Como coach Cesc Fabregas has welcomed the return of Roberto Mancini to the Italy job. 'I always liked him, since Manchester City. He's a winner and plays good football.'
The decision was finally made today to appoint Mancini to the **** onale, three years on from when he walked away from the role the first time to take over the Saudi Arabia national team instead.
Following offers to Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Andrea Pirlo, the choice of Mancini feels to some like a step backwards rather than trying to modernise Italian football.
However, Fabregas disagrees with the **** sment, insisting it is a positive move for Calcio.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – AUGUST 24: Roberto Mancini Coach of Saudi Nation team looks on during the Saudi Pro League match between Al-Shabab and Al Ettifaq at Al-Shabab Club Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

#mancini #arabia

Orlando Bloom and Swiss model Luisa Laemmel were spotted vacationing at an exclusive beach in Forte dei Marmi, Italy, on Sunday, July 26
The actor and the model, first linked earlier this year, previously enjoyed a luxury trip to Zurich together
Bloom's appearance with Laemmel comes just over a year after his split from longtime fiancée Katy Perry
Orlando Bloom is enjoying an Italian getaway with Swiss model Luisa Laemmel.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor, 49, was spotted at Alpemare Beach, an exclusive spot in Forte dei Marmi, Italy, owned by Andrea Bocelli on July 26. He was joined by Laemmel, 28, the Swiss model he's been romantically linked to since earlier this year.

#laemmel #swiss #year #orlando

The 2026 Shriners Children's East-West Bowl released its watch list on Thursday. The list contains six returning Huskers and five Nebraska transfers.
Returning Huskers to make the list included wide receiver Nyziah Hunter, tight end Luke Lindenmeyer, edge rusher Williams Nwaneri, defensive back Andrew Marshall, and offensive linemen Justin Evans and Elijah Pritchett. Transfers include quarterback Anthony Colandrea, edge rusher Anthony Jones Jr., defensive back Dwayne McDougle III and offensive linemen Brendan Black and Paul Mubenga.
Colandrea is the standout, playing in 33 games in his career with 31 starts at quarterback. The 2025 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year across three seasons completed 627-of-983 passes for 7,542 yards and 49 touchdowns. He also had 328 carries for 1,151 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Jones Jr. played one season each at Oregon, Indiana, Michigan State and UCLA before transferring to Nebraska. Jones has played in 37 games, totaling 58 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and one pass breakup. McDougle III followed new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich from San Diego State.
McDougle III played in 40 games across four seasons and recorded 143 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, 12 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Black and Mubenga combined for 56 games and 41 starts. Black played in 36 games across three seasons at Iowa State. Mubenga also played for three seasons, taking part in 20 games at LSU.

#played #black #state

According to Il Corriere della Sera, Paolo Maldini's decision to appoint Andrea Pirlo as Italy's new head coach is not supported by everyone in the FIGC, while Roberto Mancini is upset with President Giovanni Malagò.
Former Milan and Juventus midfield star Pirlo is set to be appointed as the new Italy coach, with an official statement from the Italian Federation expected in the coming days.
The decision has been made by new technical director Maldini and his advisor Leonardo and will be approved by FIGC President Malagò. Maldini has been given the power to choose the new coach after being appointed as technical director just two weeks ago.
Corriere della Sera confirms that Malagò's favourite candidate was Mancini, yet Maldini and Leonardo had the final word and decided to go for Pirlo instead.
AL RAYYAN, QATAR – JANUARY 25: Roberto Mancini, Head Coach of Saudi Arabia reacts during the AFC Asian Cup Group F match between Saudi Arabia and Thailand at Education City Stadium on January 25, 2024 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

#pirlo #Maldini #figc #president

Italy will appoint legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo as the country's new manager, according to local reports.
Pirlo was a key part of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning side and played for Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus in a gloried playing career. He also coached Juventus, as well as Sampdoria and Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk, before his current role in charge of Dubai United.
Pirlo will sign a four-year contract, taking him to the 2030 World Cup, Italian publication La Repubblica reported.
Italian ⁠football is facing one of its deepest crises in decades, and the ⁠appointment of a new national team coach is seen as the first step in a wider effort to ‌rebuild a youth development and talent pathway system that has deteriorated ‌significantly in a country where football remains a national obsession.
Gennaro Gattuso resigned as Italy head coach in April after the four-time world champions failed to qualify for a third World Cup in a row.

#juventus #four

Italy to Pirlo
He'll be the coach after Guardiola's rejection. The target is the 2030 World Cup. Four-year contract: Buffon says no.
In Austria with Andrea, waiting for the signature
Milan, ***** ault on Karetsas thanks to the money of Leao to Turkey
Inter: A leader for the defence, Romero with Akanji's formula

#four #andrea #karetsas

The now all-but-certain appointment of Andrea Pirlo as the new head coach of the national team raises a question: "Why him, exactly?" It's a fair question. More than fair, in fact—it's necessary.
Because his CV is hardly dazzling, his profile has deflated the fans' excitement, and now it seems as if everything is already being written off before it has even begun. But there is more sense in this choice than people think, regardless of how it ends.
A month ago, Andrea Pirlo claimed that he has always "achieved the objectives set for him": 4th place with Juventus, the playoffs with Sampdoria, 7th place with Fatih Karagümrük (though in reality he was sacked while in 9th place), and then promotion from the UAE Serie B by finishing 2nd.
That really is quite an impressive résumé—if you read it backwards. Because read left to right, it looks like the story of Benjamin ***** on: it starts where most careers end and then develops in reverse, all the way back to having to learn the ropes in lower divisions, even in minor leagues.
But in the middle, we never saw him at his physical peak: where is Andrea Pirlo's prime? It never happened. Not yet, at least.

#pirlo #even #juventus #sampdoria

Got coffee and toast ready? We'll take care of the rest with five very football-heavy stories that could shape Saturday's conversation.
Let's get started!
PSG are not the only European giant keen on signing the Leipzig winger. He is valued at around €90 million.
Los Blancos will battle for Rodri and for Diomandé.
The Italian Football Federation approached Ancelotti, then Guardiola, but in the end they are going to hand the national team job to Andrea Pirlo.

#Football

Barcelona took on Club Esportiu Europa in a friendly training match on Friday evening and came away with a 4-1 victory.
The two teams played behind closed doors, which means details are a little thin on the ground, but we do know Hansi Flick picked a very youthful team for the first half.
Here's a look at the team:
Barcelona starting XI: Wojciech Szczęsny; Hector Fort, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín, Jofre Torrents; Guille Fernández, Brian Fariñas; Roony Bardghji, Ibrahim Diarra, Hamza Abdelkarim and Shane Kluivert.
New signing Karim Adeyemi was present but didn't feature for Barcelona after only meeting up with his new team-mates for training for the first time today.

#team

Andrea Pirlo is likely to be announced as the new coach of Italy on Monday or Tuesday, although the details have been agreed for a four-year contract with salary of €1.5m.
Multiple sources have had no doubts since this afternoon that Pirlo will be the new Azzurri boss, as he was next on the list after Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola turned down the proposal.
This was because Ancelotti had only recently signed a new deal with Brazil, and Guardiola is eager for more time with his family after 10 years at Manchester City.
ISTANBUL, TURKEY – APRIL 23: Head Coach Andrea Pirlo of Fatih Karagumruk looks on during the Super Lig match between Galatasaray and Fatih Karagumruk SK at NEF Stadyumu on April 23, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
Pirlo accepted immediately when contacted by technical director Paolo Maldini and special advisor Leonardo, who all know each other well from their time at Milan.

#fatih #coach

Italy are still on the look-out for a new head coach and could also bring in a new figure to act as the bridge between the youth and senior sides after learning that Gianluigi Buffon will not be returning to the Azzurri set-up.
FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini and advisor Leonardo are still on the search for a new head coach for the Italy national team after learning that neither Pep Guardiola nor Carlo Ancelotti will be taking on the job. Friday’s reports indicate that Andrea Pirlo is the new frontrunner for the vacant CT role.
La Gazzetta dello Sport also reported on Friday that Buffon has rejected the opportunity to return to the Italy set-up.
Buffon had joined the national team group shortly after his retirement in 2023 and had served as delegation chief until Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of May 2026, after which he resigned along with Gennaro Gattuso and former FIGC President Gabriele Gravina.
However, under the new leadership of Maldini and Giovanni Malagò, Buffon had been offered the opportunity to return in a more ‘hands-on’ role within the Club Italia set-up.

#figc #learning

The dates, kick-off times and venues for all of Italy’s upcoming Nations League fixtures have been confirmed, including a re-match against World Cup semi-finalists France in San Siro.
While discussions over a new head coach for the Italy national team continue – Andrea Pirlo now looking like the frontrunner after missing out on Pep Guardiola – preparations for the upcoming Nations League campaign are underway.
The Azzurri are in Nations League Group A with Belgium, Turkey and France and will face all three nations home and away between September and November.
Italy’s Nations League campaign will begin with a visit from Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on September 25, before jetting out to take on Turkey in Bursa three days later.
Italy will be hoping for a repeat of their 3-1 victory from 2024 when they take on France in Paris again on October 2. Bologna’s Dall’Ara stadium will host the following game against Turkey on October 5.

#league #turkey #upcoming #campaign

Pep Guardiola has turned down the opportunity to become Italy’s head coach due to family reasons, the Press ***** ociation understands.
Italian Football Federation president Giovanni Malago confirmed earlier this week that talks had taken place with the former Manchester City manager.
But Spaniard Guardiola, who left City at the end of last season after winning six Premier League ***** les and the Champions League during a trophy-laden 10-year reign, now appears to be out of the running.
Gennaro Gattuso resigned as Italy head coach in April after the four-time champions failed to qualify for a third World Cup in a row.
Roberto Mancini, who led Italy to Euro 2020 glory, and former Azzurri midfielder Andrea Pirlo are other candidates for the vacancy.

#city

Photo via ****** nal Academy on Twitter
The German Football ****** ociation have officially announced that former ****** nal defender and academy manager Per Mertesacker will become the DFB‘s new Managing Director of Sport at the start of next year.
Mertesacker will replace Andreas Rettig, whose existing deal lasts until the end of 2026. The former ****** nal man will be responsible for both the national team and their youth system.
Arsenal Head of Coach and Player Development Marcel Lucassen and Academy Manager Per Mertesacker during the The Checkatrade Trophy group match betw…
“I am very much looking forward to this new task and the responsibility that comes with it,” Mertesacker said. “My connection to the DFB never broke off, even after the end of my national team career. That’s why it’s something special for me to return in this role.

#academy

Speaking in front of the media for the first time since officially being announced as Germany’s new head coach, Jürgen Klopp has set boundaries with the media and the DFB.
DFB President, Bernd Neuendorf, kicked off the press conference by stating what had occurred to get here and how pleased they are to have the former Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, and Liverpool man on board:
“We’ve had very intensive talks in recent weeks. He was our preferred solution from the beginning; we were all in agreement on that within the ******* ociation. We made every effort to bring Jürgen Klopp on board. He is the best solution.”
Neuendorf also confirmed that Klopp’s staff will include Peter Krawietz, Pepijn Lijnders, and Sven Bender. Per Mertesacker will also replace the outgoing Andreas Rettig as DFB Managing Director at the end of 2026.
Before setting out his stall, Klopp firstly took time to reflect on the previous weeks and securing the role:

#neuendorf #solution

Pep Guardiola has turned down the Italian national team’s offer to become their head coach, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Catalan manager thought it over for several days before saying no. Among the reasons were his desire to take some personal time and his refusal to lead a project without being involved on a daily basis one hundred percent.
“Thank you, it’s an honor, but at this moment I don’t feel up to it,” the Spanish coach replied in the early hours of yesterday morning to the proposal put to him by Maldini and Leonardo.
The FIGC was offering him a long-term project, with its sights set on Euro 2028 and the 2032 World Cup. Guardiola, who left Manchester City after a decade in charge, did not even get as far as discussing the financial terms.
With Guardiola’s no now on the table, the Italian federation has activated its plan B. Andrea Pirlo now appears to be the leading candidate to take over the Azzurri bench.

#take #catalan

Manchester United have signed goalkeeper Janina Leitzig from Leicester City for an undisclosed fee.
The 27-year-old becomes their second signing of the summer following the arrival of defender Andrea Medina.
It is believed the former Germany youth international has signed a three-year deal at United after they triggered the release clause in her Leicester contract, which was renewed in 2025.
Leitzig has been at Leicester for three years, initially on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, where she became a regular starter.
She leaves having made almost 70 appearances in all competitions but could not save Leicester from Women's Super League relegation last season.

#leicester #leitzig #signed #manchester

Sooner or later, Tony D'Amico will deliver a new attacking signing to Gian Piero Gasperini. The question is: How far down his list of targets will he have to go to land a new weapon for Gasperini? With Mason Greenwood heading to Turkey, Alejandro Garnacho to Aston Villa, and Crysencio Summerville to Saudi Arabia, the three players most closely linked to the Giallorossi have now signed elsewhere.
Now, it seems that Roma has zeroed in on Antonio Nusa of RB Leipzig as its new main target. However, the price tag being bandied about for Nusa may be even higher than the reported agreed-upon fee Roma had with West Ham for Summerville. And there appears to be competition from Premier League side Newcastle, which may push the reported €55 million minimum negotiating point higher.
So, with that in mind, D'Amico will have to have be ready to pivot to plan E or F before long. And those appear to be Andreas Schjelderup of Benfica e Said El Mala of Koln. We reported on Schjelderup a couple days ago, but he may be too rich for Roma's blood. That leave El Mala as the more likely alternative.
El Mala is a 19-year-old winger who is part of the Germany under-21 setup and is coming off a 13-goal and 3-assist campaign for Bundesliga side Köln. It's reported that Borussia Dortmund had an €26 million fixed fee, with €16 million in possible bonuses, offer rejected by Koln. The reason: Köln will only listen to offers of €50 million and up— a fee that seems a bit high for a player with a limited track record.
But with Roma having difficulty securing more proven profiles at a similar fee, could D'Amico pony up the cash just to get fresh talent through the Trigoria doors?

#reported

A former Auburn infielder has inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates following the MLB draft.
Chris Rembert was selected No. 51 overall in the second round of the 2026 MLB Draft earlier this month by the Pittsburgh Pirates and has recently reached a deal with the Pirates, ending his collegiate career. According to MLB Pipeline senior writer Jim Callis, Rembert's deal with the Pirates is worth $2.4 million, over $460,000 more than the projected slot value.
Rembert was one of seven players from Auburn baseball's 2026 roster to be selected during the MLB draft earlier this month, joining the likes of pitchers Alex Petrovic, Ryan Hetzler, and Jett Johnston, and fellow infielder Eric Guevara. He was the first Auburn Tiger off the board, taken in the second round of the draft at No. 51, and is the first Tiger to sign a professional deal.
Rembert signed with Auburn as part of its loaded 2024 class and made an immediate impact. The Pensacola, Florida native started 114 of the 115 games he appeared in, mostly at second base. His Auburn career ends with a .344 average, 14 home runs, 92 RBI, and a .505 slugging percentage after signing with Auburn alongside Chase Fralick, Jackson Sanders, Bub Terrell, and Andreas Alvarez.
Deals for Petrovic, Hetzler, Johnston, and Auburn's other draft picks have yet to be announced.

#petrovic #hetzler

Serie A side Roma have now definitively missed out on Crysencio Summerville but are now ready to push forward for Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa.
La Gazzetta dello Sport that Gian Piero Gasperini is desperate for an attacking signing and Nusa is now the chosen target. An emergency meeting has been held at the club during which initial contact has been made for the Norway international.
They have spoken directly with Leipzig and haven’t used too many intermediaries. The German side made it clear that they want €60 million and would go down to only €55 million. That’s their take it or leave it response.
Roma believe Nusa’s salary is well within their reach. Newcastle United and ****** nal are interested but luckily for Roma, they haven’t made any moves yet. As a result, sporting director TOny D’Amico is expected to speak to the Friedkin ownership about making a formal offer as soon possible. If things don’t work out Benfica’s Andreas Schjelderup and Cologne’s Said El Mala are alternative options.
It feels like any move from Roma would have to see them make an extra financial effort. Leipzig have always been very expensive sellers and the Giallorossi would have to meet the standards set by the sales of Benjamin Sesko and the incoming exit of Yan Diomande.

#side #serie

Arsenal have finalised the £34m acquisition of Greece international Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge.
The 24-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Premier League champions, replacing Leandro Trossard following his Besiktas switch.
Tzolis’ move to the Emirates Stadium – ****** nal’s third permanent summer transfer – comes 48 hours after the north Londoners missed Morgan Rogers, who signed a £117m British-record fee with Chelsea, describing his new employers as the "biggest club in London".
Tzolis scored 43 times in 108 appearances for Club Brugge, and notably featured in the Belgians’ 3-0 Champions League defeat to Mikel Arteta’s side last season.
Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta said: “We’re delighted to have completed the signing of Christos Tzolis.

#tzolis #arsenal #league

Arsenal have signed "extremely versatile attacking player" Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for £34m.
The 24-year-old Greece international has joined the Premier League champions on what they describe as a "long-term contract".
Tzolis scored 43 goals and provided 45 ******* ists in 108 appearances for Club Brugge.
He joins ******* nal after the departure of Belgium forward Leandro Trossard to Besiktas earlier this month
"Christos naturally operates on the left but is comfortable across the front line," said ******* nal sporting director Andrea Berta.

#leandro

Pep Guardiola is reportedly seeking a €20m-a-year salary to take over as head coach of the Italy national team, and the latest updates indicate that the former Manchester City boss will give a definitive answer by the early stages of next week.
Guardiola left City after 10 trophy-laden seasons earlier this summer and has emerged as one of the dream candidates to take over as the new head coach of the Italy national side. Antonio Conte, Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo are the other names currently being linked with the vacant CT role.
Recently-appointed FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini and advisor Leonardo travelled to Barcelona to hold direct talks with Guardiola last weekend. Thursday’s reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that the Spaniard wants €20m-per-year to take over as Italy head coach.
FIGC President Giovanni Malagò has recently admitted that the federation would be willing to ‘make exceptions’ for candidates at a certain level, even name-checking the former City and Barcelona tactician, but the Italy national team are unlikely to be able to offer a potential new head coach any more than €10m per season.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 24: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, reacts as a montage of his time at Manchester City is played on the LED screen inside the stadium following the Premier League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on May 24, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

#guardiola #coach

Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso believes AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez would be the ideal profile to lead the line.
The Aquile's woeful attack was the team's Achilles heel last season, with Maurizio Sarri's men only scoring 41 goals in 38 Serie A rounds, and no player surpassing the five-goal threshold. Therefore, Gattuso realizes that reinforcement is desperately required at Formello.
Over the past few weeks, Lazio have been linked with several centre-forwards, mainly Fiorentina's Roberto Piccoli, Sassuolo's Andrea Pinamonti, and Fluminense's John Kennedy. However, Angelo Fabiani and co. haven't been able to close any deals thus far.
According to Il Messaggero (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Gattuso is still dreaming about signing Gimenez, whom he considers the perfect candidate for the role, despite his struggles at Milan.
The 25-year-old is a Cruz Azul youth product who established himself as one of the deadliest strikers in the Netherlands during his time at Feyenoord, scoring 65 goals in 105 appearances. His exploits in Rotterdam earned him a €3 million transfer to Milan in February 2025, but he has only contributed with seven goals and six ****** ists in his first 18 months at San Siro.

#gattuso #gimenez

In a recent print edition, A Bola stated that Tottenham Hotspur are planning to move in for Benfica winger Andreas Schjelderup this summer. It has been mentioned that Spurs are hoping to get a deal done for the Norwegian talent this off-season.
Schjelderup enjoyed a decent run of form at the Portuguese club in the previous campaign when he put in a series of impressive displays for them on the left wing. The 22-year-old scored ten times and picked up seven ***** ists in 43 matches for Benfica last season on all fronts.
The Portuguese talent is currently among the best young wide players in Liga Portugal. Thus, it is no surprise that Spurs are eager to get him on board in this transfer window.
His current contract at Benfica will run out in the summer of 2028, which could make it tough for Tottenham to sign him on the cheap later this year.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 11: Andreas Schjelderup #21 of Norway celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Norway and England at Miami Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

#TOTTENHAM #SPURS #gardens #july

It's rare to find something new in the ancient game. Yet next spring at the ultra-exclusive Nanea Golf Club, an innovative LPGA event will feature the best pros and collegiate players in the country on the No. 1-ranked course in Hawaii.
"It is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful, arguably spiritual golf courses on planet Earth," said LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler, "and it's never been seen on TV before."
That will change March 11-14 when Golf Channel's "Live From" show at the Players Championship leads into primetime tournament coverage for the LPGA on the Big Island.
A field of 95 LPGA pros and 25 collegiate players will play alongside each other, from the same tees, in two competitions that will run concurrently, the tour has announced. The five teams will include Stanford, Arkansas, Texas A&M, the University of Texas and UCLA.
A women's college golf event has been held at Nanea, and hosted by Stanford, since 2013. What started as the Pac 12 Preview became the Nanea Invitational, with an impressive champions list that includes Alison Lee, Bronte Law, Andrea Lee, Rose Zhang and Megha Ganne.

#golf #stanford

With Al-Hilal paying €80m for Crysencio Summerville, Roma must turn to other targets, including Antonio Nusa, Diego Moreira and Andreas Schjelderup.
The Giallorossi's frustrating search for a striker to complete their trident attack goes on, as after losing out on Mason Greenwood to Fenerbahce, they thought that Summerville was in hand from West Ham United for €50m.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 21: Crysencio Summerville of West Ham United looks on during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Bournemouth at London Stadium on February 21, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images)
Instead, Simone Inzaghi's Al-Hilal dived in with today's proposal worth a reported €80m and tripled the salary on offer too, convincing the 24-year-old to join the Saudi Pro League.
Roma are again forced to start from scratch, and look down the list of candidates provided by coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

#hilal #february

England beat Norway at the World Cup 2026 after another inspired performance from Jude Bellingham earned a 2-1 win after extra-time in Miami – and next up is a blockbuster clash with Argentina.
Thomas Tuchel's side needed a come-from-behind win after Andreas Schjelderup’s opener.
But Jude Bellingham struck a controversial equaliser before half-time and the tie needed extra-time with the score level at 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Bellingham then followed up a shot early into extra-time to seize the advantage and the Three Lions held on.
Waiting for them in the last four will be Argentina after a dramatic quarter-final win over Switzerland after extra-time.

Staff attends Brazilian U-20 Championship matchCredits: Disclosure / CBF
The Brazil U-20 National Team coaching staff was present this Tuesday (14) at São Januário, in Rio de Janeiro, to watch the match between Vasco and Cruzeiro in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian U-20 Championship.
Representing CBF’s youth national teams, the technical observation was carried out by Branco, coordinator of the youth national teams; Paulo Victor, head coach of the Brazil U-20 National Team; Lucas Andrade, ***** istant coach; Djair de Brito, technical observer; and Paulo Andreazzi, supervisor.
The staff’s presence is part of the ongoing process of monitoring players competing in the country’s main youth tournaments. In-person observation complements the ***** yses carried out throughout the season and supports the evaluation process for future call-ups to the Brazil U-20 National Team. The continuous observation methodology has been one of the priorities of the youth national teams coordination, aiming to strengthen integration between clubs and the national team and broaden knowledge of the new generation of Brazilian football talent.
On the field, Vasco defeated Cruzeiro 2-0 and secured qualification for the semifinals of the Brazilian U-20 Championship. The Rio club showed consistency throughout the 90 minutes, overturning the tie deficit and securing a place among the competition’s final four.

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli is still leading the championship race, but things have gotten tight after two straight races with car troubles and the surge of George Russell.
George Russell has capitalized by cutting down his deficit, gaining a total of 41 points over the last two races.
He is now within 25 points of Antonelli, who will certainly have pressure to deliver a clean weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Reliability and car issues have become a big talking point about the Mercedes engine, given Antonelli’s two pointless races, though Russell has also grown in confidence with the car.
F1 experts Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe debated if it is the car underneath Antonelli or Russell that is the bigger threat to the Italian’s ****** le contention.