International Football
ASIAN CUP GOLDEN BOOT WINNER GETS SURPRISE PACKAGE FROM MESSI
Lionel Messi has once again surprised the world of football, reports Tribuna. However, he hasn’t scored or provided a brilliant assist this time.
He has just acted kindly towards a fellow striker, Qatar international Almoez Ali. The 22-year-old used to play for Cultural Leonesa, a Spanish club from the lower leagues.
Now he wins the Asian Cup Golden Boot award after scoring nine goals during the tournament.
Ali demonstrated outstanding performance during this winter’s Asian Cup as he led Qatar to the unprecedented result in their history – the victory in this tournament.
Only former Blaugrana Xavi, who has been plying his trade at Qatari side Al-Sadd since the summer of 2015, could predict their win.
Ali scored nine goals during the whole Asian Cup championship and was named the Player of the Tournament. He also received the Golden Boot award.
His goal in the final of the competition turned out to be the best one – it was an overhead kick which opened the scoring against Japan. Qatar would eventually win 3-1.
Messi sent a Barcelona jersey with Almoez Ali’s name on the
back who was the Golden Boot winner of the 2019 Asian Cup.
Messi had also signed the shirt before sending
it off to the 23-year-old.
The jersey was presented to Almoez by BEIN Sport
presenter, Ayman Jada.
Could Ali end up at Barcelona in the near future? In fact, he has already grabbed AC Milan’s interest. The player has recently admitted he hopes to join a European club, as per Reuters: “Of course, I look for European teams because in our league in Asia, not only in Qatar but in all of Asia, we know teams are weak and we see that at the World Cup. I hope to go out [to Europe] to learn and to come back for the World Cup in Doha in 2022.”
And what about Messi? The Argentinean sent the high-flying striker a signed Barcelona shirt with his – Ali’s! – name on it! The precious gift was given to the Qatar international by BeIN Sport presenter Ayman Jada during the talk show.
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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