International Football
OBITUARY: ANOTHER ARGENTINA WORLD CUP WINNER DIES
Argentinian football is mourning the passing of 1978 World Cup-winning striker Leopoldo Luque at the age of 71.
Luque had been hospitalised at the Clínica de Cuyo in Mendoza before Christmas and struggled to recover from COVID-19.
Hospital sources said he had suffered a fatal heart attack and had a history of cardiac trouble.
His former striking partner Mario Kempes led tributes describing Luque as “a great soccer player, a great friend and companion”.
Kempes added: “Rest in Peace and fly high friend!”
Kempes posted a picture of the pair taken last year when they were together in Mendoza.
Osvaldo Ardiles, a midfielder in the 1978 team, insisted Luque had been an “instrumental figure of our triumph in the World Cup of 78”.
“Nobody suffered more to achieve it,” continued Ardiles.
“It was a great honour to have him as a companion.
“Impossible to have someone better by your side.”
Argentinian newspaper La Nacion described Luque as “a luminous human being and an extraordinary footballer”.
The greatest moments of his football career came at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, but were tinged with tragedy when his brother Oscar died in a road accident during the tournament.
Luque scored Argentina’s first goal of the tournament in a 2-1 win against Hungary and four days later, his memorable long-range effort proved the winner against France.
It was described in the French paper L’Équipe as “a shot from a cannon from 20 metres” and lauded as one of the goals of the tournament.
It made sure of Argentina’s qualification for the second phase.
Later in the match, Luque dislocated an elbow but that evening came the news of the tragedy involving his brother.
Luque was allowed home to mourn and did not play in the next two matches, though the team carried a banner saying “Leopoldo we are waiting for you”.
He returned to the side for their second-poll-phase match against Brazil, a brutal 0-0 draw which left Luque nursing a black eye.
In their last second-round match, Argentina needed to beat Peru by four clear goals to reach the World Cup final.
Luque scored the fourth goal himself and Argentina eventually won 6-0 on an emotional night.
He also played the full 120 minutes in the World Cup final victory over The Netherlands.
In club football, Luque won five titles with River Plate and later went into coaching in Mendoza.
Luque was capped 43 times for Argentina, including a memorable appearance alongside Diego Maradona at Hampden Park in Glasgow in 1979 when both players were on the scoresheet against Scotland.
Maradona, often considered the greatest football player of all time, missed out on selection for the 1978 FIFA World aged 17, and died in November aged 60.
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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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