Sports
FA reveal what Arsene Wenger said to Mike Dean to be hit with three-game touchline ban
Arsene Wenger branded Mike Dean a “disgrace” in a remarkable verbal attack on the referee.
Wenger’s rant at the officials after Dean gave West Brom a last gasp penalty last month has been revealed after the Football Association revealed the full written reasons behind his three game touchline ban.
Gunners boss Wenger stormed into the referees’ room straight after the game and “aggressively confronted” Dean who gave a highly controversial penalty against Calum Chambers which led to Arsenal conceding a late equaliser.
Frenchman Wenger, 68, who is nicknamed “Le Professeur”, turned street fighter after blowing his top and was also accused of leaning into Dean and pointing his finger at his chest.
Dean’s account states: “He was very aggressive leaning towards me, pointing aggressively at me saying ‘you’re not honest’ on numerous occasions.
“I replied ‘so you’re calling me a cheat’. He replied ‘I maintain what I say, you’re not honest’.
He then said ‘you’ve done this to us many times before, you’re supposed to be professional, you’re a disgrace.’”
Wenger broke FA guidelines of not entering the referees’ room within the 30 minute “cooling off” period after the game.
Incredibly, Wenger stood in the doorway, stopped club stewards from closing the door and shouted: “let me in!”
Eventually, Dean told the stewards to let him in and his account is also backed up by assistant referee Simon Long.
Long’s evidence states: “At the conclusion of the match, we entered our dressing room, immediately followed by Mr Wenger, the manager of Arsenal.
“He stood in the dressing room doorway, preventing the West Bromwich Albion stewards from closing the door, whilst demanding ‘let me in.’
“Mr Wenger took a step inside the dressing room and aggressively confronted the referee, Mr Dean, leaning towards him and continuously jabbing his finger towards his chest whilst repeatedly saying ‘you’re not honest’ in a raised voice.”
Fourth official Christopher Kavanagh added: “As he entered his body language was very aggressive. He started pointing at the Referee and shouting ‘you are not honest’ continuously.”
The FA report confirms that they discussed issuing a stadium ban but took into account that Arsenal admitted the charge, English is not Wenger’s first language and he stressed that he did not mean it to come across as severe as it did.
They initially decided on a four game touchline ban but reduced it to three because Wenger admitted the charge and it was not deemed as serious as his previous offence when he was banned for pushing fourth official Anthony Taylor in January 2017.
Wenger, who earns £8m-a-year, was also given a fine and the FA report concluded: “whilst noting Mr Wenger’s weekly football income, £50,000 was reduced to £40,000.”
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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