Ronny Deila is leaving MLS after three years in charge of New York City FC. Deila’s new destination is Belgium, where he’ll take over as the head coach of Standard Liege.

NYCFC confirmed the news on Sunday while announcing that assistant Nick Cushing will be installed as the team’s interim head coach. Cushing, who signed a new deal as part of the package, will reportedly have a chance to keep the job long-term if he performs well in his new role.

Deila, who previously coached Scottish powerhouse Celtic to two consecutive domestic titles, was named New York City FC’s head coach ahead of the 2020 season. After an inconsistent first season in charge, the Norwegian led the club to its first MLS Cup title in 2021. He leaves NYCFC at the top spot in Eastern Conference with an 8-2-3 record.

“We know this was not a decision Ronny took lightly, but we understand his desire to return to Europe and be closer to home,” said NYCFC in a statement. “He has been a true leader since joining the club, and we wish him well for the next challenge in his career.”

Standard Liege has been Belgium’s champion 10 times while also winning eight cup trophies. However, the club struggled in recent seasons and had a disastrous campaign in 2021-22 that saw them finish 14th out of 18 clubs on the standings. 

The post Ronny Deila Leaving New York City FC for Belgium’s Standard Liege appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Spanish striker David Villa, who was one of the biggest stars in Major League Soccer in the past four years, will no longer play for New York City FC. Villa made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that his decision to leave New York doesn’t mean he’ll retire from soccer.

Speaking with NYCFC.com, the 36-year-old paid tribute to the club and its supporters as well as everyone else who helped him feel at home in NY.

“My experience here was amazing.” – said Villa. “It gave me everything as a soccer player, as a person, and as a family man. I’ll always remember this experience with love. My heart is here and I’m an NYCFC supporter forever.”

7⃣ #VillaForever pic.twitter.com/4ai0dXPr9c

— New York City FC (@NYCFC) November 28, 2018

David Villa joined New York City FC ahead of their inaugural season in MLS and has served as the team’s first captain. He played a total of 119 games for New York in all competitions, scoring 76 goals in the process. During his time in the league, Villa was named to MLS All-Star team for four consecutive seasons while being part of MLS Best XI in 2016 and 2017.

Prior to coming to the United States, David Villa had an illustrious career in Europe where he played for Valencia, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid among other teams. He won 12 trophies during that time, including three La Liga titles and one Champions League.

Villa also had great success playing for Spain men’s national team with whom he won UEFA European Championship in 2008 and World Cup in 2010.

The post David Villa Announces His Departure from New York City FC appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After months of speculations, Patrick Vieira has left Major League Soccer and took a new challenge in Europe. Vieira resigned as New York City FC coach on Sunday, only to be confirmed as the new coach of Ligue 1 side, Nice. He will serve as a replacement for Lucien Favre, who left Nice to join Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund.

According to various sources, Patrick Vieira signed a three-year-deal with the French club. Nice confirmed the news on their official social media.

Officiel !

Patrick Vieira est le nouvel entraîneur de l’@ogcnice.#BienvenueCoachVieira
.https://t.co/3VADOEAyf6

— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) June 11, 2018

“He has a very interesting experience of the highest level as a player, and he has now been coaching for a number of years,” – said Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere of Vieira for the club’s official website. “We think he is capable of taking our players forward. We remember the winner that he was on the pitch, and we hope he will be able to bring that culture here.“

“When we went to meet with him, I was quickly won over by him as a man and the way he spoke. We were looking for someone that we could be on a level with on the personal side of things. He was implicated in the discussions and huge amounts of humility pour out when he speaks.” –Rivere added.

Patrick Vieira will also bring his three assistants to Nice- Christian Lattanzio, Kristian Wilson, and Matt Cook – all of whom previously collaborated with him at Manchester City’s youth squad and NYCFC.

In the last couple of months, Patrick Vieira was linked to various European sides including Nantes and Arsenal, while publicly stating that he is ready to make the transition to Europe. Since joining NYCFC in 2016, Vieira has managed to make big things, taking a team that finished 17th in 2015 to a 2nd place finish in 2017. Under Vieira, NYCFC also had a great 2018 season start, currently sitting second in Eastern Conference.

The post Former NYCFC Boss Patrick Vieira Confirmed as New Nice Coach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York City FC coach Patrick Vieira is continuing to attract interest from European soccer teams. France’s Nantes is now looking to bring Vieira for the next season after they parted ways with former Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri.

Nantes president Waldemar Kita spoke with L’Equipe on Thursday and said that the team is already looking for Ranieri’s replacement with Patrick Vieira being one of the candidates for the job. Kita also said that the team doesn’t have a preference and just wants to bring in a good coach.

“We’re thinking about everyone,” – he added confirming that he already had talks with former Bordeaux coach Jocelyn Gourvennec and Catalonia coach Gerard Lopez.

Nantes decided to part ways with Claudio Ranieri, although the 66-year-old took over the team last season and had one year left on his contract. After a good start of the season, Nantes fell into a slump and will finish in the middle of the table, missing out on European competitions one again.

Patrick Vieira was recently linked with his former club Arsenal and was reportedly considered as one of the candidates to replace the departing manager Arsene Wenger. Still, it looks like Arsenal will turn to their other former player, Mikel Arteta, who currently serves as an assistant with Manchester City.

Vieira recently discussed the reports that linked him with Arsenal job, saying that it would be an honor for him but also said that he is ready to coach any side in Europe.

“It’s an honor to be mentioned with Arsenal,” – said Vieira. “It was somewhere I spent nine years and I love the club. I played my best football there and made my name in the game. I am always going to have a deeper relationship with Arsenal. That [alone] is not enough to coach that team, but I’m ready to coach any side in Europe.“

The post NYCFC’s Patrick Vieira Wanted by Nantes as Claudio Ranieri’s Replacement appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Patrick Vieira is doing a great job with New York City FC, leading the team to the top of the MLS standings so far in the 2018 season. Vieira’s success with NYCFC has now caught the attention of English side Arsenal, who see the 41-year old as an ideal replacement for the departing Arsene Wenger.

It turns out that Vieira, who played for Arsenal from 1996 to 2005, also thinks that it might be time to continue his coaching career in Europe.

“It’s an honour to be mentioned with Arsenal,” Vieira said. “It was somewhere I spent nine years and I love the club. I played my best football there and made my name in the game. I am always going to have a deeper relationship with Arsenal. That [alone] is not enough to coach that team, but I’m ready to coach any side in Europe.”

Since being appointed as NYCFC’s coach in 2016, Patrick Vieira has managed to improve the team’s record in each season. After finishing 14th in 2015, NYCFC climbed to 4th in Vieira’s first season in 2016 and then finished 2nd in 2017.

Despite feeling ready to coach in Europe, Vieira isn’t sure whether he would be ready to leave MLS in the middle of the season.

“If the call came, it would be really difficult,” – he said. “It would be difficult because we will be in the middle of the season. And, like every time I’ve been approached by any teams, I’m sitting with the guys from the [City Football Group] and will let them know. They will make the decision because I’m under contract.“

Reportedly, Patrick Vieira is a bit of a longshot to get the Arsenal job, with the team considering more experienced candidates like Luis Enrique, Massimiliano Allegri, and Leonardo Jardim.

The post NYCFC’s Patrick Vieira Says He is “Ready to Coach Any Side in Europe” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

MLS side New York City FC has announced that they have acquired midfielder Ebenezer Ofori from German side Stuttgart on loan deal. According to the reports, NYCFC will have an opportunity to make the deal permanent at the end of 2018 season.

“I’m feeling good and happy because I’ve been looking forward to starting this new chapter with a big club like NYCFC.” – said Ofori about joining the team. “For me, I just want to be part of a successful team this year, to be happy and to play in and win many games as I can with my new team. I can’t wait to step out in the Bronx on a gameday and to meet the fans for the first time.“

Ebenezer Ofori joined Stuttgart in January 2017 from AIK Solna for a €1.5 million fee. Still, he didn’t manage to make an impact on the team or to break in the starting line-up, playing just two games while in Germany. Despite this, Ofori is regarded as an exciting prospect with high potential. This is something that New York City FC head coach Patrick Vieira also believes in.

“I’m really excited to bring in Ebenezer – he’s a young player who is looking to improve, he is really dynamic and can cover ground.” – said Vieira. “He’s really aggressive but he’s good with the ball too. I’m really pleased that we managed to bring him to the football club. He’s a competitor, he’s a guy who likes to win, he’s a strong character. He’s coming to this club to compete with the midfielders we have and, like I always say, that will bring the best out of all of the players we have at this football club.“

 #WelcomeEbenezer pic.twitter.com/W9nMuhtqmO

— New York City FC (@NYCFC) February 21, 2018

The post New York City FC Reaches a Loan Deal for Stuttgart midfielder Ebenezer Ofori appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Ronny Deila is leaving MLS after three years in charge of New York City FC. Deila’s new destination is Belgium, where he’ll take over as the head coach of Standard Liege.

NYCFC confirmed the news on Sunday while announcing that assistant Nick Cushing will be installed as the team’s interim head coach. Cushing, who signed a new deal as part of the package, will reportedly have a chance to keep the job long-term if he performs well in his new role.

Deila, who previously coached Scottish powerhouse Celtic to two consecutive domestic titles, was named New York City FC’s head coach ahead of the 2020 season. After an inconsistent first season in charge, the Norwegian led the club to its first MLS Cup title in 2021. He leaves NYCFC at the top spot in Eastern Conference with an 8-2-3 record.

“We know this was not a decision Ronny took lightly, but we understand his desire to return to Europe and be closer to home,” said NYCFC in a statement. “He has been a true leader since joining the club, and we wish him well for the next challenge in his career.”

Standard Liege has been Belgium’s champion 10 times while also winning eight cup trophies. However, the club struggled in recent seasons and had a disastrous campaign in 2021-22 that saw them finish 14th out of 18 clubs on the standings. 

The post Ronny Deila Leaving New York City FC for Belgium’s Standard Liege appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Spanish striker David Villa, who was one of the biggest stars in Major League Soccer in the past four years, will no longer play for New York City FC. Villa made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that his decision to leave New York doesn’t mean he’ll retire from soccer.

Speaking with NYCFC.com, the 36-year-old paid tribute to the club and its supporters as well as everyone else who helped him feel at home in NY.

“My experience here was amazing.” – said Villa. “It gave me everything as a soccer player, as a person, and as a family man. I’ll always remember this experience with love. My heart is here and I’m an NYCFC supporter forever.”

7⃣ #VillaForever pic.twitter.com/4ai0dXPr9c

— New York City FC (@NYCFC) November 28, 2018

David Villa joined New York City FC ahead of their inaugural season in MLS and has served as the team’s first captain. He played a total of 119 games for New York in all competitions, scoring 76 goals in the process. During his time in the league, Villa was named to MLS All-Star team for four consecutive seasons while being part of MLS Best XI in 2016 and 2017.

Prior to coming to the United States, David Villa had an illustrious career in Europe where he played for Valencia, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid among other teams. He won 12 trophies during that time, including three La Liga titles and one Champions League.

Villa also had great success playing for Spain men’s national team with whom he won UEFA European Championship in 2008 and World Cup in 2010.

The post David Villa Announces His Departure from New York City FC appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After months of speculations, Patrick Vieira has left Major League Soccer and took a new challenge in Europe. Vieira resigned as New York City FC coach on Sunday, only to be confirmed as the new coach of Ligue 1 side, Nice. He will serve as a replacement for Lucien Favre, who left Nice to join Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund.

According to various sources, Patrick Vieira signed a three-year-deal with the French club. Nice confirmed the news on their official social media.

Officiel !

Patrick Vieira est le nouvel entraîneur de l’@ogcnice.#BienvenueCoachVieira
.https://t.co/3VADOEAyf6

— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) June 11, 2018

“He has a very interesting experience of the highest level as a player, and he has now been coaching for a number of years,” – said Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere of Vieira for the club’s official website. “We think he is capable of taking our players forward. We remember the winner that he was on the pitch, and we hope he will be able to bring that culture here.“

“When we went to meet with him, I was quickly won over by him as a man and the way he spoke. We were looking for someone that we could be on a level with on the personal side of things. He was implicated in the discussions and huge amounts of humility pour out when he speaks.” –Rivere added.

Patrick Vieira will also bring his three assistants to Nice- Christian Lattanzio, Kristian Wilson, and Matt Cook – all of whom previously collaborated with him at Manchester City’s youth squad and NYCFC.

In the last couple of months, Patrick Vieira was linked to various European sides including Nantes and Arsenal, while publicly stating that he is ready to make the transition to Europe. Since joining NYCFC in 2016, Vieira has managed to make big things, taking a team that finished 17th in 2015 to a 2nd place finish in 2017. Under Vieira, NYCFC also had a great 2018 season start, currently sitting second in Eastern Conference.

The post Former NYCFC Boss Patrick Vieira Confirmed as New Nice Coach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York City FC coach Patrick Vieira is continuing to attract interest from European soccer teams. France’s Nantes is now looking to bring Vieira for the next season after they parted ways with former Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri.

Nantes president Waldemar Kita spoke with L’Equipe on Thursday and said that the team is already looking for Ranieri’s replacement with Patrick Vieira being one of the candidates for the job. Kita also said that the team doesn’t have a preference and just wants to bring in a good coach.

“We’re thinking about everyone,” – he added confirming that he already had talks with former Bordeaux coach Jocelyn Gourvennec and Catalonia coach Gerard Lopez.

Nantes decided to part ways with Claudio Ranieri, although the 66-year-old took over the team last season and had one year left on his contract. After a good start of the season, Nantes fell into a slump and will finish in the middle of the table, missing out on European competitions one again.

Patrick Vieira was recently linked with his former club Arsenal and was reportedly considered as one of the candidates to replace the departing manager Arsene Wenger. Still, it looks like Arsenal will turn to their other former player, Mikel Arteta, who currently serves as an assistant with Manchester City.

Vieira recently discussed the reports that linked him with Arsenal job, saying that it would be an honor for him but also said that he is ready to coach any side in Europe.

“It’s an honor to be mentioned with Arsenal,” – said Vieira. “It was somewhere I spent nine years and I love the club. I played my best football there and made my name in the game. I am always going to have a deeper relationship with Arsenal. That [alone] is not enough to coach that team, but I’m ready to coach any side in Europe.“

The post NYCFC’s Patrick Vieira Wanted by Nantes as Claudio Ranieri’s Replacement appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Patrick Vieira is doing a great job with New York City FC, leading the team to the top of the MLS standings so far in the 2018 season. Vieira’s success with NYCFC has now caught the attention of English side Arsenal, who see the 41-year old as an ideal replacement for the departing Arsene Wenger.

It turns out that Vieira, who played for Arsenal from 1996 to 2005, also thinks that it might be time to continue his coaching career in Europe.

“It’s an honour to be mentioned with Arsenal,” Vieira said. “It was somewhere I spent nine years and I love the club. I played my best football there and made my name in the game. I am always going to have a deeper relationship with Arsenal. That [alone] is not enough to coach that team, but I’m ready to coach any side in Europe.”

Since being appointed as NYCFC’s coach in 2016, Patrick Vieira has managed to improve the team’s record in each season. After finishing 14th in 2015, NYCFC climbed to 4th in Vieira’s first season in 2016 and then finished 2nd in 2017.

Despite feeling ready to coach in Europe, Vieira isn’t sure whether he would be ready to leave MLS in the middle of the season.

“If the call came, it would be really difficult,” – he said. “It would be difficult because we will be in the middle of the season. And, like every time I’ve been approached by any teams, I’m sitting with the guys from the [City Football Group] and will let them know. They will make the decision because I’m under contract.“

Reportedly, Patrick Vieira is a bit of a longshot to get the Arsenal job, with the team considering more experienced candidates like Luis Enrique, Massimiliano Allegri, and Leonardo Jardim.

The post NYCFC’s Patrick Vieira Says He is “Ready to Coach Any Side in Europe” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

MLS side New York City FC has announced that they have acquired midfielder Ebenezer Ofori from German side Stuttgart on loan deal. According to the reports, NYCFC will have an opportunity to make the deal permanent at the end of 2018 season.

“I’m feeling good and happy because I’ve been looking forward to starting this new chapter with a big club like NYCFC.” – said Ofori about joining the team. “For me, I just want to be part of a successful team this year, to be happy and to play in and win many games as I can with my new team. I can’t wait to step out in the Bronx on a gameday and to meet the fans for the first time.“

Ebenezer Ofori joined Stuttgart in January 2017 from AIK Solna for a €1.5 million fee. Still, he didn’t manage to make an impact on the team or to break in the starting line-up, playing just two games while in Germany. Despite this, Ofori is regarded as an exciting prospect with high potential. This is something that New York City FC head coach Patrick Vieira also believes in.

“I’m really excited to bring in Ebenezer – he’s a young player who is looking to improve, he is really dynamic and can cover ground.” – said Vieira. “He’s really aggressive but he’s good with the ball too. I’m really pleased that we managed to bring him to the football club. He’s a competitor, he’s a guy who likes to win, he’s a strong character. He’s coming to this club to compete with the midfielders we have and, like I always say, that will bring the best out of all of the players we have at this football club.“

 #WelcomeEbenezer pic.twitter.com/W9nMuhtqmO

— New York City FC (@NYCFC) February 21, 2018

The post New York City FC Reaches a Loan Deal for Stuttgart midfielder Ebenezer Ofori appeared first on SportzBonanza.