International Football
Former Man United and Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal suffering from aggressive prostate cancer
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal says he has prostate cancer and has been receiving treatment, but still plans to lead his team at the World Cup in Qatar in seven months’ time.
The 70-year-old told RTL television on Sunday (April 3) that the players “don’t know it”, adding he has undergone 25 rounds of radiotherapy, including during training camps with the Dutch team.
The players “think I’m in good health, but I’m not”, said the former Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Ajax coach, who began treatment last year after his diagnosis in 2020.
“It’s part of my life,” he added in an interview marking the upcoming release of a film about his life, entitled Louis.
“I’ve been through so much in my life, sickness and death, I’ve probably become richer as a person because of all those experiences.”
Last week, it was announced that van Gaal had tested positive for Covid. In 2021, he broke his hip when he fell off his bike.
Van Gaal, in his third term as head coach of the Dutch national side, sparked controversy last month when he described the decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar “ridiculous”, accusing Fifa of being motivated by “money and commercial interests”.
The Netherlands were placed in Group A with hosts Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal in last Friday’s (April 1) draw.
United, where he was in charge in 2014-2016, were among those wishing the Dutchman a speedy recovery.
“Everybody at Manchester United is fully behind our former manager, Louis van Gaal, in his battle against cancer. Sending you strength and courage, Louis,” the English giants tweeted.
Barcelona, where he was twice manager and twice won the Spanish league, tweeted: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to former Barca manager Louis van Gaal… Stay strong, Louis, and get well soon.”
Former England striker Gary Lineker also tweeted a message of support.
“Sending best wishes and hopes for a full recovery to Louis Van Gaal,” he wrote.
Surprise return to Dutch job
Van Gaal returned to the Dutch national team after the resignation of Frank de Boer in the aftermath of the country’s dismal last-16 exit from Euro 2020 last year.
The no-nonsense van Gaal managed the Oranje between 2000-2002 and 2012-2014, when they finished third at the World Cup in Brazil.
“Dutch football has always been close to my heart and national coaching is in my view a key position for the further advancement of our football. Moreover, I consider it an honour to coach the Dutch national team,” van Gaal said at the time of his return.
During van Gaal’s first spell as coach, the Dutch failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
He then went on to take up a coaching job with Manchester United, but was unceremoniously axed by the club two days after winning the FA Cup in 2016.
Van Gaal at the time said winning the FA Cup with the Red Devils “was the greatest achievement of my career”.
The often brash and straight-talking van Gaal announced his “retirement” in January 2017.
At Barcelona, from 1997-2000, he won two La Liga titles. He returned to the Spanish giants in 2002 but an unsuccessful stay saw him quit early the following year.
He was also in charge at Bayern Munich from 2009-2011.
“We do not die of prostate cancer, in most cases. Most often, these are underlying diseases that can be fatal in this form of cancer,” van Gaal added.
-AFP
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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