International Football
JOACHIM LOEW FIELDS GERMAN DEBUTANTS, AGAINST MESSI-LESS ARGENTINA
In what could easily pass as a replay of the 2014 World Cup final match, Germany and Argentina are set to clash in a friendly match on Thursday in Dortmund.
But the setting is different as Marcos Rojo, the scorer of the winning goals against Nigeria in 2014 World Cup and 2018 clash in Russia will be the only survivor of the match.
Argentina will be without their inspirational Lionel Messi. Germany on the other hand will hand out several debutants.
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Like the Germans, Argentina will do without some big names in Dortmund, where only two-thirds of tickets have been sold for the friendly.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Angel di Maria and Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero have been left out of the Argentina squad, while playmaker and captain Messi is suspended.
The 32-year-old Barcelona superstar is serving a three-month ban after accusing governing body Conmebol of “corruption” at the Copa America, where his team finished third.
The German camp has been forced into a reshuffle with 13 players dropping out for illness or injury.
“It is rare to have so many absences. It will be difficult to expect great things when it comes to the line-up, but you can expect seriousness and commitment,” assured Loew.
“It will be difficult to have high expectations from the team, but they will be engaged and serious because Argentina are tough opponents.”
The 59-year-old admitted wanting to use the match to test out combinations with an eye on Euro 2020, “but we won’t be able to do that now”.
Key midfielders Toni Kroos of Real Madrid and Man City’s Ilkay Guendogan are both injured, while a knee knock means there is a question mark over Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus.
As a result, Loew has called up defender Robin Koch from Freiburg and midfielder Sebastian Rudy, who played a key role in Hoffenheim’s shock 2-1 win at Bayern Munich on Saturday.
With defenders Matthias Ginter, out with a shoulder injury, and Jonathan Tah, who has a cold, also missing, Loew will test new players.
Hertha Berlin defender Niklas Stark will start, as will Freiburg forward Luca Waldschmidt, in for first-choice striker Timo Werner, who also has a cold. Joining the uncapped list are Leverkusen midfielder Nadiem Amiri and Schalke 04 midfielder Suat Serdar.
In the Argentinian camp, coach Lionel Scaloni will be without River Plate and Boca Juniors players involved in the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores.
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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