African players in Europe: Ivorians Pepe and Kessie sparkle

Paris (AFP) – Ivory Coast winger Nicolas Pepe delivered one of the best performances of his difficult spell with Arsenal as he scored in a 3-1 Premier League victory over Leicester City at the weekend.

He has struggled to make an impact since signing from Lille for £72 million in 2019, but Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has kept faith, even after his needless red card against Leeds this term.

Another impressive Ivorian was AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, whose goal in a 2-1 win at Roma was his eighth of the campaign, overtaking his previous best tally for a Serie A season.

Here, AFP Sport rounds up the performances of African stars in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

NICOLAS PEPE (Arsenal)

The 25-year-old repaid Arteta’s confidence at Leicester, winning the free-kick that led to David Luiz’s equaliser and then wrapping up the points with a 52nd-minute tap-in after starting his team’s superb counter-attack.

HAKIM ZIYECH (Chelsea)

The Morocco midfielder started for just the second time in the league since Thomas Tuchel took charge, but failed to impress in a 0-0 draw against Manchester United. Ziyech had been used largely as a substitute since Tuchel replaced sacked Frank Lampard in January.

MOHAMED SALAH, SADIO MANE (Liverpool)

Liverpool snapped a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 win at Sheffield United despite their two top scorers failing to fire. Salah had multiple chances to extend his lead as the Premier League’s top scorer but failed to beat inspired goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

SPAIN

PAPE DIOP (Eibar)

The 34-year-old scored a rare goal which could help Eibar stay in La Liga. Senegal international Diop met Aleix Garcia’s cross with a superb header to net for the first time this season and snatch a point for Eibar in a 1-1 draw at home to bottom side Huesca.

ITALY

FRANCK KESSIE (AC Milan)

A Kessie penalty gave second-placed Milan the lead five minutes before the break in a 2-1 win over title and Champions League rivals Roma to keep them four points behind leaders Inter.

FAOUZI GHOULAM/KALIDOU KOULIBALY (Napoli)

Algerian Ghoulam set up record scorer Dries Mertens for his 131st strike on his first start in over two months after injury as Napoli beat Benevento 2-0. Gennaro Gattuso’s sixth-placed side held on for the points despite Senegalese Koulibaly’s sending off 10 minutes from time.

YANN KARAMOH (Parma)

Ivory Coast-born French forward Karamoh scored the opening goal for relegation-threatened Parma after 17 minutes at Spezia but went off injured in the second half with the hosts hitting back with an Emmanuel Gyasi brace for a 2-2 draw.

IBRAHIMA MBAYE/MUSA BARROW (Bologna)

Senegalese defender Mbaye got the breakthrough as Bologna snapped their 15-match winless league run against Lazio with a 2-0 victory against the European hopefuls. Mbaye tapped in a rebound seven minutes after the break for his fourth league goal in six seasons with the club. Gambian Barrow set up Nicola Sansone for the second goal.

GERMANY

ERIC MAXIM CHOUPO-MOTING (Bayern Munich)

The Cameroon striker headed Bayern into the lead in a 5-1 thrashing of Cologne with a close-range goal from a Leon Goretzka cross. It was the 31-year-old’s first Bundesliga goal this season on only his fourth Bundesliga start.

NABIL BENTALEB (Schalke)

The Algerian midfielder had a second-half penalty saved in Schalke’s 5-1 thrashing at Stuttgart which keeps the Royal Blues rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga table. Bentaleb came off the bench early in the second half for his second league game after being banished to the reserves for disciplinary reasons.

IHLAS BEBOU (Hoffenheim)

The Togolese striker played a decisive role in his side’s equaliser as Hoffenheim drew 1-1 at Union Berlin. The ball bounced off Bebou and Union defender Nico Schlotterbeck as they fought to get on the end of an Andrej Kramaric cross. Initially given to Bebou, the goal was later confirmed as an own-goal.

FRANCE

KARL TOKO EKAMBI (Lyon)

The Cameroon international scored his 12th Ligue 1 goal this season in the 21st minute against Marseille when he collected Lucas Paqueta’s pass. But their hopes of a seventh win in eight games were dashed when Arkadiusz Milik levelled.

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Several arrested during raid at FC Barcelona: police

Barcelona (AFP) – Police raided the offices of FC Barcelona on Monday, carrying out several arrests just six days ahead of the club’s presidential elections, a Catalan regional police spokesman told AFP.

Spain’s Cadena Ser radio said one of those arrested was former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned in October, along with CEO Oscar Grau and the club’s head of legal services. 

But the police refused to confirm names, saying only “arrests are taking place” and adding that the operation was being run by officers from the financial crimes unit.

“We are in the process of carrying out an operation right now with agents of the financial crimes unit,” the police spokesman told AFP. 

According to reports in the Spanish media, the operation is linked to last year’s investigation into the ‘BarcaGate’ scandal, which saw the club deny hiring a company to criticise current and former players on social media to improve the image of the then-president Bartomeu. 

Cadena Ser said Barca paid one million euros in six separate invoices to the company I3 Ventures, with whom the club have since cut ties.

Bartomeu resigned in October, after mounting pressure following months of controversy and a dramatic decline in performances on the pitch.

His successor is due to be elected on Sunday, when club members will choose between the final three candidates, Joan Laporta, Toni Freixa and Victor Font. 

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Sheffield Wednesday appoint Darren Moore as new boss

London (AFP) – Struggling Championship side Sheffield Wednesday on Monday announced the appointment of Darren Moore as their third permanent manager this season.

The 46-year-old, who had been in charge of League One Doncaster Rovers since 2019, succeeds Tony Pulis following his dismissal in December. Neil Thompson has been in interim charge.

Pulis lasted only seven weeks after succeeding Garry Monk in November.

Doncaster, who are sixth in third-tier League One, expressed their disappointment at Moore’s decision.

“We are disappointed that Darren has chosen to leave the club part way through what has been a season full of promise,” said chairman David Blunt.

“We have made significant efforts to support Darren over the past 18 months and ensure he was able to build a team capable of challenging in the top six.”

Sheffield Wednesday are second from bottom of the 24-team Championship, six points from safety — the same number they had deducted earlier this season for breaching financial regulations.

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Rennes coach Stephan steps down after dismal run

Rennes (France) (AFP) – Julien Stephan, who guided Rennes to Champions League qualification for the first time in their history, has resigned following a poor run of results, the Ligue 1 club announced Monday.

“This morning, Stade Rennais FC acknowledged the resignation of coach Julien Stephan. The club thanks Julien for these nine years with the Red and Black and for all the exceptional results he earned in charge of the team,” Rennes said in a statement.

Philippe Bizeul, an assistant to Stephan, will take charge of the first team on a temporary basis, the club added.

The 40-year-old Stephan, whose father Guy is assistant to France coach Didier Deschamps, was appointed by Rennes in December 2018 following spells with the club’s reserve and youth teams.

He won the French Cup later that season, lifting the club’s first trophy since 1971, and then steered Rennes to a third-place finish last year, earning a place in the Champions League group stage.

However, the team collected just one point in Europe this season and have slipped to ninth place in Ligue 1 following a six-match winless run.

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Wilder resigned to Sheffield United’s fate after ‘brutal’ campaign

London (AFP) – Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder says his side’s hopes of staying in the Premier League are all but over after their 21st league defeat of the season, at home to Liverpool.

The 53-year-old Englishman guided the Blades to an impressive ninth-place finish in their first season back in the top flight in 2019/20.

But this campaign has been a real struggle and, with 12 games remaining, they are rooted to the bottom of the table, 15 points adrift of fourth-from-bottom Newcastle.

“I’m sure nobody will be critical of me saying this is an incredibly tough situation to be in and one we don’t look as if we’re going to get out of,” Wilder said after his team lost 2-0 at home to the champions on Sunday.

“Take a step back to move forward, know where you want to be,” he added. “Stick together, work hard and go again.

“I think that’s being realistic in the position we are. I can’t dress it up any other way… the points, the games we have got left and the form that we’re in.”

The Sheffield United manager said the gulf in resources between his club and others had become starkly apparent.

“I’m looking at the faces in the changing room, they are giving everything,” he said. “This is a really tough gig for them.

“Our model, the best we can do, is try to buy the best Championship (second-tier) players. Sometimes you’re just not good enough and don’t have the quality to compete.

“You need a bit more in this division because it’s brutal and it exposes you.”

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Chinese media urge change after football champions’ financial collapse

Shanghai (AFP) – The “shocking” collapse of champions Jiangsu FC is a watershed for Chinese football that should prompt a rethink from top to bottom, state media said.

Jiangsu, who are owned by the conglomerate Suning — which also owns Italy’s Inter Milan — said Sunday they will “cease operations”, three months after winning the Chinese Super League for the first time.

The announcement underlines the financial problems coursing through the league that could also see rival side Tianjin Tigers fold this week.

It also highlights the declining fortunes of a league that repeatedly smashed the Asian transfer record just a few years ago, attracting a number of foreign stars. Many have since left.

“It seems incredible and shocking, but it feels like the dust has now settled,” state-run Xinhua news agency said following the announcement by Jiangsu, who have not yet dissolved and are seeking a financial lifeline.

Xinhua said that 16 teams across three tiers of Chinese professional football folded in 2020. 

The Super League gained a reputation for luring star players with hefty wages and exorbitant transfer fees — Shanghai SIPG signed Oscar from Chelsea in 2017 for an Asian-record 60 million euros.

But the Chinese Football Association has since brought in a raft of measures to cool spending, including a 100 percent transfer tax and salary caps.

The CFA said Monday that it was “sorry to hear” about Jiangsu but respected the club’s decision, and vowed to plough on with its attempts to make China a leading football power.

However, times are tough for Chinese clubs, where money began to dry up even before the coronavirus pandemic.

“The most important thing at the moment is to… reload and start again, rather than being lost in confusion or remorse,” said Xinhua.

“To some extent it is a good thing that the bubble has burst earlier (than expected),” it added.

“Chinese professional football has ushered in its first ‘watershed’ after its high-speed, wild growth.

“Respect the laws of football, respect the laws of the market, adhere to youth training and work for the long term.”

Beijing Youth Daily said the implosion of Jiangsu, who are based in the eastern city of Nanjing, was an opportunity for renewal.

“Where does Chinese football go from here?” it asked.

“Experts say that to solve the predicament of Chinese football it must be overthrown and reconstructed.

“Chinese football, the promotion of it and youth training all need to be reassessed.” 

The new season, which will almost certainly be shorn of Jiangsu and Tianjin, is expected to start in April but there is no definite date because of uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus.

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Chinese media urge football rethink after champions’ financial collapse

Shanghai (AFP) – The “shocking” collapse of champions Jiangsu FC is a watershed for Chinese football that should prompt a rethink from top to bottom, state media said.

Jiangsu, who are owned by the conglomerate Suning — which also owns Italy’s Inter Milan — said Sunday they will “cease operations”, just over three months after winning the Chinese Super League.

The announcement underlines the financial problems coursing through the league that could also see rival side Tianjin Tigers fold this week.

It also highlights the declining fortunes of a league that repeatedly smashed the Asian transfer record just a few years ago, attracting a number of foreign stars.

“It seems incredible and shocking, but it feels like the dust has now settled,” state-run Xinhua news agency said following the announcement by Jiangsu, who have not yet dissolved and are seeking a financial lifeline.

Xinhua said that 16 teams across three tiers of Chinese football folded in 2020. 

The Super League gained a reputation for luring star players with hefty wages and exorbitant transfer fees — Shanghai SIPG signed Oscar from Chelsea in 2017 for an Asian-record 60 million euros.

But the Chinese Football Association has since brought in a raft of measures to cool spending, including a 100 percent transfer tax and salary caps.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, money began to dry up in Chinese football.

“The most important thing at the moment is to… reload and start again, rather than being lost in confusion or remorse,” said Xinhua.

“To some extent it is a good thing that the bubble has burst earlier (than expected),” it added.

“Chinese professional football has ushered in its first ‘watershed’ after its high-speed, wild growth.

“Respect the laws of football, respect the laws of the market, adhere to youth training and work for the long term.”

Beijing Youth Daily said the implosion of Jiangsu was an opportunity for renewal.

“Where does Chinese football go from here?” it asked.

“Experts say that to solve the predicament of Chinese football it must be overthrown and reconstructed.

“Chinese football, the promotion of it and youth training all need to be reassessed.” 

The new season, which will almost certainly be shorn of Jiangsu and Tianjin, is expected to start in April but there is no definite date because of uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus.

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