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AC MILAN

Sion FC’s captain replaces sacked coach

Gennaro Gattuso will combine his role as captain of FC Sion with that of manager after Spaniard Victor Munoz was relieved of his coaching duties by the Swiss club on Monday.

Published: 25 February 2013 20:50 CET
Sion FC's captain replaces sacked coach
Gennaro Gattuso to become player coach for the Valais club. Photo: Sion FC

Munoz became Sion's fourth ex-manager of the season in the wake of a 4-0 humbling by FC Thun in the Swiss league on Saturday.
   
"Following FC Sion's diastrous performance at Thun and considering the obvious lack of commitment from the team, the club's management has decided to hand over responsiblity to the players," the club announced in a statement.
   
"To carry this out, from today and until further notice, they will manage their own affairs," the club said.

"The management gives responsibility for the team to captain Gennaro Gattuso.
 
 "Victor Munoz himself is taking a step back."

Gattuso, who as a defensive midfielder played a key role in Italy's 2006 World Cup success, joined Sion after a stellar career with AC Milan in June 2012.

The 35-year-old is known to covet a job in management when he hangs up his boots.

Sion, under president Christian Constantin, hit the headlines in 2011 when fiercely challenging their exclusion from the Europa League for fielding ineligible players in their play-off against Celtic.

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AC MILAN

Zlatan returns to Milan with contract extension close

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, back in Italy to sign a contract extension with AC Milan, said he intends to "help the club get back to where it deserves to be", in a video posted on Sunday.

Published: 30 August 2020 19:43 CEST
Zlatan returns to Milan with contract extension close
Zlatan Ibrahimovic said he didn't want to just 'be a mascot'. Photo: AC Milan
The video, posted on the AC Milan website and entitled “Iz Back”, started with a small plane landing at the city's Linate airport on Saturday evening and then showed the 39-year-old Swede, who was decked out in club gear, declaring he was delighted to return “to where he feels at home”.
   
Ibrahimovic has yet to sign the extension but, according to Italian press reports, the star striker and Milan have agreed an extra year's contract, with an annual salary of 7 million euros (8.33 million dollars).
   
He rejoined the club last December on a six-month contract from the Los Angeles Galaxy, on a salary of 3.5 million euros with an optional extra year. He scored 11 times in 20 Serie A and Italian Cup matches.
   
“As I said before, I'm not here to be a mascot, but to bring results, to help the club, the team and the coach get back to where Milan deserves to be,” he said in Italian on the video.
   
“We've done great things in the last six months but we haven't gained anything. Now I have the chance to be there from the very beginning, we have to keep going and do the same thing,” said the Swede.
 
   
The Italian season starts on September 19.
   
“Ibrahimovic is our priority,” AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini said last Tuesday, without ruling out a Plan B as negotiations with the Swedish giants dragged on.
   
“We know it will be a short pre-season, so we want to complete the deal in a very short time.” Maldini added.
   
AC Milan's stated aim is to return to the Champions League, a competition the Rossoneri have won seven times but have not played in since 2014.
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