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Monday Kickoff: Van Gaal named Man United manager; Wenger to sign new deal; and more

LouisVanGaalNetherlands1-Ecuador (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Manchester United finally made it official on Monday. Louis Van Gaal will be their new manager.

The club waited until after the Netherlands’ friendly match on Saturday against Ecuador to announce the news, which will see the Dutch National Team head coach take his first job in England. The 62-year-old signed a three-year contract with Man United.

“It was always a wish for me to work in the Premier League,” Van Gaal said in a statement. “To work as a manager for Manchester United, the biggest club in the world, makes me very proud. I have managed in games at Old Trafford before and know what an incredible arena Old Trafford is and how passionate and knowledgeable the fans are. This club has big ambitions; I too have big ambitions. Together I’m sure we will make history.”

Van Gaal will officially begin the job following the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Dutchman takes over for Ryan Giggs, who Van Gaal has named an assistant coach. Van Gaal is Man United’s third head coach in the last 12 months after the club’s disastrous run under David Moyes.

Van Gaal formerly coached at FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax, and AZ Alkmaar. He’s won the Bundesliga once, La Liga twice, the Eredivisie four times, and the UEFA Champions League once, back in 1995. Van Gaal has been Netherlands manager since July 6, 2012.

Here are some more stories to kick off your week:

WENGER SET TO SIGN NEW ARSENAL DEAL AFTER FA CUP TITLE

Ending Arsenal’s much dramatized nine-year trophy drought seems to have been enough to convince Arsene Wenger that he’s still got a few years left in the tank.

The 64-year-old Arsenal manager will sign a new three-year contract in the coming days with Arsenal according to reports in England, with the new deal worth as much as £22-24 million, depending on who you read. Wenger has suffered a lot of criticism in the past few seasons for Arsenal’s struggles, and despite having an offer on the table since last fall, the Frenchman had waited until the final game of the season to make his decision.

The 3-2 triumph over Hull City in the FA Cup final gives Wenger his 12th trophy with Arsenal, and his new contract will take him over 20-years as manager of the club. Wenger remains by far the longest-tenured manager in the English Premier League, with the second-longest currently held by Newcastle’s Alan Pardew. Pardew was appointed in Dec. 2010.

NEUER A DOUBT HEADING INTO GERMANY CAMP

Coming off a dramatic DFB Pokal title over rivals Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is a doubt heading into German National Team training camp.

The 28-year-old hurt his shoulder in the 2-0 extra time win against Dortmund on Sunday and was seen on Monday with a sling on his right arm. According to reports in Germany, Neuer underwent an MRI and that Bayern will disclose the results when they are available.

Germany have other doubts from their Bayern contingent, with Philipp Lahm having to leave the German Cup final with an injury and Thomas Muller seen struggling to walk after the match.

QUICK KICKS

River Plate have won the Argentine Torneo Final with a 5-0 rout of Quilmes in the final game of the season. (REPORT)

Juventus sporting director Beppe Marotta has publicly stated the club’s interest in Barcelona winger Alexis Sanchez. (REPORT)

Paris Saint-Germain have made the summer signing of Chelsea’s Eden Hazard a priority. (REPORT)

Both Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in signing Manchester City midfielder James Milner this summer. (REPORT)

Hertha Berlin have found their replacement for Adrian Ramos, signing FC Basel forward Valentin Stocker on a four-year contract. (REPORT)

Highly-rated Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala said that he’d prefer a move to Chelsea rather than Manchester City because Chelsea is in London. (REPORT)

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What do you think of these reports? Do you see Van Gaal succeeding at Man United? Glad that Wenger will remain at Arsenal? Can you see Germany in the World Cup without Neuer in goal?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. not trying to poke fun at arsenal fans, but i sure hope that the reason for wenger’s new contract is not that he’s won just 1 trophy (a domestic cup, at that) in 9 years.

    are the expectations really that low for supposedly a top club? honest question, because i really don’t follow arsenal enough to know.

    Reply
    • As Wenger put it last week. “I have been here for 18 years. It would be silly if it all just came down to one game, wouldn’t it?”

      Reply
      • so i guess both you and drewbles provide the answer: arsenal were actually content with *0* trophies in 9 years. the fa cup win was just icing.

      • For a side that has, until this past year, sold their best players, they continue to make the Champions’ League every year, it is pretty impressive.

  2. Even without Neuer that team is fine at GK, that team is stacked throughout and one or two injuries isn’t going to change that.

    Reply
      • The keeper you speak of, Barcelona target Marc-Andre ter Stegen, is not even in Germany camp… sooooooo… smh

      • Also he’s moving this summer to become the starting GK at Barca, he is a class keeper who made one mistake, saying he will do it again is odd

    • Jens and Schentsteiger are carrying knocks. I also heard Khedira was carrying a knock too. So it is more then just Lahm and Neur.

      Reply
      • Khedira is coming back from an ACL tear, I don’t think he has played since the fall. They only have one proven international striker available in Klose who is 36 and has not done too much this season due to injury, but of course he always turns it on at the world cup. In my eyes the only central midfielders currently healthy are Kroos and Bender, both of which are not what you would call defensive first. Weindenfeller may step in for Neuer, he is still quality even he has only one cap.
        But they have so many quality attacking midfielders it might not even matter.

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