World Cup News

“Mister, ma allora vai in Nazionale?”. Basta un sorriso senza risposta di Antonio Conte alla domanda di un detenuto, durante una visita al carcere di Poggioreale, per infiammare nuovamente il dibattito sul futuro dell'allenatore campione d'Italia, legato ancora al Napoli da un anno di contratto, ma fra i nomi in pole come nuovo ct azzurro. Un sorriso che scuote anche la lavagna dei bookmaker dove il tecnico del Bologna Vincenzo Italiano scende a 3,50, su Sisal, come possibile sostituto sulla panchina partenopea. Ma in quota spunta anche il nome di Fabio Grosso che, dopo una stagione convincente al timone del Sassuolo, paga 5,00 su Snai. Più indietro, a 10,00, la suggestione Enzo Maresca, ex allenatore del Chelsea con cui ha conquistato Mondiale per Club e Conference League.

Arne Slot has described Hugo Ekitike’s Achilles injury as a “devastating” blow, though the Liverpool boss is certain the forward will eventually return better than ever. Ekitike will miss the rest of the season, as well as France’s World Cup campaign, after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon. He sustained the injury in the first half […] The post Liverpool boss Slot says Achilles injury a ´devastating´ blow for Ekitike appeared first on Soccer News.

Johnny Cardoso will seek his first trophy lift as an Atletico Madrid player on Saturday. Cardoso and his Atletico Madrid teammates will take on Pellegrino Matarazzo‘s Real Sociedad squad in the Copa Del Rey Final in Seville. Atletico Madrid have hit a worrying run in La Liga play but remain alive for a first trophy ... Read more

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has made the big claim that he feels Hugo Ekitike can come back even stronger after the “devastating” news of his serious injury this week. DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CAUGHTOFFSIDE APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY The France international has started well at […] The post Arne Slot makes big claim about Hugo Ekitike after “devastating” injury for Liverpool star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Inter Milan’s attacking output has been extraordinary this season, and Gazzetta dello Sport have raised the tantalising question of what might have been in the Champions League had Denzel Dumfries and Marcus Thuram been operating at their peak. According to Gazzetta, via FCInterNews, Inter have scored 75 league goals after 32 games, a remarkable total […] The post Italian Media Hypothesise ‘What If’ Netherlands & France Stars Had ‘Been At Their Best’ For Inter Milan In Embarrassing UCL Exit appeared first on SempreInter.com.

L'Executive Director di EURO 2032 Italia: "L’unica possibilità per Milano è che il nuovo stadio venga alla luce"

Jean-Philippe Mateta is once again proving his value on the pitch for Crystal Palace, but questions about his long-term future at Selhurst Park are refusing to go away. The French striker has returned to scoring form after a difficult few months, yet uncertainty surrounding his contract and a collapsed transfer earlier this year means his […] The post Crystal Palace star’s long term future remains uncertain despite goal scoring return appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Secondo il Financial Times, anche i patron di Juventus e Milan sarebbero fra i soggetti interessati ad acquistare lo storico club brasiliano

And then there were four. Mac and Martyn attempt to make sense of another French failure against their arch nemesis but give some justified praise for an excellent West German defensive performance. Belgium did everything right for the best part of an hour before the real Diego masterclass from Mexico got underway. If you want weekly exclusive bonus shows, join our Nessun Dorma community chat, want your episodes without ads and a couple of days earlier or just want to support the podcast, then head over to ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/NessunDormaPodcast⁠⁠⁠ where you can subscribe for only $3.99 a month (less than 75p a week!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rayan Cherki may have won the humour and hearts of the majority of the Premier League but a former European Championship and FIFA World Cup winner thinks otherwise. Cherki had long been regarded as one of France’s top-rising talents at Lyon before he joined Manchester City last summer for £34 million, one of the greatest […]

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike (23) has been ruled out for the rest of the season and will miss this summer’s World Cup after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during Tuesday’s…

With this weekend’s fixtures getting underway on Friday night, we have some potentially season-defining showdowns from across the continent. As runaway Serie A leaders look to take another giant leap towards recapturing their domestic crown, we also have some notable battles from the likes of France and Germany. For those of you looking to stick […] The post April 17th: Friday’s European Double – 4/1 Special, Betting Tips & Predictions appeared first on Soccer News.

Hugo Ekitike described his Achilles tendon rupture as “unfair” after the Liverpool and France forward saw his World Cup dream dashed. The France Football Federation confirmed on Wednesday that Ekitike would miss this summer’s tournament in North America, after sustaining a serious injury in Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Ekitike looked distraught […] The post Ekitike rues ´unfair´ Achilles injury after World Cup dream dashed appeared first on Soccer News.

Séance de boxe pour l'attaquante aux 83 sélections, de retour de blessure ! Delphine Cascarino est désormais prête à apporter toute son énergie, lors du nouveau match face aux Pays-Bas, 4e acte des éliminatoires de la Coupe du Monde 2027. A Auxerre, c'est cette fois balle au pied qu'elle pourra tenter de placer ses crochets droits... Le match France-Pays-Bas sera à suivre samedi, dès 21h10 sur W9. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FFF : https://www.fff.fr Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/fff Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/FFF App mobile myFFF : https://l-fff.co/TVmyFFF EQUIPES DE FRANCE : https://www.fff.fr/equipes-de-france Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/equipedefrance Snapchat : http://po.st/SnapchatEdF Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/equipedefrance Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/equipedefrance App mobile Équipes de France : https://l-fff.co/TVEDF Coupe de France Crédit-Agricole : https://www.fff.fr/coupes Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/coupedefrancedefootball/?locale=fr_FR Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/coupedefranceCA L'Epopée d'Iso : https://www.youtube.com/@L%C3%89pop%C3%A9edIso CHAMPIONNAT NATIONAL : http://po.st/yTSGBt Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/nationalFFF CNF CLAIREFONTAINE : http://www.cnf-clairefontaine.com Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/fff Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/FFF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- La Fédération Française de Football (FFF) est une association loi de 1901 qui a pour mission: - d'organiser la pratique du football, sous toutes ses formes; - d’établir les règles techniques; - de délivrer les titres et gérer les sélections nationales; - de procéder à la délivrance des licences; - de définir et de mettre en œuvre un projet global de formation; - de défendre les intérêts du football français.

Paulo Fonseca arrived in Lyon after a negative experience at AC Milan, one that was not entirely his fault, but rather the fault of a nonexistent club, one of the worst in AC Milan’s history, and of a number of players who had never been with him from the start. Despite having proven himself a… The post How Paulo Fonseca got his groove back at Lyon first appeared on Breaking The Lines.

Despite already being a historic figure for Argentina, Lionel Scaloni could be set for a move after the 2026 World Cup. After their UEFA Champions League elimination, Real Madrid have reportedly decided to look for a new head coach, with the Argentine emerging as a clear candidate. Lionel Scaloni has managed to turn Argentina into one of the best national sides in the world. Not only did he lead them to the 2022 World Cup title, but he also built a highly competitive roster blending experience and youth. Despite this, his future with the national team remains unclear, as he has yet to renew his contract. Furthermore, he is reportedly emerging as a leading candidate to become Real Madrid head coach in a post-2026 World Cup move. According to Abraham P. Romero, via El Mundo, Los Blancos have decided to move on from Álvaro Arbeloa, as they believe he failed to get the most out of the current squad. As a result, they have chosen to rule out young, inexperienced candidates, instead focusing on those with world-class experience. In this context, Lionel Scaloni emerges as a clear candidate to take over the role after the 2026 World Cup. With a contract with Argentina running through the end of 2026, Scaloni may not face a difficult exit from the national team. After ending a 36-year drought without winning a World Cup title, he has become one of the best coaches in the world, building a roster with a good balance between experience and youth. However, he may not decide on his future until after the tournament, leaving Real Madrid without a clear answer for several months. While Lionel Scaloni managed to lead Argentina to a World Cup title, he has never had experience as a head coach at club level. His closest role came as an assistant to Jorge Sampaoli at Sevilla FC. Far from being a simple challenge, he could face the demanding day-to-day environment at Real Madrid, defined by sky-high expectations and little tolerance for trophyless seasons. With this in mind, Los Blancos are keeping four other alternatives on their shortlist. Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni. Not only Scaloni: Real Madrid reportedly chase four coaches After Carlo Ancelotti’s departure, Real Madrid made the risky decision to back Xabi Alonso, who had impressed at Bayer Leverkusen. However, he did not arrive with extensive experience managing star players, something that ultimately cost him his position. Nor has Álvaro Arbeloa proven to be the solution, as he failed to change the team’s reality. As a result, they are reportedly not only adding Lionel Scaloni, but also considering four other experienced candidates. Alongside Lionel Scaloni, Los Blancos have decided to add Didier Deschamps, who is set to leave France after the 2026 World Cup. While Jürgen Klopp is another clear favorite, he is not expected to leave the Red Bull GmbH group, but he will once again be tempted. Moreover, Mauricio Pochettino emerges as a surprise candidate, as president Florentino Pérez reportedly holds him in high regard, according to El Mundo. While the incident between Vinícius Jr. and Gianluca Prestianni cast doubt over his candidacy, José Mourinho is also considered among the options to coach Real Madrid, according to El Mundo. As one of the managers most beloved by the fanbase, the Portuguese could be key to getting this promising team back on track, having consistently shown his ability to manage big egos and leading los Blancos into a new era.

Serie A giants Inter Milan are reportedly planning to include Benjamin Pavard as a makeweight in a deal to sign Roma star Manu Kone. According to L’Interista, the Nerazzurri hope to drive the French midfielder’s price down by offering the Marseille loanee as a counterpart. Benjamin Pavard joined Les Olympiens on a season-long loan last […] The post Report – Inter Milan Consider Including France Defender As Counterpart In Deal To Sign Roma Midfielder appeared first on SempreInter.com.

Fresh from helping Bayern Munich reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Harry Kane was full of praise for his teammate, Michael Olise. The England captain lifted the lid on what he is really like behind the scenes, as well as his pursuit of greatness.

Didier ​Deschamps’ ‌side will host Northern Ireland at the Stade ‌Pierre-Mauroy in ​what will be its final ⁠fixture before heading to the World Cup.

Northern Ireland will face two-time world champions France in a friendly in Lille in the lead-up to the latter's World Cup campaign.

Just when you thought the Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain couldn’t get any more painful, the club has been hit with absolutely devastating news. Hugo Ekitike is officially set for a massive nine-month spell on the sidelines after suffering a catastrophic injury during Tuesday night’s second-leg defeat at Anfield. […] The post Liverpool confirm Hugo Ekitike update that fans were hoping to avoid appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool have confirmed that striker Hugo Ekitike has sustained a "serious" Achilles injury and will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup with France.

Liverpool have confirmed Hugo Ekitike has sustained a serious Achilles injury and will miss this summer's World Cup with France.

LIVERPOOL, England, April 16 - Liverpool's France striker Hugo Ekitike will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

By Martin Graham France boss Didier Deschamps has announced that striker Hugo Ekitike will miss the upcoming World Cup following a suspected Achilles injury suffered during Liverpool’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. The 23-year-old was carried off on a stretcher at Anfield, with early indications suggesting a lengthy spell on the […]

Liverpool confirmed Ekitike has ruptured his Achilles tendon with the France forward now set for a significant lay-off

Hugo Ekitike will miss the World Cup after suffering an injury against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Arriva l'ultima conferma sul gravissimo infortunio dell'attaccante, che non sarà a disposizione della Francia.

Ex AC Milan and Chelsea star Marcel Desailly believes Inter star Alessandro Bastoni should move to Barcelona and would lift the La Liga giants to the next level. Marcel Desailly argued that Alessandro Bastoni should move to Barcelona this summer if he had the chance. Furthermore, the former Marseille star believes that Bastoni would improve […] The post Ex AC Milan & Chelsea Star Desailly: “Inter Milan’s Bastoni Could Lift Barcelona To Next Level” appeared first on SempreInter.com.

Aut aut: allenatore oppure senior advisor?

Ai Mondiali disputati in Qatar, il capitano dell'Argentina ha superato le aspettative per immortalare la sua eredità nell'unico modo che gli mancava.

France national team manager Didier Deschamps has sent a heartfelt message of support to Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike after a serious injury ended his World Cup hopes. Ekitike has suffered a suspected Achilles injury, which could likely put him out of action for the next nine months, with Deschamps admitting it’s a “huge blow” for […] The post “Huge blow…” – Manager sends message to Liverpool star who’s set to miss World Cup appeared first on CaughtOffside.

L'ultima ricaduta fisica del serbo ha gioco-forza cambiato nuovamente le carte in tavola

Argentine youth developer Facundo Alvanezzi discusses his 11 years at FC Basel, his role in shaping stars like Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, and why fostering "hunger" and embracing mistakes is the secret to producing elite talent. Alongside the technological leaps of the 21st century, soccer has evolved through the implementation of new instruments and methodologies embraced by clubs across all levels of the game. Yet technology alone does not always translate into better players or better human beings. World Soccer Talk had the opportunity to sit down with Argentine youth developer Facundo Alvanezzi, who spent 11 years at Swiss club FC Basel between 2008 and 2019. Having trained in South America and studied the methods of some of Europe’s most renowned clubs, including FC Barcelona, AC Milan and Bayern Munich, Alvanezzi applied his knowledge to help produce elite talents such as Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabian Schär, among others. A former professional player in Argentina who also played in Italy, Alvanezzi began his coaching career at Aldosivi before departing for Basel in 2008. Moving from scheduled training sessions with limited soccer balls, “compensated by the amount of talent,” to an environment where every youth team trained on a heated pitch, had balls for every player, full kits and access to psychologists, nutritionists and other health professionals represented a dramatic shift in perspective. FC Basel and a commitment to youth development Already proficient in Italian from his playing days, Alvanezzi still had to immerse himself in the cultural and linguistic demands of his new environment, all in service of what he considers the cornerstone of his work: communication. In a single training session, he might move between Italian, French, and German while coordinating multiple groups of young players across state-of-the-art facilities designed to maximize their development. FC Basel’s U-14 squad. “A club like Basel worked with all 14 or 15 age groups all at the same time. The First Division had its own separate pitch. But for everything related to the youth levels from U21 down, everyone had their own respective pitch. Even the littlest ones, the 5 and 6-year-olds, had their own synthetic fields with dimensions suited for 5 or 6-year-olds. Just to give you an idea—no time was wasted there. In other words, time is utilized in a way that enriches you instead of being a deficit that hinders the development of future players.“ Alvanezzi then put into context the remarkable achievement of a small nation punching well above its weight. “You can’t forget that Switzerland has a population of between 6 and 7 million inhabitants, so the emerging talent back then was very scarce. They did an extraordinary market study so that today they have 17, 18, 19, and 20-year-olds—which didn’t happen before—playing and qualified for the next World Cup in the US, Mexico, and Canada. So, basically, everything related to infrastructure and planning… whether you like it or not, having that entire grid set up allowed me—as someone passionate about football who loves being on the pitch—to work peacefully. I knew I had my designated pitch to work with the U15s, the U16s, the U17s,” he added. The role of a youth developer and the cultivation of talent A fluent Spanish speaker, Alvanezzi describes himself as a “formador de juveniles,” a youth developer rather than a coach, drawing a sharp distinction between the two roles: “The developer (formador) teaches and builds; they earn very little, if anything at all. In terms of titles—U14s, U15s, the Reserves… I don’t care about those. The coach (entrenador) is there to train, to play, to compete, to get points, to win a domestic league, a Libertadores, a Euros, a Champions League, or a World Cup. They are two completely different things. That’s why there aren’t many coaches developing players, and there aren’t many developers coaching elite teams.“ Another key principle in his approach is trusting the creative instincts of young players rather than issuing directives, recognizing that the youth phase is when information can have the most profound impact. He pairs this with a cosmopolitan perspective while never abandoning his own core beliefs. Facundo Alvanezzi on the touchline. “In other words: at no point do I impose. I don’t impose knowledge, authority, or didactics—nothing. I seduce. Those are two completely different things. And I try to seduce through knowledge. Because when you have knowledge, you can ‘disarm’ the player; when you explain the how, the when, the where, and the why. Of course, when I go somewhere else, I adapt, but I cannot renounce my genes.“ When he arrived in Switzerland, Alvanezzi found himself surrounded by cutting-edge technology, GPS tracking and gym equipment, yet he remains committed to the idea of developing players “with a ball.” “In player development, I adapted to the systems, but with my own imprint. I carry the Argentine imprint everywhere. It’s this: I watch a player—how he walks—a 5-year-old, a 10, 15, or 20-year-old. I watch him walk. I throw him a ball. I watch him make a couple of touches—juggling in the air, a change of direction. And right then, I realize what that footballer might be capable of. Or not,” he explained. The value of mistakes in youth development Elite clubs increasingly measure the success of their youth teams by silverware, mirroring the pressure placed on the first team. But for Alvanezzi, perfection is not the goal. Forcing young players into rigid systems, he argues, sends them to the first team with significant blind spots, and he views the ability to make mistakes as one of the most valuable learning tools available. “Here are players I can ask to play a football of possession and position. And then there are footballers to whom I have to say, ‘You: control the ball, don’t carry it, and pass it to a teammate.’ Meanwhile, for another player—because I go against the establishment and the system—,” Alvanezzi said. “I believe one of the virtues I have in this vocation of developing players is that I value the error. From the error, I create the virtue of the success. In the context of teaching, I don’t criticize the player; I seduce him. ‘But what if I struggle, I lose the ball, it’s hard for me, and they score on us?’ And what’s the problem? I don’t want my trophies and medals hanging in my house. What good are they to me? If, in the end, I didn’t get any player to move up to the First Division. If I didn’t develop a single player for the first team,” he added. Alvanezzi, who says he has not a single medal or trophy displayed in his home, considers the players he has helped reach the elite level to be his true honors: “Now, my ‘medals’ are an average of 45 to 50 players who reached the top level. Especially at Basel. We had a coach like Thorsten Fink, who helped us a lot and used to play for Bayern Munich. He helped us bring up kids at 16 or 17 years old. I had the pleasure of training players like Yann Sommer, Granit Xhaka, Shaqiri, Breel Embolo, Noah Okafor, Fabian Schär , Eray Cömert, Neftali Manzambi, Raoul Petretta, Cedric Itten—an immense number of players. Those are the medals one gets to hang up.“ He then stressed that the developer’s job demands patience and an embrace of the mistake. “They need to learn to play with the right foot, with the left foot, and have a lot of contact with the ball. When I arrived at Basel and asked for—for example, the squads there are 18 players—I asked for no less than one ball per player. At first, they just looked at me. ‘Why one ball per player?’ Because, what did I achieve over the years? That in an hour and a half, the players went from an average of 200 touches in a standard session… once I integrated the technical and game-based training, that multiplied to 1,400 daily touches with the ball. The more touches you have, the more you polish the errors.“ In an environment dominated by innovation, Alvanezzi believes the fundamentals are often left behind, and his street soccer mentality changed the culture at Basel. “In Europe, ‘soccer practice’ (11v11) doesn’t exist. From Monday to Friday, it’s all small-sided games. Everything. So when I got to Basel, imagine the resistance from the other coaches. They told me, ‘No, Facundo, you’re crazy. The players will get injured; we don’t do that here; everything is small-sided.’ “And I told them, ‘The 11v11 is the symptom for Saturday or Sunday; it’s how you know which player you can count on and which one you can’t. You might think you can count on someone, but on a full pitch, it becomes too big for them, and they become completely disorganized. We need a parameter.’ Well, I implemented it at Basel until it became their own ‘modus operandi’ that on Thursdays, we did the 11v11 practice. The teams started improving exponentially because they were finally playing football not in a 20×20 or 30×30 space, but in 100×65—which is where real football is played,” he added. ‘Hunger’: the defining trait of the players who made it Among the many stars Alvanezzi has helped develop, a common thread runs through the backstories of those who reached the highest level: adversity. Both Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka were born and raised in a disintegrating Yugoslavia amid violence before finding asylum in Switzerland. Breel Embolo‘s path was similar, leaving Cameroon with his family before settling in France and eventually Switzerland. That contrast between their upbringing and those of more comfortable peers is precisely what Alvanezzi calls “hunger,” the spark that gave them a decisive edge. “From an early age, when you watch them train—unlike the vast majority of Swiss youth developers who never experienced need—these were kids of struggle. They are born, raised, and developed out of hardship. So, the only possibility they had to emerge—unlike other great Swiss talents I had at Basel who didn’t make it—they weren’t going to make it because they lacked that ‘hunger.’ That potentiality of saying, ‘Through soccer, I am going to help my family; I am going to emerge; I am going to be somebody.‘” Alvanezzi then reflected on the social realities that shaped Xhaka, Shaqiri and Embolo. “They lacked even the most basic conditions in an elite, first-world country. They were segregated because they weren’t Swiss. They are three starters for the Swiss national team who have played in World Cups, but Breel is from Cameroon, and the other two are Kosovar. When society wasn’t integrating them, but they were useful to the national team football-wise, they nationalized them.“ Alvanezzi with Neftali Manzambi, Breel Embolo, and Charles Pickel. He then illustrated how that hunger translates into a measurable competitive advantage. “Genetically, all of that plays in their favor, 80 or 90% more than the well-off Swiss player… That “plus” works in your favor. While they came to training on foot or by tram, the vast majority of players of Swiss origin came every day with their fathers in a different car—a Mercedes-Benz, a Porsche… That factor of having nothing missing ends up working against you. Since you have everything, what am I going to be ambitious about? Playing in a World Cup? I’m not interested. Reaching the first team? If I make it, I make it, and if I don’t, I still have everything,” he stated. A memorable trip to South Africa In 2010, following the World Cup in South Africa, Alvanezzi traveled to the country for fifteen days representing the Swiss U15 national team with Basel at the Danone Nations Cup, competing against teams from Japan, Argentina, China, England, Italy and others. What left the deepest impression on him, however, was not the competition itself but the cultural awakening it triggered among his Swiss players and the youth developers around them. “They didn’t know what it was like for a kid not to have a cell phone, or to walk around barefoot. They couldn’t understand why colored people sat at one table and white people at another because of the legacy of apartheid. All the Swiss kids traveled with the latest cell phones. They would leave half of their plates full of food. And 50 meters away, at the fence in a gated area of the complex, local kids would come to beg for food,” he recalled. FC Basel youth squad in 2010 Danone Cup. “Along with several other Latino coaches, I would gather the leftover food and give it to them. It reached the point where FIFA was going to fine me, because they said I wasn’t allowed to feed the people. And I told them: ‘Why not? It’s the most important thing; they’re hungry. The only one who understood it on that trip was Breel Embolo,” Alvanezzi added. Talent, mentality and the cohesion of a group One of the most enduring debates in sports is whether the right mentality can outshine raw talent through sheer hard work, or whether that notion is simply wishful thinking. For Alvanezzi, the two qualities are not in competition but are complementary, with every player on a team assigned a specific purpose that allows both to coexist. Using the contrasting examples of Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki, one a physical force of nature, the other a pure embodiment of technical brilliance, he illustrates how different profiles can coexist within the same system “They are complementary and different at the same time. You can link this to the aspect of mental construction. Mentality is also something you develop. If I convince you that in three years you have to improve your heading or your left foot, and you end up doing it in a match to stop a counter-attack… that is mentality,” Alvanezzi stated. “When you see Haaland playing with his back to the goal, he looks like an average player; put him facing the goal, and he’s an animal. He hides his deficit in back-to-goal play—and tries to do it as little as possible—but he has an above-average mentality that allows him to fail ten times and try again. Cherki, on the other hand, relies entirely on his talent. He has a different mentality, but he understood that to stay at the elite level, he must not interpret that (reliance on talent) as a fragility,” he added. While Alvanezzi acknowledged that mental strength is partly something “you bring it with you, but you can also incorporate it,” he was equally quick to point out that he has seen players with extraordinary talent but no capacity for hard work, and others with far less natural ability but the psychological resilience to make it to the top. Bridging that gap, he argues, is just as much the developer’s responsibility as any technical instruction. “Mental construction is also developed. If I talk to you and try to seduce and convince you of your errors with respect, you will be more receptive. Today, kids are given 20 hours of leisure time outside of training, and we don’t teach them how to think. But to develop players, you must be emotionally well-constituted and rationally grounded. If you aren’t vocational and emotional, you cannot develop players; you should do something else.“ Beyond individual qualities, Alvanezzi insists that everything must be considered through the lens of the collective, where a single weak link can unravel even the most talented group: “The developer has to work with a clear idea and a common goal. The ‘mind’ of the team, 90% of the time, has to be uniform. If it isn’t uniform, the group disintegrates, no matter how much talent you have.“ “If mentally you are thinking ‘white’ and I am thinking ‘black,’ and we have to play with a red ball, but neither of us wants to yield, it means we aren’t complementary. Individualism and egocentrism generate a very large negative impact. We all row to reach the shore and save ourselves; it can’t be that one rows right and another rows left, leaving us in the high seas until a wave drowns us,” Alvanezzi concluded. Stress: the invisible enemy of athletes As in any high-performance discipline, stress management has become one of the defining challenges in modern soccer, a sport that has seen its fixture calendar grow to near-unsustainable levels. “Players today have an enormous match load. They play 80, 90, 100 matches a year. In my era, that didn’t exist. And that carries an enormous physical, mental, and psychological toll, which is one of the many reasons why footballers get injured. Everything is connected. And if the head isn’t right, the body will never be right,” Alvanezzi stated. Xherdan Shaqiri of Basel (Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images). With stress affecting muscles, tendons and bones alike, conventional metrics like GPS data and weight measurements become meaningless when the mental aspect is ignored, he argues. “A player will always tell you they are at 100%. I liked, and I still like, for the player to train at 50% or 60%. If a kid trains at 100% five days a week and then tries to play at 200% on the weekend, they end up getting hurt. Sooner or later. It’s a universal law.“ These pressures are not confined to the professional game, extending deep into the youth system as well. “Let’s take away the weights, take away the GPS, work more on the mental side, and talk to the footballer. When a footballer tells you they want to stay 60 minutes longer after training… ‘No. Go home. Rest. Eat well. Take a nap. Look after yourself. Read, watch a movie. Relax. Do yoga. Meditate.’ But for all of that, you have to talk, and you have to be prepared,” he stated. Alvanezzi also addressed the lack of preventive awareness he has observed at the youth level: “That’s why I like it when a player comes and tells me: ‘This and that is happening to me.’ ‘Don’t worry. You’re not playing this match; you’re going to train at 50%.’ I’d rather give you two weeks of rest than have it be six months of forced leave due to a ligament tear. Today, there is no prevention because we, the developers, aren’t prepared to prevent; we are competitive, egocentric beings who want to win everything, forgetting that we don’t play anymore.“ U.S. soccer and MLS evolution: the legacy of 1994 Through friends living and working in the United States, and despite acknowledging that his English is far from perfect, Alvanezzi has been able to witness a genuine transformation in the country’s soccer culture, one he traces directly back to the 1994 World Cup, when MLS was widely seen as nothing more than a retirement league. That perception, he says, has been thoroughly dismantled. “Today, football in the US—I’m not saying it competes head-to-head with baseball, basketball, or ice hockey—but it has gained a very prominent position. It’s no coincidence that Lionel Messi, the most emblematic figure in world football today, is playing in MLS. Players who before, as you said, came perhaps for a final retirement to spend their last seasons in a low-caliber competition, find it’s a different world now. It has grown so much that renowned players prefer to come to MLS rather than go to a country in the Middle East or Asia.“ While acknowledging that MLS remains a league in the midst of its evolution, Alvanezzi offered a measured timeline for when it could fully establish itself at the highest level. “The evolution in terms of the training and qualification of the coaches and developers is very good. I have excellent references. Like any expanding football in a developmental stage, I think it will take them another 5 to 10 years to consolidate. It usually takes 10 to 15 years for a major league to stabilize and reach an international competitive level. They are currently in that developmental process from every point of view,” he stated. The influence of Latinos in U.S. soccer Once considered a secondary destination for professional development, the United States has transformed into a country that offers genuine, high-level opportunities for coaches and developers alike. That growth has been driven in part by soccer’s surging popularity, the influence of the Latino community, and high-profile figures like Lionel Messi and David Beckham, who have brought the sport to new audiences across the country. Lionel Messi greets David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami CF (Elsa/Getty Images). “There are many Latinos and Argentines working in development at important clubs and academies. It is expanding in a very interesting way. They take the culture they don’t have—they are very pragmatic in that sense. Whatever they lack, they acquire it. Don’t ask me how, but they go after it. If they don’t have a qualified scientist, they go find one in Germany, Norway, or Sweden and bring them to their country to make it evolve. They do exactly the same with soccer.“ For youth coaches specifically, the shift in available resources has been nothing short of transformative. “They start from the foundation: youth development. And because of their immense purchasing power as a nation, they can leverage incredible infrastructure. Being in an academy there—even one not affiliated with a famous MLS club—means having 4, 5, or 6 pitches to train on. They have indoor gyms for “fast football” when the weather is bad. Material in abundance. For a developer like me, who dealt with hardships starting out in Argentina—not in terms of talent, but in terms of equipment and structure—imagine what that solves.“

France legend Thierry Henry offered help to Antoine Griezmann as he prepares for his next chapter in Major League Soccer with Orlando City. Antoine Griezmann will bring his time at Atletico Madrid to an end this summer and will try his luck in Major League Soccer with Orlando City. Months ahead of that move, France legend Thierry Henry offered his help as the forward looks to adapt to soccer in the United States. In the moments following the match against Barcelona — in which Los Colchoneros secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League semifinals — Griezmann gave an interview to CBS Sports, where Henry works as an analyst. That led to a rare on-air exchange between the two French icons. “Antoine, Antoine, I have something to tell you: thank you for everything you have done for French soccer, the national team, and the game in general. You have given me a lot. I wish you all the best,” Henry began, recognizing the career Griezmann has put together. But the 1998 World Cup champion did not only praise the 35-year-old forward for his past, he also turned his attention to the challenges ahead. “I hope you finish your time at Atletico Madrid well, and good luck in Orlando,” Thierry added. “I know MLS very well — anything you need regarding your time there, I’ll be happy to help.” Thierry Henry played for New York Red Bulls between 2010 and 2014. Henry made his mark in MLS The current state of MLS — with an increasing number of high-profile, world-renowned players — was built on the gradual arrival of stars over the past decades. One of the first major names to move to the United States was Thierry Henry, who joined New York Red Bulls in 2010. At the time, the French forward was 33 years old and arrived directly from Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, giving the New York side a marquee addition. Henry spent five seasons there (with a brief loan spell at Arsenal in between), making 135 appearances, scoring 52 goals, and winning one Supporters’ Shield trophy along with two Eastern Conference titles. Griezmann still has major challenges before MLS move While Orlando City and MLS are surely already on Antoine Griezmann’s mind, he still has significant challenges ahead with Atletico Madrid that could provide a perfect ending to his time at the club. This Saturday, Atletico Madrid will play the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad, aiming to win a title that has eluded the side since 2013. And as if that were not enough, the Champions League also awaits: Los Colchoneros will face Arsenal in the semifinals.

Liverpool and France forward Hugo Ekitike will miss the 2026 World Cup after suffering a serious injury in his club’s Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain, his national team coach Didier Deschamps said Wednesday. The 23-year-old crumpled in a heap holding his lower right leg with a suspected ruptured Achilles tendon during the first half […] The post France boss Deschamps confirms Ekitike to miss World Cup appeared first on Soccer America.

Watch extended highlights of Arsenal and Sporting CP, player stats, results and goals from UEFA Champions League, April 15, 2026 The post Arsenal vs Sporting CP Highlights and Goals appeared first on DasFootball.

Oliver Glasner has revealed he would be open to managing in Serie A in the...

Jonathan David has faced considerable scrutiny this season, largely due to his relatively low goal output, which has often… The post Juventus star says they are the “most scrutinized club in Italy” appeared first on Juvefc.com.

Hugo Ekitike has been ruled out of this summer's World Cup after pulling up with an injury on Tuesday night.

The 23-year-old was injured during the 2-0 Champions League defeat by Paris St Germain.

Forward could be out until 2027 with suspected achilles tendon rupture Ekitiké is club’s leading goalscorer this season with 17 goals The Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitiké will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup with the injury he sustained against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, Didier Deschamps has confirmed. Ekitiké suffered a suspected achilles tendon rupture in the first half of Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final second leg defeat and could be sidelined until next year as a result. The full extent of the 23-year-old’s injury has not been confirmed – he underwent scans on Wednesday and Liverpool are expected to provide an update later this week – but the head coach of the France national team has ruled Ekitiké out of his plans for this summer’s World Cup.

Liverpool and France striker Huge Ekitike was taken off on a stretcher in the first half of their Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on Tuesday night

Rivivi la sfida.

France striker Hugo Ekitike will miss the World Cup after suffering a rupture of the Achilles tendon during Liverpool's Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain on Tuesday.

Dopo i contatti con l'entourage, primi colloqui del Barcellona con l'Inter per Bastoni.

April 15 - France striker Hugo Ekitike will miss the World Cup, manager Didier Deschamps said on Wednesday, after he reportedly ruptured his Achilles tendon during Liverpool's Champions League defeat by Paris St Germain.