International Football
MO SALAH, SADIO MANE MAKE THE CUT FOR 2019 BEST FIFA MEN
Liverpool trio Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijkand Sadio Mane have being named on the 2019 Best FIFA Men’s Coach 10-man shortlist alongside fellow Premier League stars Harry Kane and Eden Hazard.
The England-based trio face stiff competition from other major European names, however, with the usual suspects Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo also earning a place among the ten selected players.
For the case of Van Dijk, Mane and Salah, the Reds stars played a major role in sealing Champions League glory for the fifth time, seeing off fellow Premier League rivals Tottenham 2-0 in the final, for whom Kane is awarded with a mention for his efforts.
Furthermore, Mane was instrumental in Senegal’s trip to the Africa Cup of Nations final, where they narrowly lost to Algeria.
The England forward notched 17 league goals with a further five in Europe’s biggest cup competition to be rewarded with a nod alongside now departed Hazard, whose 31 goal contributions last season earned him a big-money move to Real Madrid this summer.
Naturally, sealing the La Liga once again as top scorer and winning the European Golden Shoe, Messi is included, while Ronaldo enjoyed a fruitful first season for Juventus as he secured the Serie A crown with his new side and guided Portugal to UEFA Nations League success over the Netherlands.
Two of the players who featured heavily for the Dutch in that tournament were Matthijs de Ligt – who partnered Van Dijk in defence – and Frenkie de Jong.
The pair also played starring roles for their former club Ajax, winning a domestic league and cup double, and reached the Champions League semi finals, subsequently taking the next step in their careers with moves to Juventus and Barcelona respectively.
Finally, but most certainly not least, is Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.
It was another season of pure brilliance for the Frenchman, who secured the Ligue 1 crown as the division’s top scorer, off the back of lifting the World Cup with France in Russia last summer.
The fan vote will be equally weighted alongside the votes of other key members of the footballing community – namely journalists, national team coaches and captains. The three finalists for each award will be revealed at a later date
The winner will be announced at the annual FIFA Gala, this year held in Milan on 23 September.
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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