International Football
Pictures: Behold! Messi’s Luxurious Wedding Venue
This Friday, world famous footballer, Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and captain of Argentina national team will tie the knot with long term love Antonello Roccuzzo in their hometown of Rosario in Argentina.
Reports have it that the couple have known each other since they were just five years old. Many top athletes are expected to attend what could easily pass as ‘royal wedding’.
*The indoor swimming pool which the celebrity guests can make use of.
The attendance by stars is overwhelming just as the setting for the event. Courtesy of many sources in Ireland and Argentina, Sports Village Square brings to you the pictorial of the lavish setting.
The main event is a luxurious complex in Santa Fe in Rosario, the hometown of the couple.
The complex contains the five star Pullman Hotel, conference centre and mega casino where FC Barcelona teammates: Luis Suarez and Neymar, and other notable players, including Samuel Eto’o who are said to be on the celebrity guest list, could even try their luck on the various card tables.
*The Palatial setting at the reception hall
Over 250 guests, including the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s high profile Barcelona teammate Gerard Piqué and his wife Shakira, are expected to attend the event which comes just six days after the footballer’s 30th birthday.
Wedding guests won’t be short of entertainment at the lavish complex either, as the space boasts a bowling alley, tennis courts and both an indoor and outdoor swimming pool.
Messi is reported to be currently holidaying in Rosario ahead of the big day, although has yet to make any public appearances.
*The tennis courts at the disposal of the celebrity guests
The couple are also reported to have planned a second wedding in Barcelona, home of the footballer’s team FC Barcelona, for friends who are unable to attend their South American celebrations.
International Football
Guinea names Portugal’s Duarte as new national coach

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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International Football
Veteran coach Van Gaal says he is cured of cancer

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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International Football
Like father like son, Davide Ancelotti becomes Brazil’s Botafogo manager

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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