International Football
LIONEL MESSI COULD BE HEADING TO CITY
Speculations are rising that Lionel Messi, who is at loggerheads with the current management board of FC Barcelona could be tempted by a reunion with former boss Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Former Brazilian and Barcelona star, Rivaldo flew the kite following reports that Messi’s future at Bracelona is very uncertain after his current contract expires next year.
With the Catalan giants in turmoil, UK’s Daily Mail also quoted Spanish radio station, Cadena SER as reporting that Messi would see out his £500,000-per-week contract at the club before moving on in the summer of 2021.
However, the 33-year-old could end up staying once a new president is elected next year, with Messi considerably fed up with how the club is currently being run.
Should Messi decide to leave, there will be no shortage of options available to him and Rivaldo believes a move to City – a club that has been linked with him before – could be on the cards.
‘If he is considering leaving the club, then something mustn’t be good in the Barcelona dressing room and perhaps he is tired with all the constant problems that have surrounded the club in the last few months,’ Rivaldo told Betfair.
‘When Messi’s contract ends, he will be 34, but with his class I think he could still easily play in Premier League.
‘It will be sad to see him leaving Barcelona once his contract ends eventually, but I still hope that he can stay for now.
‘Despite his connection to the club, he has the right to move if he wants and reuniting with Pep Guardiola at City will be tempting for him, as the two of them formed a great coach and player partnership at Barca.’
Another destination that is being mooted for the Argentine is Juventus.
A move to Turin would see him line up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, fulfilling the dream scenario of many a football fan.
However, a move to Juventus would be extremely expensive, and would likely see Messi replace Ronaldo who could be searching for a new challenge at the age of 36 in the summer of 2021.
‘With all this speculation, I believe that some agents are already dreaming about a Messi-Ronaldo double at Juventus and how big it will be around the globe,’ Rivaldo said.
If that happened there would be a world “boom”, and I believe Juventus would quickly recover any investment on the Argentinian thanks to the boost they would get from visibility and marketing.
‘It would be historical to see both playing together and I’m sure many Juve sponsors would love to help financially, so, it’s also a possibility for Messi.
‘If there are rumours about his exit, then of course every club will be thinking about how they can sign him.
‘That said, the two best players in the world for the past 10 years playing at the same club would be massive.’
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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