International Football
Queiroz named as new Qatar coach
Qatar have appointed Carlos Queiroz as coach until the end of the 2026 World Cup, the country’s football association (QFA) said on Monday.
The Portuguese, who will be 70 on March 1, has been to the World Cup four times, three with Iran where he was in charge for nearly a decade in two different spells.
Queiroz takes over from Spaniard Felix Sanchez, whose contract was not renewed after Qatar lost all three of their group matches when they hosted the World Cup in November-December.
Queiroz left Iran after the team also failed to get past the group stage.
“Official: Carlos Queiroz is the new head coach for Al-Annabi,” the Qatar Football Association said on Twitter, using the national team’s nickname.
“We wish the Portuguese coach all the best with our national team.”
Growing speculation had linked Queiroz to the Qatar post after he said on his Instagram account last week that he was starting “a new journey” and thanked Iran fans for their “loyal” support.
Queiroz managed Iran at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He was in charge of Portugal in 2010 and led South Africa to qualification for the 2002 Finals, but stepped down before the tournament.
The Portuguese was also coach of the United Arab Emirates, Colombia and Egypt as well as Real Madrid and assistant to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
Queiroz takes charge of a side likely to need major rebuilding after coming in for stinging criticism over their World Cup performance.
Defender Abdelkarim Hassan left for Kuwait after being booted out of his Al Sadd side because of his reaction to the defeats.
The Qatar FA has threatened to block Hassan’s switch however, and the dispute could go to Fifa. Other national players have also been sanctioned since the World Cup.
–AFP
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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