Sports
Manchester United and rivals City blaming each other for dressing-room bust-up
Rivals United and City are at war over who started the Manchester derby tunnel bust-up.
The FA have launched an inquiry into Sunday’s 20-man brawl that league leaders City claim was sparked by Man United boss Jose Mourinho demanding the visitors tone down their raucous celebrations following their 2-1 win at Old Trafford.
A milk carton was thrown at him in the melee, which broke out in the doorway of the away dressing-room after the United chief allegedly told the Blues’ players lower the volume of their loud music.
City coach Mikel Arteta suffered a cut eyebrow in the ensuing fracas in the narrow corridor outside the away dressing-room, with witnesses claiming United striker Romelu Lukaku was at the centre of the ugly episode.
The Reds deny the Belgian threw anything as tempers boiled over, but insist milk was thrown towards Mourinho from inside the City dressing-room, a charge denied by the visitors.
Both clubs have until 5pm on Wednesday to provide the FA with their written observations after it was confirmed referee Michael Oliver – whose room is adjacent to the away dressing-room at Old Trafford – did not witness the incident or include it in his report.
The two sides were intent on playing the blame game on Monday — City pointing the finger at Mourinho for sparking the incident, United claiming the over-the-top celebrations from the visitors were the catalyst for the post-match unrest.
One independent witness near the dressing room area said they had never heard music played so loud.
United are adamant Mourinho did nothing wrong and it has been suggested City captain Vincent Kompany was one of the main aggressors in the tunnel area.
The incident will serve only to increase the tension that already exists between the rival neighbouring clubs and old foes Mourinho and Guardiola.
It is understood there has been no dialogue between the two clubs since the incident, with no attempt from either side to draw a line under the episode that could see both hit with FA disciplinary charges.
It is the second time in a fortnight that City have irked opponents with their post-match celebrations following a victory.
Southampton took exception to the level of noise from their players and staff in the tunnel at the Etihad Stadium after Guardiola’s side had scored a 96th-minute winner to beat them.
It was at the end of that match when Guardiola had his animated on-pitch discussion with Saints player Nathan Redmond.
Meanwhile ,United midfielder Ander Herrera has called on the Premier League to change its rules and allow players to challenge bookings.
The Spaniard was cautioned for diving after going down easily following a challenge from Nicolas Otamendi, but claimed Oliver got it wrong and feels he should be able to appeal.
“I think the penalty is amazing,” said Herrera. “He [Otamendi] didn’t expect to arrive for the ball. I touched the ball first and he stamped on my foot. I think everyone saw it.
“Everyone can make mistakes, also the referee, but I didn’t deserve the yellow card.
“Now that’s my fourth yellow card and that’s a big problem for me because I want to play every game.
“In Spain, if you get something undeserved, you can appeal and they take it out.
“That’s one of the things that could improve the Premier League because it’s amazing competition.”
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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