Freddie Ljungberg is to leave Arsenal with immediate effect to take up a coaching role with Wolfsburg.
It was announced this morning that Andries Jonker, who held the position of Academy Manager, would be leaving to become the new manager of the Bundesliga club as they try and halt their slide down the table.
He’s their third manager of the season, and he’s bringing some of his Arsenal staff with him, including the Swede who was the coach of the Arsenal U15s.
Speaking back in September, Ljungberg spoke about his ambitions as a coach, saying, “My vision is I want to go as far I possibly can. But I’m trying to earn my stripes and do it the right way.
“I was offered roles as assistant here and assistant there, but I spoke to Arsene about things and it’s important to make your own mistakes and be the one making the decisions.”
It’s still not 100% clear what his role at Wolfsburg will be, but it’s hard not to imagine it’s a more senior position as he develops his coaching career.
Update: Looks like he’s going to be one of the assistants to Jonker with the first team.
Als Assistenztrainer bringt Andries #Jonker Uwe #Speidel und Fredrik #Ljungberg mit zu den #Wölfen.
— VfL Wolfsburg (@VfL_Wolfsburg) February 27, 2017
Arsenal do not anticipate any further departures at Academy level with no more of Jonker’s staff expected to leave.
It leaves Arsenal with some big gaps to fill and adds to the uncertainty around the club which goes from the top, with manager Arsene Wenger, through to senior players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, and now down the to academy.
Good luck to him!
Would be great to see him back in a role at Arsenal with valuable experience sometime in the future.
No non-compete agreements in the world of football? Sounds like blatant disregard for it if there is… Hope AFC is getting some nice cash as compensation.
Non-compete? Are you joking. Players contracts mean fuck all, why would coaching staffs be any different?
Are you stupid?
How could you possibly implement a “non-compete” in football or being a football coach? What’s the case? He’s allowed to coach in any sport other than football?
We will very likely be getting “cash as compensation” if he’s mid-contract, they’ll essentially have to buy him out of his contract here.
Legally speaking, non-compete agreements must be narrow, or they may not be enforceable. He will be in a different league and coaching at a different level. If there is competition, it is indirect and remote. That said, if he is breaching his contract with Arsenal, then monetary damages or restitution paid by Wolfsburg will make us whole, legally.
Technically, aren’t all ‘transfer fees’ really just damages for inducing breach of contract? Players as commodities don’t actually have values (that would make them, for want of a better word, slaves). Rather, their services have a value
I think sour players have non-compete clauses in their contracts – would explain why they don’t compete.
Ok I’ll get my coat..
next article:
”Arsenal leaves Arsenal for Wolfsburg role”
Sanchez leaves arsenal for Wolfsburg?
Why reply to a good joke with a similar but considerably worse joke, or, heaven forbid, a really shit prediction? See me after class.
Next, Bendtner leaves Wolfsburg for Arsenal
Bendtner doesn’t play for wolfsburg anymore. He is in Nottingham forest.
“Wolves leave Wolfsberg for Arsenal academy roles”
Sanchez will leave here in 7 years when hes won Champions League with us
A few months ago we could have swapped for Draxler.
Is this the start of an exodus?
I highly doubt it… from a positive POV, if amicable, maybe this could be part of our succession plans, a la, “Jonker, we like you and Freddie alot. Go coach top flight in Germany for a couple of years, we will renew for two years with Arsene, and if you do well, we will give you the big money in 2 years. And scout Rodriguez while you are at it.” It doesnt always have to be doom and gloom all the time
Noooooooooo
I love him
Coz he’s got red hair
We all love him. He’s got red hair.
Freddie, is this all about Brexit? Dont go, I’ll speak to Theresa about this.
These foreign coaches come here, taking the jobs of decent, hard-working British coaches like Allardyce, take all the spaces in the A&E of our proud, British NHS hospital with their foreign “ACL tears”.
It’s not right.
Wish her fuck you from me
You’ve gone too far Wolfsburg, I’ll never forgive you for this! Fuck you Wolfsburg, Good luck Freddi!
Anyone else get the feeling Clearout has began for new manager and their team to come in? Take hold of ropes top to bottom.
Nope
2 + 2 = petunias ?
Rats leaving a sinking ship?
Freddie isn’t renowned for loyalty anyway, goes by the nickname “sickening weasel” back home in Sweden.
Why are you lying? Never heard that about him because Freddie is popular in Sweden. The only people that dislikes him are the ones worshipping Zlatan as a God!
Swede here. I’ve never heard that fucking nickname. Stop talking shite.
Love it when this happens
My bad. That was Gunnar Gren.
Good luck Freddie! Now bring back some of the old legends for the Academy.
Doom doom doom
Have to respect fast Freddie. He’s learning the trade. Same way I more than have to say I have a gruding respect for Gary Neville. He’s one of the few pundits who has actually tried his hand at management (got a bloody nose) but hats off to him. Espousing theory like some of the wind bags on the telly is easy but practise is a different thing. A hated figure for me when he was playing (and to me always mediocre but carried by his betters), he’s turned out to be one of the more lucid pundits around. Even had… Read more »
Freddie is one for the future but he needs to be the main man sooner rather than later. Bundesliga is a good place to learn your trade so hopefully his time with Wolfsburg will leapfrogging him back to Arsenal to succeed after the title filled years with Allegri…
Announce Pires.
Brian McDermott is apparently working for us, could be an ideal fit??
Somewhat related (probably not though) but is there a way to watch full length youth/u23 games outside of jumping on a plane to watch in the flesh? All I’ve been able to find is the 6 minute highlights packages on arsenal player
Every now and then they stream an U23 game live on Arsenal.com. They also do it for FA Youth Cup games.
Thinking about their careers and getting the Fuck out of dodge so they wont have to be associated with the utter disaster Arsenal will become next season after Wenger leaves to go manage Barcelona. 😉
Utter disaster like say Liverpool who haven’t won the title in a quarter of a century but have apparently more chance of winning the title this season never mind them being behind us.
or maybe Spurs who haven’t won it in over half a century never mind when Wenger took over, our budgets were around the same.
😉
Keep taking the pills Frank.
Why would Barcelona take him?
Take that Jamie Carragher…worried about Arsenal in “crisis”, worry about your own Liverpool Michael Owen. Rock and Roll football genius Klopp meets Shakespeare and the Sonnets win out. But not to worry, I’m sure Liverpool can still win the title even if they are behind the Arsenal who have no chance. Because they don’t have this ‘mentality issue’ see, even if they haven’t won a title in a quarter of a century despite changing managers again and again. OTOH, something to be said about Ranieri being sacked. Clearly the Thai owners were right. This should be an advertisement for changing… Read more »
I looked at arseblog tonight for the first time in days and like most of you fellow arseblogians, that’s a very long time (usually hourly). It’s not you blogs trust me, it’s the realisation that I’m not interested. I’m not interested if özil is really injured or if he’s just really that soft and timid. I’m not interested in watching Arsenal players (our Heroes) fall apart like furniture from lidl at the same point every season. I’m not interested in watching Alexis perform a one man show while the rest of the team look overawed by him and any big… Read more »
Another Arsenal legend heads off. Good luck to him. Seems like there is now a perfect storm at Arsenal and maybe this is the time for a massive overhaul at the club, often mentioned on this site over the past few months. The club has misread many of the external forces impacting the game now, but the real indictment is the total lack of adaptability. There seems to be no passion at top level about winning trophies. On the pitch, I think it has all passed Arsene by a little. He needs to be more flexible, but time is running… Read more »
I feel like he’ll be back, but he’s been offered a higher position that arsenal can’t offer him right now,so fair enough that he’s taking it