Sports

Meet Real Madrid’s New Coach – Santiago Solari

Published

6 years ago

October 30, 2018

Eric

Santiago Solari has been put in temporary charge of Real Madrid after Julen Lopetegui was sacked on Monday.

Solari was the coach of Madrid’s B team, Castilla, and is now expected to take Madrid for their Copa del Rey game against Melilla on Wednesday.

Here are five things to know about the Argentinian:

Zidane teammate at Real

Santiago Hernan Solari played five seasons at Real (2000-2005) including four alongside Zidane, who arrived in 2001, during the ‘Galactico’ era. He began the move that resulted in Zidane scoring one of his finest goals, the famous volley against Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final. In total, Solari played 167 games and scored 16 goals for the club.

Also played for Atletico

Born in Rosario, Argentina, Solari made his name at River Plate, winning the Libertadores Cup in 1996. In 1999 he crossed the Atlantic to join Atletico Madrid. The midfielder tasted the disappointment of being relegated to the second division before Real activated his release clause to sign him in 2000.

From footballing stock

Santiago’s father, Eduardo Solari, was a professional player in Argentina while his brothers David and Esteban also had a career in football, as did his cousin Augusto. His uncle, Jorge Solari, played in Mexico and was nicknamed “El Indio”, which gave Santiago Solari his own nickname of “El Indiesito”, the Little Indian.

Named “sexiest player” of 2002

In 2002, Solari received another trophy: the sexiest player of the year, which was presented to him by the subscribers of the Spanish channel Canal +. “I thank the people who voted for me, but I’m sure it’s rigged,” he said. “We’ll see if I’m offered another career in the film industry when I leave.”

Coaching career started at Real

Solari chose to stay in football after the end of his playing career. He coached Real Madrid’s junior teams, before taking the reins of Castilla, the club’s B team, in the summer of 2016. They finished 11th and eighth in Segunda B, the Spanish third tier, during his two completed seasons in charge.

(AFP)

Sports

CAF Crowns Ademola Lookman As African Footballer of the Year

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

Eric

Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, has been named the CAF Footballer of the Year for the past year.

Lookman was announced as the winner at an elaborate event in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday night.

The Atalanta star won the prize ahead of Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

It has been an incredible year for Lookman, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League/UEFA Cup final since 1975, netting the three goals within 26 minutes against Bayer Leverkusen.

Lookman was included in the Team of the Year for the Europa League, and ended the season having had a direct hand in 18 top flight goals for La Dea.

The 27-year-old was ranked the 14th best player during the Ballon d’Or gala on October 28.

Sports

Panel Clears Mbappe of Rape Allegation

Published

2 weeks ago

December 13, 2024

Eric

The Swedish Prosecution Authority announced today that the inquiry into rape allegations against French footballer Kylian Mbappé has been closed due to a lack of sufficient evidence to proceed.

This is according to multiple reports on Thursday morning.

The allegations had drawn international attention, casting a shadow over the football star’s career.

Mbappé, who had consistently denied the allegations, has yet to make an official statement regarding the decision

His legal team had previously emphasised his commitment to due process.

Mbappe was “linked to rape investigation in Sweden” and that he intended to reserve any explanations for the Swedish justice system “if necessary,” according to his lawyer, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard.

“He prioritises providing his explanations, if required, to the Swedish judiciary,” Canu-Bernard told AFP, while strongly condemning “media allegations suggesting that Kylian Mbappé had commented on the events of his trip to Stockholm.”

The case, which began earlier this year, involved accusations stemming from an alleged incident in Stockholm. The prosecutor’s decision not to press charges marks the end of months of scrutiny and speculation.

Sports

Man United Engage van Nistelrooy on Interim Basis As Ten Hag Gets the Boot

Published

2 months ago

October 28, 2024

Eric

Manchester United have announced the termination of Erik ten Hag’s contract after two-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford, with Ruud van Nistelrooy set to take interim charge.

The Dutchman was dismissed following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham, which left United sitting 14th in the Premier League table.

A club statement said: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.

“Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.

“Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”