International Football
Wenger rejects £30m-a year China offer
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has reportedly rejected a lucrative £30m-a-year contract offer from China as the wait goes on for a decision on his future.
As per The Mirror, the offer was made amid uncertainty over his future at the Emirates, while the deal would have made him the highest-paid manager in the world.
However, he’s turned that down which is an indication that he intends on staying in north London, or will prioritise another top job in Europe rather than make the move out to the Far East.
The French tactician’s current contract at Arsenal expires at the end of the season, although he is said to have a two-year deal on the table if he wishes to extend his stay with the Gunners further.
That would be a hugely unpopular decision with many Arsenal fans though, with frustration and criticism growing in recent weeks as the club’s season has fallen apart yet again in a familiar story for the supporters.
With the Gunners well off the pace in the Premier League title race, coupled with the fact that they face a 5-1 deficit in their round-of-16 clash with Bayern Munich in the Champions League, it looks as though they’re set for another disappointing campaign.
Nevertheless, Wenger is keeping his cards close to his chest over his future as it’s claimed in the report that not even the players or the coaching staff know for sure what he will decide to do this summer.
In truth, that really isn’t helping the situation as an announcement would make clear what the club’s plan is, and allow supporters to either accept the fact that they have to stick with Wenger or can enjoy his last few months at the helm and look forward to fresh blood.
Borussia Dortmund’s Thomas Tuchel and Juventus boss Massimilano Allegri are named by The Mirror as the leading candidates for the job, but the first thing that must be determined is whether Wenger is staying or going and one thing that be can be ruled on the basis of this report is that China is not an option for him.
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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