Site icon SBI Soccer

Tuesday Ticker: Gazidis backs Wenger, fabricated Fabregas quotes and more

Wenger (Getty Images)

Despite a tumultuous beginning to the Premier League season, Arsenal has no plans to part ways with manager Arsene Wenger.

Former MLS deputy commissioner and current Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis spoke out on behalf of Wenger, who is under even more scrutiny after the club's 4-3 loss to Blackburn over the weekend dropped the team's league record to 1-3-1. 

"Arsene Wenger is not broken," Gazidis told the BBC. "To see him portrayed as an idiot is damaging – not to him or the club but to the game. [Sacking him] is a route we are not going to go down.

"He didn't suddenly become a bad manager or out of touch. That's nonsense."

Here are a few more stories from around the soccer world:

FABREGAS GETS MAGAZINE APOLOGY

After publishing alleged derogatory comments made by Cesc Fabregas about Arsenal, Sport magazine has confessed that no interview with Fabregas ever took place, and the quotes were all fabricated.

The magazine issued a statement, saying: "We published an article described as an interview with Cesc Fabregas. In fact, there was no actual interview (the player was speaking at two press events) and Fabregas did not say the words attributed to him, including and in particular about Arsenal. We were unaware of these matters when we published the article which was written by a freelance journalist. We apologise profusely to Mr. Fabregas for any damage caused."

Fabregas had openly defended himself via his Twitter account, claiming that the quotes were all lies and that he never said anything to defame Arsenal. He said that he will donate the financial compensation that Sport is paying him for the damages to charity.

DROBGA SET FOR WEDNESDAY RETURN

Didier Drogba's spell on the sidelines after suffering a concussion will come to an end on Wednedsay, as he has been named to Chelsea's squad for the club's Carling Cup match against Fulham.

Andre Villas-Boas has named a reserve-laden team, but he will give the Ivory Coast striker a chance to work his way back into the rotation after spending the last three weeks out of action.

MATTHAUS OUT AS BULGARIA COACH

Former German international and New York/New Jersey MetroStars player Lothar Matthaus was fired as coach of the Bulgarian national team after failing to get Bulgaria to qualify for Euro 2012.

Bulgaria only won once in seven qualifying matches against England, Montenegro, Switzerland and Wales, scoring just three goals in that time. 

———————–

What do you make of Gazidis' comments? Do you think Wenger deserves to be fired? What do you make of the fabricated Fabregas situation? How much of an impact do you think a healthy Drogba can make for Chelsea? Disappointed in Matthaus' Bulgaria stint?

Share your thoughts below.

Exit mobile version