International Football
AGEING MESSI DOES NOT THINK OF RETIREMENT
Lionel Messi has promised to remain at the top of his game after claiming a record sixth Ballon d’Or award at the age of 32 in Paris on Monday night.
His great rival, Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo, whose third-place finish in the voting was his worst ranking since 2010, chose to skip the ceremony. He opted to collect his prize as the Italian Serie A’s Player of the Year in Milan.
United States co-captain Megan Rapinoe, who led her country to a record fourth Women’s World Cup in July, was also not present to claim the women’s Ballon d’Or gong at the Chatelet Theatre.
So Messi, who was accompanied by his wife Antonella Roccuzzo and his family, took centre stage as he won his first Ballon d’Or since 2015, moving one clear of Ronaldo.
The Barcelona and Argentina captain said: “It is 10 years since I won my first Ballon d’Or here in Paris and I remember coming here with my three brothers, I was 22 and it was all unthinkable for me what I was going through.
“I hope I have several years left to keep enjoying my football. I’m aware of my age and these moments are all the more enjoyable because the moment when I have to retire is getting closer and that is difficult.
“If all things go well, I’ll have several years left, but at the moment, time seems to be flying and everything is happening very quickly. I hope to keep enjoying my football, my family, facing my rivals and all of this life that I have.”
Messi won the accolade – organised by France Football magazine and voted for by a panel of journalists from around the world – ahead of Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
Despite Reds fans expressing their unhappiness on social media after the centre-back played a starring role in their Champions League triumph in June, the Netherlands skipper was magnanimous.
Van Dijk added: “Unfortunately, there are a couple of players like him (Messi) who are a bit unnatural. Six times Ballon d’Ors – you need to respect greatness as well.”
Still, his team were recognised for their sixth European Cup victory, with four Liverpool players in the top 10, including Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker.
-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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