International Football
Sergio Aguero tearfully announces retirement
As earlier foretold, Argentina and Barcelona star player, Sergio Aguero on Wednesday announced his retirement from football.
The sad news comes just six months after Aguero joined Barcelona, moving to Camp Nou after a stellar decade spent at reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.
At the Etihad, the Argentina star became a bona-fide Premier League legend, also becoming the club’s record goal-scorer with 260 goals in 390 games, and winning five league titles.
The 33-year-old moved to Spain in the summer to team up with close pal Lionel Messi for the first time at club level – only to see Messi depart for PSG amid Barca’s financial issues.
And now Aguero’s own Barcelona career is at a premature end, following a heart scare during the first-half of Barcelona’s La Liga clash with Alavés in October.
Aguero fell to the turf, holding his chest while in discomfort as club medics rushed on. After a lengthy spell of treatment on the pitch, Aguero was able to stand up and walk out of action, the striker was then swiftly sent for cardiological tests.
Having seen the results of the tests, Barcelona stated how the Argentine would be sidelined for three months as he undertook a “diagnostic and therapeutic process.
Sadly, that process has been cut short as Aguero confirms his stunning, trophy-laden 18-year career will come to premature and unexpected end at the age of 33.
“I have decided to stop playing professional football, it is a very difficult moment, announced Aguero.
“The decision I have made, I have taken it for my health, because of the problem I had a month and a half ago.
“I was in the hands of the medical staff and they told me the best thing would be to stop playing.
“So 10 days ago I made that decision, I want to tell everyone I did everything possible to have some hope but there wasn’t much.
“I am very proud of the career I have had, I have always dreamt of playing football
“I never thought I would get to Europe, so I want to show my gratitude to everyone.
“From Atletico Madrid, who took a bet on me when I was 18 years old, to Manchester City, you all know how I feel about Man City, I’m very grateful they looked after me very well. I did everything the best I could there.
“And then everyone here at Barca. Everyone’s been incredible. It’s without doubt one of the best teams in the world. I’m very grateful.
“And then obviously the Argentinian national team. I’m very grateful for everyone here. People who worked with me. Also to my team-mates and most recently those at Barca.
“I think I always did my best to help them win. I want to thank my teammates who helped me to grow.
“I don’t know what awaits me in the next life but I know there are loads of people who love me. And I’m grateful to the press that are here.
“Most of them have treated me well! But no worries, it’s their work. I will remember all the amazing things, so thank you all.”
Speaking to reporters, he would add: “I feel OK right now. Obviously the first two weeks were really difficult.
“When they did the first physical test on me in the clinic, the medical staff called me to tell me there was a big possibility that I couldn’t keep playing.
“I tried to process it all. It wasn’t easy. I still process everything that the doctors told me straight up, ‘that’s enough.’ It took a few more days to process it all.
“Obviously it’s better happening now when I’m 33 rather than when I was younger.
“But like I said, I’m happy and proud of the career I’ve had. I’m fortunate it has happened to me now than rather than before. I’m happy for the career I’ve had.
“I think I can be happy. As I said, I think I did everything I could for myself and my clubs.”
Tributes have already poured in for a Premier League great, with Pep Guardiola in attendance at Camp Nou.
Joan Laporta, the Barcelona president sitting alongside Aguero, said: “I’m here next to you. It’s as if of all the teams you’ve played for are right here next to me. Atletico Madrid, Independiente, City, Argentinian FA. Spanish football FA as well.
“Sergio I think as we just saw on the video, we are left with the joy and excitement of what you could have been here at Barca. You have all our support and anything you need from your condition you can have it.
“For all the clubs, everywhere you’ve played, you’ve achieved so much. The friendships you’ve made.
“We would have liked you to come here earlier and now a new journey awaits and I hope that it would be just as successful and we wish you all the best, Sergio.”
Manchester City tweeted: “King Kun. Everyone at Manchester City would like to take this opportunity to thank Sergio Aguero for his incredible contribution to our success over the last decade and wish him well in his retirement.”
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarek added: “The facts speak for themselves – Sergio is quite simply the most ruthless striker in the history of the Premier League.
“It is extraordinary that his statistics, more reflective of two careers, are in fact those of a player whose time in the game was cut short.
“His impact lives not only in the club that we are today, but in the club that we will be for many years to come. He has earned the adoration of the City family, and the respect of the football family the world over.”
Aguero’s former Man City boss Roberto Mancini sent his well-wishes at an award ceremony in Italy recently.
“I’m very sorry, I wish him the best of things,” Mancini said at the Gran Gala Gazzetta Awards. “I’m so sorry to see him leaving so soon.
“I wanted him at City, he’s the foreigner with the highest goal average in England.
“I’m sorry he has to leave football so soon.”
In five games at Barcelona, Aguero notched just one goal for the Blaugrana – but in trademark fashion, it did come in the biggest game of all as he notched in El Clasico – albeit a consolation as Real Madrid claimed a 2-1 win.
Aguero played 101 times for his country during a 15-year international career, scoring 41 goals.
International Football
Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat
Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.
Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.
FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.
Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.
By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.
Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.
“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.
“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”
LONGER HALFTIMES
Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.
“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.
“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”
The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.
“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.
FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.
“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.
“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”
FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.
“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.
-Reuters
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Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.
Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.
“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.
“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”
Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.
After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.
-Reuters
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International Football
From garbage collector to Starman of Ancelotti’s Brazil team: the story of Ribeiro
“I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me.!” Alex Ribeiro
Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1999) was, until a few days ago, a semi-unknown to the general public in Brazil.
However, Carlo Ancelotti, impressed by his strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, insisted on calling up the Lille centre-back… and giving him his debut.
Not only that. He started alongside Marquinhos against Ecuador (0-0) and Paraguay (1-0) and helped the Seleçao keep two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the qualifying rounds.
Alex, as he likes to be called, impressed with his 1.92 meters (6′ 1″) frame and confidence. According to ‘R10Score’, he was the Brazilian player who completed the most actions with the ball (186) and the second with the most cuts (11).
He completed 154 of the 166 passes he made (92% accuracy) and won 12 of the 16 duels he was involved in: 5 of 7 at ground level and 7 of 9 in the air. “A gentleman defender,” boasted the official Ligue 1 Portuguese account.
His path to the elite wasn’t easy. “I don’t think you know this, but this is my first game as a professional in Brazil. Strange, isn’t it? There’s nothing better. To debut in Brazil like this, with a win and qualification,” he boasted after defeating Paraguay.
These first few days with Ancelotti have been unique; I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. I’ve responded well not only to myself, but also to the coach and the Brazilian people. I was able to demonstrate my ability to those who had doubts. Few people give me the opportunity that the manager has given me,” he insists
The Lille centre-back took his first steps in Flamengo’s youth system, where he even met Vinicius.
“When we played against Real Madrid, Vini came up to me and hugged me. He said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, brother.’ That inspired and motivated me even more,” he told ‘Globo Esporte’.
‘Fla’ cut him off. He had to make a living as a street vendor. He also collected trash, especially cans. “I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me, so I went to Europe to play in Portugal’s Third Division.”
Praiense (2018-20), Amora (2020-21), and Chaves (2021-22)—the latter already in the Second Division—were his springboard to Lille. The Bulldogs signed him in 2022-23 for €2 million. He has become a more than worthy successor to his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.
“Little by little, my name is spreading. My football is reaching everywhere. This includes Brazil,” he said before making his debut with the Seleçao. Now that he’s made it, he has another challenge: “I want to continue it.”
-Marca
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