United News of Bangladesh

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti is still coming to terms with his team's round-of-16 defeat to Norway in the World Cup. But as the 67-year-old Italian looks ahead to the next four years in charge, he plans to closely monitor youth-level players and Brazil's squad at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as part of an overhaul of the national team. In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press at the headquarters of the Brazilian soccer confederation in Rio de Janeiro, Ancelotti also said the five-time World Cup champions do not need to copy defending champions Spain or a powerful France side to win a record sixth title. "We don't need to copy — we need to learn where we can improve," Ancelotti said at the confederation's museum, which houses much of Brazil's national team silverware. "Some positions are well-covered, both in defense and attack. We are looking for improvement and development among the midfielders. And the Olympics could be a crucial moment (to find players)," he said. Ancelotti, who returned to Brazil on Sunday, has heard plenty about the Tokyo Olympics gold-medal match since taking charge. Five years ago, Brazil beat Spain 2-1 to retain the title. Eight Spanish players from that match, along with coach Luis de la Fuente, have since become World Cup winners. Brazil, however, took only midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and striker Matheus Cunha to the 2026 World Cup. "We are in contact with the U-15, U-17, and U-20 coaches to identify talent and track their progress, ensuring they are prepared for the next World Cup," Ancelotti said. "Four years ago, Rayan was playing U-17. It is vital to look at youth development now so that by 2030 we have another generation of players progressing like him," he said. Many Brazil fans may not be willing to wait that long, as they often expect star players to deliver and take leading roles wherever they play. But Ancelotti said the approach he is planning will be different. "At this moment, football doesn't need one single star — we need to reinforce the concept of the team," he said. "Brazil doesn't have a single reference point right now, and it doesn't need one. We have many great players. The goal is to build a strong, cohesive team." New path for Brazil begins in September Three friendlies — two against Australia in September and another against India in October — will mark the beginning of a new cycle for Brazil's first full-time foreign coach. Ancelotti knows pressure will remain high through the 2028 Copa America. He said a combination of players who make the continental tournament squad and younger players who travel to Los Angeles could form the core of Brazil's 2030 World Cup team. Striker Neymar, who was included in Ancelotti's squad for this summer's tournament despite serious doubts over his fitness, is not part of the coach's plans going forward. The 34-year-old star said earlier this week that he believes his time with the national team is over. "That's part of the natural trajectory of a great talent like Neymar," Ancelotti said. "It is like it is for others who finish an important time with the national team. We spent little time together, but I have only good things to say. He was serious, professional, he helped in whichever way he could. Too bad he had this injury that did not allow him to be 100% since the first game." Ancelotti said his decision to remain Brazil coach until 2030, while turning down an offer from the Italian soccer federation to coach the national team he once played for, "has nothing to do with contracts, it has to do with commitment." Italian soccer officials had considered Ancelotti for the position, which ultimately went once again to Roberto Mancini. "The Brazilian soccer confederation has always supported me, especially after the defeat against Norway," Ancelotti said in his increasingly fluent Portuguese, which he has learned from a teacher and a language app. "The commitment I have is because of the reception I had here this year," he said. Ancelotti has experienced the pain of losing a World Cup final with Italy — against Brazil in a penalty shootout in 1994, when he was an assistant coach of the Azzurri. But he said the latest defeat hurts more, although it has also broadened his outlook toward 2030. "It is a tough time to digest this defeat. I was used to defeats at clubs because you can seek payback quickly. Now I have to wait. Sometimes I think about the defeat more than usual," Ancelotti said. "You have to have the strength to have an eye in the past and another one in the future. Each day that goes by I am thinking more about the future than the past."

Two friendly football matches featuring adolescent boys and girls were held in Kurigram on Wednesday to promote football among young people and build enthusiasm ahead of the Prime Minister's Gold Cup National Football Tournament 2026. The matches were organised at Kurigram Stadium by the Kurigram District Sports Association under the patronage of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dinajpur. Board Chairman Prof Elias Ahmed attended the function as the chief guest. Speaking on the occasion, he said regular participation in sports and healthy recreation plays the most effective role in keeping young people away from drugs, terrorism and other forms of social degradation.

Roberto Mancini has been appointed for a second spell as Italy head coach, Italian Football Federation (FIGC) President Giovanni Malago announced on Tuesday. The 61-year-old succeeds Gennaro Gattuso, who stepped down earlier this year after Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, extending the country's absence from football's biggest tournament to three straight editions. Mancini previously coached Italy from 2018 to 2023, leading the Azzurri to the UEFA Euro 2020 title before resigning to take charge of Saudi Arabia's national team. Malago also confirmed former Roma coach Claudio Ranieri as the federation's new technical director. Italy's latest overhaul followed a 2-1 defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a World Cup playoff in March. The loss prompted the resignations of both former FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and Gattuso. The search for a new coach proved difficult after Malago was elected FIGC president in June. He appointed former AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini as technical director and former Brazil international Leonardo as an adviser to oversee the recruitment process. Italian media linked Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Mancini with the role, while Andrea Pirlo was reportedly close to being appointed before being removed from contention amid controversy over his ties to a Russian betting company. Maldini and Leonardo subsequently resigned just 16 days after taking up their positions. Mancini's first competitive matches in his second stint will come in the UEFA Nations League in September, with Italy drawn alongside France, Belgium and Türkiye.

Zinedine Zidane has been appointed France coach, the French Football Federation announced on Tuesday, taking over from Didier Deschamps after a 14-year run that included a World Cup title and two major tournament final appearances. Zidane, 54, had long been considered the leading candidate to replace Deschamps. He has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid in May 2021, where he won three consecutive Champions League titles and two LaLiga trophies. Deschamps, a former France teammate of Zidane, stepped down after this summer’s World Cup. He took charge in 2012 and guided France to the 2018 World Cup title, while also leading the team to the 2022 World Cup final and the Euro 2016 final. Zidane’s first matches as France coach will come in the UEFA Nations League this autumn. France are scheduled to face Türkiye, Belgium and Italy in the group stage, beginning with a match against Türkiye on Sept. 25. One of France’s greatest players, Zidane was the key figure in the country’s first World Cup triumph in 1998, scoring twice in the final against Brazil in Paris. He also helped France win Euro 2000 and was named the best player at the 2006 World Cup, where France lost the final to Italy. After retiring from playing in 2006, Zidane moved into coaching and quickly established himself among the game’s most successful managers. His Real Madrid team won three straight Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018, a feat no other coach had achieved in the competition’s modern era. France were among the favourites at this year’s World Cup but were eliminated by Spain in the semifinals before losing 6-4 to England in the third-place playoff.  

Luis Suárez converted an 81st-minute penalty to secure Inter Miami’s 1-0 victory over CF Montreal on Saturday night after Germán Berterame was injured and taken away in an ambulance following a collision. Berterame suffered the injury after colliding head-to-head with Montreal defender Efraín Morales. No immediate update on the 27-year-old forward’s condition was provided initially, but interim coach Guillermo Hoyos later said Berterame was conscious and recovering. “The blow was very strong but he is recovering,” Hoyos said after the match. Suárez calmly sent a low shot past goalkeeper Sébastien Breza to score his ninth goal of the season and sixth in his last three games, helping Inter Miami extend their winning streak to six matches. Goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo made two saves for Miami, recording his second clean sheet of the season as the club improved to 11-2-4. Breza made one save for Montreal, who dropped to 4-10-3. He made his second start of the season but is still searching for his first career shutout. Lionel Messi missed Inter Miami’s first two matches after the World Cup following Argentina’s runner-up finish. However, Brazilian midfielder Casemiro made his MLS debut for the club after a successful spell with Spanish giants Real Madrid. Inter Miami have now defeated Montreal in three consecutive meetings. Montreal have struggled since the World Cup break, scoring only one goal in three matches and posting a record of 0-2-1.

Atletico Madrid has completed the signing of South Korea international footballer Lee Kang-In from Paris Saint-Germain on a long-term deal, the Spanish club announced on Saturday. The 25-year-old midfielder has agreed to a contract that will keep him at Atletico until June 2031. While the club did not reveal the transfer fee, Spanish media reported the deal is worth between €35 million and €40 million euros ($39.8 million and $45.5 million). Lee represented South Korea at the FIFA World Cup, featuring in all three group-stage matches. However, the Asian side failed to progress to the knockout rounds after suffering two defeats. Born in Incheon, Lee moved to Spain at the age of 10 to join Valencia's youth academy. He went on to make 62 first-team appearances for the club before spending time at Mallorca. He joined French champions Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 and scored 16 goals in 124 appearances across all competitions during his two-year spell in Paris. Lee joins an Atletico side that finished fourth in La Liga last season and reached the Copa del Rey final. He is expected to strengthen the club's attacking midfield options following the departure of veteran forward Antoine Griezmann, Atletico's all-time leading scorer, who recently moved to Major League Soccer (MLS).

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha is set to join Chilean giants Colo Colo after signing an 18-month contract with the club. Aníbal Mosa, president of Blanco y Negro, the company that manages Colo Colo, confirmed the information. The 40-year-old shot to international prominence with a series of outstanding saves against leading teams, including eventual champions Spain and defending champions Argentina, becoming one of the tournament’s biggest surprises. Colo Colo welcomed the veteran goalkeeper on its social media platforms on Friday, posting, “Welcome. We’re waiting for you,” a message that generated widespread enthusiasm among supporters and football fans across Chile, where the national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Earlier, Aníbal Mosa, president of Blanco y Negro, the company that manages Colo Colo, confirmed that Vozinha, who was unattached during the World Cup, would travel to Chile in the coming days. “He will undergo the required medical examinations before being officially introduced at Estadio Monumental,” Aníbal Mosa, president of Blanco y Negro, the company that manages Colo Colo, told reporters, referring to Colo Colo’s home stadium in Santiago. Born Josimar Dias and widely known as Vozinha, the goalkeeper helped Cape Verde, the small island nation off Africa’s west coast, reach the Round of 32 before losing 3-2 in extra time to Lionel Messi’s Argentina. His World Cup performances also boosted his online popularity, with his social media following soaring from fewer than 50,000 to nearly 29 million.

Nicolas Otamendi announced his retirement from Argentina's national team on Thursday after an international career spanning more than 17 years. The 38-year-old said on social media that he departed with his "head held high" after 139 caps, a World Cup title and two Copa America crowns. "Today I have to write the hardest words of my entire career," he said in a social media post. "I dreamed from a very young age of wearing the Argentina national team jersey; it was the greatest privilege football ever gave me. I defended it with my soul, with pride, and with the responsibility of knowing what it means to millions of Argentines." Otamendi made his last appearance for Argentina in its 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday. Despite the disappointing end to his career, Otamendi said he would only take positive memories from his time with the Albiceleste. "Fate willed that my final match would be a World Cup final," he said. "It wasn't the result we wanted, but I leave with my head held high knowing that this group tried until the very last second. "I say goodbye with the peace of mind of having left everything out on the pitch. I never held back a single drop of effort, I never stopped believing, and I never stopped feeling that this jersey was the greatest honor of my life." Otamendi, whose club career has included spells at Porto, Manchester City, Valencia and Benfica, will continue playing with River Plate in Argentina's top flight.

Luka Modric will continue his playing career with AC Milan, as the Croatia veteran signed a new contract with the Rossoneri, the club confirmed on Thursday. Modric, who turns 41 in September, joined AC Milan last year after 13 seasons with Real Madrid. His original contract had expired on June 30. He had previously stated he would make a decision on whether to stay at the club or retire after the 2026 World Cup, where Croatia lost to Portugal and exited in the round of 32. "AC Milan is pleased to announce that Luka Modric has signed a contract for a further season, until June 30, 2027," read a club statement. "A key figure in the Rossoneri midfield since his arrival, Luka has brought his experience and quality to the service of the team, both on and off the pitch, with humility and great passion. One of the finest and most iconic players in world football, the Croatian will continue his journey in the Rossoneri shirt - with which he made 37 appearances and scored two goals last season - with the ambition to reach new, important milestones." The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner will continue to wear the No. 14 shirt next season.

Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho has joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan from Chelsea, moving to a Champions League club after a difficult campaign at Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old completed the switch on Thursday, just days after Aston Villa sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for a record fee for an English player. Garnacho, who previously represented Spain at youth level before choosing Argentina, was left out of Argentina’s World Cup squad. He has made eight appearances for the national team, including during their victorious 2024 Copa América campaign while he was still a Manchester United player. The winger spent only one season at Chelsea following his £40 million ($53 million) move from Manchester United. His arrival coincided with a turbulent period for the club, with coaches Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior losing their jobs as Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League despite winning the 2025 Club World Cup. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are preparing for their fifth season under manager Unai Emery after securing a fourth-place league finish and winning the Europa League title. Elsewhere in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest signed Austria midfielder Xaver Schlager on a two-year contract as a free agent after his deal with Leipzig expired. The 28-year-old Schlager started all four of Austria’s matches at the World Cup and will reunite with coach Oliver Glasner, whom he previously worked with at Wolfsburg. "This was another big reason why I wanted to come here," Schlager said after completing the move. The midfielder is expected to help fill the gap left by England international Elliot Anderson, who joined Manchester City earlier this month. Anderson’s transfer briefly became a record fee for an English player before Chelsea broke the mark by signing Rogers.