Sports
Report says Wenger Didn’t Resign But Was ‘Asked To Leave Arsenal’
Officially, he wasn’t pushed. He jumped. But it’s the sort of leap you take into thin air when a group of board members with machetes have chased you to the top of the building and there’s no way out. At some point the haze will clear, the retrospectives will end, the tributes will fade and we’ll be left with one incontrovertible fact.
Arsene Wenger was asked to leave.
Many would argue that it should have happened sooner. Maybe they are correct, but that’s an argument for another time. What matters here are two things.
One is that what became a running meme, the idea of an eternal Wenger refusing to leave the Colney training ground and Arsenal’s shareholders, led by the Kroenke family, appeasing him ad infinitum is no more. The other is that, as The Wall Street Journalreported Friday morning, Wenger chose to announce his exit on his own terms rather than “suffer the ignominy” of being fired at the end of the season.
Realistically, there were three scenarios for Wenger. Stay until the end of the season, perhaps win the Europa League along the way and then announce his departure, one of those “mutual consent” deals that clubs use to mask sackings. Another was hanging in there by his fingernails and getting the metaphorical bullet come the end of May. The third is the path he chose after it became clear to him that nothing, not even a European trophy and a return to the Champions League, was going to change Arsenal’s collective mind to get rid of him.
Out of the three paths available at this fork in the road, he chose this one – announcing his departure now – in part to eliminate the uncertainty over the club’s future. It’s no secret that there’s a (well-founded) belief around the club that last season’s speculation and indecision did them no favors. It hurt them on the pitch, and it weakened their negotiating position regarding their two star players: Alexis Sanchez, who eventually moved to Manchester United, and Mesut Ozil, who did extend his contract albeit with a massive raise.
Wenger’’s announcement accelerates the transition process and removes the question marks. In some ways, it’s his parting gift to a board that has steadfastly backed him for the past decade until it felt it could do so no more. In other ways, by all indications, it was an extremely painful step for him to take.
It was also no coincidence that when Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, addressed the media on Friday evening, Wenger was not present.
This is not just a man who has known only one club and one environment for the past 22 years; it’s a man who built the ecosystem in which he existed. The stories of the sort of club Arsenal were when he took over are legion. He built the London Colney training ground, he helped design key details at the Emirates Stadium and he micromanaged everything down to the players’ diets, which went from the potato chips and bacon sandwiches so prevalent in the English game in the 1990s to the pasta, salmon and steamed vegetables we see today.
Wenger built London Colney just as he built the modern Arsenal, and now he is no longer needed or wanted. That’s a punch in the gut, no matter how reasonable or inevitable it might have been and no matter how long it had been coming.
Some will ask: why did it take so long? According to sources familiar with the situation, the issue of his exit goes back several years, with the Kroenke family itself split over how to proceed. Ultimately, Stan Kroenke (just two years older than Wenger) pulled rank and opted to keep him. The two men might be wildly different, but those who know him say the elder Kroenke long felt a certain affinity with the Frenchman.
That said, according to my sources, the situation had become unsustainable. Other than 2015-16, when Tottenham’s late-season collapse allowed him to sneak into second place, 10 points behind Leicester, he had not finished higher than third since 2004-05 and hadn’t reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League in eight seasons.
For a long time, conventional wisdom had it that Kroenke – who has never hidden the fact that he is, primarily, a businessman – was content with Champions League participation (the “top four trophy” for which Wenger was so often mercilessly derided) as long as the revenues rolled in and the EBITDA looked good.
But recent events threatened to hit Kroenke where it hurts: in the wallet. The Ozil/Sanchez fiasco was one example, but, more than that, the Wenger protests and the empty seats at the Emirates were threatening the Arsenal brand.
This is the club with the biggest, most modern ground in one of Europe’s great capital cities. It oozes power and privilege; it’s the club of the marbled halls and the Invincibles, the one with a London tube stop named after it. In a world where clubs so often rely on image and brand to drive revenues, especially overseas (Manchester United being Exhibit A), Arsenal risked slipping behind.
The process to move on from Wenger began earlier this year. Dick Law, the recruitment specialist and Wenger loyalist, departed, and Raul Sanllehi and Sven Mislintat arrived. These were men formed elsewhere, at Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund respectively, who brought a different sporting outlook and culture. They were not Wenger guys; he might have accepted their appointments, but they spoke to a changing of the guard.
Equally, the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January spoke volumes: he was repeatedly offered to Arsenal in the summer but Wenger opted for another center-forward, Alexandre Lacazette, instead. When the Dortmund striker showed up at the Emirates anyway, it was the most obvious sign that it was the beginning of the end.
Still, Wenger hung on. He had been given a two-year contract extension last summer; he figured he could work with the newcomers and find a way to square the circle. The future had not yet been written, only hinted at. With a strong 2017-18 season, a run at the Europa League and some new talent emerging, perhaps everything would be fine.
The club felt this was not the case. They made it clear that, one way or another, he would be replaced. Arsenal was bigger than Arsene. He might have built this home, but someone else will be living there very soon.
And so he spoke out now, to lift the cloud of uncertainty and speculation while also giving the club – and himself – the best possible chance of going out on a high.
Wenger has no idea what will happen next. (ESPN)
Sports
MTN Nigeria Awards 150 million Naira to Super Falcons after Historic WAFCON 2024 Win
Reporter: Sandra Ani
MTN Nigeria has rewarded the Nigerian Super Falcons with 150 million naira following their remarkable victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The announcement was made at a celebratory breakfast reception hosted by the technology company in Lagos, in the presence of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) leadership and female executives across key sectors, alongside a host of MTN executives who came out to celebrate the champions and reaffirm the company’s commitment to football, inclusion and youth empowerment.
The Super Falcons’ win goes down as one of the most thrilling in tournament history. Facing Morocco on their home soil, Nigeria came back from 2-0 down to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory, clinching their 10th WAFCON title and reinforcing their status as Africa’s most decorated women’s team.
Delivering the opening remarks, MTN’s Chief Marketing Officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, highlighted the Super Falcons’ win as an inspiration for Nigerian women. “The Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is a championship that has been held 13 times and Nigeria has won 10 times. This is no small feat. It is a testament to how determined Nigerian women can be when they set out to achieve something. What you have achieved not only makes Nigeria proud, but it makes us, even we women, proud. Here at MTN, we believe, and one of our values is ‘Can Do’, can do with integrity. Your final match exemplifies that.”
As the official telecommunications partner of the NFF, MTN presented the 150 million naira reward to celebrate the team’s resilience and achievement. MTN director, Ifueko Okauru explained that 115 million naira would go to the players and 35 million to the technical team.
“At MTN we believe in the power of connection, not just through technology, but through our soul, through our spirits, what we share and what unifies us,” said Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria.
Toriola described the company’s investment in the NFF as fruitful. “As proud sponsors of the Nigerian Football Federation, this long-term significantly financially-heavy investment in supporting the NFF has borne so many fruits. We followed you through every match, every challenge, every trial and some of them losses. We followed you and we continue to support you and today we are so proud to say our efforts have not been in vain. We followed you for the big things, we followed you for the smaller things.
He added, “To the Super Falcons, you are more than athletes, you are inspirations. You are an inspiration for everyone in Nigeria, every young lady to go out there and make a difference. You are role models, you are ambassadors, and you are proof that when Nigerian women rise, the world will take notice.”
Captain of the Super Falcons, Rashidat Ajibade, thanked MTN and its board members for their warm reception and support. “We appreciate you a lot. We feel valued, we feel honoured, we feel respected, and this only inspires us to do better, and keep inspiring the next generation.”
“This win is for all of us,” she said, dedicating the 10th title not just to the current Super Falcons squad but to all the players who came before. While grateful for the milestone, she made it clear they were not content. “We want to take this to the next level. We want to be global contenders. We don’t want to be just local champions. It’s time to take it to the next level. We understand the huge responsibility on us, and we hope that we can all work together, the Federation, the federal government, and also private bodies to keep investing and keep supporting the Super Falcons Council so we can all achieve this objective.”
The breakfast reception featured a classical string quartet, stirring soul-Afrobeats choir rendition that had the Falcons on their feet, dancing joyfully in celebration of their hard-won victory. Singer Praiz also delivered a performance that drew cheers from the audience and added to the festive energy in the room.
As the nation continues to celebrate their victory, this moment stands as both a reward and a reminder of what Nigerian women can achieve when backed by belief, investment and opportunity. The celebration was especially timely as it fell on Pan African Women’s Day, a fitting moment to honour the strength, resilience and achievements of Nigerian women on and off the pitch.
John C. Nwosu, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has hailed the Super Falcons for lifting the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s African Cup of Nations (WACON) held in Morocco for the 10th time, after a dramatic outing in Rabat, capital of the North African nation.
The Nigerian female team came from behind after a 2:0 lead they were handed down by the Atlas Lionesses at half time to turn the tide in a dramatic fashion, marked by energy, resilience, determination and skill, slotting in three goals in less than 30 minutes.
A totally enthralled Nwosu declared that feat clearly showed how with determination and focus, the most difficult tasks could be achieved and toughest challenges could be surmounted, adding that the feat embodied a lot of life’s lessons.
“What we saw today is the can-do spirit of that Nigerians are known for. It is a spirit that has broken many barriers and achieved great things. I particularly noticed the teamwork and synergy among the girls and their determination not to give up. It shows the reward of unity of purpose.
“As I watched our girls lift this beautiful trophy up, my spirit was also lifted. I am sure I am not alone. This spectacular achievement today shows how much we can achieve in Nigeria when we de-emphasise those things that divide the nation and emphasise the things that unite us.
“This is the focus of the ADC. We take it as a task to unite Nigeria by promoting unity, equity, justice and fair play in all facets of the society, knowing that together, working individually and collectively, we wake the sleeping giant.
“It is particularly so as we make deliberate moves to recreate a new Anambra where the government and the people will form an environment of common vision and move in the same direction, achieve a common goal. That vision has gained a strong fillip by this wonderful feat in Morocco.”
Well done girls. Once again, you have put smiles on millions of Nigerians, both home and abroad. May this joy continue to resonate everywhere in the life of our dear nation, now and in future.
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has congratulated the Super Falcons of Nigeria on their 10th Women African Cup of Nations, WAFCON, title, saying that they demonstrated the resilience of the Nigerian spirit.
The Super Falcons, who fell behind by two goals in the first half, staged a memorable comeback in Rabat in the second half, beating their Moroccan counterparts before their huge crowd of home fans to lift the WAFCON 2025 trophy courtesy of goals delivered by Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and Jennifer Echegini.
Mbah, who took to his verified social media handle, @PNMbah, to celebrate the impressive Nigerian side wrote, “Congratulations, Super Falcons, on your well-deserved WAFCON 2025 triumph.
“Coming from two goals down to beat the Moroccans to the trophy underscores the resilience and invincibility of the Nigerian spirit and what we can achieve as a people by working together in oneness of mind.
“We are super proud of you.
“Again, congratulations, girls, and keep flying higher.”
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