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Won’t choose my successor at Arsenal, says Wenger
LONDON: Arsene Wenger is adamant he will have no direct role in selecting the next manager of Arsenal when his time at the Premier League side finally comes to an
LONDON: Arsene Wenger is adamant he will have no direct role in selecting the next manager of Arsenal when his time at the Premier League side finally comes to an end.
The veteran French manager, who is set to celebrate his 67th birthday next week, marked his 20th anniversary in charge of north London club Arsenal earlier this month.
Wenger’s contract expires at the end of the current season and there has been speculation he could become the next full-time manager of England — a role that he has said would appeal “if I am free one day”.
Wenger, however, insisted on Thursday that whatever else happened he had no interest in picking his eventual replacement, although he would give the Arsenal board an opinion if requested.
“I think it is very important in the club that everybody does what he is paid for,” Wenger told beIN Sports. “My job is to be the manager of the club and to be responsible for the style of play and the technical policy of the club. The board’s responsibility will be to choose the next manager so that is not my job.
“If they ask my opinion, I will give it in an honest way, but it will not be me to choose the next manager. I’m not in their position, I am in my position.”
AGENT SAYS ALLARDYCE SACKING ‘A JOKE’
LONDON: The football agent, who set up the meeting that led to Sam Allardyce losing his job as England manager, has labelled the decision to sack him “a joke”.
Scott McGarvey, a longstanding friend of Allardyce, said Thursday he felt “devastated” to have set in motion a train of events that led to the former Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and Sunderland boss being sacked by the Football Association.
“I’m devastated for him (Allardyce),” McGarvey told Sky Sports. I can’t think of anything worse that could have happened. He’s got to feel I’m responsible because I’m the one who’s brought him to the meeting, but he’s only come for me.”
SOUTHGATE SLAMMED FOR DROPPING ROONEY
LONDON: Former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke has branded Gareth Southgate a disgrace for his ‘disrespectful’ treatment of England striker Wayne Rooney.
“You get people like Gareth Southgate taking him out of the team because of the pressure from the media and I think that’s wrong especially coming off the back of a positive result. Sometimes you have to show people a little faith and for Gareth Southgate to make that call, well I thought that was a little strange,” Yorke said.
BALE TO EXTEND REAL CONTRACT TILL 2022
MADRID: Gareth Bale has agreed to sign a six-year contract extension with Real Madrid and the European champions are set to announce new deals for Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Luka Modric, Spanish media reported on Wednesday.
Radio station Cadena Ser said Bale, who joined Real for a then world-record fee of 100 million euros in 2013, will sign a new contract until 2022 in the next two weeks.
Pepe, whose existing deal was set to end next year, will extend his contract until 2018. Ronaldo, Real’s all-time top scorer, is poised to sign a four-year contract until 2020 while midfield playmaker Luka Modric is also about to be offered a new deal.
SMALLER CLUBS TALK OF BREAKAWAY LEAGUE
COPENHAGEN: FC Copenhagen director Anders Horsholt on Thursday told a Danish tabloid that the club was in talks with major teams from Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Belgium and Scotland over forming a new league.
“If we don’t act now we will see the biggest clubs grow larger and stronger while it will be increasingly difficult for clubs like us,” he told daily BT.
Horsholt said he was “actively participating” in talks on “alternative international opportunities”, but added that it was “still too early to talk about concrete models.”
