Sports
Mikel Arteta considering Santi Cazorla as assistant after fresh talks with Arsenal
Mikel Arteta held productive talks with Arsenal on Tuesday about succeeding Arsene Wenger and floated appointing Santi Cazorla as his assistant, according to reports.
The north London club are pushing ahead with their search for a replacement for Wenger, who has ended his 22-year association with the club, and want a new manager in place before the start of the World Cup.
Although experienced coaches likes Juventus boss Max Allegri and former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique have been linked with the post, Arteta is now emerging as the favourite.
Arteta and Cazorla played alongside each other for three seasons (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal’s hierarchy are believed to be leaning towards a ‘rookie’ coach and Arteta has a growing reputation thanks to two years learning under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
And now The Independent report that Arteta’s chances of replacing Wenger have progressed after fresh talks with the club, while he is already thinking about his backroom team.
The Spaniard is considering compatriot Cazorla – who he played alongside at Arsenal – as an assistant, and the playmaker could be offered a player-coaching role.
Arteta will also weigh up including Wenger’s assistant Steve Bould in his staff, though the former centre-back is undecided about remaining at the club.
Arteta snubbed the chance to coach at Arsenal under Wenger and instead joined Guardiola (Getty)
The Gunners have already axed a number of Wenger’s old support staff, such as right-hand man Boro Primorac, and Arteta wants to bring in at least three of his own appointments.
Although Arteta is now Ivan Gazidis’ preferred choice, Arsenal’s hierarchy are still expected to meet with other candidates and want to complete a thorough search before finally settling on Wenger’s successor.
And now the Daily Mail report that Arsenal have informed the squad that Arteta is ‘90% certain’ to replace Wenger.
The Spaniard is the preferred choice of both Ivan Gazidis and Josh Kroenke, son of owner Stan, and the club are now preparing to fast-track his appointment.
Although Arsenal’s board had only set a deadline of the World Cup to find a new manager, the Daily Mail claim Arteta’s arrival could be ratified by the end of the week.
The hastiness of Arteta’s arrival owes much to the dearth of genuine competition for the role, with Enrique’s wage demands too high and Allegri inclined to stay at Juventus, with the Italian also wanting more control over transfers than Arsenal were prepared to allow.
Head of football relations Raul Sanllehi would have preferred Enrique, while Sven Mislintat’s choice of Julian Nagelsmann will not be allowed to leave Hoffenheim in the summer.
Arteta is keen to take over the reins at Arsenal and is already thinking about his backroom team, with Gunners midfielder Santi Cazorla in consideration to be given an assistant role and a player-coach contract.
The Chairman of Agbele Sporting, Hon. Ponmile Omidiji, has rejoiced with and extended warm felicitations to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Remo Stars Football Club, Hon. Kunle Soname, on the occasion of his birthday.
This was contained in a statement personally signed by Omidiji and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday.
The statement reads: “It is my greatest pleasure to felicitate with you, the man of the masses and a philanthropist par excellence, on your day of birth.
“You are a morale booster and a great motivator to this generation. You always utilise any position you occupy for the benefit of others. Indubitably, you are a good man and worthy of emulation,” he added.
Omidiji also seized the opportunity to commend Hon. Soname’s contributions and tireless efforts towards the development of football in Nigeria and beyond, noting that such commitment is truly appreciated.
He offered heartfelt prayers for the celebrant, praying that Almighty God would continue to bless and protect him, that God’s grace would abound in his life, and that all his concerns would be firmly in God’s hands. He further wished that the world would always be kind to him.
Christian Chukwu, former captain and head coach of Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, has died at the age of 74.
The football icon passed away in the early hours of Saturday, though the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear at the time of reporting.
The news of his demise was confirmed by his longtime friend and teammate, Chief Olusegun Odegbami, who spoke to Channels Television. Odegbami, who played alongside Chukwu in Nigeria’s triumphant 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad, expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
“I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s history, has passed on,” said Odegbami.
“Babuje, Emmanuel Okala, MON, gave me the sad news a few minutes ago. May ‘Onyim’ find peace with Our Creator in Heaven and console his family,” he added.
Born on 4 January 1951 in Enugu, Chukwu carved a legendary career in Nigerian football, notably captaining Enugu Rangers to numerous domestic triumphs and leading them to continental glory in 1977 with victory in the now-defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup.
He made history in 1980 as the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy following a 3–0 win over Algeria in the final held in Lagos.
Chukwu went on to contribute to Nigeria’s football success off the pitch, serving as assistant to Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof during the Super Eagles’ victorious 1994 AFCON campaign and their debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup the same year.
As head coach, Chukwu led the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. His tenure as national coach lasted from 2002 to 2005, ending during the qualification phase for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Nicknamed “Chairman” for his commanding presence on and off the pitch, Chukwu also played a role in Nigeria’s youth football development, working as assistant coach during the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Cup, which Nigeria won in China.
In 2019, he battled prostate cancer, which affected his mobility. A public appeal for support was launched, and Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola stepped in to cover his overseas medical expenses, reportedly donating $50,000 for his treatment.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim believes Marcus Rashford was unable to see football “the way I see it” before the unwanted England striker was shipped out of Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old Rashford fell dramatically out of favour with the Portuguese boss and spent seven weeks on the sidelines until he was loaned to Premier League rivals Aston Villa during the transfer window.
“I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said on Thursday.
“And sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different.
“I just wish the best to Rashford and to (Aston Villa coach) Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
Amorim, whose team face Leicester in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday, said his focus now is on turning around a wretched season.
“Guys, in the summer… like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” he said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully about Marcus he is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”
