ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis City SC hired former Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg as its coach Tuesday.
The 47-year-old Mellberg, who made more than 100 appearances for Sweden's national team, will replace Bradley Carnell, who was fired by the MLS club in July. John Hackworth had been serving as interim manager and also was in the running for the full-time job.
Mellberg's hiring is contingent upon receiving his visa.
“Olof has an incredible work ethic and reputation for being disciplined and detail-oriented,” St. Louis SC sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel said. “His leadership qualities as a captain, both at the club level and with his national team, will be key to managing our group. Olof’s ability to develop young talent was seen at his Swedish club and we can’t wait to see it translate here.”
St. Louis City made the MLS Cup playoffs in its inaugural season last year, but was just 8-13-13 in league play this season.
“It is a great opportunity here because of the amazing infrastructure and the direction that the organization has put in place," Mellberg said in a statement. "I can’t wait to build upon the foundation already set here and the massive fan support that gives this team the energy to be successful.”
Mellberg is best known for his time at Aston Villa, where he appeared in 232 matches. He also played for Juventus, Olympiakos, Villarreal and Copenhagen, along with the Swedish national team.
Mellberg began his coaching career in 2016 with Swedish club IF Brommapojkarna, leading the 80-year-old club to back-to-back promotions into Sweden's top division. He also managed the Danish club BK Fremad Amager and Sweden's Helsingborgs IF before rejoining Brommapojkarna in January 2023, where he had spent this past season.
“Across his four years as head coach of Brommapojkarna, he’s shown a consistent ability to outperform expectations," St. Louis City general manager Diego Gigliani said. "His passion for developing young players, strong reputation in the market and prior playing experience at the elite level were all additional reasons we were convinced he was right for the role.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Sweden's Olof Mellberg controls the ball during their friendly soccer match against Croatia, in Zagreb, Croatia, Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)
FILE - Olympiacos player Olof Mellberg holds translation headphones during a press conference at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in London, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FIUGGI, Italy (AP) — Foreign ministers from the world's leading industrialized countries threw their strong support Tuesday behind an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah but sidestepped a key question after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israel's leader over the war in Gaza.
At the end of their two-day summit outside Rome, the Group of Seven ministers didn’t refer explicitly to the Hague-based court and its arrest warrants on charges of crimes against humanity for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.
The warrants said there was reason to believe Netanyahu and Gallant have used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and have intentionally targeted Palestinian civilians in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny.
Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official G7 meeting agenda, even though members were split on the issue. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, isn’t a member of the court and has called the warrants “outrageous.” All the other G7 countries are signatories and are obliged to respect and implement the court's decisions.
The final statement adopted by the ministers said Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, “must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including international humanitarian law.”
And it said all G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — “reiterate our commitment to international humanitarian law and will comply with our respective obligations.”
It stressed that “there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the state of Israel.”
The G7 meeting of foreign ministers, the last of the Biden administration, was dominated by the wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Ministers were heartened by indications that a ceasefire might soon be announced between Israel and Hezbollah.
“We are tracking this very closely. I hope and believe we can get this over the finish line,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a G7 briefing.
Netanyahu’s security Cabinet was convening Tuesday to discuss a proposed ceasefire. Among the issues that remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal.
The G7 ministers were joined by the foreign ministers of the “Arab Quintet” — Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said Tuesday there were “no excuses” for Israel to refuse to accept a ceasefire, saying all its security concerns had been addressed in the U.S.-French-brokered deal.
Borrell said under the proposed agreement, the U.S. would chair a ceasefire implementation committee, with France participating at Lebanon's request. The outgoing EU foreign policy chief also called for increased pressure on Israel to not give into extremists in the government who were refusing to accept the deal. Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 meeting, he warned that if a ceasefire is not implemented, “Lebanon will fall apart."
Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel, months of fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah have erupted into a full-blown war in recent months, with Israel killing Hezbollah’s main leaders and sending ground forces into southern Lebanon.
Israeli bombardment has killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon and wounded more than 15,000, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by rockets, drones and missiles in northern Israel and in the fighting on the ground in Lebanon.
Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, also said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries there have been completely impeded.
While the G7 meeting was dominated Monday by the Mideast conflicts, attention turned Tuesday to Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha briefed the ministers on Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
In their final statement, the ministers condemned Russia’s use of North Korean troops in Ukraine and its “irresponsible and threatening nuclear rhetoric.”
The G7 has been at the forefront of providing military and economic support for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and G7 members are concerned about how a Trump administration will change the U.S. approach.
Donald Trump has criticized the billions of dollars that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine and has said he could end the war in 24 hours — comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.
Tensions have heightened since Russia attacked Ukraine last week with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strike was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory.
The final G7 communique vowed the group's continued commitment to Ukraine. “Our support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence will remain unwavering,” the ministers said.
Blinken, at his final G7 before the Biden administration leaves office, said Washington was still standing with its allies.
“Our countries are standing together, along with other partners, to deal with the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine," he said. "We’re standing together to deal with some of the challenges posed by China. We’re standing together in looking to bring a sustainable, lasting peace in the Middle East.”
AP visual journalist Paolo Santalucia contributed.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, center, reacts as he waits for the family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
From left front row, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, foreign MInisters of France, Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada, Melanie Joly, wait for a family photo with, second row from left, foreign Ministers of South Korea, Tae-yul Cho, and Indonesia, Sugiono at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and foreign Ministers of France, Jean-Noël Barrot, wait for the family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya prepare for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pose for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya prepare for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pose for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner arrive for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pose for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, left, welcomes Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, left, welcomes Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, front, arrives to pose for a family photo with, from left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, left, talks to European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)
A view of the Palacongressi where Foreign Ministers of the G7 and from different Arab countries met at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
From left : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud attend a working session at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (Andreas Solaro/Pool Photo via AP)
From left : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud and UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem al-Hashimy pose for a picture during a working session at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (Andreas Solaro/Pool Photo via AP)
Front row from left, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken , French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pose for a family photo with, second row from left, foreign Ministers of Quatar, Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Egypt, Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, Saudi Arabia, Faisal Farhan Al Saud, Jordan, Ayman Safadi, United Arab Emirates, Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, and Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
