Sports

Former Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel appointed England coach

Published

2 weeks ago

October 16, 2024

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Thomas Tuchel has been appointed as the head coach of the England men’s national team.

The English Football Association announced Tuchel’s appointment in a statement on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old German, who has signed an 18-month contract, will be assisted by Anthony Barry, who worked with him at Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

The FA said Tuchel signed his contract on October 8, replacing Gareth Southgate who stepped down in the summer after the Euro 2024.

“I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team,” Tuchel said on his appointment. “I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.

“To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.

“Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”

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He will assume the role from January 1, 2025, meaning interim coach Lee Carsley will continue to lead the team for England’s November Nations League fixtures.

Tuchel becomes the third foreign manager to lead England; the first to do so since Fabio Capello and Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Tuchel led Chelsea to a Champions League triumph in 2021 and won two French league titles with PSG. He had previously coached Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, and Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea before his infamous barren spell at Bayern last season.

He had been out of work since he was eased out at Bayern Munich at the end of last season following a trophyless season.

Sports

Ballon d’Or: Lookman ranked 14th best male footballer in the world

Published

4 days ago

October 28, 2024

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Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, has been named the 14th best male footballer in the world.

The 27-year-old was named among the 15 best players in the world on Monday at the Ballon d’Or ceremony held at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, France.

The winger is the only African to make the 30-player shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or prize. He is the second Nigerian to be nominated for the prize in two years.

In 2023, Victor Osimhen became the first Nigerian to break into the top 10 of the award — finishing eighth overall.

Before that, Kanu Nwankwo was the last Super Eagles player to crack the top 15 of the coveted individual prize, ranking 11th in 1996.

Lookman placed ahead of Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba on the 2024 Ballon d’Or ranking.

The winger scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions last season for Atalanta, which retained its status as one of the best in Serie A.

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He scored a hattrick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, winning Atalanta’s first-ever European title.

Lookman was one of Nigeria’s best players at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored three goals as the Eagles won silver at the tournament. He was also named in the competition’s best XI alongside captain Willian Troost-Ekong.

Sports

UPDATED: Man United sack Ten Hag, name Van Nistelrooy as interim coach

Published

4 days ago

October 28, 2024

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Manchester United have fired Erik ten Hag as the club’s head coach following an uninspiring tenure at the helm of affairs.

In a statement on the club’s website, United said Ruud van Nistelrooy will take over as the team’s interim manager.

Ten Hag’s dismissal comes just a day after a 2-1 defeat at West Ham United on Sunday. The loss was the United’s fourth in the English Premier League (EPL) this season, and they slipped to 14th place on the log.

The team also remain winless in the Europa League with three draws from as many games. They are rooted in the 21st position of 36 teams in the Europa League log.

Ten Hag was appointed as United manager in April 2022. He replaced Ralf Rangnick, who had been working at United in an interim capacity after the club sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November 2021.

Although Ten Hag’s tenure in the United dugout was fraught with inconsistent results in the EPL, the Dutchman led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

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Van Nistelrooy will take over on an interim basis alongside the remaining departing coach’s technical team members until a permanent manager is recruited.