International Football
ENGLAND’S DELE ALLI CELEBRATES 24TH BIRTHDAY IN ISOLATION
Pin the donkey and Twister might not be what you would expect a footballer to get up to on their birthday.
But for Tottenham star Dele Alli, he had to make do with what he had in his house as he celebrated turning 24-years-old.
The English midfielder shared what he got up to with his 7million followers on Instagram, looking slightly underwhelmed with how he spent his day in isolation
When he would normally be celebrating the day with friends and family, Alli is instead seen pictured having a barbecue, playing pin the donkey and Twister all by himself.
He does get into the spirit of the big day though wearing a birthday hat and having a drink.
Along with the picture he put up a caption saying ‘Isolation birthday #stayhome.’
Premier League football is currently on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and is not set to resume until April 30 at the earliest though this is likely to be pushed back.
Currently in the United Kingdom there have been over 78,000 reported cases with more than 9,000 deaths.
Speaking about the lockdown Alli said: ‘To be honest, it’s been very boring! I’ve just been sticking to the rules, trying to stay fit and healthy, trying not to get too bored,’ he explained.
I’m lucky because I love PlayStation so I get a lot of that in. So I’ve just been waking up, doing the gym sessions and team training.
‘I do a bit of that, do a bit by myself in the afternoon with gym sessions which are a bit different to what the teams needs and then it’s just trying to eat right, trying to keep active and socialise with friends and family via social media
Alli also praised the NHS saying: ‘What they are doing is amazing and, as the general public, we can’t thank them enough for what they are doing – it’s amazing to see,’ said the Tottenham midfielder.
‘We look at what they are doing and we appreciate how amazing it is.’
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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