Alex Ferguson goes into Manchester United’s first game of the off-season stripped off two key Portuguese.
Assistant manager Carlos Queiroz is gone after being hired on Friday night as Portugal coach. Winger Cristiano Ronaldo is injured, but keen to leave.
Queiroz’s departure to become Portugal coach again leaves Ferguson searching for a new assistant.
But, while the 22-season Old Trafford veteran will be seething at Ronaldo’s unremitting flirtation with Real Madrid, Ferguson bade farewell to Queiroz with glowing praise after five years at his side in two stints.
“Carlos is one of the best coaches in world football,” Ferguson said on Friday. “His attention to detail, ability to innovate and will to win have been a key factor to the team’s recent successes. He has played an important role in building and blending the exceptional squad of players at the club.”
The celebrations following the Champions League and Premier League triumphs in May were a distant memory when Ferguson led United out in a friendly match against Aberdeen yesterday, the Scottish club he left in 1986 to move to Old Trafford.
But the Red Devils are thankful for Queiroz’s contribution to the glory.
“Carlos has played a major part in the club’s recent success,” chief executive David Gill said.
The departure came despite Gill heavily hinting in May that Queiroz could replace Ferguson after his planned retirement in two years.
“It is with a very heavy heart that, today, I leave the greatest football club in the world after five fantastic years,” Queiroz said. “This has been a special period in my life, both personally and professionally.”
Queiroz was instrumental in nurturing Ronaldo’s talent and was pivotal in persuading him to stay in 2006 after the winger was blamed for United teammate Wayne Rooney’s sending off at the World Cup when England lost to Portugal.
Ferguson has needed those negotiating skills again from Queiroz in an ongoing bid to help keep the 23-year-old Ronaldo at Old Trafford, as United refuse to release him from the final four years of his contract.
Queiroz is also credited with attracting Anderson and Nani from the Portuguese league last summer.
Queiroz initially left Old Trafford in 2003 after just a year as Ferguson’s assistant to take charge at Real Madrid, but when he was fired after just 10 months in La Liga, Ferguson immediately rehired him.
“I thank him for his faith in me and his knowledge, spirit and desire from which I will take strength and have confidence in my new role,” Queiroz said.
Queiroz was Portugal coach from 1991 to 1994 when he left after the team failed to qualify for the World Cup in the US.
Ferguson’s former forward Brian McClair, currently the academy director, is one of the leading candidates to replace Queiroz, but Laurent Blanc, another ex-player, and Benfica coach Pako Ayesteran have also been tipped.
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
Ryan Yarbrough picked up a dazzling World Series ring from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Then he went out and beat them. The New York Yankees starter on Sunday pitched one-run ball over six innings, struck out a season-high five and blanked the Dodgers’ top four hitters in a 7-3 win. “I feel like I’m in a really good place right now and really trying to continue that,” Yarbrough said. “I’m having a lot of fun.” The 33-year-old left-hander made 44 relief appearances between the Dodgers and Blue Jays last season. The Dodgers designated him for assignment on July
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
RSS