SHORT CORNER

Wenger’s future may not be in management

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger wants to return to football soon but says he is at a crossroads and is not sure if he should take up another role as manager.

Wenger left Arsenal at the end of the 2017-18 season after 22 years in charge of the London club where he won three Premier League titles and a record seven FA Cups.

The 69-year-old has kept himself busy as a television pundit and conference speaker since leaving the Gunners and said in October that he had received offers to return to football from all over the world.

“You will see me again in football. As a manager... I don’t know,” Wenger told reporters on Thursday. Now I’m at a crossroads.

“Football is still my passion. I’ll come back soon, but I cannot tell you exactly in what capacity.”                   --Reuters

Everton set to sign goalkeeper Lossl

Everton will sign goalkeeper Jonas Lossl on a three-year deal after the end of his contract at relegated Huddersfield Town, the Premier League club said on Friday.

Lossl’s contract at the Yorkshire club expires at the end of next month and the 30-year-old will move to Goodison Park on a free transfer after signing a pre-contract agreement.

He will compete for a starting place with England first choice goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at the Merseyside club.      --Reuters

Japan name young Copa squad

Japan named a young squad for next month’s Copa America in Brazil with head coach Hajime Moriyasu including only six capped players in the 23-strong squad on Friday. Moriyasu’s decision to take such a young and raw squad to Brazil is further indication of Japan’s desire to go for gold when they host the Tokyo 2020 Olympics next year.

Soccer at the Olympic Games allows only three players aged over 23 and Moriyasu’s team for the tournament in Brazil reveals his plans for the home Olympics.

Former Leicester City striker Shinji Okazaki, who has 50 goals for his country in 116 appearances, is joined by goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima and midfielder Gaku Shibasaki as the only 23-plus players heading to South America. Moriyasu’s men have been drawn in Group C alongside Uruguay, Ecuador and Chile.     --Reuters

Serie C club official banned for five years

The vice-president of Italian third tier club Viterbese has been banned for five years for assaulting the president of a rival club before a Serie C match on Wednesday.

Serie C’s disciplinary tribunal said that Arezzo president Giorgio La Cava needed hospital treatment after being kicked and punched by Viterbese’s Luciano Camilli near the players’ tunnel before kickoff in the promotion playoff match.

Camilli pushed La Cava from behind, kicked his legs and then “hit him with extreme violence with a punch to the head”, Serie C said in a statement.

Cava fell to the ground, was helped by first aid officials and taken to hospital for further checks, the statement said. Arezzo won 2-0 to complete a 5-0 aggregate win in the two-leg tie. There was no immediate comment from Viterbese on the incident.          

  --Reuters