International Football
‘I CAME, I SAW, I CONQUERED’ SAYS ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC AS HE BOWS OUT OF LA GALAXY
Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic confirmed his departure from the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday, but gave no clue over his future plans or possible retirement.
The 38-year-old striker’s departure from the Galaxy had been widely expected following the club’s elimination from the Major League Soccer play-offs last month.
Ibrahimovic, who joined the Galaxy in the opening months of the 2018 campaign, announced the end of his Californian sojourn in a characteristically enigmatic post on Twitter.
“I came, I saw, I conquered. Thank you @lagalaxy for making me feel alive again,” he wrote. “To the Galaxy fans – you wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You are welcome.
“The story continues… Now go back to watch baseball.”
The Galaxy said in a brief statement the club had parted company with Ibrahimovic by mutual agreement.
“We would like to thank Zlatan for his contributions to the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer,” said LA Galaxy president Chris Klein.
“Since his arrival in 2018, Zlatan has positively influenced the sport of soccer in Los Angeles. We are grateful for his work ethic and passion. We thank Zlatan for his professionalism and immeasurable impact on the Los Angeles community and the soccer community in North America as a whole.”
Ibrahimovic has been strongly linked with a return to Italian club AC Milan, where he played for two seasons between 2010 and 2012, scoring 42 goals in 61 league appearances.
Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber hinted last week that Ibrahimovic may make a return to Italy, telling ESPN in an interview the striker was being “recruited” by Milan.
Ibrahimovic has also reportedly been targeted by Serie A side Bologna, according to Italian daily Corriere dello Sport.
Although he was unable to help Los Angeles Galaxy return to the pinnacle of Major League Soccer, the Swede has been one of the most successful foreign players ever to grace the league, scoring 53 goals in 56 regular season appearances.
-AFP
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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