International Football
Hungary condemn England to worst home defeat since 1928
Hungary humiliated England 4-0 away on Tuesday to go top of their Nations League group and hand the hosts their worst home defeat for 94 years in a competition Gareth Southgate’s side had hoped would be a morale-boosting warmup for the World Cup.
Southgate made nine changes from the team that drew with Italy at the weekend to give some fringe players a chance. But despite dominating possession, England created few chances and the experiment backfired against a Hungary team who beat them in Budapest earlier in the month and were out for blood again.
“Tonight is a chastening experience,” Southgate said, after last year’s national heroes as European Championship finalists were booed off at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton.
Hungary’s Roland Sallai began the rout when he controlled the ball on his knee after a miscued header from John Stones before drilling past Aaron Ramsdale in the 16th minute.
Sallai scored a second in the 70th minute with a perfect finish with the outside of his boot after Kalvin Phillips lost a tackle. Zsolt Nagy chipped Ramsdale and Daniel Gazdag drove from distance into the corner for two late goals that heaped pain on England.
Adding to their disastrous night, England defender Stones was sent off for two yellow cards.
Southgate said he had picked a young, experimental team, heavy on attacking talent, which left his side exposed when the game turned against them.
“That’s my responsibility at the end of the day.
We couldn’t keep flogging our best players … But I think I’ve given too much for them to do tonight. I understand the reaction to that in the stadium,” he said.
“I’m not going to say that it doesn’t hurt … We’ve seen that you’ve got to be at full strength. It was an important experience for young players across this tranche of games.
“This group of players have been unbelievable for the country and it’s important that they stay with them,” added Southgate, who also led England to a World Cup semi-final in Russia in 2018.
KANE: ‘NIGHT TO FORGET’
The result left Marco Rossi’s tough Hungary side top of Group A3 on seven points, with England in fourth and bottom spot on two points. Germany are second on six points after winning 5-2 against Italy, who are third on five points.
With two games left, the group winners go to the Nations League finals next June while the bottom team are relegated.
England captain Harry Kane, who provided some of England’s few moments of quality and hit the bar with a header, acknowledged his side’s second half capitulation was “unacceptable” but also urged fans to be forgiving.
“It’s our first big defeat in a long time. It’s not time to panic, it’s time to keep our heads up,” he said.
“A night to forget but we have to take it on the chin and move forward, prepare for a big World Cup, and we’ll learn a lot … Let’s not forget where we’ve come from. It’s not going to be perfect every game.”
After narrowly losing last year’s Euros to Italy, England have high hopes for the Qatar World Cup at the end of this year. But their dismal form in the Nations League has baffled fans, with some pundits pointing to player exhaustionafter the rigours of the Premier League and other competitions for many.
It was the first time England had lost a home match by four or more goals since March 1928 when Scotland beat them 5-1. And it was the first time an away team had scored four goals against England since the Hungarians themselves won 6-3 1953.
Hungary did not qualify for the World Cup.
-Reuters
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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