International Football
BREAKING NEWS! WORLD CUP WINNER, NIGERIA ’99 HERO IKER CASILLAS, SUFFERS HEART ATTACK
World Cup winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas has on Wednesday suffered a heart attack while training with Portuguese clubside, Porto.
The 37-year-old goalkeeper, who won football’s greatest prize with Spain in 2010, was taken to hospital and is reportedly in a stable condition.
Casillas was also in goal for Spain during the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria. Spain won the competition.
According to reports from British Daily Mail, had been working at Olival, Porto’s training facility, in preparation for their league encounter with Aves this weekend.
According to Portuguese radio station RTP, Casillas suffered a myocardial infarction – colloquially known as a heart attack – at Porto training, but was treated quickly and is not in immediate danger.
He remains in hospital and is not expected to feature again for Porto in the remainder of their Primeira Liga season.
Porto confirmed the worrying news on Twitter, with the message: ‘Always together! Strength, Iker!’, along with an image of Casillas with fans at his unveiling after signing for the club.
Casillas burst onto the scene when he made his debut for boyhood club Real Madrid as a teenager in 1999. He remained at the Bernabeu for the following 16 years.
During his club career he has won the Champions League three times – with Real in 2000, 2002 and 2014. He also won five La Liga titles and two Copa del Reys.
His crowning achievement came in 2010 when he became the first Spanish captain to lift the World Cup, after they beat Holland 1-0 in the final in South Africa.
Playing every minute of Spain’s seven games, Casillas conceded just twice, and kept clean sheets in all four of their knock-out matches.
He was central to the dominant Spain side of the era, winning both Euro 2008 and Euro 2012. He is his country’s record appearance holder, with 167 caps.
Casillas moved to Porto in 2015 and helped them win the Portuguese league title last season. He remains their No 1 goalkeeper and played both legs of the Champions League quarter final defeat to Liverpool last month.
Tributes and well-wishes have been sent from around the world of football, including by one of his successors as Real goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.
His former Real team mate, Sergio Ramos, tweeted three praying emojis, while fellow goalkeeper Loris Karius said he was ‘shocked at the news’.
Pepe Reina, who was a team mate of Casillas in the Spain 2010 World Cup squad, tweeted a picture of the two goalkeepers embracing.
He wrote: ‘With that heart so big I have no doubt that everything will be OK brother. Much courage!’, along with a heart emoji.
Casillas is married to Spanish sports journalist Sara Carbonero. They have two children – Martin, five, and Lucas, two.
International Football
Former Chelsea manager, Pochettino takes over US men’s team
Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has been named new coach of the United States men’s team, U.S. Soccer announced on Tuesday.
Pochettino, who parted ways with Premier League side Chelsea in May after one season in charge, will take the reins of the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The Argentine, a former Paris St Germain and Tottenham Hotspur manager, said his decision to join U.S. soccer was not just about football, but about the journey the country was on and he could not pass up the opportunity.
“The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here – those are the things that inspired me,” he said in a statement.
“I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together, we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of.”
U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker said Pochettino was a “serial winner with a deep passion for developing players”.
“His track record speaks for itself, and I am confident that he is the right choice to harness the immense potential within our talented squad. We are thrilled to have Mauricio on board as we embark on this exciting journey to achieve success on the global stage.”
The U.S. have been without a permanent coach since a humiliating early exit from the Copa America on home soil in July led to the sacking of Gregg Berhalter after his second stint as head coach.
The 51-year-old boss was first appointed in 2018 and led the Americans to the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, but just weeks later found himself embroiled in a bitter public row with one of the team’s brightest emerging talents, Gio Reyna.
U.S. Soccer’s search for a new coach when Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of 2022 included names such as Canada coach Jesse Marsch, but they ultimately rehired Berhalter in June last year with the full support of the players.
However, it proved unsuccessful as the U.S. failed to progress beyond the group stages of the Copa America after a shock 2-1 defeat to Panama and a crushing 1-0 loss to Uruguay.
Pochettino will take over after Mikey Varas, who has been appointed interim coach, oversaw friendlies against Canada last Saturday and New Zealand on Tuesday.
The U.S. drew 1-1 with New Zealand in Cincinnati after Christian Pulisic’s goal was cancelled out by Ben Waine’s late equaliser.
The U.S. will next play friendlies against Panama on Oct. 12 and Mexico three days later.
-Reuters
International Football
BREAKING – Video: Osimhen accepts to join Galatasaray
At last, Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen is out of the limbo. He has accepted to join Galatasaray on loan.
He is now asking for a release clause at Napoli to become €75m instead of €130m
He also wants a break clause for January in case top clubs approach him over move.
The final points are being discussed. He has been videoed celebrating with the Turkey club’s fans.
International Football
Uruguay striker Suarez to play last international match on Friday
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez announced his international retirement on Monday, ending a 17-year career with his national team as their top scorer with 69 goals.
The 37-year-old, who has 142 caps for his country, made his international debut in 2007 and was key in the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup and won the Copa America a year later.
“Friday will be my last match with my country’s national team,” an emotional Suarez told a press conference.
“The fact that is my decision to retire and that I’m not retired because of injuries or that they stop calling me for one thing or another, that gives me a lot of comfort, it helps me individually.
“It’s difficult but it gives me peace of mind that until the last game I have given my all, and that flame has not been extinguished little by little,” the striker added.
Uruguay take on Paraguay at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo on Friday in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup before facing Venezuela four days later.
Suarez scored the stoppage-time goal against Canada that secured third place at the Copa America in July and the striker added that one of his aims was to show he could continue to contribute to the national team.
“My dream was for my children to see me win something important with the national team … that last goal was very nice for them and even though it wasn’t a trophy to take home, it was very nice for them,” he said.
“I wanted to show people again that I can continue to contribute to the national team and, well, I had the Copa America and yes, I could have done it (retired) perfectly after that, but having analysed the situation, I want to do it with my people, in my stadium.
“I want my children to live this experience. Saying goodbye with the people here is something that I don’t know if many have done.”
Suarez has already said Inter Miami will be his last club after joining the Major League Soccer side last year to reunite with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
-Reuters
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