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Confirmed Transfers 21/22

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King Binny

Part of the Furniture
Honorary Member
Looking like a nice transfer already.

Fashion Sakala - Rangers (free transfer)

[article]
RANGERS are today delighted to announce that a pre-contract has been agreed with Fashion Sakala, and he will join from Belgian side KV Oostende in the summer-subject to international clearance and a work permit being received.

The Zambian international attacking player joins the Light Blues on a four-year deal, with the club already well-underway in their planning for the 21/22 season.

24 years-old, Sakala has netted 13 times for the Belgian top-flight club so far in their impressive season in the Belgian top-flight. Sakala follows Kemar Roofe and Ianis Hagi in making the journey to Ibrox from the Jupiler Pro League.

Powerful and pacey, Sakala will add to the increased competition in the forward area of the pitch for Steven Gerrard’s Champions of Scotland.

Speaking after agreeing to join the Light Blues, Sakala commented: “I am very much excited to start this exciting journey with Rangers. It has been one of my dreams, and I feel like this is a dream come true to join Rangers – one of the greatest clubs in the world.

“They have a great fanbase and a great history, and I believe we will share great memories together.


“As a player you always strive to play for others – that is the most important strength which keeps me going. I know that Rangers have great players and I am looking forward to learning from them and deliver.

“In my role as a striker, I know what the club needs from me and what the fans expect. The club has great players and I just want to learn from them and try to bring something that helps the team get the results.”

Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard, said: “Fashion is a player who we have been aware of for some time. He fits our profile and has the attributes to not only thrive in Scotland but on the European stage as well. We are excited to see him fulfil his potential under the coaching staff at Auchenowie. We look forward to welcoming him at the beginning of pre season.”

Meanwhile Sporting Director, Ross Wilson, added: “We started our planning for next season in January and we are really pleased that Fashion’s commitment to join Rangers is another significant and positive step in that process.

“He had a number of exciting clubs he could move to this summer, but his enthusiasm to join Rangers was clear from early on in our discussions. Fashion has had an excellent season in Belgium and we believe he will develop further still working with all of our staff at the training ground. Fashion is a determined, humble and positive guy and we are sure he will fit the group here.

“We wanted to add more pace and power to the group across January and the summer and I am pleased that we have done that, firstly with Scott Wright and now with Fashion Sakala. I know Steven and the coaches are excited to work with Fashion and I am sure that he will further enhance his growing reputation here with Rangers.“

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Frankie McAvoy - Preston North End (Head Coach)

[article]Frankie McAvoy has been offered and accepted the head coach role at Preston North End.

The Lilywhites’ former first team coach took charge of the club, initially on an interim basis, in March. He led the side for the remaining eight games of the season, winning five, drawing two and losing just one, including four successive wins to end the 2020/21 season.


The 53-year-old was part of the coaching staff at both Hamilton Academical and Norwich City before moving to join the coaching team at Deepdale in July 2017.

Gallagher, 36, will call time on his 20-year professional career, having made over 600 appearances, including becoming the 24th player to play over 300 games for Preston North End.

Everyone at Preston North End would like to congratulate them on their new roles and wish the new coaching team the very best in taking the club forward.
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Moussa Marega - Al Hilal (free transfer)

[article]
Saudi side Al-Hilal have completed the signing of Mali international forward Moussa Marega from Portuguese giants FC Porto.

Marega, 30, ended his five-year spell at Estádio do Dragão and signed a three-year deal with the Saudi giants on a free transfer.

During his time with Porto, the Malian scored 72 goals while assisting 33 in 190 games, including 12 strikes this season.

He helped the club achieve two league titles, one Portuguese Cup, and one Portuguese Super Cup.

Ahead of his time with Porto, Margea had stints CS Marítimo, Esperance Tunis, and French clubs Amiens SC, Le Poiré-sur-Vie VF, and Évry FC.

And now Al Hilal have captured the in-demand striker on a free transfer, with the Malian earning €5 million per season.

Al Hilal currently sit top of the Saudi Premier League with 51 points, three points ahead of second-placed Al-Shabab, with four more games left to play.
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Gary Bowyer - Salford City (Manager)

[article]Salford City is pleased to announce that Gary Bowyer has signed a two-year deal to become Manager of the Club on a permanent basis!

The 49-year-old arrived in March on a short-term deal from Derby County Under-23s and inspired The Ammies to 20 points from the final 11 games, earning the Manager of the Month award for April 2021 too.

Improved performances under the former Blackpool boss reignited Salford’s promotion ambitions, but despite a 3-0 win against Leyton Orient on the final day results elsewhere left The Ammies two points off the top seven.

However Gary’s impact on the Club, the players and the staff has been telling and he is eager to take up the challenge of leading Salford again.

“I’m really excited, it’s all happened very, very quickly and I’m delighted that it has.

“I have to thank Wayne Rooney and Derby County for their role that they have played in all of this, they’ve been magnificent for me.

“Now it’s a case of getting to work very quickly, everybody was very accommodating when I was here and made a real impression on me in the short space of time so it was a very easy decision.

“We’re really excited now leading into the summer, obviously there is a lot of work to do in terms of organising pre-season games, getting to work on the squad.

“We’ve got a real good core group here, and we’ll be looking to add the right characters and the right players to hopefully improve the squad further and give us a real opportunity going into next season.”

Club Captain Ash Eastham added:

“The appointment of the Manager on a permanent basis is fantastic news for the Club going forward!

“His positivity, professional demands and man management skills have been reflected in the team’s performances and results since he joined the club, and we are looking forward to working further with Gary next season.

“As players we now need to physically and mentally re-charge for what I feel will be a season for our fans to be hugely excited about when the league campaign returns.”

We would like to echo Gary’s comments and thank Derby County for their co-operation, and of course extend a warm welcome back to the Gaffer![/article]
 
James Collins - Cardiff (free transfer)

[article]Cardiff City FC is delighted to announce that the Club has agreed to sign forward, James Collins.

The Republic of Ireland international has committed his future to the Bluebirds until the summer of 2023.

Collins brings a wealth of experience to Cardiff City Stadium, with over 500 club appearances and 181 goals to his name.

He was handed his first cap for his country by Mick McCarthy in 2019, scoring on his debut against Bulgaria. He went on to net his first competitive goal for the Boys in Green in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier versus Serbia.

Speaking to Cardiff City TV, Collins said: "I'm absolutely delighted.

"To be here today to sign for this great Club is a real honour and I can't wait to get going.

"I'm an honest player and I'll always work hard for the team. I like to link up play and I like to think my main attribute is scoring goals. That's what I love doing and hopefully I can score lots of them here."

The Gaffer also spoke after securing his first signing of the summer, adding: "It's a really good signing for us.

"He's been on an upward trajectory all his career, going from the lower leagues to the Championship and he's kept scoring goals.

"I like when they've come up the hard way, coming through the school of hard knocks to keep progressing and getting to a higher standard.

"He's ended up an international footballer through all of that and that's due to his hard work, diligence and ability to score goals.

"He's got a great scoring record. He's durable, he's tough and he'll be one of us. I'm delighted to have him."[/article]

Joe Lumley - Middlesbrough (free transfer)

[article]
The club has agreed a deal to sign goalkeeper Joe Lumley after his contract with Queens Park Rangers comes to an end this summer.

The 26-year-old agreed terms to join Boro after undergoing a medical at Rockliffe on Wednesday morning.

The goalkeeper is Neil Warnock's first signing of the summer and the Boro boss said: "I'm delighted to have signed Joe. I've always rated him highly and I look forward to him joining us.

"I know he's excited about coming here and he can't wait to play in front of the Riverside crowd."

A former Tottenham Hotspur schoolboy, the young goalkeeper joined QPR as a 16-year-old and has spent his entire professional career with the Loftus Road club.

During the past eight seasons he has had eight loan spells, most recently at Doncaster Rovers last term where he made nine appearances.

Lumley, who was a virtual ever-present for QPR between 2018 and 2020,
came on as a substitute at the Riverside in April when he made a string of vital saves to prevent Neil Warnock’s side from victory.

The Harlow-born goalkeeper joins on a two-year contract with the option of a further year.
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Douglas Costa - Gremio (loan)

[article]
Douglas Costa has officially signed for Gremio on a free loan from Juventus.

The Brazilian winger, who joined Juventus back in 2017 and spent this past season on loan at Bayern Munich, will wear the shirt of the Porto Alegre outfit until 30 June 2022.
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Slavisa Jokanovic - Sheffield United (Manager)

[article]Sheffield United is thrilled to welcome Slaviša Jokanović as the club’s new first team manager.

The former Watford and Fulham boss has inked a three-year deal, becoming the club’s first overseas manager. The 52-year-old takes over next season.

Since 2019 he has managed Al-Gharafa SC in Qatar. Jokanović boasts a formidable record in England after guiding both Watford and Fulham into the Premier League.

As a player, Jokanović enjoyed a lengthy career at the top level, including tours with Partizan Belgrade, Tenerife, Deportivo La Coruna - where he won the La Liga title - and Chelsea amongst others. He also earned 64 caps for Yugoslavia over an 11-year period, appearing in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

After turning to management, he enjoyed success in his first job at Partizan, winning the league and cup double in consecutive seasons. Jokanović arrived on English shores in 2014 and led Watford to promotion to the Premier League in his first season in charge. In 2018, he repeated the feat at Fulham, where a play-off victory over Aston Villa earned a second promotion to the top flight.

On signing his Blades contract, Jokanović commented: “I’m honoured to become the manager of this historic football club and I’m grateful to Prince Abdullah bin Mosa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Yusuf Giansiracusa and Stephen Bettis for trusting in me to start this new chapter for the Blades. We all share the same long-term vision, passion and ambition for Sheffield United.

“I’m excited to work in English football again and I’m looking forward to getting started with the players and staff, as well as meeting our passionate, loyal supporters as we prepare for the challenge in the Championship.

“I want to assure our amazing fans that we’re fully committed to helping the team achieve its goals and make you feel proud. With your support, we can make Bramall Lane a fortress and I have no doubt that your voice will make a big difference to the team after so long without you last season.

“Let’s work together to get Sheffield United back to where the club belongs.”

Blades owner, Prince Abdullah, observed: “Over the past two months, the club has undertaken a rigorous recruitment process in our search for the right person to take Sheffield United forward. We’ve been keenly conscious of the importance of this decision and therefore have considered many strong candidates and have undertaken thorough due diligence. After an exhaustive evaluation, it was evident that Slaviša was the man we needed at the helm.

“Once we held discussions with Slaviša, it was also abundantly clear that his ambitions were aligned with those of the club. It goes without saying, we are thrilled to have someone in charge with a CV which boasts a proven track record of success in England and abroad. We believe this appointment further underlines our commitment to ensuring success for Sheffield United.”

Acting chairman, Yusuf Giansiracusa, added: “After a trying season, this is a good day for all Blades fans. Stephen, my fellow board member Jan Van Winckel and our technical team have conducted an excellent and thorough search process and we think that the result speaks for itself. I should also like to take this opportunity on behalf of everyone at the club to express gratitude to Paul Heckingbottom for the fine job he has done during a difficult period. Paul temporarily accepted the extra responsibility without reservation, despite the obvious challenges, and through his hard work and superb professionalism, steadied the club and prepared us to move forward with confidence.”

Chief executive officer, Stephen Bettis, commented: “In Slaviša we have appointed a manager who would have been on the radar of many clubs across the world, and we believe his decision to come to Bramall Lane shows the continued global reach of the football club. It was clear from early in the conversations between the club, Slaviša and his representatives that there was a desire to make this deal happen, despite the complications of working in the pandemic, and we are delighted that the contract is signed to enable everyone to fully prepare for next season.”[/article]
 
Omar Richards - Bayern Munich (free transfer)

[article]Bayern have signed Omar Richards. The 23-year-old defender is joining on a free transfer from English Championship club Reading and has signed a contract with the German champions until 2025. He will take the number 3 shirt.

Board member for sport Hasan Salihamidžić: “We’re delighted Omar is coming to FC Bayern. Omar is a technically gifted player on the left side of defence. He finds good solutions going forward, he’s very alert and we trust him to play a good role in our team.”

Omar Richards: “My move to FC Bayern is a great honour for me. A dream has come true. I’m proud to be wearing the shirt of one of the world's biggest clubs. I hope I can help the team continue to be successful in the future. My thanks to the management at FC Bayern for their trust. Our conversations were very convincing. I can't wait to be on the pitch for Bayern. Mia san mia!”[/article]
 
A more than capable replacement for Gianluigi Donnarumma

Mike Maignan - AC Milan (€13m + add ons)

[article]
AC Milan is delighted to announce the signing of French player Mike Maignan from LOSC Lille, who will be joining the Club starting from 1 July 2021. The goalkeeper has signed a contract with the Rossoneri until 30 June 2026 and will wear the number 16 jersey.

Born in Cayenne (French Guayana) on 3 July 1995, Mike Maignan spent his youth career at Paris Saint-Germain. In the summer of 2015, he moved to LOSC Lille, where he made 180 appearances over six seasons, winning the French Ligue 1 title in the season just ended.

After having played in all age categories of the French National Team, from Under 16 to Under 21, he made his senior international debut in October 2020 and is now part of the 26-man squad for Euro 2020.
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Enzo Maresca - Parma (Head Coach)

[article]
Manchester U23 coach Enzo Maresca is leaving to take charge of Parma.

Parma were relegated from Serie A this season, finishing bottom, and will play in the second division next season.

Unveiling Maresca as their new head coach, Parma said: "As a player Enzo played in Serie A and B, in the Spanish La Liga, the Greek Super League, and the English Championship, winning a Scudetto, two UEFA Cups, a European Super Cup, an Italian Super Cup, a Spanish Cup, a Spanish Super Cup and a Serie B championship.

"After leaving football, he began his career in the dugout, holding the role of assistant coach at Ascoli and West Ham, and as a technical assistant at Sevilla, before becoming the head coach of Manchester City U23. During this last experience, he won the Premier League 2.


"President Kyle Krause and all at Parma Calcio would like to wish Enzo the best wishes for his new experience."

Commenting on Maresca's departure, City Academy Director Jason Wilcox said: "Enzo has made a strong contribution in his time at the Club. Our Premier League 2 title success was a great achievement and he deserves credit for the role he played.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Enzo for all efforts in his time at the Club and wish him well for his future career."

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Massimiliano Allegri - Juventus (Manager)

[article]Massimiliano Allegri is the Juventus manager once more.

Allegri finds a bench that he knows very well, a club that he loves and that loves him back, as today a new journey begins together, towards new goals.

What he achieved in his first adventure at Juventus are engraved in the club’s history: five Scudetti, to the four-consecutive doubles, coupled with the Coppa Italia and to the two Super Cups, reaching two Champions League finals in just three seasons, in what were epic feats both in Italy and in Europe.

We said goodbye two years ago with the message, “History Alone”, the message on the back of the shirt given to Massimiliano Allegri by President Andrea Agnelli with an embrace and a shirt, on which in just two words encapsulated Allegri's experience at Juve.

The beauty of the story, however, is that it never stops. And in football, this means a concept that we have ingrained in our DNA: the best victory is the next one. Always.

And now we are ready to begin again with Allegri, to build our future together; with his enormous professionalism, his moral strength, with the brilliant ideas of a coach capable of shuffling the cards, both on and off the pitch. With his smile, a sort of "signature". With his way of understanding football and life with simplicity, with his desire to play things down and with the commitment to enjoy every beautiful moment that being at Juventus can give and will give.[/article]
 
Luciano Spalletti - Napoli (Head Coach)

[article]
Napoli have named Luciano Spalletti as their new manager and will take over in July following the sacking of Gennaro Gattuso.

The 62-year-old has been out of work since being axed by Inter Milan in May 2019 despite leading them to a Champions League spot in his two seasons at the club.

Italy legend Gattuso was dismissed last weekend after Napoli's 1-1 draw against Hellas Verona consigned them to the Europa League next season.

And Spalletti has now been named the former midfielder's successor, with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis releasing a statement on their official website.

'I am pleased to announce that Luciano Spalletti will be the new Napoli coach starting from next July 1st,' de Laurentiis said.

'Welcome Luciano, together we will do a great job.'

Spalletti went trophyless in charge of Inter Milan, but the club did qualify for the Champions League during both of his seasons at San Siro, with the 2018 qualification the first time Inter managed to qualify in six years.

Moreover, he has previously led fellow Serie A giants Roma to back-to-back Coppa Italia titles between 2006 and 2008.

He has also been in charge of Sampdoria and Udinese in Italy and Zenit St Petersburg in Russia during his managerial career, winning the league with the latter in 2010 and 2012.

The announcement comes just a few days after De Laurentiis announced the departure of Gattuso - who has since gone on to be named Fiorentina's new boss - on Twitter.

'Dear Rino, I am happy to have spent almost two seasons with you. Thank you for your work and I wish you success wherever you go. A hug also to your wife and children,' De Laurentiis wrote.

Gattuso's Napoli contract was set to expire in June. Fiorentina, meanwhile, finished down in 13th position.
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Don't remember that many managerial changes in the off-season, esp. in top flight leagues.

Carlo Ancelotti - Real Madrid (Head Coach)
 
Imrân Louza - Watford (reportedly €10m)

[article]
Watford FC is delighted to confirm the signing of Imrân Louza for an undisclosed fee from Ligue 1 side FC Nantes.

The 22-year-old midfielder has signed a five-year deal and arrives at Vicarage Road off the back of an impressive season for Les Canaris which saw him net seven goals in 35 appearances.

Louza joined Nantes as an eight-year-old and has turned out 58 times for the club since earning his debut in January 2019.

Born to a Moroccan father and French mother, Louza has represented both countries at Under-20 level, also racking up six appearances for the France Under-21 side.

The left-footer is capable of playing out wide but predominantly occupies a central midfield position, either in a defensive role or further forward.


A talented passer, Louza is also skilled in dead-ball situations, taking corners, free-kicks and penalties at his former club.

Welcome to Watford, Imrân!
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Emerson - Barcelona (reportedly £7.8m)

[article]
Barcelona announced the signing of Brazilian right-back Emerson from Real Betis today after exercising their option to buy back the player who they initially signed two and a half years ago.

Barca signed Emerson, 22, from Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro in January 2019 in a deal the Catalan club described as a 'three way agreement' with Real Betis and Atletico.

Barca did not give financial details of the move although Spanish newspaper ‘Marca’ said they had agreed to €9m to bring him to the Camp Nou while Betis will keep 20% of the proceeds of any future sale.

Emerson made 79 appearances in all competitions for Betis, scoring five goals and providing 10 assists.

Emerson played more minutes than any Betis player last season as the Seville side finished sixth in La Liga to qualify for the Europa League.

The right back is the third player Barca have added to their squad for next season after signing striker Sergio Aguero and defender Eric Garcia as free agents after both players ended their contracts with Manchester City.
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Charlie Austin - QPR (free transfer)

[article]CHARLIE Austin has returned to QPR, agreeing a two-year deal.

Austin spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium and had a significant impact.


His eight goals in 19 starts helped catapult QPR from 19th in the table to a ninth-place finish in the Championship.

Now the 31-year-old is looking to build on that in the coming years.

“I am really pleased to get it done and to be able to continue my journey here,” he said.

“With the way we finished the season – and how I feel about the club hasn’t changed – I wanted to be part of it and as soon as the opportunity was available I wanted to get this done as soon as possible.”

Despite having other options, Austin was quick to agree terms with QPR, explaining: “I know this is the right move for me and the right move for my family.

“Where am I happiest? I was going through a period where I wasn’t enjoying my football – I came here and enjoyed it straight away.

“I love everything that the club stands for. It’s a family club and one that I’m suited to.”

Austin is now eyeing up the 2021/22 campaign with a fresh vigour to build further on the incredible reputation he has forged in W12.

“There is an exciting future ahead,” he said.

“What can we achieve next season? We want to take what we did for the second half of last season and look to replicate that for the whole of the coming season.

"I can’t wait to be back on the pitch in front of the fans with a QPR strip on.”

R’s boss Mark Warburton is equally excited and looking forward to having Austin at his disposal again, adding: “I am delighted we have been able to bring Charlie in.

“He has a really strong affiliation with the club and a great relationship with the fans, so to get this one over the line is fantastic.

“Everyone saw the impact he had during his loan spell, both on and off the pitch.

“Charlie brings real enthusiasm to every training session. He has played at the highest level and he knows the standards that are required if you are to be successful.

“He demands off everyone – he will very quickly let people know if their standards aren’t where they should be.”

Warburton believes the signing of Austin shows the ambition of the club as they prepare for the 2021/22 campaign, adding: “Charlie obviously had other options so for us to get him says a lot about Charlie, as well as the direction we are looking to move in.

“Not only does this signing help with future targets, it also helps with current players we have at the football club – it shows we have ambition.

“I am absolutely delighted to have him on board.”[/article]
 
Gregor Kobel - Borussia Dortmund (€15m)

[article]
Borussia Dortmund have signed a new goalkeeper ahead of the new season, with Gregor Kobel joining on a five-year contract.

Kobel is the first signing in the Marco Rose era at Dortmund, and will compete with fellow Swiss goalkeepers Roman Bürki and Marwin Hitz for the No.1 spot heading into the 2021/22 season.

"Borussia Dortmund is one of the largest and most famous football clubs in the world," Kobel told BVB's website. "A club that claims to fight for the championship title and the DFB Cup every year and to play in the Champions League. It makes me proud to play for BVB. I would like to contribute my part to the future Dortmund success."

The 23-year-old former Hoffenheim shot-stopper impressed with promoted Stuttgart during their first season back in the top-flight in 2020/21. Only Arminia Bielefeld's Stefan Ortega and Augsburg's Rafal Gikiewicz made more saves in the Bundesliga, while Kobel kept five clean sheets in his 33 league appearances.

"We're very happy that Gregor Kobel has chosen Borussia Dortmund," said Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc. "We see great potential in it. Gregor's single-mindedness, ambition and his consistency are remarkable, the profile of his goalkeeping game suits us."

Kobel is a former Hoffenheim player who spent the second half of the 2018/19 season on loan at Augsburg before joining Bundesliga 2's Stuttgart for the next season, which saw them earn promotion to the Bundesliga. Kobel made a permanent switch last summer and is now on the move once again coming to the Signal Iduna Park.

Kobel will be part of Switzerland's Euro 2020 squad this summer, while Dortmund's other goalkeepers Bürki and Hitz were not selected.
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Dmitri Chistyakov - Zenit St Petersburg (€3m)

[article]
A former pupil of the St. Petersburg SShOR Zenit football school his pro-playing career started with Rostov-2, before heading back to St. Petersburg to join Zenit-2 where he stayed until the 2015/16 season, when he headed out on loan to join Armenia’s Mika Ashtarak.

In July 2016 he moved to Shinik Yaroslavl where he played 69 matches and scored 6 goals. In August 2018, he joined Tambov, where in the 2018/19 season he played 27 matches and scored 4 goals, helping the team win promotion to the Russian Premier League.

In the summer of 2019, he joined Rostov and after a few months won a call-up to the Russian national team. Chistyakov played 25 matches for Rostov and scored 1 goal.

In October 2020, Dmitry returned to Zenit on loan until the end of the season and played 14 matches for us in the title-winning season, earning one assist along the way.

Today Zenit and Rostov reached an agreement on the permanent transfer of the central defender, with a contract valid until the end of the 2024/25 season.

Congratulations to Dmitry on his permanent return to St. Petersburg and we hope he continues on from the successful season he had in 2020/21.
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Pablo Thiam - Hertha BSC (Head of Sport for Academy)

[article]There will be a new face in Berlin next season: Pablo Thiam will join the club as head of sport of the Hertha BSC football academy on July 1st. Fredi Bobic, managing director for sport, agreed upon the deal, which will see Thiam arrive from Bundesliga rivals VfL Wolfsburg to dovetail with Benjamin Weber at the head of the academy setup. Weber, in charge of the Hertha youth since 2014, will take up a role as head of organisation for the academy. “In Pablo Thiam, we have secured a real specialist for our youth department, someone who has worked successfully in this field in recent years. Pablo will enrich our academy with his experience, as well as his ideas and fresh input. He will lead us into the future,” said Bobic of the appointment of the Guinean-born former player.

Hertha will be Thiam’s second executive role after calling time on his career as a midfielder. “After many years in Wolfsburg, I’m looking forward to the job at Hertha BSC. It's an exciting challenge that I want to attack with enthusiasm and conquer with this great team. I can hardly wait to get going in July,” said the man with 31 Guinea caps. Thiam will be returning to the hometown of his wife, former Germany international basketball player Christina Hahn.

After spending his childhood in Bonn, Thiam joined the 1. FC Köln academy at the age of 15. After numerous successes at youth level, he made his Bundesliga debut in 1994. After moving on to VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munich, Thiam headed to Wolfsburg where he became not only a key player, but also captain for the Wolves. After playing a total of 311 Bundesliga matches (23 goals), Thiam hung up his boots in 2008. He soon took up a new role with Wolfsburg, serving as assistant to the club’s management as they lifted the Meisterschale in 2009. He then spent nine years as sporting director of Wolfsburg U23s. In July 2018, he took over full responsibility as head of the VfL academy, his final role before moving to the capital.[/article]
 
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