Latest news with #GabrielHeinze
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Why Mikel Arteta brought Gabriel Heinze to Arsenal: 'Obsessive' serial winner with a fixation on duels who rows with the press and weighs his players twice a day
Obsessive on details but partial to confrontation, it's no wonder Gabriel Heinze has an admirer in Mikel Arteta. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Argentina left back is the latest addition to the Spaniard's coaching team, replacing Carlos Cuesta, who was lured away to become Parma head coach in at the age of just 29.
Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Gyokeres to Arsenal takes twist as response to private meeting comes to light
Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon remain several million apart over the upfront fee for Viktor Gyokeres after 48 hours of talks in Portugal with fresh reports saying next few hours may decide fate Viktor Gyokeres' move to Arsenal is on the brink of collapsing according to reports in Portugal because the Gunners and Sporting Lisbon are struggling to agree a fee for the prolific striker. An Arsenal delegation include transfer chief Andrea Berta have spent the past 48 hours negotiating with their Sporting counterparts after personal terms before the Premier League giants and Gyokeres' representatives were already agreed. But Record report that a €5m (£4.3m) gap remains between the clubs. Arsenal are offering a package of €65m (£56m) plus future payments of €5m and €10m (£8.6m) in add-ons. However Sporting are demanding €70m (£60m) up front and are unwilling to budge. The outlet adds that Arsenal's negotiators are now heading back to England and the next few hours may be decisive - bringing either a breakthrough or seeing the entire deal collapse. Arsenal have confirmed the appointment of Gabriel Heinze as their new first team coach with the former Manchester United full back set to boost Mikel Arteta 's brains trust. The ex-Argentina international has already linked up with the Gunners as they begin their pre-season preparations ahead of a renewed attempt to the end their two-decade wait for the Premier League title. 'We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gabriel Heinze to our coaching staff as men's first team coach,' Arsenal said in a statement. 'Heinze, a former Argentina international, brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the club. We are excited with the introduction of Gabriel to our men's first-team coaching staff, and welcome him and his family to Arsenal.' Arsenal are back in training and have five friendlies pencilled in, beginning with fixtures with AC Milan and Newcastle in Singapore before facing Spurs in Hong Kong later this month. The Gunners then host Villarreal and Athletic Club in the Emirates Cup on August 5 and 9. Arteta has already welcomed Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi into his playing squad while they remain in advanced talks with Sporting Lisbon for the centre forward Viktor Gyokeres. Brentford captain Christian Norgaard is also set to join, while there remains talk of an audacious swoop for Real Madrid star Rodrygo.
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Gabriel Heinze is an ‘inspiration' to Mikel Arteta – what will he bring to Arsenal's coaching team?
Mikel Arteta's core backroom staff at Arsenal has undergone its first significant change since the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign. Gabriel Heinze, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid defender, has been appointed as Arteta's new assistant, replacing Carlos Cuesta after the Spaniard accepted an offer to become head coach at Parma in Italy's Serie A. Cuesta's departure was unexpected — and not something Arteta would have been thinking about — given Cuesta signed a new deal in April, extending his contract to summer 2027 in line with that of the Arsenal manager. But by turning to Heinze, someone Arteta first met as a teenager at Paris Saint-Germain during the 2001-02 season, and adding him to the core coaching group of Albert Stuivenberg and Miguel Molina, his two other assistant managers, Nicolas Jover, the set-piece coach, and Inaki Cana, who works with the goalkeepers, the hope is that a fresh voice will have a positive impact. Advertisement Heinze, 47, ended his playing career at Newell's Old Boys in his native Argentina in 2014 and took a coaching role at Godoy Cruz, in the same country's Primera Division, the following year, signalling the start of his foray into management. After spells at Godoy Cruz, Argentinos Juniors and Velez Sarsfield, Heinze was hired by MLS side Atlanta United in December 2020 on a two-year deal but that ended in disappointing fashion after only seven months, and his most recent job was back at Newell's. But after five different managerial roles between 2015 and 2023, the former Argentina international has reunited with Arteta — and a relationship that stems back more than two decades to their days as team-mates in Paris will now be strengthened even further. At the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign, Arteta spoke about his time at PSG and singled out Heinze and now-USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, calling the former one of the 'unbelievable players' he played with. 'The other inspirations were (Mauricio) Pochettino and Heinze, those two were next to me all the time, behind me, and they were guiding me in everything I had to do in my professional life, how I had to understand the game and they were inspirational to me,' Arteta said. Sylvain Distin, the former Manchester City defender, shared a dressing room with Arteta and Heinze for a short time at PSG at the start of the 2001-02 season before joining Newcastle United on loan, but he witnessed the beginning of their friendship. 'I left during the season to come to England, so I didn't see everything but considering they were Spanish speaking, it was pretty obvious when Gabby arrived that his French was not the best,' Distin tells The Athletic. 'They (Heinze and Pochettino) were putting in a lot of effort (to speak French) and it was really appreciated in the dressing room, but it was obviously easier for them to speak Spanish. Advertisement 'And with Mikel, who spoke Spanish and French, he helped them integrate into the squad a bit quicker, so, naturally, because of the language, they spent a lot of time together.' Distin describes Heinze, who he met up with occasionally when they both lived in Manchester (Heinze at United, Distin at City), as someone who 'enjoys life' and is 'always smiling', but stressed just how competitive he can be, which is something Arsenal's players will likely feel. 'He had a strong determination,' Distin says. 'For me, he was just extremely competitive. He was training the same way he was playing. It's intense and there's no half-hearted challenges. 'He wanted to win, no matter if it was a game during training or in the Champions League. He just wanted to win them all.' Distin, who won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008, also speaks of Heinze's leadership qualities, even though the Argentinian was only in his early twenties when he joined PSG from Spain's Valladolid in the summer of 2001. 'Gabby was not too vocal, but led by example through his attitude. He always trained well, always trained hard, and always gave his best.' Heinze became a prominent figure in English football after signing for Manchester United from PSG in June 2004 for a fee just shy of £7million. He conceded during an interview after the deal went through that he had not spoken to Sir Alex Ferguson, then United's manager, before the switch from Paris. 'We have not yet discussed which position I will play,' Heinze said, via quotes published on the club's website. 'I don't know whether it will be in central defence or left-back. All they said is that they wanted me.' United's website describes him as a 'spiky character' who 'quickly endeared himself to the United faithful'. Heinze's impact was immediately felt, scoring on his debut against Bolton Wanderers in a 2-2 draw in September 2004, and he ended his first season in England by winning United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award. Advertisement However, a knee injury suffered in a Champions League 0-0 draw with Villarreal in September 2005 ruled him out of his second season at the club, and Patrice Evra arriving in the following January and eventually securing the left-back spot resulted in Heinze's departure in August 2007. But even that wasn't straightforward. Heinze was keen to play regular first-team football and was enamoured by the idea of joining Liverpool, United's fierce domestic rivals, although Ferguson acted quickly to put that to bed. Liverpool's offer was rejected, with Ferguson saying at the time: 'I can assure you, Liverpool will not be getting Gabriel Heinze.' A spat played out in public, with Heinze making it clear he wanted to join Liverpool, and his relationship with the fanbase soured. He eventually left after making 83 appearances and winning the Premier League in 2006-07 to join Real Madrid. In his two years at the Bernabeu (2007-09), Heinze played 60 times and won La Liga in his first season. He also won Ligue 1 with Marseille in 2009-10, which was his third domestic title in a different league. But after retiring from playing in 2014 — he ended his career with a two-year spell at Newell's Old Boys, the Argentinian team with whom he began his career — Heinze turned to coaching. After a short spell at Godoy Cruz, Heinze spent a year at Argentinos Juniors and two seasons with Velez Sarsfield but following disagreements between both clubs' hierarchies — stemming from the sale of key players — Heinze was courted by Atlanta. His managerial style and how he wanted his team to play was compared to that of the legendary Marcelo Bielsa, the current Uruguay coach who previously led Athletic Club, Marseille and Leeds United among other clubs as well as his national side and Chile. It led to Heinze becoming one of South America's most prominent young managers. Advertisement He wanted his teams to be attacking, while also remaining disciplined. Player movement and the creation of triangles in key parts of the pitch to establish numerical advantages was crucial to his philosophy. It is what led to Atlanta hiring him in December 2020, which was viewed as a significant coup by the club. But only seven months later, Heinze was sacked. A club-record winless streak of eight matches led to Atlanta releasing a statement that cited 'a variety of issues relating to the day-to-day leadership of the team' when announcing his departure. The Athletic previously detailed how his handling of the team's fitness, his volatile personality and a fallout with Josef Martinez, the club's most valuable player, was too much for the MLS side. During pre-season training, for example, Heinze and his coaching staff limited the amount of water breaks the players could take, only for the squad and staff to request for that to be increased. After internal discussions, their water intake was not limited again. Ultimately, his managerial style was not compatible with MLS, and he returned to Newell's in 2022, only to leave the following year after a mid-table finish. But now he is back in coaching after a two-year hiatus, albeit no longer in the leading role, and will be tasked with helping Arteta land Arsenal's first Premier League title since 2003-04. For Arteta, it is the return to an old friend and for Arsenal, there will be hope his winning mentality from his playing days as well as competitive nature can aid their push for silverware this season. (Top photos: Getty Images)
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd icon 'sparked out by Roy Keane' secures return to Premier League
Arsenal have confirmed that Gabriel Heinze is now first team coach with the former Manchester United full back already working on the Gunners' pre-season preparations Arsenal have confirmed the appointment of Gabriel Heinze as their new first team coach with the former Manchester United full back set to boost Mikel Arteta 's brains trust. The ex-Argentina international has already linked up with the Gunners as they begin their pre-season preparations ahead of a renewed attempt to the end their two-decade wait for the Premier League title. 'We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gabriel Heinze to our coaching staff as men's first team coach,' Arsenal said in a statement. 'Heinze, a former Argentina international, brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the club. 'We are excited with the introduction of Gabriel to our men's first-team coaching staff, and welcome him and his family to Arsenal.' Heinze spent three seasons at Old Trafford, winning a league title in 2006-07, and previously claimed he was knocked out by Roy Keane not long after joining the club. Heinze said in 2022: "The first thing you hear in English or in another language are bad words. He (Keane) was looking at me and he says to me: "F*** off!" And I knew that was a dirty word. "I stood up and the guy comes over to me. C'mon, I was only a kid. So I repeated it back to him, I said "f*** off you!. Then I don't remember anything else..." He also won La Liga during a stint at Real Madrid and helped Marseille to the Ligue 1 title. Heinze started coaching in Argentina in 2015 and took over Atlanta United in late 2020 before a spell in charge of Newell's Old Boys. Arsenal are back in training and have five friendlies pencilled in, beginning with fixtures with AC Milan and Newcastle in Singapore before facing Spurs in Hong Kong later this month. The Gunners then host Villarreal and Athletic Club in the Emirates Cup on August 5 and 9. Arteta has already welcomed Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi into his playing squad while they remain in advanced talks with Sporting Lisbon for the centre forward Viktor Gyokeres. Brentford captain Christian Norgaard is also set to join, while there remains talk of an audacious swoop for Real Madrid star Rodrygo.
Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Times
Arsenal stars beware, Gabriel Heinze has history of upsetting own players
Nobody could accuse Mikel Arteta of taking the easy option in appointing Gabriel Heinze as his new assistant coach at Arsenal. After Carlos Cuesta took over as head coach of Parma in Serie A in June, some fans hoped Arteta might add a former Arsenal player — Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Jorginho even — to his backroom team next season, but Heinze is another example of Arteta going against the grain to turn his Arsenal into champions. Just as Cuesta was plucked from relative obscurity — a 24-year-old, whom Arteta first invited to watch sessions at Manchester City — Heinze is another left-field choice; a league title winner with Marseille, Manchester United and Real Madrid, who has always been anything but a yes-man, as a player, person and coach. Arteta has spoken glowingly about Heinze's influence on him in his early years, when the 18-year-old Spaniard first joined Paris Saint-Germain. Heinze, along with Mauricio Pochettino, were not only Spanish speakers in a changing room full of stars, they were, in his words, 'inspirations', at a time when Arteta was looking for guidance. 'Those two were next to me all the time, behind me, and they were guiding me in everything I had to do in my professional life, how I had to understand the game and they were inspirational to me,' Arteta said in October. But Heinze has never been a soft touch. His last coaching job in charge of Newell's Old Boys lasted just over a year, after Heinze argued with the press and criticised the Argentinian federation over refereeing decisions, VAR controversies and red cards. Newell's had finished 14th under Heinze's stewardship. 'He was confrontational in press conferences and he didn't achieve what was expected of him,' says Juani Carducci, a football journalist in Rosario. At Atlanta United, who won two of his 13 games in charge between 2020 and 2021, Heinze's training methods were so tough the players filed a complaint to MLS, citing his approach to time off and how he even limited water breaks in training, to replicate conditions in matches. 'The training sessions were brilliant, very, very detailed,' says Doug Roberson, a reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 'But they would run for hours and hours. The players had to be on call 24 hours a day. They had to come in to train whenever he wanted them to.' Atlanta had turned to Heinze on the back of his early success in Argentina, with Argentinos Juniors, whom he led to promotion as champions from Primera B Nacional in 2016-17, and then Vélez Sarsfield, who finished 14th, sixth and then third in the top flight under Heinze. Obsessed by tactics, his ideas — high pressing, quick recoveries, physical intensity and a belief in 4-3-3 — all chime with Arteta, who tried to lure Heinze to Arsenal before he joined Newell's in 2022. The pair have remained good friends ever since their time at PSG. They watched a youth-team game together in Madrid last year and had a photo together after Arsenal's win over Real Madrid in the Champions League in April. Even as a player, Heinze never took any prisoners, with his full-throttle performances at left back winning him both the players' player of the year and fans' player of the year awards in his first season at Manchester United in 2005. He then took on Sir Alex Ferguson by demanding United allow him to join Liverpool two years later and took the case to a Premier League tribunal, unsuccessfully, to try to force it through. Heinze joined Real Madrid instead and later expressed his regret over how it all ended at United, telling The Guardian in 2011 that he was a 'strong personality … impulsive and strong-willed and this has got me into trouble at times'. By chance, his first Premier League outing with Arteta would be Arsenal's opening game of the season on August 17, against Manchester United, at Old Trafford.
