Manchester United officially released Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Friday, with the injured Swedish striker’s name appearing on a list published by the Premier League.
The 35-year-old joined United on a year-long contract before the 2016/17 campaign and was vital to their League Cup and Europa League triumphs, scoring 28 goals in 46 appearances before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in April.
Ibrahimovic was the only player on United’s release list.
Spalletti in at Inter Milan
Luciano Spalletti became Inter Milan’s 10th manager in the past seven years when he was named on Friday and handed the task of restoring the club to their former greatness.
The 58-year-old’s appointment had been widely expected after he confirmed on Tuesday that he had agreed terms to take over the team who employed three coaches this season on their way to finishing seventh in Serie A.
“FC Internazionale is delighted to announce that Luciano Spalletti has been appointed as head coach of the first team,” the Chinese-owned club said in a statement.
Kane keen to follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps
Harry Kane has dreams of holding aloft the Ballon d’Or trophy like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi but the Tottenham Hotspur striker knows his club must start collecting silverware if he is to have any chance of such individual success.
Ronaldo is on course to win his fifth Ballon d’Or after helping Real Madrid to Primera Liga and Uefa Champions League success and Kane, 23, said the Portuguese forward was a great role model.
“Who wouldn’t want to win that big gold trophy? It’s definitely something I aspire to do,” Kane told reporters when asked about the Ballon d’Or.
“Doing that, you have to win the big tournaments, for club and country. Ronaldo won the Euros and the Champions League ... Messi’s in a similar situation.
“To do that, it isn’t just individual, I think it’s part of a team thing as well, winning team trophies. That’s hopefully what we can do at Tottenham.”
Sagnol returns to Bayern Munich
Former France defender Willy Sagnol has been named as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant manager at Bayern Munich.
Sagnol, who won five Bundesliga titles and the Uefa Champions League during a nine-year spell with Bayern as a player, has signed a two-year contract.
Sagnol, who won 58 caps as a right-back for France, told the Bayern website: “That Carlo Ancelotti, one of the best and most experienced coaches in world football, has chosen me is a great honour for me. I am happy to be able to work in his team and at his side.
“I am happy that I can return to Munich with my family.”
Sagnol has previous coaching experience from a two-year spell in charge of Bordeaux from 2014-16.
Ancelotti said: “Having lost two of my assistants with Paul Clement leaving during the winter break [to become manager of Swansea] and Hermann Gerland leaving at the end of the season, I expressed to the board my wish that a new assistant coach be appointed.”
The club said Ancelotti wanted a former Bayern player who had coaching experience.
He added: “Willy Sagnol ticks both these boxes, and I’m very much looking forward to working with him.”
Mario Gomez to stay at Wolfsburg
Germany forward Mario Gomez will stay on at Wolfsburg despite their disappointing season where they managed to stay up only after winning a relegation play-off, the Bundesliga club said on Friday.
The 31-year-old scored 16 league goals in his first season at Wolfsburg but the big-spending club, German Cup winners in 2015, finished in 16th place and needed to beat second-tier Eintracht Braunschweig in the playoff.
“Despite the difficult season where we missed out on our targets, I have the full trust in our team, the club and the fans,” Gomez said in a club statement.
“So I decided to play on here next season. The entire environment here will also offer me the best possible preparation for the World Cup [in 2018],” he said with an eye on next year’s tournament in Russia.
Club officials praised the forward whose goals in the second half of the season under coach Andries Jonker largely kept them from being relegated.
“Mario Gomez showed with his goals this season that he is not only a top striker but also someone who took over a lot of responsibility within the team,” said sports director Olaf Rebbe.
“We are happy to be able to attack the next season together.”
Leverkusen appoint new manager
Bayer Leverkusen have appointed former Germany international Heiko Herrlich as their new manager after the departure of Tayfun Korkut at the end of the season, the club said on Friday.
Herrlich, 45, who played for Leverkusen from 1989 to 1993 and coached Jahn Regensburg to consecutive promotions from the regional division into the second Bundesliga in his two seasons in charge, received a deal to 2019.
“He is a very ambitious and focused coach who showed his skills not only at Regensburg,” Leverkusen sports director Rudi Voeller said.
“He favours an attractive and aggressive style of play which comes very close to our own concept.”
* Agencies
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