International Football
Former Super Eagles target, Eze credits Hodgson’s ‘insane wisdom’ for England call
Eberechi Eze who once trained with the Super Eagles as former NFF president, Amaju Pinnick made efforts to persuade him to switch his allegiance to Nigeria has credited the “insane wisdom” of veteran Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson for helping him earn a first call-up to the England senior squad
Eberechi Eze has credited the “insane wisdom” of veteran Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson for helping him earn a first call-up to the England senior squad.
The 24-year-old is part of England manager Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta away on Friday and at home to North Macedonia on Monday.
“I am very grateful to Roy for all he did in helping me regain form. He helped me massively with my mental state too,” winger Eze, who scored 10 Premier League goals last season, told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.
“He advises me all the time, he has insane wisdom.”
Hodgson, 75, returned to Crystal Palace after Patrick Vieira was sacked in March, and immediately guided them away from relegation danger.
London-born Eze suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury in May 2021 when he was close to an England call, setting his career back. But he impressed throughout the last campaign.
“You can see from what he did coming back how effective he (Hodgson) was. The influence he had on the players, the mindset and freedom we played with. That is something we hadn’t had for a while,” Eze said.
With two wins from two games, England are already firm favourites to win Group C and qualify for the finals in Germany and while Southgate is usually reluctant to tinker too much with his starting lineup, Eze could feature against Malta.
“Naturally there is always something you want next. I am grateful to be in this position,” Eze said when asked whether he was confident of making his debut.
“I have worked hard, no one has done me any favours as I deserve to be here.”
Eze will have team mate Marc Guehi for company during his international duty.
“He has been speaking to me a bit about it. He has helped a lot in terms of making me feel settled. It is all a good experience,” he said.
-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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