SPORTS

AC Milan Sack Head Coach Vincenzo Montella and Appoints Gennaro Gattuso as his Replacement

Published

7 years ago

November 27, 2017

AC Milan Sack Head Coach Vincenzo Montella and Appoints Gennaro Gattuso as his Replacement

Big-spending AC Milan sacked coach Vincenzo Montella on Monday and replaced him with their fiery former midfielder Gennaro Gattuso. Montella was dismissed one day after a goalless home draw with Torino left Milan, who spent more than 200 million euros (£178.91 million) on transfers in the close season, seventh in Serie A with 20 points from 14 games, 18 behind leaders Napoli.

The famously combative Gattuso, a World Cup winner in 2006, became Milan’s sixth coach since Massimiliano Allegri was fired in January, 2014. Montella, the first coach to go since former Italian Prime Minster Silvio Berlusconi sold the club to a Chinese-led consortium in a 740 million-euro deal in April, had been in charge since the start of last season when he led them to sixth place in Serie A.

“We give heartfelt thanks to Mr Montella and his staff for their effort, serious work and professional courtesy,” Milan said in a statement. Gattuso, 39, spent 12 seasons playing for Milan, winning two Serie A, two Champions League and one Club World Cup titles, and was known as one of Italy’s toughest players.

His coaching career has been a mixed bag, although never dull.

He began at Swiss first division side Sion in 2013 but was sacked after three months before joining Italian Serie B club Palermo who fired him after six games.

In 2014, he tried his luck with Greek Super League side OFI Crete who were beset by financial problems and, according to Gattuso, were “struggling to feed their players”.

He lasted six months, during which he gave an infamous expletive-ridden news conference in which he banged his fist on the table repeatedly and said, in broken English, that he expected his players to “play with balls”.

He moved to Pisa in the third tier of Italian football, won promotion to Serie B at the first attempt in 2015-16 and said it was as good as winning the Champions League with Milan.

He quit the club due to off-field problems but was quickly persuaded to return for the new season.

Pisa continued to struggle behind the scenes, however, were docked four points over late payment of tax and social security bills and were relegated.

Milan, 18-times Italian champions, enjoyed a golden age under Berlusconi but his last few years as president became a story of unsuccessful transfers, mid-table finishes and musical chairs in the coach’s seat.

Chinese ownership heralded a change of direction symbolised by the decision to spend around 40 million euros to sign experienced Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci from champions Juventus. Younger recruits included Portuguese striker Andre Silva, right back Andrea Conti, a product of Atalanta’s impressive youth scheme, Switzerland left back Ricardo Rodriguez and Turkish midfielder and free kick specialist Hakan Calhanoglu.

The new-found optimism was apparent at AC Milan’s first home match of the season when a 65,000-crowd turned up at San Siro on a stifling August evening for a Europa League tie against modest Romanian side Univesitatea Craiova.

Milan, seven-times European champions, won their first six competitive games but quickly lost their spark and Sunday’s match was their fourth home league game in a row without scoring.

Related Topics:AC MILLAN Gennaro Gattuso Vincenzo Montella

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2025 AFCON: Ademola Lookman And Alex Iwobi Headline Nigeria Squad For Rwanda And Benin

Published

1 week ago

November 8, 2024

Reporter

2025 AFCON: Lookman and Iwobi headline Nigeria squad | fab.ng

The Nigeria Football Federation has unveiled a 23-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Rwanda and Benin Republic.

Leading Group D with 10 points from four matches, the Super Eagles need just a draw in their last two games to confirm their spot in the tournament set to be held in Morocco.

Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen, and Fulham’s Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey headline the squad.

These players are expected to play crucial roles in securing wins over the Cheetahs and Amavubi. Additionally, regulars like Samuel Chukwueze, William Troost-Ekong, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Bayer Leverkusen’s prolific Victor Boniface bolster the lineup.

The squad also sees fresh talent, with Victor Collins earning his first call-up after impressive performances for Nasarawa United in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad forward Sadiq Umar returns to the team following a lengthy injury recovery.

For the goalkeeping duties, coach Augustine Eguavoen will see a competitive battle between CAF Awards nominee Stanley Nwabali, Maduka Okoye, and Ethiopia-based Anas Obasogie.

Roster for Benin Rep. & Rwanda Afcon Qualifiers #soarsupereagles pic.twitter.com/z7hS1Xqsbd

— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) November 6, 2024

The Super Eagles will face Gernot Rohr’s Benin Republic on November 14th at Stade Felix-Houphouet-Boigny. Four days later, they will return to Uyo for their final qualifier against Rwanda at Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

Coach Eguavoen’s side aims to improve on their previous AFCON performance, where they finished as runners-up in the last tournament held in Côte d’Ivoire, losing to the host nation in a hard-fought final.

2025 AFCON: Nigeria Full Squad for Rwanda And Benin

Goalkeepers:

Stanley Nwabali plays for Chippa United in South Africa. Maduka Okoye represents Udinese in Italy. Amas Obasogie is part of Fasil Kenema in Ethiopia.

Defenders:

William Ekong features for Al-Kholood FC in Saudi Arabia, while Bright Osayi-Samuel plays for Fenerbahce in Turkey. Bruno Onyemaechi is with Boavista in Portugal, and Gabriel Osho recently joined Auxerre in France.

Calvin Bassey brings his defensive prowess from Fulham, England. Olaoluwa Aina represents Nottingham Forest, and Victor Collins, a local star, plays for Nasarawa United.

Midfielders:

Wilfred Ndidi commands the midfield for Leicester City in England. Raphael Onyedika showcases his talent at Club Brugge, Belgium.

Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi competes for New England Revolution in the USA, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru recently moved to Lazio in Italy.

Frank Onyeka is with Augsburg in Germany, and Alex Iwobi strengthens Fulham in England.

Forwards:

Samuel Chukwueze stars for AC Milan in Italy. Victor Osimhen leads the attack for Galatasaray in Turkey, and Ademola Lookman impresses at Atalanta, Italy.

Kelechi Iheanacho recently joined Sevilla in Spain, while Victor Boniface continues his goal-scoring form at Bayer Leverkusen, Germany.

Moses Simon plays for Nantes in France, and Sadiq Umar represents Real Sociedad in Spain.

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SPORTS

Arsenal Star Martin Odegaard Back In Training Ahead Of Champions League

Published

1 week ago

November 6, 2024

Reporter

Martin Odegaard back ahead of Champions League | fab.ng

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, 25, is back in full training after a two-month absence due to an ankle injury, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.

In September, Odegaard sustained the injury during the second half of Norway’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Austria. The setback had kept him on the sidelines, leaving a gap in Arsenal’s midfield.

With Arsenal gearing up for a crucial Champions League clash against Inter Milan on Wednesday, Odegaard’s return is a timely boost.

His presence in training raises hopes for his potential involvement in the upcoming game and strengthens the squad’s morale.

The talented midfielder brings vision and creativity, elements Arsenal have missed during his absence.

As Arsenal continues its Champions League campaign, Odegaard’s return adds depth to the team, promising to enhance their midfield options and overall strategy.

Fans and teammates alike are eagerly anticipating his full recovery and a possible return to match action soon, as he aims to contribute to Arsenal’s goals both domestically and in Europe.

“Our skipper has been out of action for two months… and missed our subsequent 12 matches, but he joined in with the rest of our squad ahead of our Champions League trip to Inter Milan,” the club said in a statement.

Back stronger.

Martin Odegaard returns to full training ❤️ pic.twitter.com/C3UhiuYbuU

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 5, 2024

The club announced that Odegaard, who had previously missed only a few games over the last three seasons, is now closer to a first-team return.

Arsenal currently hold ninth place in the Champions League standings after three matches, while Inter, also with seven points, are positioned seventh.

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SPORTS

Kano Pillars’ Usman Abdallah Urges Inclusion Of In-Form Musa In Nigeria’s CHAN Squad

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Reporter

Usman Abdallah urges inclusion of Musa in Nigeria’s CHAN | fab.ng

Kano Pillars head coach, Usman Abdallah (50), is making a strong case for the inclusion of veteran winger Ahmed Musa (32) in Nigeria’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) squad.

This push comes after Musa’s return to his boyhood club Kano Pillars for a third stint. The move followed the termination of his contract by Turkish Super Lig team Sivasspor. Notably, Musa rejoined his international teammate Shehu Abdullahi at the Nigerian club.

Since returning to Pillars, Musa has experienced a career revival. His standout performances have been a key factor in the team’s success. In just three games, he already racked up an impressive four goals. His latest strike contributed to a crucial 2-1 victory over former champions Plateau United at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Sunday.

In a recent interview, coach Usman Abdallah actively advocated for Musa’s inclusion in the national team. He specifically emphasized the importance of the player’s experience for the upcoming CHAN qualifiers against Ghana. Abdallah believes Musa’s presence would be critical for the country’s B team.

“Technically, he’s eligible to play for the CHAN team now that he’s a locally based player. Whether he chooses to participate, however, is a different matter,” said the former Nigeria assistant coach.

“The CHAN team consists primarily of players from the local league, and Musa’s experience would be invaluable to the squad, as the strength of the CHAN team reflects the quality of the Nigerian league.

“Even if he’s not part of the squad, with the way things are progressing in the NPFL, we’ll still build a very strong team.”

The African Nations Championship (CHAN) is a CAF tournament exclusively for players who participate in their respective domestic leagues. The competition’s primary goal is to showcase the talent of homegrown players from each participating nation.

Ahead of the league match against Plateau United, coach Abdallah hailed the return of Musa and Shehu Abdullahi to the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) as a “revolution for Nigerian football.”

Should the in-form Kano Pillars star Ahmed Musa be included in the Nigeria CHAN squad?🤔

— Shina Oludare 🇳🇬 (@sportingshina) November 4, 2024

He stated,

“This is a welcome development for just for Kano Pillars but also for the Nigeria Professional Football League, because it has risen the standard of the league and this will also encourage players of the senior national team to return home so that we raise the quality and improve the local players at home.

“As you can see, 95% of the current Super Eagles squad are composed of foreign-based professionals and you see the ones playing at home are sometimes not called upon, unlike what we have in North and Southern African countries.

“I will say their coming is a revolution for Nigerian football that will open the door to see and follow up so that our league can be very competitive again and where it used to be in Africa.”

Recently, there has been a notable trend in Nigerian football. The former international players and those currently playing abroad returning to the NPFL in various capacities.

For instance, Arsenal legend Nwankwo Kanu now serves as the chairman of Enyimba. Other notable figures like Finidi George, Emmanuel Amuneke, and Daniel Amokachi have taken on roles at Rivers United, Heartland, and Lobi Stars, respectively.

According to Usman Abdallah,

“Education is crucial because modern football relies heavily on knowledge. In the 21st century, everything revolves around understanding, so it’s essential to enhance the skills of our coaches,” he added.

“I’m pleased with this season’s league because nearly all the top coaches and former internationals have returned. The likes of Finidi (George), (Emmanuel) Amuneke, Imama (Amapakabo), (Daniel) Amokachi, and my humble self.

“Everyone has returned now because the league is no longer just about competition; it’s focused on improving its quality.

“We need to elevate our standards, as football today is driven by knowledge. I’m pleased to see this progress in our coaching.”

Kano Pillars are the favourites to clinch the league title. They currently find themselves in eighth place with 14 points from 10 matches. Despite this unexpected position, the coach remains unfazed by any pressure.

He continued,

“I am not feeling any pressure to succeed at Kano Pillars. The fans are eager for the club’s pride to return, and everyone is committed to ensuring we’re at the top.

“I am keen to perform well. And I assure you that I haven’t experienced that level of pressure yet because we’re not doing poorly at the moment.”

Kano Pillars’ next match is an away game against Bendel Insurance at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Saturday.

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