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Wednesday Kickoff: Löw stays through 2016; Van Gaal criticizes tour; and more

Germany manager Joachim Low celebrates winning the FIFA World Cup trophy with team mates

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

Joachim Löw isn’t ready to step aside after winning the 2014 World Cup.

The German National Team manager confirmed in an interview with the German FA (DFB) that he will be staying on as manager for another two years, through Euro 2016. The news will take Löw to ten years in charge of the national team, the longest one person has remained in this position since Helmut Schön did from 1964-1978.

“At the moment I can think of nothing better than to continue working with this team to lead them to the European Championship in France,” Löw said. “I am as motivated as the first day with the DFB. In Brazil we celebrated a huge success, but there are still other goals we want to achieve. The 2014 World Cup was a highlight for all, but it was not the conclusion.”

Löw took over from current U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann following the 2006 World Cup and has led Germany to a third-place finish in 2010 and a World Cup title in 2014, going undefeated in the seven-game gauntlet.

Here are some more stories to kick off your Wednesday:

VAN GAAL CRITICIZES U.S. TOUR

New Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal didn’t mince words when asked about the club’s tour of the USA.

Man United are currently in Los Angeles and are set to travel to Denver, Washington D.C., Ann Arbor, Mich., and potentially Miami before returning back to England, racking up more than 13,500 miles of travel. At a press conference on Tuesday evening, Van Gaal stated that the tour, which has been put on for commercial purposes, is getting in the way of the club’s preparation for next season.

“We have to prepare the season and when you have commercial activities and dreadful distances, having to fly a lot and the jet lag, it is not very positive for a good preparation,” Van Gaal told reporters. “The tour was already arranged and I shall adapt and United will do everything to apply to my rules, but I have said that already.”

When asked if next season’s preseason plans would be so wide-reaching, Van Gaal hinted that it would be much shorter.

QUICK KICKS

Man City U-21 coach Patrick Viera pulled his team off the field in a friendly match in Croatia due to racist abuse to one of his team’s players. (REPORT)

Arsenal have agreed to pay Nice a £3 million transfer fee to sign Colombian international goalkeeper David Ospina. (REPORT)

Valencia defender Jeremy Mathieu has completed a €20 million transfer move to Barcelona, becoming the most expensive defender 30-years or older. (REPORT)

Hamburg is reportedly interested in signing Belgian defender Daniel Van Buyten. (REPORT)

Toulouse right back Serge Aurier is close to finalizing a move to Paris Saint-Germain. (REPORT)

Shakhtar Donetsk have moved their home base temporarily to Lviv, more than 600 miles away from Donetsk, in a bid to have their six AWOL players return to the squad. (REPORT)

Former Barcelona wunderkind Bojan Krkic has completed a permanent move away from the club, moving to Stoke City for a reported fee of £3 million. (REPORT)

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What do you think of these reports? Did you expect Löw to remain as Germany coach? Think they can win Euro 2016? Do you agree with Van Gaal’s comments?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. ManU Executives: ‘Oh you don’t like preseason tours? Okay No problem! LVG, We are willing to forgo our preseason tour if you agree to supplement that revenue from your salary. Too harsh? Okay, then take it out of your transfer budget. Up to you big guy.’

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  2. LVG should’ve been laughed at by the US press, these are normal distances traveled by MLS teams, its ridiculous. They will still finish 5th.

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  3. LVG is hilarious. Of course Man U is going to spend their preseasons abroad. Now as well as every upcoming preseason.

    To be a global brand you must bring your product to the global market! Funny the old Dutchman can’t understand this.

    SAF dealt with it, so will you.

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    • Yea the US tours are so lucrative and important to Man U from a business perspective I can’t imagine Van Gaal will get his way on this. Probably a mistake to make a big public stink about it as well as it can undermine you as a coach if it’s public that you are not getting your way on something.

      I do find it hilarious how much Europeans complain about travel in soccer. Basically every single professional athlete in the US has to log way more miles, by a wide margin, than a European soccer player. Sitting in a first class or business class air plain seat for 1-5 hours is not torture.

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      • Not true! The last time I flew first class my salad fork was warm and the stewardess was only an 8. I’m still amazed that I survived that.

      • Dude, you gotta fly those east asia airlines out of Korea or Malaysia.

        They break all kinds of labour laws over there to make sure they pretty stewardesses. Also pretty dudes for those who prefer guys.

        I know that Air Asia, for example, will only give Stewardesses a maximum of 2 5 year contracts and only if you are under 28.

        Ageism and sexism aside, you actually get better service because they haven’t been there forever and actually still like their jobs.

  4. Rumor in town for two days has been Beasley to Dynamo with Ashe perhaps shipped out to clear cap space. Not a single tear would be shed here if that came to pass, though we’d still have a CB issue to fix.

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  5. “Shakhtar Donetsk have moved their home base temporarily to Lviv…” Finally, some logic from Shakhtar! If the club president is going to threaten his AWOL players, the very least he could do is move the club’s training facility outside of an ACTIVE WAR ZONE. It’s not an unprecedented move either. Anzhi Makachakalakakalalala (sp?) plays its home games in Dagestan (intermittent war zone), but trains in Moscow.

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  6. 3 mil pounds for Ospina is a great bit of business by Arsenal, they have had a good summer thus far. If they manage to get a proper CDM then it’d be a great summer.

    Reply

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