International Football
After Bale’s exit, France captain Lloris also announces international retirement
Hours after Gareth Bale announced his retirement from football, another prominent football icon has done the same.
France’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper and captain, Hugo Lloris, announced his retirement from international football aged 36 on Monday, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Lloris made a record 145 appearances for France from 2008-22, captaining the team 121 times, also a record.
He made his international debut in 2008, playing at the European Championship in 2012, 2016 and 2020 as well as the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments.
Tottenham Hotspur keeper Lloris led France to victory in the 2018 World Cup before again leading them to the final this year in Qatar where they were beaten by Argentina.
“There comes a time when you have to know how to hand over the reins. I have always said over and over again that the French team doesn’t belong to anyone, and we all have to make sure that’s the case, me first,” he told L’Equipe in an interview.
“I think that the team is ready to go on. There is also a goalkeeper who is ready (Mike Maignan).
“I prefer to go out at my peak than wait for a downturn. There is also a family choice, I feel the need to spend more time with my wife and children.”
Along with the 2018 World Cup, Lloris also won the 2021 Nations League and guided France to the final of the 2016 European Championship.
France head coach Didier Deschamps said Lloris was retiring at his peak and despite still having a place in the national set-up but called on fans to respect his decision.
“A great servant of the French team is taking his leave and I would like to pay tribute to his exceptional career,” Deschamps said.
“Beyond all the records that his talent and professionalism enabled him to break, beyond the essential role that he played in our greatest victories … Hugo is a remarkable person on a human level.
“It was a pleasure and an honour for me to be his coach. I wish all coaches had players like him to coach. Hugo has my respect and gratitude. I wish him happiness.”
Since 2012, Lloris has played for Premier League side Tottenham, where he is also captain. He previously featured for Ligue 1 teams Nice and Olympique Lyonnais.
His former Spurs team mate Gareth Bale also announced his retirement from football on Monday.
-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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