International Football
Kane’s state of mind no concern to Conte after World Cup penalty pain
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has insisted Harry Kane will be in the right frame of mind when the England striker returns to Premier League action following his World Cup heartache.
Kane’s missed penalty late on against Spurs teammate Hugo Lloris was a key moment in England’s 2-1 quarter-final loss to France.
However, Conte expects his star player, who has 12 league goals this term, to put that disappointment behind him now that he is back on club duty, starting with Monday’s clash at London rivals Brentford.
“No, honestly (I am not worried) because we’re talking about a world-class striker,” said Conte, who was part of the Italy squad that lost to Brazil on penalties in the 1994 World Cup final.
“In football you can have exciting moments and you can also have a moment where you are a bit disappointed because you missed a second penalty. The first he scored.
“I am not worried about him. I saw him very well in these two days with us.”
Tottenham are currently fourth in the table but eight points behind leaders Arsenal (37), having played a game more than their bitter north London rivals.
Conte’s contract is set to expire after the end of the season, although Spurs do have the option to extend it by 12 months.
When asked about the situation, he said: “I think I would like also in the future to not speak about this matter… because I think it is much more important the game we are going to play.
“In this case Brentford but what I can tell you is I’m really happy in the club, to work here. I have a really good relationship with the club.
“We talk every day, try to find in every situation the best solution but we have six months to stay together, to enjoy the situation and then we find, I repeat, the best solution. But I’m really happy here.”
Spurs will be without Argentina’s World Cup-winning defender Cristian Romero at Brentford, while Lloris will be named on the bench if he is involved at all, confirmed Conte.
Striker Richarlison is still three to four weeks out after picking up a hamstring injury during Brazil’s World Cup quarter-final shoot-out loss to Croatia.
The manager also said he is happy with the players he has but that the club will be active in the January transfer window if the right opportunity comes along.
“If there’s the opportunity to strengthen the squad, we’ll do something. You know what is our politics, we try to follow these politics to improve the team,” he said.
“The politics is about young players with not big salaries. We have to sign players who can stay in our vision of the club here.
“Otherwise, we’ll continue with these players. I’m happy with them.”
–Reuters/ AFP
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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