French Ligue1
MICHAEL EMENALO IS THE LATEST ‘PRINCE OF MONACO’: LANDS SPORTS DIRECTOR JOB
BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA.
Former Super Eagles of Nigeria defender, Michael Emenano, who resigned from his post in Chelsea last month, has been appointed as the new Sports Director to French Lige 1 club, AS Monaco, the club that the 1997 African Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba once played for.
Emenalo who recently resigned from Chelsea after spending ten season with the North London side, revealed he is delighted about his latest move.
The 1987 Enugu Rangers’ defender before venturing abroad told Monaco’s official website that his coming was to make positive impact and to promote the club to greater heights.
He said. “AS Monaco has shown great progress for several seasons and I am convinced that the future will be just as ambitious.
“Executive vice-president’s (Vadim Vasilyev) willingness to see me join AS Monaco was decisive and, for me, the choice was natural after my decision to leave Chelsea.”
Chelsea were also successful at youth level during Emenalo’s tenure, with the club winning the FA Youth Cup six times in eight years and emerging triumphant in the UEFA Youth League on two separate occasions.
And Vasilyev was delighted to bring Emenalo in, adding: “I am very happy to be able to count on him in Monaco. I invested a lot in his appointment.
“His know-how in detection and recruitment, as well as the technical experience acquired in one of the most successful clubs in recent years, are the reasons that led us to present this ambitious challenge.
“This appointment is another sign of our ambition and our desire to be as competitive as possible.”
Monaco are currently third on the French league 1 Log with 29 points. The club is behind main rivals, P.S.G and Lyon who maintain the first and second position respectively.
French Ligue1
FIFA CLEARS PSG OVER NEYMAR
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly free from UEFA’s spotlight when it comes to the high profile summer transfers of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, after European football’s governing body deemed both deals “satisfactory” in regards to FFP.
Neymar arrived in a hugely controversial €222m deal from Barcelona, leading to various accusations over FFP breaches to complete the world record move.
PSG then additionally sealed the signing of Mbappe from Monaco, on an initial loan deal with an obligation to sign the youngster €180m at the end of the season.
Many questioned how the French side, who cannot compete with the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in terms of annual revenue, could afford to buy such players while keeping in line with UEFA’s rules.
However, a report originally from L’Equipe and later independently verified by ESPN, has claimed that UEFA are now ‘satisfied both players were acquired in the correct manner’, he said.
UEFA had been looking into the manner in which PSG prised both Neymar and Mbappe from their respective clubs, with ESPN noting that the ‘origin of funds’ are ‘no longer under suspicion’.
That does not mean that the Ligue 1 leaders are completely out of the woods yet, though. ESPN further explains that they still need to find €75m to make up a deficit and must also convince UEFA of the ‘validity of their accounts’, particularly where sponsorship deals are concerned.
Scraping together the €75m could well come from player sales. Lucas Moura is certainly one individual that has deemed surplus to requirements and is being heavily linked with a move this month. Several others would undoubtedly have to follow Lucas out the door in order to make up the deficit.
French Ligue1
‘ARAB WAR’ AS PSG TARGETS GUARDIOLA
Big spenders, Paris Saint Germain, after the record signing of Brazilian Neymar from Barcelona, are planning to acquire yet another big personality linked to the club. This time around, it is Pep Guardiola, the former Barca boss who still has 16 months remaining on his current £15million a-year contract with the Premier League leaders, Manchester City.
PSG owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI). Manchester City is under another Arab firm, Abu Dhabi United Group. The two firms are from Arab nations that are bitter political and commercial rivals, who severed diplomatic ties with each other last year.
Luring Guardiola to PSG would be a massive coup for the Qataris.
Even though City has promised to revise and extend that deal, PSG still believe they will eventually get their man by making it clear they will offer a spectacular new opportunity for Guardiola and his family in France.
The club that paid a world-record shattering £199m for Neymar from Barcelona earlier this season accept they may have to play a long game to get Guardiola.
But they are boosted by the fact that in his two coaching roles so far, Guardiola spent four years in charge at Barcelona and just three years at Bayern Munich.
At both clubs he refused repeated offers to sign extended deals, saying he was ready to take on a new challenge and ultimately chose to walk away.
Guardiola’s close relationship at City with his old Barca allies, director of football Txiiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano will give the Mancunians confidence that he will stay. But inside City there have been whispers for weeks that PSG won’t go away.
French Ligue1
NEYMAR AND DANI ALVES CAUSING SPLITS INSIDE PSG DRESSING ROOM
Despite leading Paris Saint Germain to what looks its most impressive run in recent time, the signing of Brazilian, Neymar is also a pain for the club.
The Brazilian transferred in a world record fee at the beginning of the season, but his overwhelming influence is causing a big rift in the club’s dressing room and even the club manager, Unai Umery is under threat.
According to a sports publication in Portugal, O Jogo, Neymar and fellow Brazilian Dani Alves who also joined the club and the beginning of the season, are generating a rift inside the club’s dressing room after taking control behind the scenes.
The UK Daily Mail also added that most of the longer serving players in PSG are not happy with the Brazilian duo.
“Despite sitting nine points clear at the top of Ligue 1 it appears that all is not well at the Parc des Princes at the halfway stage of the season”, writes Daily Mail.
Neymar and Alves have appointed themselves as the main men of the dressing room and are acting as ‘the bosses’ of the first-team squad.
Their actions have been reportedly viewed as ‘disrespectful’ by some, though relations within the squad remain ‘cordial, but far from a friendship’.
They go on to claim that the ‘cold’ relationship between coach Unai Emery and some of the senior players could lead to his departure at the end of the season.
Brazilian team-mates Neymar and Alves were both summer arrivals as the French giants attempted to wrestle back the Ligue 1 title from Monaco.
Neymar became the most expensive player in world football when PSG paid his £196m release clause, while Alves joined on a free transfer after a successful season at Juventus.
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