and the fans have been fed up.
But Wenger embracing Arsenal’s new behind-the-scenes set-up, led by ex-Dortmund scout Sven Mislintat as their head of recruitment, has been interesting to watch.
Wenger has no intention of leaving this summer and it would need for him to be pushed and Arsenal have never done that.
He is changing to survive and that will mean rebuilding the team and the club’s structure.
He was so dismissive of a director of football and yet that role has been split and Wenger is not complaining.
Mislintat also wants to go against the grain for Wenger by bring in Aubameyang despite his bad-boy reputation.
But the one area of doubt is Ozil who is out of contract in the summer and Arsenal have not given up on re-signing him.
However, Wenger insists Ozil’s uncertainty is different to Sanchez. Wenger was less optimistic than recently about Ozil but added: “He will be here until the end of the season, for sure. Afterwards it depends if we find an agreement or not.”
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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