Latest news with #Koppen
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The Vegas Minute: Survive the Summer in Style
'It's … hot.' – 'It's always hot.' – 'It's incredibly hot.' – 'Why are we here?!' For the uninitiated Vegas traveler, yes, it can be quite warm in the summer (Koppen climate classification Bwh: Hot Desert, if you want to get specific) so expect temps to soar into the high 90s, if not 110s, during your summer stay. Of course, the city is fully aware of the sunshine and has many ways to cool off: A/C's pumping 24/7, frosty frozen drinks and treats around every corner and, of course, hundreds and hundreds of unique pools to soak in. But if you're getting pruny in the water, what to do? Here are three absolutely unconventional, 'only-in-Vegas' ways to beat the heat! Unless you're up at 5 a.m., you're not going to get 18 holes of golf in during your stay without some serious sunshine beating down. Instead, try your hand at golf in the miniature at Swingers. Located within Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, this wild take on mini golf features four 'crazy golf' courses, all surrounding a faux English country house. The courses feature familiar miniature golf trappings like windmills, as well as wilder challenges like jumps and loops. The family-friendly venue also features carnival games, Detroit-style pizza, delicious burgers and a delightful drink menu (and yes, some are frozen!). Best of all, the entire venue falls under the merciful layer of famed Vegas A/C, so you can wile out the heat of the day, having a blast and trying for that elusive hole-in-one. Of course, it's not just Vegas that is hot during the summer months – we all live within that extended dome of high temps that comprises the American Southwest. So, no matter where you go for a weekend escape, you'll be feeling some perspiration. Why not soar above it all? Flyover in Las Vegas, a unique movie-meets-ride-meets-experience, offers an immersive (and mercifully cool) way to see the splendor of our region. Hanging over a giant screen, you'll soar and move over stunning scenery from the West, including the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and Lake Tahoe, all while feeling the mist, the breeze and the ups and downs of your adventure as your seat sways, swoops and caroms over the wraparound visuals. It's as close as you can come to being there, but one thing the designers edited out was the heat! Wait, what? L.A. has Cinespia. It's a very fun way to see a film outside – and L.A. gets cool at night. Why would you want to watch a movie outside in Las Vegas' summer? What if it's a 'Dive-In Movie'? At the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas' Pool District, fan-favorite movies will be projected on their enormous marquee screen overlooking the Boulevard Pool on Mondays during the summer season. As the sun goes down and the heat backs off a bit, you can settle in with your feet in the pool and a frozen cocktail to catch The Goonies (June 23), Despicable Me (July 7) or even Elf for a little 'Christmas in July' (on the 25th during a special Friday showing and a themed night with special cocktails and bites). You can even get fancy and rent a cabana for the all-ages event, but let's be real here – in the heat of the summer, why wouldn't you take in a fine feature film from the pool itself?
Scottish Sun
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Nils Koppen breaks silence on Rangers exit as ex-technical director looks forward to ‘next challenge'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NILS KOPPEN has spoken out for the first time after he was replaced by Dan Purdy as Rangers technical director last month. Purdy was brought in to work alongside new sporting director Kevin Thelwell, as they did at Everton. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 4 Nils Koppen has broken his silence over his Rangers exit Credit: Willie Vass 4 He oversaw the masterstroke signings of Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane Credit: Alamy 4 But also played his part in the flopped move Rafael Fernandes Credit: Willie Vass 4 But Rangers new chiefs quickly moved to make their mark after the takeover, and replaced Koppen with Dan Purdy, who'd worked with new sporting director Kevin Thelwell at Everton Credit: Willie Vass This left Koppen without a role at the Ibrox club, meaning he was out of a job. A month after the announcement was made, Koppen took to LinkedIn to confirm his Ibrox departure. He said: "My time as Technical Director at Rangers FC has now come to an end. "It's been an intense and valuable period - focused on strengthening football operations, modernising recruitment, and building strategic direction for the future. "I leave proud of the work done and grateful for those who shared the journey. Now looking ahead to the next challenge." Koppen originally joined the Gers as head of football recruitment, but less than a year into his role he made the step up to Technical Director. The ex-PSV man oversaw moves for stars including Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane. The latter looks set to be on the move, as Lille are set to land the Morroccan in a multi-million pound swoop. Despite the success of Cerny and Igamane, Rangers still finished 17 points behind rivals Celtic in the league, whilst also going trophyless. Fans were also left less than impressed with other transfer business, especially Rafael Fernandes. GO BALLISTIC Kris Boyd questions whether new Rangers sporting director Nils Koppen has earned his promotion On the transfer front, Rangers have got moving quickly after Koppen's departure, with Max Aarons already in the door from Bournemouth on loan. Joe Rothwell looks to be following Aarons from the south-coast, as he looks set to pen a permanent deal with the Gers and link up with former boss Russell Martin. Rangers may also make it a hat-trick of Englishmen early on in the window, with England international centre back Conor Coady reportedly close to a move too. The Light Blues have already lost out on Kwame Poku however, as the heavily linked forward joined Queens Park Rangers last week. The Ibrox side also have a fight on their hands to keep midfield duo Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande with both touted for big money moves away from Glasgow. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Hamza Igamane and new age Rangers way of scouting brought in by Nils Koppen that will trigger transfer millions
French side Lille have registered a strong interest in the Moroccan and are expected to follow that up with a major bid. Nils Koppen will officially leave Rangers next week - just as his labour looks like it's finally bearing fruit. French side Lille have registered a strong interest in Hamza Igamane and are expected to follow that up with a major bid. The talks between the Ligue 1 club have been with the striker's agent but there seems a determination to take things to the next level. There has already been speculation of an incoming bid in excess of £10million. If that happens then the new Rangers owners will have a decision to make and the money could also go a long way to helping them bring in major players for Russell Martin's revolution. If the bidding was to start at eight figures then it would see Rangers make a massive profit on the £1.5m they paid AS FAR back in July. It was the out-going technical director who put Igamane on the Ibrox radar. Koppen came in and helped the club move away from more traditional scouting to more data-led. It was that which helped them unmask Igamane, who was one of the top young players in Morocco. He was already in the Olympic squad. Koppen and his team did their homework and he had connections within Morocco which all helped get Igamane to Rangers, despite growing interest from European clubs in bigger leagues. Koppen and his team sold Igamane on a move to Rangers and how it could be a stepping stone to even bigger things, which now looks to be very much on cue. The 22-year-old arrived injured and took time to get up to speed but there is no doubt his physicality and undoubted ability have shown there is plenty of growth and potential. He netted 16 goals and provided five assists in his first season overseas in a Rangers team that was anything but stable. Igamane looks like a rough diamond who can be polished into a gem. He could well be Koppen's crowning glory. If Igamane does goes then the Belgian should be given credit. For too long, he has been made the scapegoat. He has been the main man for Rangers' failing on the pitch, with the likes of former caretaker Barry Ferguson to all the old Ibrox talking heads all criticising his work. He is the easy target but Koppen had to do so much more behind the scenes due to a lack of people at Ibrox in key positions. People talk about his recruitment but there have been successes. Vaclav Cerny made an impact at Ibrox and that was down to the Belgian, who he had seen in Holland. Yes, the critics will flag up the likes of Robin Propper and Nedim Bajrami. Propper was a consistent performer at FC Twente and Bajrami was an Albanian international who had played a lot of football in Italy. They looked low risk signings but neither have hit the heights Rangers fans had hoped or expected. Yet, Propper is wanted by Twente and if Russell Martin tells him he is surplus to requirements then Rangers would be able to make their money back. There is also still value in Bajrami and there could still be a player in there. The cash-strapped Ibrox side clearly moved their strategy last summer to bring down the wage bill and to bring in younger players, who they could develop and sell-on, like Igamane. The likes of Jefte, Connor Barron and Clinton Nsiala all came in. They have all shown flashes at times but they are young players who have had ups and downs. The trio are all likely to make Rangers money in the long run. Neraysho Kasanwirjo also came in on-loan but his time was wrecked by injury, while Rafael Fernandes came in to replace him but hardly kicked a ball. You can't get them alright especially when you are working in the markets Rangers have had to in recent seasons. Yet, it is the out-going Koppen's work that could help to provide welcome funds to the new American owners.
Scotsman
01-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Pivotal week for Rangers as major activity planned: new manager, backroom upheaval, three players wanted
Koppen set for exit - and players could join him out of Ibrox Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... New Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell will take up his position on Monday morning at Ibrox, with a series of big decisions set to be made. Thelwell joins Rangers from Everton, just four days after a consortium led up by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises purchased the Ibrox club. Their arrival is expected to signal some major changes at the Glasgow club. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rangers' search for a new head coach is likely to come to a conclusion this week as Cavenagh, who is the new chairman, and Thelwell settle on their preferred candidate. Former boss Steven Gerrard came out of the running last week, with ex-Southampton head coach Russell Martin moving to odds-on favouritism over the weekend ahead of Davide Ancelotti, who remains available after leaving Real Madrid last month. Kevin Thelwell, left, takes up his role as Rangers sporting director on Monday. | Getty Images Rangers are also poised to make a significant move behind the scenes, with reports over the weekend claiming that technical director Nils Koppen will be removed from his position. Koppen was promoted to that role from director of recruitment just six months ago, but it is anticipated that the Belgian - who is credited with bringing the likes of Hamza Igamane, Jefte and Vaclav Cerny to Rangers - will be moved on by the new regime. There is already speculation that Dan Purdy, who worked alongside Thelwell at Everton, will replace him. Another summer of transition therefore awaits Rangers, who return to competitive action in the second round of the Champions League qualifiers on July 22. As well as a new manager, there will be players coming in - as well as some departures. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rangers trio in demand Three current members of the first-team squad have been linked with transfers over the weekend. Besiktas have been credited with an interest in Turkish left-back Ridvan Yilmaz, while Dutch centre-half Robin Propper has been linked with a return to FC Twente, the club he left a year ago to join Rangers.
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXIT KOPPEN: Rangers technical director Nils Koppen is first high-profile departure from Ibrox following US takeover ... with Everton's Dan Purdy set to take his place
Nils Koppen is poised to be the first high-profile departure from Rangers following the completion of the American takeover last week. The Belgian will step down from his role as technical director in the coming days after just 18 months in Glasgow. Kevin Thelwell starts his new job as sporting director on Monday. Dan Purdy is set to fill the role that Koppen will vacate having worked alongside Thelwell at Everton. It's believed that Koppen will remain at Ibrox to help with the transition, but will then move on. The development follows an external review of all of Rangers' football operations, which chief executive Patrick Stewart announced in January. Koppen, who was formerly PSV Eindhoven's head scout, joined the Ibrox club as director of football recruitment under Philippe Clement before moving into his broader role last November. While he was credited with recruiting Hamza Igamane and Vaclav Cerny, there were misgivings about his overall record in the two full transfer windows that he oversaw, with Rangers ultimately finishing the season 17 points behind Celtic. It appears that the responsibility of identifying possible signings will now fall to Purdy. He enjoyed a close working relationship with Thelwell at Goodison Park, where he had a number of analytical and scouting roles. Rangers are now looking to overhaul their playing squad after health tycoon Andrew Cavenagh and his partners from the San Francisco 49ers completed their £75million Ibrox takeover. They immediately pledged to make £20m available to upgrade the first team via the purchase of freshly-issued shares. Thelwell, who has been working behind the scenes, will firstly prioritise securing a new manager. Davide Ancelotti and Russell Martin are the two main contenders. Despite interest from other clubs in Europe, Ancelotti, son of legendary manager Carlo, has told Rangers he is desperate to start his career in management with them. Martin looked set to fall out of the race last week when Leicester City lined him up as a replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy. However, with the Foxes yet to axe the Dutchman following their relegation from the Premier League, Martin is still very much in contention to succeed Barry Ferguson as manager. Former Ajax boss Francesco Farioli and ex-Feyenoord manager Brian Priske are also in the running but are thought to be very much outsiders.
