The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ronald Koeman

  • Al Hilal boss blasts Koeman over criticism of Saudi Pro League

    Al Hilal boss blasts Koeman over criticism of Saudi Pro League

    Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman underestimates the quality of the Saudi Pro League, Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada said after the Dutchman refused to select winger Steven Bergwijn because of the player’s move to Saudi Arabia.

    Bergwijn, 27, joined Al Ittihad from Ajax Amsterdam last month and was publicly called out by Koeman who said international selection was now closed to the player.

    Former Manchester City executive Calzada said the Dutch coach undervalued the Saudi top-flight, which in the last two years, helped by the country’s Public Investment Fund, has spent a huge sum of money attracting top talent from across Europe.

    “As someone that lives in the country, loves the country and values the quality of the product that we put out there, I didn’t like those statements,” Calzada told a press conference at The Summit, a gathering of top sporting executives in London.

    Read Also: NIS promotes  ex-NFF protocol official  to Comptroller cadre  

    “I think this is just not fair. It’s not right. And actually, if you look at the players that have come to Saudi, most of them continue to go with their national teams.

    “You’ve got (Aymeric) Laporte, for instance, (became) champion of Europe with Spain having come to Saudi.

    “Most of the players continue to be called by national teams, Ruben Neves (Portugal) in our case, even (Al Nassr’s) Cristiano (Ronaldo), (Morocco’s) Bono our goalkeeper – all of them continue to be called up.

    “That’s why that came a bit out of the blue, and probably out of a lack of knowledge of the value and the quality of the league, because if you watch matches, or you come and see the facilities, they are up to European standards.

    They have been known on a global basis as the city that can make things happen, brings great events, reflects the best of America.

    “So I’m just so sorry for the Dutch players, because it’s clearly an exception.”

    The Spaniard also spoke of his hope that marquee 90 million euro ($97.48 million) signing Neymar would soon return to action having been out for almost a year after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a World Cup 2026 qualifier for Brazil.

    “The only thing that I can say is that I have seen him training regularly with his teammates, and now, after the international break, there’s a run of matches,” Calzada said.

  • Everton’s Moshiri increases ownership stake in club

    Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri has increased his ownership stake in the club from 49.9 per cent to 68.6 percent, the Premier League side announced on Tuesday.

    Moshiri purchased the additional 18.7 pe rcent through his Blue Heaven Holdings Ltd. and the club said the British-Iranian businessman’s share should rise to 77.2 percent by July 2019.

    “Everton today announces that major shareholder Farhad Moshiri has further committed to and increased his shareholding in the club,” the club announced on it websites.

    Since taking over in February 2016, Moshiri has underlined his commitment to Everton by delivering on his promise of increased investment in the transfer market.

    Read Also: Everton part ways with Sam Allardyce

    Everton spent more than 150 million pounds before the start of last season but produced poor results.

    The club struggled in the opening stages of the league campaign before finishing eighth under their second manager of the season Sam Allardyce, who took over from Ronald Koeman.

    Everton continued their big spending this year with new coach Marco Silva, bringing in forward Richarlison from Watford for a reported 40 million pounds and defender Lucas Digne from Barcelona for 18 million pounds, among other players.

    The 63-year-old Moshiri has also stated plans to help the club move into a new ground at Liverpool docks.

    Everton have won the English title nine times and the FA Cup on five occasions, albeit not since 1995 when they last lifted a major trophy.

    The Merseyside club is seventh on the Premier League table with six points after four matches of the current campaign.

  • Dejected Koeman yet to recover from Everton sacking

    Dejected Koeman yet to recover from Everton sacking

    Former Everton manager Ronald Koeman is yet to get over the disappointment of being sacked by the English Premier League club and has rejected multiple managerial offers since his dismissal.

    Koeman was fired in October, after 16 months in charge of the Merseyside club, as significant transfer spending failed to inspire Everton.

    The Merseyside club had dropped into the relegation zone after winning just two of their opening nine league games.

    “I had started something at Everton and I really wanted to finish it in a good way. This is why my disappointment is bigger than ever before.

    “I have to be realistic and I am not moaning about it,” the Dutchman said.

    The 54-year-old was touted to take over at several vacant managerial roles at Premier League and European clubs, including West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United, but turned down the offers.

    “I need to put those feelings of disappointment away first,’’ Koeman added. “This is the reason why I’ve not taken any of the offers — the offers were there immediately after leaving Everton.

    “I had a few offers from the Premier League and a few more elsewhere in Europe.”

    Everton have climbed to 10th in the standings under the guidance of interim boss David Unsworth and newly-appointed permanent manager Sam Allardyce.

    They travel to fourth-placed Liverpool for the Merseyside derby on Sunday.

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  • Koeman blames failed Giroud move, tough fixtures for sacking

    Koeman blames failed Giroud move, tough fixtures for sacking

    Former Everton manager, Ronald Koeman says the club’s failure to sign Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku, combined with their tough fixture list to start the season, led to him being fired.

    Koeman was sacked on Monday after Everton’s 5-2 loss to Arsenal dropped them into the Premier League relegation zone.

    The side have struggled to score this year, netting just seven goals in nine league games, and Koeman said allowing top scorer Lukaku to leave for Manchester United without signing a replacement proved costly.

    “I had Olivier Giroud in the building,’’ Koeman told Dutch magazine VI.

    ”He would have fitted perfectly but, at the very last moment, he decided that he’d rather live in London and stay at Arsenal.

    “That was really hard to swallow … Lukaku was so important for us, not just because of his goals.

    “If things were not going well in a game, if we could not play the way we were used to, there was always the option to use the long ball towards him.”

    Everton faced Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in their opening nine league games.

    And Koeman, who spent heavily in the summer to overhaul the squad, said he knew it would be tough going when the fixture list came out.

    “I looked at it and saw that five of our first nine games would be against clubs from last season’s top six…,” Koeman added.

    “I said to myself, ‘Phew! That is not going to be an easy run, in particular with a Europa League run at the same time; and, most of all, because I had lost my striker Lukaku.”

    Giroud was not the only striking target Everton missed out on, midfielder Nikola Vlasic told Dutch outlet 24sata.

    The club had hoped to sign former Chelsea striker Diego Costa and had reserved a shirt number for the Spaniard.

    “Number 27 was free, I wanted 8, but Ross Barkley wears it, while the club was keeping 19 for Diego Costa,” Vlasic said.

    Assistant coach David Unsworth was named Everton’s interim manager and his first league match in charge will be a trip to Leicester City on Sunday.

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  • West Ham’s Bilic says pressure spurs him on to improve

    West Ham’s Bilic says pressure spurs him on to improve

    West Ham United manager, Slaven Bilic admits he is one of many Premier League managers facing speculation over their futures, but the Croat said the pressure makes him more determined to improve results.

    Everton’s Ronald Koeman became the third managerial casualty of the Premier League season on Monday.

    And Bilic is at risk of suffering the same fate if he does not turn things around after last Friday’s 3-0 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion.

    West Ham are 16th in the table with eight points from nine games, but Bilic said he would not walk away from the challenge.

    “You ask me about Koeman, there are always three, four, five managers in those positions and I‘m definitely one of them,” Bilic said ahead of the League Cup fourth round clash at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.

    “Does it make me lose my focus? No, it gives you even more. I never gave up in my career, no matter in which way of life, as a parent, as a friend, as a manager.

    “I am never, never, never walking away… It is my job and a job I like to do especially in a place that I feel, after my hometown, is like few other places, you are treated special.”

    British media reports said West Ham’s owners have given Bilic the next two games to turn things around and save his job, but the 49-year-old is not worried.

    “That’s my biggest strength, to be strong in hard times. Now I‘m having a hard time, yes I am. That doesn’t scare me.”

    After the clash against Tottenham at Wembley, West Ham travel to basement side Crystal Palace in the league.

    Palace have just one win in nine games so far.

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  • Disappointed Koeman bids Everton farewell

    Disappointed Koeman bids Everton farewell

     

    A “disappointed” Ronald Koeman said farewell to Everton and thanked his former colleagues in a brief statement following his sacking as manager.

    Koeman was dismissed in the wake of Everton’s 5-2 hammering at the hands of Arsenal at Goodison Park on Sunday, with that defeat leaving the club in the Premier League relegation zone.

    The Dutchman had been backed by the club to the tune of around £140million in the close-season, with Everton bringing in several new players as they looked to build on last term’s seventh-placed finish.

    But after just two wins in nine league games, The Toffees made the decision to relieve Koeman of his duties after 16 months in charge.

    And on Tuesday the former Southampton boss released a statement to address the club, players and supporters.

    “I would like to place on record my thanks to the players and staff for all of their work and commitment during my 16 months as Everton manager,” it read.

    “I would like to thank Bill Kenwright, Farhad Moshiri and the Everton board for the opportunity to have managed a great club, and to the fans as well for their passionate support for the club.

    “Naturally, I am disappointed at this moment, but I wish the team good luck in the future.”

    Everton confirmed earlier on Tuesday that Under-23s coach David Unsworth will take temporary charge of the first-team beginning with Wednesday’s EFL Cup trip to Chelsea.

    Burnley manager Sean Dyche is the favourite to succeed Koeman on a long-term basis

     

     

     

  • Ronald Koeman sacked by Everton

    Ronald Koeman sacked by Everton

     

    Everton have sacked Ronald Koeman after their 5-2 loss at home to Arsenal on Super Sunday saw them slip into the relegation zone.

    The club spent heavily in the summer on Michael Keane,  Davy Klaassen, Jordan Pickford, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney, but now lie 18th in the table having made their third-worst start to a Premier League campaign.

    The loss at Goodison Park on Sunday was Everton’s fifth consecutive match without a victory, with the Toffees having won just two league games this season, while they are also bottom of their Europa League group after two defeats and a draw in their first three matches.

    Koeman said before the Arsenal game that Everton’s owners had faith in him to turn his side’s poor form around. However, the club’s hierarchy released a statement on Monday announcing that the Dutchman had left his position.

    David Unsworth is the early 9/4 favourite to replace Koeman – that will be paid out as a winner should Unsworth take interim or caretaker charge for 10 competitive games while David Moyes is 4/1 for a return to Goodison.

    Burnley boss Sean Dyche has been backed in to 4/1 after a fine start to the season for the Clarets, while former Bayern Munich boss Carlo Ancelotti is next at 8/1.

    The Toffees sit third bottom in the Premier League after winning just two of their opening nine league games and the Dutchman has paid the price.

    A statement from the club read: “Chairman Bill Kenwright, the board of directors and major shareholder Farhad Moshiri would all like to express their gratitude to Ronald for the service he has given to the club over the past 16 months and for guiding the club to seventh place in last season’s Premier League campaign.”