Monaco's Adi Hütter considered as Xabi Alonso replacement at Bayer Leverkusen
While fans savour another podium finish and an automatic qualification for the UEFA Champions League group stage, there are plenty of questions surrounding the makeup of AS Monaco next season and even who may lead them on the sidelines.
With their 2-0 victory over Olympique Lyonnais last Saturday, Les Monégasques are guaranteed to finish in the top three for the 31st time, the most of any side in the French top flight.
Advertisement
Nearing the end of his second season with Monaco, manager Adi Hütter has had two hugely successful campaigns, though they had their share of bumps along the way in 2024-25.
The Austrian has achieved the goal of getting them into the Champions League in each of his two campaigns and is under contract until 2027.
At the same time, Bayer Leverkusen are looking for a new coach, with Xabi Alonso soon to take charge of Real Madrid. Hütter's success in the Principality and prior experience in the Bundesliga could see him return to Germany.
Hütter was named the Bundesliga Coach of the Season on two occasions at Eintracht Frankfurt, guiding them to the German Super Cup final in 2018. L'Équipe reports that Leverkusen would be interested in the Monaco boss even though they'd have to pay the Principality club compensation.
GFFN | Joel Lefevre
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
8 minutes ago
Ivory Coast opposition leader Thiam excluded from October's presidential ballot list
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse and the main opposition leader in Ivory Coast, has been excluded from the country's final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates, the electoral commission said on Wednesday. Ivory Coast is set to hold a highly contested vote in October. Earlier this year, a court in Ivory Coast ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run for president because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, president of the country's electoral commission, told reporters on Monday: "If the courts have ordered removal, we will comply.' Thiam, who is the president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party's primary in an uncontested vote. He was widely seen as the main challenger to President Alassane Ouattara, who won in 2020 after a disputed election left dozens dead and opposition candidates boycotted the election. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March. Other prominent opposition candidates excluded from the vote include former president Laurent Gbagbo, his close ally Charles Ble Goude, who was charged with crimes against humanity related to the civil war, and the former prime minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro, who was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for organizing a coup.
Hamilton Spectator
16 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Ivory Coast opposition leader Thiam is excluded from the list of presidential candidates
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivory Coast 's main opposition leader Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse, has been excluded from the final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates, the electoral commission said Wednesday. Ivory Coast is set to hold a highly contested vote in October. Earlier this year, a court ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March. Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, president of the electoral commission, told reporters on Monday: 'If the courts have ordered removal, we will comply.' Thiam, president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party's primary in an uncontested vote. He was widely seen as the main challenger to President Alassane Ouattara, who won in 2020 after a disputed election left dozens dead and opposition candidates boycotted the election. Other prominent opposition candidates excluded from the vote include former president Laurent Gbagbo, his close ally Charles Ble Goude, who was charged with crimes against humanity related to the civil war, and the former prime minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro, who was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for organizing a coup. The Democratic Party of Ivory Coast said the exclusion was 'unfair' and called for national demonstrations 'to defend democracy.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Los Angeles Times
19 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
New Angel City coach Alex Straus sees communication as key to building winning culture
Alexander Straus was fewer than two weeks from his first training session as Angel City FC coach. Yet, Angel City president and co-founder Julie Uhrman wanted to see her new manager at work. She flew to Portugal, where Straus was completing his three-season stint as FC Bayern Munich coach — a club the 49-year-old Norwegian led to three consecutive Frauen-Bundesliga titles and a 57-7-2 league record. As Uhrman watched Straus coach Bayern Munich at the inaugural World Sevens Football tournament, she already was familiar with his technical acumen that was on display en route to a championship victory over Manchester United. That was not a surprise. But what caught Uhrman's attention was Straus' relationships with his players. 'What I saw was something that you don't get in an interview process and you don't read on the [curriculum vitae,]' Uhrman said. 'The connection he had with his teams was palpable. The way that they would celebrate him, the joy that they brought him, and vice versa, was just something you can't learn in an interview process and it's something that's so critical to Angel City.' So, when Straus, reserved and quiet until he opened his mouth, began to speak during his introductory news conference Wednesday morning as the third Angel City head coach in four seasons since inception — with Uhrman and sporting director Mark Parsons bookending him at the podium — he leaned on his beliefs. How Straus wants Angel City to play on the pitch, is the same as how he wants to interact with his players in the locker room — and the state-of-the-art performance center on Cal Lutheran University's campus. 'My philosophy is centered around people,' said Straus, who asked the media to 'bear with' his English after spending four years in Germany. 'I'm here to facilitate for our players to be able to go out on a pitch, have a clear plan and know how to execute it.' Straus continued: 'I need to know people, and I need to know what makes them tick. So how can I get the best out of Sarah Gorden or Christen Press or Riley Tiernan or Alyssa Thompson? How can I get the best out of them?' Earlier in his career, Straus said he overly cared about trophies, medals and success. In 2018, he said his worldview shifted. Straus — who said he considered previous coaching opportunities in America, but didn't feel the timing was right — realized he needed to craft bonds and relationships with his players to cultivate a positive team culture, one that could lead to championships. Uhrman saw the bonds on display in Portugal while Straus was still with Bayern Munich and Parsons has watched the baby steps Straus is taking with Angel City in his first few days as official coach. 'Through this process, Meeting 1 to Meeting 3, I just didn't think this person existed,' Parsons said, adding that during the coaching search he spoke to Straus' former players and staff. 'I really mean that I didn't believe this type of quality existed, and I couldn't be happier that we've got him here.' What stood out to Parsons, he said, was that even players who didn't play much under Straus — who may have left for better opportunities — would still speak positively about the clarity, confidence that Angel City's new coach provided them. Straus — and the Angel City backroom staff — are well aware that winning isn't an overnight process. The club sits in seventh place in NWSL standings with a 4-2-4 record. In some matches, Angel City has exerted control and played the style Parsons said he wants to see asserted. But in other matches, such as recent defeats to Bay FC and Racing Louisville, Angel City has faltered — often losing despite controlling possession. Uhrman stressed she wanted a coach who could help the team bounce back from defeat, or setbacks. She and Parsons believe Straus can do that. He doesn't take falling short lightly. When pushed on his UEFA Women's Champions League record since 2022 on Wednesday during a side media session, Straus spent six-and-a-half minutes breaking down why Bayern Munich fell short in the quarterfinals or group stages, adding what he learned from each losing experience. Straus said he's always open to talking. Angel City players, however, will only have a few more days to get to know the new coach before Straus takes the touchline Saturday at BMO Stadium against the Chicago Stars. 'One thing is to win one year, one game,' Straus said. 'But it needs to be consistent, and it needs to be built on a foundation where you are always the ones that have been spoken about when it comes to challenging for winning the championship.' 'That's why we are here, and that's what we want to do.'
