Arsenal majority owner Stan Kroenke’s KSE (Kroenke Sports & Entertainment) UK Inc said yesterday its shares in the Premier League club were not for sale after media reports that the club’s second-largest investor had made an offer to buy out Kroenke.
“KSE is a committed, long-term investor in Arsenal and will remain so,” KSE UK said, adding that its shares in the club have never been for sale.
Alisher Usmanov, a Russian billionaire who owns 30 per cent of Arsenal, made the $1.3 billion offer in a letter to American billionaire Kroenke, who controls 67 per cent of the club, the Financial Times reported yesterday.
Honda confirms Milan exit
Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda has confirmed his departure from fallen Milan at the end of the season, Kyodo news agency reported.
The 30-year-old playmaker has barely played this campaign but came on as a substitute against Bologna on Sunday and curled in a free kick in a 3-0 win that secured Vincenzo Montella’s team sixth place and a berth in the Europa League qualifiers.
“My dearest Milan supporters, thank you. It has been a challenging three and a half years but because of that I have been able to grow as a person,” Kyodo quoted Honda as saying on social media.
Moyes resigns as Sunderland manager
Sunderland manager David Moyes has resigned following their relegation from the Premier League this season, the north-east club said in a statement last night.
Moyes, who arrived at the Stadium of Light at the start of the campaign, had said earlier this month he would stay in charge next term but the Scot has decided to leave after a meeting with the board in London yesterday.
“I would like to thank (chairman) Ellis Short and the board for giving me the opportunity to manage Sunderland and the fans for always being so passionately supportive of their club,” Moyes, 54, said in a statement.
Aguero, Kompany set to stay at City
Pep Guardiola has promised Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany will still be at Manchester City next season.
Aguero scored twice to take his season’s tally to 33, the best of his City career, and skipper Kompany was also on target in the 5-0 rout of Watford.
The future of both Etihad stalwarts has been in doubt, with Aguero briefly dropped earlier this term for Gabriel Jesus and Kompany enduring another injury-hit campaign.
But City boss Guardiola insisted: “They will be at Manchester next season. They have improved a lot. Vincent played eight or nine games in a row and we saw something special with him, so I can imagine when City (last) won the league one of the reasons was Vincent.”
EFL question Wembley safety
English football chiefs said yesterday they would voice concerns to Wembley stadium over the way Millwall fans ran onto the pitch following Saturday’s League One playoff victory, raising fears that such invasions are on the rise.
The EFL condemned “unsavoury scenes” at the end of Millwall’s 1-0 win over Bradford City when hundreds of fans burst past stewards.
“The EFL will be writing to Stuart McCall and his Bradford team to apologise for the situation they found themselves in,” the English Football League said.
“The EFL will also raise a number of concerns with Wembley as to how the fans were not only able to access the playing area but then able to get so close to the Bradford City team, who showed great restraint given an incredibly challenging and difficult situation,” it said.
Adler to leave Hamburg after five years
Former Germany international Rene Adler said yesterday he would leave Hamburg SV at the end of June after deciding not to extend his contract past this season.
The goalkeeper has had a rollercoaster five seasons at Hamburg, playing two relegation playoffs and avoiding a third one this season on the final matchday.
“I just informed the Hamburg officials that I will not be extending my contract past June 30,” Adler said on his Facebook page.