Sports
Arsene Wenger admits there have been no new contract talks to keep Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere at Arsenal
ARSENE WENGER admits there has been no progress in contract talks with Mesut Ozil or Jack Wilshere.
The Arsenal boss wants their futures sorted out before the transfer window opens on New Year’s Day.
But he is still no closer to knowing whether his midfield stars will leave as free agents in the summer, despite having a small army of negotiators and heads of recruitment at the Emirates.
Wenger denied reports that the club have made a new, improved offer to top earner Ozil, 29, whose current contract expires at the end of the season, and admitted that there have still been no talks with 25-year-old Wilshere.
The Frenchman said: “We are in December today, so now it is time to talk to Jack. But it has not happened yet.”
But Wenger’s most immediate concern is getting Arsenal’s top-four challenge back on track following last week’s 3-1 home defeat by Manchester United.
And he claims his team are being unfairly handicapped by the Premier League’s schedulers.
The Gunners chief is seriously unimpressed that Arsenal travel to Southampton for a midday kick-off tomorrow after playing in the Europa League on Thursday night, while United, Liverpool and Manchester City all kick off later the same day.
He complained: “The Premier League must respect the fairness of the competition and I believe that many teams don’t fight on an equal front in terms of recovery.
“I understand that we have to play all the games — but what I’d like is that the teams who have tight schedules are all faced with the same problems. That was not the case last week and it won’t be the same next week, either.
“I don’t mind if we have to play every day, as long as our opponents play every day, too.
“There is a massive difference on the recovery side between three and four days.
“Against United last week, I felt it took my players time to get into the game because we had played on the Wednesday night against Huddersfield and United had played 24 hours earlier.
“It took us a while to adjust to the pace of the game and they surprised us with their pace and power up front.
“After that first 15 minutes we played remarkably well. We had a very strong, creative performance with a high amount of expected goals. But we had a poor defensive performance.”
Wenger abandoned his customary defensive formation midway through that United defeat and he also switched to a back four for Thursday’s 6-0 Europa League thrashing of BATE Borisov.
He admitted: “The back four is my preferred system but I have to adjust to what suits the quality of the players I have available and the balance of the team.
“We analysed the United defeat with the players straightaway to allow us to get the disappointment out of our system and focus on what is in front of us.”
Arsenal are now a massive 15 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City.
But Wenger does not buy into the theory that Pep Guardiola has somehow reinvented the managerial wheel this season.
He said: “City won the title before Pep, so we will see what happens at the end of the season.
“At the moment it is not realistic for us to speak about the title because we are too far away. Let’s just fight to win our next game and see in the longer distance if we can come back.”
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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