Revealed: Arsenal interviewed eight candidates before appointing Emery
Arsenal reportedly interviewed eight candidates for the monumental task to replace Arsene Wenger as manage, including a couple of club legends.
Wenger stepped down as Arsenal boss at the end of the 2017-18 campaign after 22 years in charge – with the team losing further ground on their Premier League rivals and missing out on Champions League football for the second season running.
Unai Emery was eventually the man chosen for the Emirates job after it had initially appeared that former Arsenal player Mikel Arteta would take over.
The names, in alphabetical order, included, Massimiliano Allegri, Arteta, Thierry Henry, Julen Lopetegui, Ralf Rangnick, Jorge Sampaoli and Patrick Vieira.
It has also been reported by The Athletic that Arsenal additionally discussed Antonio Conte, Eddie Howe, Maurizio Sarri and Brendan Rodgers – but for various reasons, they were not pursued.
Ultimately, it was Arteta’s lack of managerial experience and a readily available backroom team that proved to work against him.
The pressure has intensified on Emery after Arsenal let a two-goal lead slip at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon against Crystal Palace.
2019 FIBA ACC: Air Warriors, MFM get automatic tickets
Two Nigerian women basketball club representatives, Air Warriors and MFM Queens of Lagos, have qualified automatically for the 2019 FIBA Africa Club championship to be played in December.
The pair are been joined by Energie Club of Cotonou who also qualified for the final round according to a statement from the FIBA Africa Zone 3 media department.
Air Warriors who made their debut in the women’s league were crowned the 2019 Zenith Bank Women Basketball League Champions after a hard earned 55-53 point victory against MFM Queens in the final.
The Abuja-based side became the first women’s club to win the league in its first year while also setting an enviable record of being the first Savannah Conference side to win the league which had been largely dominated by First Bank of Lagos with nine titles.
MFM on their part improved on their 2018 season when they finished fourth under coach Aderemi Adewunmi to win their first-ever silver medal.
FIBA Africa will decide the final host of the competition between Angola and Madagascar who have both indicated interest to host the apex women’s club championship in Africa.
It means that no Nigerian club side (men and women) will be participating in the FIBA Africa zonal elimination series starting on October 28 in Cotonou, Benin Republic with Nigeria already given an automatic slot to the 2020 NBA-FIBA Africa organised Basketball League.
VICTOR MOSES BACK FROM INJURY
Former Super Eagles forward, Victor Moses, has expressed delight at being back from an injury lay-off.
The Fenerbahce forward, who has been out for 10 weeks, played in his club’s 3-0 win over Konyaspor on Saturday.
He last played for the Turkish side in their 5-0 win over Gazisehir Gaziantep on August 19.
He scored Fenerbahce’s first goal in that match before being replaced due to injury.
The forward took to Twitter to express delight at his coming back.
“Great to be back out there and what a win from the boys,” he wrote.
