International Football
Guardiola, Alves May Reunite
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola may reunite Dani Alves, his former player while he was handling FC Barcelona. The 33-year old captain of Brazil moved to Juventus and plays right back is speculated as one of the key options that Guardiola is considering to beef up Manchester City.
Alves spent four trophy-laden years with Guardiola at the Nou Camp, before his coach moved on while he joined Juventus last summer.
Although he has played a role for the Bianconeri this year, scoring a crucial second away goal from off the bench at Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday, it appears as though he could be moving on at the end of the season.
The Sun of London reports that City are keen as they look to address the problem they have in the full-backs positions, although it’s unclear as to whether Alves really is the solution.
With the likes of Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta coming to the end of their time at the Etihad, combined with Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov facing a similar scenario on the left flank, City will need to bolster their options in those departments in the summer.
Alves would certainly offer assurances and be a solid addition to the squad, but he doesn’t particularly fit the strategy that the club appear to have adopted since Guardiola’s arrival.
With the signings of the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and John Stones, lowering the average age of the squad seems to be a priority for management.
Alves wouldn’t help with that, and neither would his wages, as it’s claimed that his demands could yet scupper a move to Manchester with City not willing to meet them.
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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