June 17, 2022
The brief from today:
Klose begins senior head coaching career
Former Germany striker, Miroslav Klose, has been appointed as the new coach of Austrian Bundesliga side: Altach. A few months after his retirement from playing in May 2016, Klose was given a role as assistant to Joachim Loew in the German national team. He later moved on and coached the Bayern U-17 team from 2018-20, and would eventually join the Bayern senior side as one of Hansi Flick’s assistants during the 2020/21 season. The German even did a brief internship under his former Lazio coach, Pioli—now in charge at Milan—during the 2021/22 season. This new role, however, will be the first full time senior coaching role for the current all time leader in World Cup goals (16). He has done his due diligence and preparation “behind the scenes”, and now the spotlight will be on him fully to see how he progresses.
Klose’s Altach journey begins
Two African players on the move
Two African players in the Premier League, Sadio Mane from Senegal and Mali’s Yves Bissouma, are leaving their respective clubs: Liverpool and Brighton. Mane, the bigger name, and transfer, will join Bayern Munich in a deal that will be worth a total €41 million—€32 million initial fee plus €9 million in add-ons. Bissouma, meanwhile, is making the domestic move to Tottenham for €29 million plus undisclosed add-ons. In Mane, Bayern are acquiring a proven attacker, and at the age of 30 can still perform at a high level for a few more years. Bissouma, 25, has also shown his promise in recent seasons, and the investment from Tottenham will be more for the future than the immediate.
Bissouma (L) and Mane (C) will be hoping for successful transfers
Pogmentary
Paul Pogba’s documentary, The Pogmentary, was officially released on Amazon Prime today. Pogba, who just left Manchester United as a free agent this summer, has shown what things are like behind the scenes in this project. He discusses clashing with Mourinho when the two were at United together, and contract discussions with his now late agent, Mino Raiola, are also witnessed. After returning to United from Juventus in 2016, for almost €104 million, Pogba has had an unpleasant six years since. Injury and form issues, coupled with the circus at the administrative level at United, have made it difficult for him to replicate his Juventus and France form. This documentary seems to be an effort to take control of the narrative surrounding him as he plans to make a rumored move back to Juventus before the 2022/23 season commences.