Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan has sealed an agreement to take over the control and management of Bosnia’s Premier League football club Sarajevo.
“We have signed an agreement which defines the investment and management rights in accordance to the club’s statute and legislation that is in force in Bosnia,” Sarajevo general director Dino Selimovic told Reuters.
Selimovic declined to provide details on investment but media reported that the Malaysian billionaire has pledged to invest 3 million Bosnian marka ($2m).
Sarajevo have faced bankruptcy over millions of marka in accumulated debt.
Fulham bring in Curbishley
Alan Curbishley has been named first-team technical director at Premier League side Fulham after the former Charlton Athletic and West Ham manager agreed to take up a full-time role at a club for the first time in five years.
Curbishley has been a TV pundit since leaving West Ham in Sept. 2008 and will work alongside manager Rene Meulensteen.
“I’m very happy that Alan has joined us as I know his expertise will be invaluable as we enter the remaining months of the season,” Meulensteen said.
“Following Martin Jol’s departure I discussed with both (CEO) Alistair Mackintosh and the chairman the challenges we face, and I was delighted that they supported the idea of additional support within the coaching team.”
Montenegro coach extends contract
Montenegro manager Branko Brnovic has signed a two-year contract extension to lead the country through the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
“I feel honoured and privileged to remain on the Montenegro bench,” the 46-year-old Brnovic was quoted as saying.
He guided Montenegro to the Euro 2012 play-offs and their bid for a place at the 2014 World Cup finals only floundered after two defeats at the end of the qualifying campaign left them third in their group.
Wilshere reacted to children jibes
The abusive hand gesture Jack Wilshere directed at Manchester City fans this month was a reaction to jibes about his children, the Arsenal midfielder explained.
The 21-year-old said he regretted his reaction, which resulted in a two-game suspension, and he would have to learn his lesson.
“Suppose I will just have to take the abuse about my kids in future,” Wilshere tweeted.
“Anyway, one more game to go! Can’t wait to be back.”
Having missed Arsenal’s goalless draw with Chelsea on Monday, Wilshere completed his ban by sitting out yesterday’s Premier League visit to West Ham.
Mourinho has sympathy for AVB
Jose Mourinho once again expressed sympathy for Andre Villas-Boas after Tim Sherwood was appointed Tottenham head coach.
Spurs replaced Villas-Boas with Sherwood, who is without managerial experience, much the same way in which Mourinho was succeeded by Avram Grant when his first spell ended in September 2007 and his fellow Portuguese by Roberto Di Matteo in March 2012.
Mourinho declined the oppor-tunity to appraise Sherwood, though.
“That is not my problem,” Mourinho said. “My only prob-lem is to feel sorry that one mana-ger lost his job a couple of days before Christmas where he was enthusiastic about going forward with his contract at Tottenham.”
Sherwood pleased with Redknapp link
Newly-appointed Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood likes that people are comparing him to a young Harry Redknapp and has pledged to bring exciting football back to White Hart Lane.
Redknapp brought Sherwood back to Spurs as part of his coaching staff in 2008 and some have dubbed the new manager ‘Young Harry’, thanks to his approach to the game.
“That’s got to be a compliment, hasn’t it?” Sherwood said. “I wouldn’t mind following his career and I wouldn’t mind being a pound note behind him as well.
“I am not trying to be Harry Redknapp but it is a simple game, though, isn’t it?
“If you can’t pass the ball to your own team-mates then you have a problem because you are going to have to keep on defending.”
Cagliari ready to sell Nainggolan
Cagliari midfielder Radja Naing-golan will be allowed to join either Milan or Juventus, club president Massimo Cellino said.
A January move is a possibility for the Belgium international as Cagliari are now prepared to part with their prized asset.
“If I was only interested in the money, as some people think, then I would sell Nainggolan to a foreign club,” Cellino said.
“However, given the player’s ability, I want him to stay in Italy with Juventus or Milan.
“Juve director general Beppe Marotta asked me for him first, but there is Milan where there is my friend Adriano Galliani.”