International Football
RONALDINHO APPOINTED BRAZIL’S TOURISM AMBASSADOR
Former Brazilian football star, Ronadinho Gaucho has been appointed the country’s tourism ambassador despite a ban on him not to travel outside the country owing to unpaid environmental fine of £6.9m.
Spanish publication, Tribuna, published that the 39-year old was onThursday, announced by Brazil’s Travel and Tourism Institute as the country’s new Tourism Ambassador.
The organisation’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations Osvaldo Matos de Melo Junior has commented on the news:
“You take the case of Ronaldinho, a person who has almost 100m followers in his networks and voluntarily helps us at no cost for patriotism. This attitude is invaluable.
“Just by issuing a visa to countries like the United States and Canada, we have already had over 200 per cent increase in demand for our country. We will increasingly invest, even in intelligence, to achieve our goals.”
The 2002 World Cup winner has also briefly reacted to the new role:
“Tourism is very important for generating jobs and regaining our image internationally.”
The curious part here is that Ronaldinho is not allowed to leave Brazil at the moment. The 39-year-old’s passport was seized due to several debts including an unpaid environmental fine.
The former Barcelona playmaker and his brother were found guilty of illegally building a fishing trap at Lake Guaiba without having a necessary licence. A £6.9m fine the duo received in 2018 is still unpaid.
Ronaldinho was part of the Blaugrana team in the period between 2003 and 2008. In five seasons at Camp Nou, the Brazilian magician made 207 appearances, scoring 94 goals and winning five trophies, including two La Liga titles and a Champions League.
In 2005, one of the most unique artists in the history of the game claimed the most prestigious individual award in football – the Ballon d’Or as the undisputedly best player of the year.
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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