Former Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko is set to join the national team’s coaching staff, the Ukrainian Football 1 channel quoted assistant coach Olexandr Zavarov as saying.
Zavarov, who works under head coach Mykhaylo Fomenko, said that Shevchenko, 39, would bring new ideas into the team’s coaching set up.
Shevchenko was approached by the Ukraine Federation to take over as head coach in November 2012 but declined because he did not have the required coaching qualifications.
That obstacle was removed in March 2015 when Shevchenko completed a two-year programme for a UEFA Pro Licence.
Bayern see slight dip in turnover
Bayern Munich saw annual turnover dip slightly to €523.7 million in the 2014/15 fiscal year but still broke the half a billion barrier for the second successive year as club bosses demanded bigger TV deals to close the gap with the Premier League.
The Bundesliga champions posted a €528 million turnover in the last financial year, their best result in 114 years.
Profit stood at €23.8 million, up from just over €16m after tax, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose to €111.3 million, up from €98.7 million last year.
Wenger wants players to be leaders
Arsene Wenger has called on his whole side to lead Arsenal to success this season.
The Gunners lost at West Brom last weekend and missed the chance to move to the top of the Premier League but can keep up with the front-runners with victory at Norwich today.
Wenger acknowledged that it is crucial to have leaders on the pitch and, with the likes of Per Mertesacker, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez he has a number of influential players but he wants everyone in his squad to play their part.
“You want all 11 players to be leaders and to take initiative, communicate and transmit to other players what they see on the pitch,” he said.
“You want them to motivate the other players and be constructive and positive. That’s what it’s about in the leadership action.”
Barros Schelotto leaves Lanus
Lanus coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto has become the latest top Argentine manager to seek a fresh challenge elsewhere after he announced he was leaving the first division side next month.
Barros Schelotto, a former Boca Juniors and Argentina striker, will leave after the Argentine playoffs for next year’s Copa Sudamericana, South America’s equivalent of UEFA’s Europa League.
“We decided with the board that the best thing would be to end the link in December. It’s not an economic issue,” he said.
Sturridge must learn to cope with pain
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge must overcome the pain barrier to put his injury nightmares behind him, manager Jurgen Klopp says.
Klopp insists that Sturridge’s latest setback – a foot problem that forced him to miss Thursday’s 2-1 Europa League victory over Bordeaux – is not serious.
“I understand why everybody’s waiting,” the Liverpool boss said. “Daniel has very often been injured in the last few months and years.
“If it wasn’t someone with the quality of Daniel, no one would think about it. You have to learn to adapt to the new intensity of training. You have to learn what is serious pain and what is only pain.”
Valbuena felt let down by Benzema
Lyon winger Mathieu Valbuena has expressed his disappointment in Karim Benzema over the Real Madrid striker’s alleged role in an attempt to blackmail him.
Earlier this month, Benzema, 27, was charged with conspiracy to blackmail as part of a probe into an attempt to extort funds from 31-year-old Valbuena, a France team-mate, using a sex tape.
Valbuena said Benzema had approached him about the sex tape.
“In the way he talked he wasn’t aggressive, he didn’t talk to me about money in concrete terms, directly, but when you insist that I meet someone... pfff,” Valbuena said, tailing off before finishing the sentence.
“Me, I’ve never seen someone who’s going to destroy a video for free just because he loves me. You should avoid taking people for idiots.”
Sarri changed me says Higuain
Gonzalo Higuain paid tribute to Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri who has made him a better player.
The Argentine said a meeting with the new Napoli coach in pre-season convinced him that Sarri was the right man for his club.
“I spoke to the coach at the Dimaro training camp and that meeting changed me, because I saw a real man who tells everyone what needs to be said, including to me,” Higuain said.
“You don’t have to be too intelligent to understand he had a decisive role in my improvement. Sarri proved himself to be humble with everyone. He also says what he thinks and for me honesty is the most important thing.”