Sports
Danny Welbeck could be set for new Arsenal role
Unai Emery has challenged Danny Welbeck to have the best season of his life.
Welbeck returned from his post-World Cup break on Monday and walked straight into speculation that he could be let go.
The transfer window shut in England on Thursday but there were still suggestions the 27-year-old could be offloaded by Arsenal to the continent.
Emery, however, insisted that would not be the case, with Welbeck’s versatility impressing the new Gunners boss in their first week together.
“I said to Danny when he arrived with us after the holidays, I want the best performance of his career and he should work for that,” said the Spaniard.
“Then he has the possibility to play as a left winger, right winger or striker.
“I want him to get better with his quality and his data in this year – more goals, more assists and working to help when we need quick pressing against the opposition.
“Danny is one of the players who has a multi-position possibility – right winger, left winger, striker.
“On Friday he worked with us at left-back. His performance was good,” added Emery, laughing. “I like this spirit and he can help positions across the team with the positivity of it.
“For me it’s clear: Thursday the transfer window closed and our players will stay with us.
“Only Carl Jenkinson, David Ospina and Joel Campbell will go, the rest are going to stay here.”
The challenge of producing a career-best season has been thrown down to everyone at the club, including the manager.
And as he prepared for his first Premier League game as Arsenal boss, against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, Emery said: “Firstly, that’s for me.
“I want to get better every day and in each training session and in each match, and I want to transmit to the players the same idea.”
What is very clear is that the players will have to take plenty of responsibility for themselves under Emery and that the flakiness of seasons past will not be tolerated.
While Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka are the five captains Emery has selected, a practice common in Spain, new boy Stephan Lichtsteiner is another with vast experience and someone who will also marshal the squad.
“Maybe he is the player who has won the most titles but, after all that, we start with a new way.
“We want to continue winning, remembering your titles from a big career, but this is a new way to try to win more. In football you live for your present and your future.”
The Swiss right-back, who won seven Serie A titles with Juventus, has already spoken on Emery’s behalf and told his team-mates to forget past achievements.
Emery said: “The past is good but it’s finished. On Friday morning, we were talking with the team and it was the moment for Lichtsteiner to speak.
“Maybe he is the player who has won the most titles but, after all that, we start with a new way.
“We want to continue winning, remembering your titles from a big career, but this is a new way to try to win more. In football you live for your present and your future.”
Which is just as well, perhaps, given City twice spanked Arsenal 3-0 at the Emirates in a five-day period last season, in the EFL Cup and Premier League, after beating them 3-1 at the Etihad in the top flight.
Asked if he had watched the league match in north London, Emery was marked in his response.
“A new way,” he said. But when pushed to expand, he added: “The message is the same inside and outside the training ground.
“We want to transmit one idea with personality, style and ambition. Then we want to play looking forwards to each match.
“We take the responsibility to be protagonists more than just be in possession.
“That’s a good message to tell the fans. We want to do that.”
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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