International Football
ANOTHER FOOTBALL TRAGEDY HITS ARGENTINA AS 2014 WORLD CUP COACH DIES
Alejandro Sabella, the coach who took Argentina to the World Cup final in 2014, has died aged 66 after years of battling with cancer and heart problems.
Sabella’s death came less than two weeks after the passing of Diego Maradona, who played with Sabella for the Argentine national side in the 1980s.
Maradona died from a heart attack in Buenos Aires on Nov 25, aged 60.
The hospital where Sabella had spent the last couple of weeks said he died from the consequences of a “secondary dilated cardiomyopathy and long time cardiotoxicity.”
“Another harsh blow for football in this dark 2020: the beloved Alejandro Sabella has departed,” said his team mate, former goalkeeper Ubaldo Fillol.
“An exquisite player, a winning coach who took us to the World Cup final, and a great person.”
A tricky winger who also played in midfield, Sabella shot to fame at River Plate in the 1970s and earned a transfer to Sheffield United, becoming one of the first South American players to feature in the English league.
His time in Sheffield was short but Sabella was, along with international team mates Osvaldo Ardiles, Ricardo Villa and Alberto Tarantini, one of several Argentines whose arrival in Britain after their 1978 World Cup triumph brought a touch of glamour to the English game.
His two years in Sheffield were followed by a short spell at Leeds United before he returned to Estudiantes in 1982.
It was at the Argentine club that he became a manager in 2009, leading the provincial side with Juan Sebastian Veron in midfield to their fourth Copa Libertadores title.
Sabella’s success there led to a position as coach of the national team in 2011.
After losing 1-0 to Germany after extra time in the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro, Sabella retired and, increasingly beset by health problems, never returned to the sidelines.
Manchester United full back Marcos Rojo, who played under Sabella at Estudiantes, said in an Instagram post: “I am the player I am and the person I am thanks in large part to you”.
–Reuters
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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