MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has signed a contract extension through to 2026, the Premier League club said Thursday.
The Dutchman has won back-to-back trophies in his first two years at Old Trafford, but faced uncertainty over his position after leading it to its worst league finish in 34 years last season.
After a performance review United decided to stick with Ten Hag and he has has now agreed a new deal, which is a one year extension on his previous contract, which was due to expire at the end of the upcoming season.
“Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined,” Ten Hag said. “However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles. In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together.”
Ten Hag joined United from Ajax in 2022 and won the English League Cup in his first year in England. He followed that up last season with victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
He stays on in the face of a major overhaul of United’s soccer operations by new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe. British billionaire Ratcliffe bought a 27.7% stake in the club in February and has hired a new CEO, sporting director and technical director in a bid to return the 20-time English champions to the top of European soccer.
“With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football. While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes,” said United Sporting Director Dan Ashworth, “This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level; now we need to do it more consistently.
“With our strengthened football leadership team now in place, we are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Erik to achieve our shared ambitions for this football club.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Manchester United's head coach Erik ten Hag celebrates with the trophy after winning the English FA Cup final soccer match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London, on May 25, 2024. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has signed a contract extension through to 2026, the Premier League club said. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
TOKYO (AP) — Voters in Tokyo cast ballots Sunday to decide whether to reelect conservative Yuriko Koike as governor of Japan’s influential capital for a third four-year term.
The vote was also seen as a test for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s governing party, which supports the incumbent, the first woman to lead the Tokyo city government.
Tokyo, a city of 13.5 million people with outsized political and cultural power and a budget equaling some nations, is one of Japan’s most influential political posts.
A record 55 candidates challenged Koike, and one of the top contenders was also a woman — a liberal-leaning former parliament member who uses only her first name, Renho, and was backed by opposition parties.
A win by Koike would be a relief for Kishia’s conservative governing party, which she has long been affiliated with. Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, unofficially backed her campaign.
Renho, running as an independent but supported by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party, slammed Koike’s connection with Kishida’s party, which has been hit by a widespread slush fund scandal. A victory for Renho would be a major setback for Kishida’s chances in the governing party's leadership vote in September.
While the two high-profile women gathered national attention, Shinji Ishimaru, a former mayor of Akitakata town in Hiroshima, was seen to have gained popularity among young voters.
The main issues in the campaign included measures for the economy, disaster resilience for Tokyo and low birth numbers. When Japan’s national fertility rate fell to a record low 1.2 babies per woman last year, Tokyo's 0.99 rate was the lowest for the country.
Koike’s policies focused on providing subsidies for married parents expecting babies and those raising children. Renho called for increased support for young people to address their concerns about jobs and financial stability, arguing that would help improve prospects for marrying and having families.
Another focus of attention was a controversial redevelopment of Tokyo’s beloved park area, Jingu Gaien, which Koike approved but later faced criticisms over its lack of transparency and suspected environmental impact.
Koike, a stylish and media savvy former TV newscaster, was first elected to parliament in 1992 at age 40. She served in a number of key Cabinet posts, including environment and defense ministers, as part of the long-reining Liberal Democratic Party.
Renho, known for voicing sharp questions in parliament, was born to a Japanese mother and Taiwanese father and doesn't use her family name. A former model and newscaster, she was elected to parliament in 2004 and served as administrative reform minister in the government led by the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan.
Voters fill out their paper ballots at a polling station in Tokyo Sunday, July 7, 2024. Voters in Tokyo are casting their ballots Sunday in gubernatorial election. (Kyodo News via AP)
