International Football
PORTUGAL MAY STRIP RONALDO OF HONOURS OVER TAX EVASION
Problems keep mounting for the former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo. Even though he pleaded guilty in the tax evasion deal last week, he is still reportedly involved in the highly questionable rape case.
All these incidents harm the striker’s image in his homeland where he has been awarded many times for his incredible successes.
But there is a risk he could be stripped of his knighthoods, according to the Portuguese laws.
Ronaldo was named Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry in January 2014, before being awarded the Grand Cross of the Portuguese Order of Merit after Portugal won Euro 2016. However, all of them could be stripped, as stated by the president himself.
The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, addresses this issue in the interview with AFP: “The law is very simple: it is up to the chancellors of the national orders to see if anything has happened that could lead to the loss of an honour. We should let those with the legal power to decide to do so and see whether the law applies or not in this case.”
Ronaldo was accused of tax fraud committed in Spain between 2011 and 2014 when he still was a Real Madrid player.
Last week, the case was finally been settled. The Portuguese star pleaded guilty and accepted a suspended two-year jail sentence and an €18.8m fine. By the way, this unpleasant incident is rumoured to be one of the reasons behind Ronaldo’s somewhat controversial exit last summer.
In any case, Cristiano remains a hero in his native Madeira, as confirmed by the local leader Miguel Albuquerque: “Here in Madeira, Cristiano Ronaldo has always been seen as a good person… He is not a criminal. [His tax-fraud charge was an] interpretation of a tax issue. He is the most prestigious Portuguese in the world.”
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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