Arsenal Manager
Arsène Wenger "won a significant battle with the Arsenal hierarchy" after the
club gave its blessing for him to
retain all of his back-room staff for next season. The manager had been "asked to make changes to his coaching team during the talks that led to him signing a new two-year deal, but Wenger stood his ground" and the club "backed down." Arsenal is "seeking to make one appointment this summer" to strengthen its recruitment department, but the new man "will not be given the title of director of football due to Wenger’s objections" (
LONDON TIMES, 6/13).
Premier League side West Ham United will play its first three games away from home to make way for the IAAF World Championships and Usain Bolt's retirement party. Due to the World Athletics Championships taking place at the stadium until Aug. 13 -- and the two weeks it takes to transform the arena back into a football ground -- the club's "first three games will be away." All West Ham, corporate or sponsorship branding that "clashes with the athletics arrangements" will be "removed and restored before a home game can take place" (THE SUN, 6/13).
