TheNewsGuru

Tag: Monaco

  • Transfer news: Cesc Fabregas joins Ligue 1 side Monaco

    Transfer news: Cesc Fabregas joins Ligue 1 side Monaco

    Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas has joined Ligue 1 side Monaco from English Premier League side Chelsea, the two clubs said on Friday.

    “Cesc Fabregas has today completed a permanent transfer to Monaco,” Chelsea said on their website, just as Ligue 1 Monaco tweeted a video of Fabregas with a voice-over saying “now it’s time”.

    The midfielder’s switch to the Ligue 1 club brings the curtain down on his four-and-a-half- year Chelsea career, a period in which he won four major trophies.

    These are two English Premier League titles, one FA Cup and one League Cup, during a period when the Spaniard made 198 appearances for Chelsea and scored 22 goals.

    “We thank Cesc for his wonderful service and wish him the very best of luck for the next chapter in what has been a fantastic career,’’ Chelsea FC wrote.

    Fabregas arrived at Stamford Bridge as a 2012 European Championship and 2010 World Cup winner with Spain.

    The midfielder departs England with the second-highest number of assists in Premier League history, 111, after recently making his 350th appearance in the competition during the game against Southampton.

    He was also the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League assists, achieving the feat in just 293 matches.

    Fabregas signed in the summer of 2014 as Jose Mourinho sought to add a creative presence in midfield.

    This was after the departure of club legend Frank Lampard at the end of the previous season.

    Fabregas is now joining up with Thierry Henry, a former teammate and current manager of the municipality club, who was the Spaniard’s captain at Arsenal.

    He had joined Chelsea from Arsenal, having moved to England from La Masia, FC Barcelona’s youth academy, at age 16 in September 2003.

  • Henry’s Monaco continue winless run, heavily beaten in UCL clash

    Thierry Henry remains without a win since taking charge of Monaco after they were beaten 4-0 at home by Club Brugge in Group A.

    Hans Vanaken scored twice in the space of five first-half minutes to put the visitors firmly in control and Wesley made it three with a superb curling shot to put the game beyond the Ligue 1 strugglers before half-time.

    Brugge skipper Ruud Vormer capped a fine display with a well-taken fourth late on.

    Also in Group A, Atletico Madrid gained revenge for their 4-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund a fortnight ago with a 2-0 victory at Wanda Metropolitano.

    They opened the scoring when a pass from Filipe Luis was dummied by Angel Correa and Saul’s scuffed shot deflected in off Manuel Akanji. Antoine Griezmann held off his marker to seal the three points with 10 minutes remaining.

    Group D leaders Porto were comfortable 4-1 winners at home to Lokomotiv Moscow, with Hector Herrara giving Porto the lead after two minutes.

    Moussa Marega made it two with a powerful run and finish but Lokomotiv Moscow pulled one back through substitute Jefferson Farfan’s neat header.

    Jesus Corona made the game safe for Porto and Monteiro Otavio added a fourth in stoppage time.

    Schalke pulled clear in second place with a 2-0 win at home to Galatasaray.

    Guido Burgstaller took advantage of a goalkeeping error from Fernando Muslera to curl in the opener after four minutes and Mark Uth made it 2-0 with a cool finish.

  • Ligue 1: Henry denied first win as Monaco play draw

    Monaco head coach Thierry Henry is still searching for his first victory after the Ligue 1 strugglers drew 2-2 with Dijon on Saturday, while second-place Lille extended their winning run to four matches.
    Henry, who took over from the sacked Leonardo Jardim earlier this month, needed a powerful header from centre-back Kamil Glik on 78 minutes to prevent Monaco crashing to a fifth straight league loss.
    Germany full-back Benjamin Henrichs opened the scoring for Monaco on 30 minutes, but the 2017 French champions fell behind at home after Dijon responded with goals from Mickael Alphonse and Mehdi Abeid.
    Poland international Glik rescued a point for Monaco although they are now winless in 13 outings in all competitions and above bottom club Guingamp, who drew 1-1 with Strasbourg, only on goal difference.
    “It’s good we came back for the draw, but it’s not a win. I’m trying to stay positive. I have to stay positive when things are tough,” said Henry, who lost Nacer Chadli to injury in the warm-up.
    Lille have surprisingly emerged as Paris Saint-Germain’s closest challengers, after the club narrowly avoided relegation at the end of last season.
    Christophe Galtier’s side closed to within five points of PSG as Portuguese teenager Rafael Leao netted a 56th-minute winner in a 1-0 defeat of Caenon his first start for Lille.
    Montpellier, unbeaten since the first weekend of the season, stayed in third after strolling to a 3-0 win at Toulouse with goals from Gaetan Laborde, Andy Delort and Junior Sambia.
    Lyon climbed one spot to fourth with a 2-1 victory away to 10-man Angers.
    The hosts played almost an hour with a man less after Ismael Traore was sent off for a crude tackle on former Celtic striker Moussa Dembele.
    Houssem Aouar put Lyon ahead on 63 minutes and Memphis Depay added a second late on, but Lyon faced a nervy final few minutes after Cristian Lopez pulled a goal back for Angers.
    Nantes secured a second win in a row under new boss Vahid Halilhodzic, the Bosnian forward who starred for the club in the 1980s, as Gabriel Boschilia and Emiliano Sala were on target in a 2-1 triumph at Amiens.
    PSG take on great rivals Marseille on Sunday looking to match Tottenham Hotspur’s record of 11 straight wins in the 1960-61 campaign, the best start to a season in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
    Marseille have not beaten their most bitter foes for seven years, but they received a boost on Saturday as Rudi Garcia extended his contract until 2021.

  • Ligue 1: Monaco defeated in Henry's first game

    Thierry Henry’s first game as a manager ended in defeat as his Monaco side were beaten 2-1 at Strasbourg in Ligue 1.

    Frenchman Henry, 41, saw his side go behind when goalkeeper Seydou Sy fumbled an Adrien Thomasson header.‏
    It got worse for the visitors when Samuel Grandsir saw red for a high foot, before Strasbourg substitute Lebo Mothiba made it two for the home side.
    Youri Tielemans’ late penalty was only a consolation, with Monaco above bottom club Guingamp on goal difference.
    Monaco, Ligue 1 title winners in 2017 under Henry’s predecessor Leonardo Jardim, who was sacked on 11 October, have failed to win in 11 games in all competitions since the opening weekend of the French top-flight season.
    Their six-point tally from 10 games this season is also the club’s worst start since the 1953-54 season.
    The result sees Strasbourg rise to sixth in the table, with the principality side left to focus on Wednesday’s Champions League group match at Club Brugge.
    Former France and Arsenal star Henry, who began his playing career at Monaco and helped them win Ligue 1 in 1997, was assistant manager of Belgium before joining the eight-time French champions.

  • Henry starts off at Monaco, as Ligue 1 returns

    Henry starts off at Monaco, as Ligue 1 returns

    The French Ligue 1 will resume from the international break on Friday, but Thierry Henry’s start of his reign as AS Monaco coach will be the major talking point.
    Henry who begins with a trip to Strasbourg on Saturday faces a big task to revive the club where he started his glittering playing career.
    Monaco, French champions and UEFA Champions League semi-finalists in 2017, are languishing 18th in the 20-team standings after winning one of their first nine games.
    “This club will always have a big place in my heart,” Henry told reporters on Wednesday. “So, to be able to come here and start again, it is a dream come true.
    “There is a lot of work to do, as you can imagine — but I am more than happy to be here.”
    The 41-year-old replaced Portuguese Leonardo Jardim who was sacked less than six months after leading Monaco to second place in the standings following their first league title since 2000.
    Henry was assistant coach of the Belgium team who finished third at this year’s World Cup after losing to France in the semi-finals.
     
    (Reuters/NAN)

  • Ligue 1: Thierry Henry appointed Monaco head coach

    Ligue 1: Thierry Henry appointed Monaco head coach

    Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has been appointed as head coach of Monaco until June 2021.

    The 41-year-old Frenchman, who had been Belgium’s assistant manager, began his professional career at Monaco and helped them win Ligue 1 in 1997.
    The club are third from bottom in Ligue 1 and sacked manager Leonardo Jardim on Thursday.
    “It seems like fate that I will begin my managerial career here,” said Henry, who is Arsenal’s record goalscorer.
    The former Juventus, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls player was linked with Aston Villa in recent weeks and said he received some “very attractive offers” over the last few months.
    “Monaco will always be close to my heart,” he added. “I’m incredibly excited to be given this opportunity but now the hard work must begin.”
    Monaco have won just once all season in all competitions. In Ligue 1 they have six points from nine games with five defeats and they have lost both games in the Champions League.
    Henry’s first game in charge will be against Strasbourg in the league on 20 October, before a Champions League tie with Club Brugge four days later.

    Portuguese boss Jardim was appointed in 2014 and led the club to the French title in 2017, their first since 2000.

    The 44-year-old also guided Monaco to the Champions League semi-finals in 2016-17 and helped develop players such as Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Lemar, and Manchester City pair Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy.
    Henry was with Belgium on Friday as they beat Switzerland 2-1 in the Nations League. In July he helped the team finish third at the World Cup.
    He started his career at Monaco in 1994 under former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, before joining Juventus in 1999.
    After just one year in Italy, he signed for the Gunners and went on to win two Premier League titles and two FA Cups in eight years in north London.
    Then came a move to Barcelona, where he won the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League in 2008-09.
    In 2010 he signed for Major League Soccer side Red Bulls, where he spent five seasons and also had a two-month loan spell back at Arsenal in early 2012.
    Henry was a World Cup winner with France in 1998 and won the European Championship two years later, scoring 51 goals in 123 appearances for Les Bleus.
    He retired as a player in December 2014 to work as a television pundit, before joining Belgium’s coaching staff in 2016.
    “His knowledge of football, his passion for the game, his high standards and his commitment to our colours make his nomination a reality,” Monaco chief executive Vadim Vasilyev said.
    “Thierry is both aware of the task ahead and eager to start his new job. He can count on our trust and all our support to bring a new dynamic to the team and carry out its mission. ”
    Patrick Kwame Ampadu, a coach at Arsenal’s academy and father of Chelsea and Wales player Ethan Ampadu, will join Henry’s coaching staff, alongside Benfica Under-23 coach Joao Carlos Valado Tralhao.
    BBC

  • Ligue 1: Struggling Monaco sack manager Jardim

    Monaco have sacked manager Leonardo Jardim with the club third from bottom of France’s Ligue 1.

    The news potentially opens the way for Thierry Henry to become the French club’s next boss after their former striker was linked with the role.
    Former France and Arsenal star Henry, 41, began his career at Monaco and helped them win Ligue 1 in 1997.
    Portuguese boss Jardim was appointed in 2014 and led the club to the French title in 2017, their first since 2000.
    The 44-year-old also guided Monaco to the Champions League semi-finals in 2016-17 and helped develop players such as forward Kylian Mbappe, now at Paris St-Germain.
    In a club statement, Jardim said: “I’m grateful and proud to have been Monaco coach for more than four years. I’ve always given my very best and worked with passion. We achieved some great victories together and I’ll always keep those memories.”
    Monaco chief executive Vadim Vasilyev added: “I want to thank Leonardo with deepest respect for all the work he has done.
    “His time here will remain as one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the club.
    “Leonardo will still be part of the Monaco family.”

  • Ligue 1: Thierry Henry on Monaco manager shortlist

    Ligue 1: Thierry Henry on Monaco manager shortlist

    Former France international Thierry Henry is being considered as a replacement for manager Leonardo Jardim at Ligue 1 side, Monaco.

    The French club are expected to sack their Portuguese boss, 44, with the team third from bottom in Ligue 1 with six points from nine games.
    World Cup winner Henry, who is on the shortlist for a similar role at Aston Villa, began his professional career at Monaco and helped them win Ligue 1 in 1997.
    Jardim led the club to another French title in 2017, their first since 2000.
    The former Sporting Lisbon manager was appointed by Monaco in 2014 and helped develop players such as Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Lemar, and Manchester City pair Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy.
    Jardim also guided the French side to the Champions League semi-finals during the 2016-17 campaign.

  • West Brom’s Chadli set to join Monaco

    Monaco are in the process of concluding a £10m deal for West Brom’s Belgium international winger Nacer Chadli.

    The 29-year-old is yet to play for the Baggies this season and is keen to move away from The Hawthorns following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

    Chadli scored six goals in 36 league appearances for West Brom.

    Should the deal go through as expected, it will allow Baggies boss Darren Moore to target alternative signings before Friday’s loan transfer deadline.

    Meanwhile, Middlesbrough are understood to be interested in striker Hal Robson-Kanu.

    However, West Brom have no intention of loaning the former Wales forward to a rival, so Boro would have to come up with an acceptable cash offer for a player who has already scored twice this season.

  • Monaco sign Chelsea target Golovin from CSKA Moscow

    Monaco have signed Russia midfielder Aleksandr Golovin from CSKA Moscow on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

    Golovin was linked with Premier League side Chelsea but has completed a move to France two weeks before the start of the 2018-19 Ligue 1 season.

    “This is a new adventure for me,” said the 22-year-old.

    Golovin was a key member of the Russia team which reached the quarter-finals of their home World Cup this summer.

    He started four games and scored one goal as Russia made it through their group and then knocked out 2010 world champions Spain in the last 16.

    Monaco vice president and chief executive Vadim Vasilyev said there had lots of interest in Golovin from “very large” European clubs.

    “Aleksandr has chosen the sporting project of Monaco, which will offer him the best conditions to continue his progress,” he added.