The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Manuel Pellegrini

  • West Ham appoints Pellegrini on three-year deal

    West Ham United have appointed former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini as their new manager on a three-year deal, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.

    Chilean Pellegrini left Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune on Saturday and replaces David Moyes, who guided the club to a 13th-place finish in the league this past season.

    “I am delighted to welcome Manuel Pellegrini to West Ham United.

    “He is one of the world’s most respected football coaches and we look forward to working with him,” West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan said.

    “It was important that we appointed someone with knowledge and experience of the Premier League.

    “Someone who already has an understanding – not only of the teams and players we face – but of West Ham United and our ambitions,” Sullivan explained.

    Read Also: Pellegrini predicts big future for Iheanacho

    Former Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga boss Pellegrini returns to England two years after leaving Manchester City, a team the 64-year-old led to the Premier League title in 2013-14.

  • Champions League ticket a parting gift for Pellegrini – Iheanacho

    Champions League ticket a parting gift for Pellegrini – Iheanacho

    Super Eagles striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, has said Manchester City will do well to secure a UEFA Champions League spot as a parting gift for outgoing manager, Manuel Pellegrini.

    Pellegrini is leaving The Etihad after three years and he will be replaced by Bayern Munich boss, Pep Guardiola, africanFootball.com reports.

    The Chilean coach helped City achieve its best-ever finish in the Champions League this season when the club reached the semi-finals and Iheanacho said the team will fight to beat off the last-day challenge of rivals Manchester United to return to the competition next season.

    Manchester City, on 65 points, needs only a draw at Swansea City to pip United, who host Bournemouth, to the remaining Champions League place on Sunday.

    “Manchester City is a big team who belong to the Champions League,” africanFootball.com quoted Iheanacho as saying in a television interview.

    “The manager has done great and he deserves for us to qualify for the Champions League.”

  • Guardiola agrees to join Manchester City

    Guardiola agrees to join Manchester City

    Outgoing Bayern Munich handler, Pep Guardiola, has agreed a three-year contract to become Manchester City manager in the summer.

    The 45-year-old will replace Manuel Pellegrini, who will leave on June 30, the BBC reports.

    A statement from City said Chilean Pellegrini, 62, was “fully supportive” of the announcement being made.

    The club said negotiations with former Barcelona coach Guardiola had been “a recommencement of discussions that were curtailed in 2012.”

    Roberto Mancini was City boss at the time, and led them to the domestic title that year.

    Pellegrini succeeded the Italian in 2013 and took the club to a Premier League and League Cup double the following season.

    He has won 64 of his 99 Premier League games as a manager, a record only eclipsed by Jose Mourinho, who won 73 of his opening 99 league matches as Chelsea boss.

    City could yet win four trophies under Pellegrini this season.

    The team is already through to the final of the League Cup and lies second in the league behind Leicester City.

     

  • Iheanacho returns for Newcastle clash

    Iheanacho returns for Newcastle clash

    Manchester City manager, Manuel Pellegrini, has confirmed that Nigeria starlet, Kelechi Iheanacho, is available for selection against Newcastle United on Saturday.

    The Chilean, however, maintained that his team can succeed without the influential skipper, Vincent Kompany, Goal reports.

    Iheanacho, who has scored a goal in three Premier League appearances this term, was ruled out of his side’s 1-4 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last week by injury.

    However, Pellegrini has declared the ex-Flying Eagles star fully fit, while revealing that Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri and Kompany will be unavailable for the clash against the Magpies.

    “Vincent Kompany, Clichy, Delph, Nasri and Toure are injured. Mangala is on the squad list and so are Kelechi and Bony,” Goal quoted Pellegrini as saying on the club’s website.

    “Kompany’s calf is still injured – we’ll see if he’s fit after the international break.

    “It’s not been a normal situation to have so many injuries – against Sunderland we had 11 injured, then it’s been seven or eight. I hope after this break, most of them will be fit.

    “I never complain about the players who can’t play. I don’t think that one name can change the performance of this team. We also win a lot of games without Vincent.”

     

  • Mancini sacked

    Mancini sacked

    The manager of Manchester City Football Club, Roberto Mancini has been sacked by the club exactly one year to the day since Sergio Aguero’s dramatic late goal saw Mancini’s side clinch their first league title for 44 years, with Malaga Coach Manuel Pellegrini expected to be unveiled as his replacement at the Etihad Stadium.

    “This has been a difficult decision for the owner, chairman and board to make and it is the outcome of a planned end of season review process that has been brought forward in light of recent speculation and out of respect for Roberto and his extensive contributions to the club.

    “Despite everyone’s best efforts, the club has failed to achieve any of its stated targets this year, with the exception of qualification for next season’s Champions League. This, combined with an identified need to develop a holistic approach to all aspects of football at the club, has meant that the decision has been taken to find a new manager for the 2013-14 season and beyond.”

    “Roberto’s record speaks for itself and he has the respect and gratitude of Sheikh Mansour, myself and the board for all of his hard work and commitment over the last three-and-a-half years. He has clearly also secured the love and respect of our fans. He has done as he promised and delivered silverware and success, breaking the club’s 35-year trophy drought and securing the title in 2012. I would like to personally and publicly thank him for his dedication to the progress that he has overseen and for his support and continued friendship,” said Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak .

    Mancini’s assistant, Brian Kidd, is to take temporary charge of the team for their final two matches of the Premier League campaign and their post-season friendlies in USA. Mancini is rumoured to be wanted by French club, Monaco.