DOHA, Qatar: Real Madrid’s success in winning the Intercontinental Cup made Carlo Ancelotti the club’s most successful manager with 15 titles won.
After beating Mexican club Pachuca 3-0 in the final at Lusail Stadium, Ancelotti overcame Miguel Munoz, whose record of 14 titles was equaled by the Italian manager when he won the European Super Cup following his victory over Atalanta in August.
“Too many (titles)! I’m heartened, very happy… it’s a story of success. Today I really liked the attitude of the players.
“In the front line, they made an impact, Vinicius Jr played brilliantly. Our attack was very good.
“We have quality. Kylian also played well, Rodrygo scored the second goal. We are very happy to win the title away from home and in the middle of a busy season,” said Ancelotti.
The 65 year old Italian is one of the most successful managers in the world of football.
When he was offered to return to Madrid three years ago to replace Zinedine Zidane, he realized that his main mission was to add to the giant Spanish club’s championship collection.
Ancelotti became the first manager to win titles in Europe’s top five leagues – England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France – and guided Real to the La Liga and European Champions League double twice in three seasons.
Ancelotti’s trophy collection with Real Madrid is three European Champions League titles, two Club World Cups, three European Super Cups, two La Ligas, two Spanish Cups, two Spanish Super Cups and one Intercontinental Cup.
DOHA: Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior won the men’s player of the year award at The Best FIFA ceremony in Doha early this morning, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award for the second time.
The award comes two months after 24-year-old Vinicius finished second in the Ballon d’Or, with Real opting to boycott the ceremony when they learned in advance that Manchester City midfielder Rodri had won the trophy.
However, the Brazilian player this time was present to receive the award in Qatar with his club ahead of the Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican club Pachuca early tomorrow morning.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know where to start. It’s impossible to think I could get here. I grew up in a world of poverty, organized crime. It’s for all the children who grow up in that world. I thank everyone who voted for me,” Vinicius said on stage.
“Thanks to my family, to the club, to my teammates, to Carletto (Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti), who often helps me.
“To everyone who helped make my dream come true. I hope to be in Madrid for many years, because it’s the best club in the world. To Flamengo (his first club in Brazil). To my teammates in the national team. Also to my country, which has always supported me in all my work.”
Vinicius replaced Lionel Messi as FIFA’s best men’s player after the Argentine star won the last two editions of the award.
The striker scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 appearances in all competitions as he guided Real to a La Liga and Champions League double last season.
After completing his third La Liga title in May, Vinicius secured the second Champions League trophy of his career when Real beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on June 1.
Vinicius was on the scoresheet at Wembley with a stunning finish in the final 10 minutes to ensure the title was within their grasp.
26-year-old Spaniard Bonmati won the FIFA Women’s Player of the Year award for the second year in a row, adding to her two previous Ballon d’Or trophies.
“I am grateful, I am proud to receive this award,” said Bonmati via video link from the Olympic Stadium, Barcelona.
Last season, Bonmati guided Barcelona to a historic treble and won the Nations League with his national team.
She won every trophy with her club in 2023-24 – the Spanish league, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa de Espana and the Women’s Champions League for the second time in a row.
Bonmati scored one goal and produced a man-of-the-match display as Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0 in the Champions League final to claim their third title in four seasons.
Manchester United’s Argentine striker Alejandro Garnacho has won the Puskas award for the best goal of the year following his scissor kick against Everton in the Premier League.
Ancelotti won the men’s coach of the year award, after the Italian guided his club to a league and Champions League double last season.
“I want to share this success with the club, with my president and players, the best club in the world,” Ancelotti said.
Emma Hayes won the women’s coach of the year award, after guiding the United States to gold at this year’s Olympics and guiding Chelsea to the WSL title last season, their fifth consecutive title with the club.
The men’s goalkeeper award was won by Argentina’s Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez while the women’s award was won by the US’s Alyssa Naeher and Chicago Red Stars’ AFP.
MANCHESTER: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he was responsible for his team’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League at home.
City were ahead until the 88th minute when United were awarded a penalty which was converted by Bruno Fernandes and two minutes later Amad Diallo scored the winning goal.
“I have no excuses. I’m the boss. I’m the manager and I’m not good enough.
“I had to find a solution and I failed to do it. I didn’t do it well, that’s a fact,” Guardiola said.
City have only recorded one win from their last 11 matches in all competitions.
“Today we should have won the game because apart from Bruno Fernandes (a chance that the United captain failed to convert) nothing happened. So we wasted it again.
“I’m paid well to deal with this situation, to face press conferences, to take criticism, but I want to be honest, in one or two seasons, after a year, or a year and a half, we only lost eight games.
“I’m still here because of what I did before, otherwise a big club wouldn’t keep a manager like this.
“I knew it was going to be a tough season but I didn’t expect it to be this difficult. I’ll try to improve,” he said.
LONDON: Jamie Carragher has hit out at Liverpool fans on social media who criticised him for praising Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
The centre-back played exclusively for Liverpool throughout his 17-year career, scoring five goals in 739 appearances for the club.
He often captained Liverpool in the absence of Steven Gerrard and lifted the European Champions League trophy in 2005, as well as two FA Cups and three League Cups.
Carragher is a well-known sports pundit on Sky Sports and was on duty during Chelsea’s 4-3 win at Spurs last Sunday.
But the 46-year-old was criticised by his former club’s fans when he said Palmer was the best player in the Premier League over the past 18 months, with many criticising his statement for forgetting to mention Reds star Mohamed Salah.
However, Carragher responded to the criticism on social media by asking those who disagreed with him to watch the full recording of his statement.
“He took the penalty and was involved in (Enzo) Fernandez’s goal, three or four players around him. That’s what great players do – you’re terrified when he gets the ball.
“I liked him last season and he’s started well this season. A few weeks ago I said, if you look at the last 18 months at Chelsea, I don’t think there’s a player in the Premier League who has performed better than him.
“And he’s not playing for the best team. They look like one of the best teams in the league right now.
“Before Chelsea had great players in attack like (Giafranco) Zola and (Eden) Hazard, I think he has done more than Zola in these 18 months.
“If he manages to lead Chelsea to the title this season or in the next two or three seasons, I believe he will be the club’s greatest player.
“He’s a very special player and not just in the Premier League, but Europe and the world,” said Carragher.
MANCHESTER, England: Nottingham Forest inflicted Manchester United’s second consecutive defeat in the English Premier League early this morning, defeating Ruben Amorim’s men 3-2 at Old Trafford.
United striker Rasmus Hojlund cancelled out Nikola Milenkovic’s early goal but Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood put the visitors ahead and they held on to that advantage after Bruno Fernandes closed the gap.
Forest’s first win at Old Trafford since 1994 lifted them to fifth in the league table but United are stranded in 13th.
Amorim has made a positive start to his career as United manager after replacing Erik ten Hag, who was sacked last month, drawing once and winning two of his first three matches.
But he warned “a storm is coming” for the troubled club, who are enduring their worst start to the season.
Reality is now starting to set in after a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in midweek followed by a defeat early this morning at home.
“It was a difficult game in a difficult moment but we have to keep going,” a disappointed Amorim told the BBC.
“It’s been a long journey. We’ve improved in a number of ways. We need to win games to help us improve as a team.
“We are at the beginning of something big because we are focusing on every detail. We already know it is a big task so we have to keep going.”
The former Sporting Lisbon boss must have been disappointed with the way the goal was conceded.
Corners proved difficult for Arsenal to stop and Milenkovic headed in Elliot Anderson’s corner in the second minute after soaring high past Lisandro Martinez.
United came back and equalised in the 18th minute with Hojlund heading in after Alejandro Garnacho’s attempt from Manuel Ugarte’s pass was blocked by Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.
But Forest once again started brilliantly in the second half.
Fernandes lost the ball to Callum Hudson-Odoi and he found Gibbs-White, whose flicked shot from 20 yards out went past goalkeeper Andre Onana.
New Zealand international Wood met Gibbs-White’s cross in the 54th minute with a header that went over the line as Matthijs de Ligt, Onana and Martinez all failed to save the situation.
United hit back after the hour mark when Amad Diallo showed great skill as he raced down the right wing before feeding Fernandes, who beat Sels from the edge of the box.
LIVERPOOL: Pep Guardiola calmly responded to the boos of Liverpool fans during Manchester City’s defeat at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s side beat the defending Premier League champions 2-0 and extended the gap on City, who slipped to fifth, to 11 points – thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool fans taunted Guardiola by chanting “you’ll be sacked in the morning” towards the end of the game.
The City manager, however, simply responded with a six-finger gesture – the number of Premier League trophies he has won over the past seven seasons.
Guardiola once again showed the same gesture when applauding the City supporters after the match.
The defeat at Anfield continued City’s poor record which has now lost six of their last seven games.
“We didn’t have pre-season and then injuries, but we are aware of that and we have to deal with it. We competed but didn’t create many chances.
“We don’t have the strength in midfield at the moment and they are stronger in the ball, so need to work harder when we get the ball.
“I sit here as a manager and defend what we have done before, the result of their efforts. I want to continue with them and embrace them.
“We have to change this result and when the time is right we will. The whole stadium wants me to be sacked, it started in Brighton! Maybe they were right based on the previous results. I didn’t expect it at Anfield.
“They didn’t do it when it was 1-0, but after 2-0. Maybe they should sing it in the past.
“I didn’t expect it from Liverpool fans but that’s okay. It’s part of the game and I understand it. We went through a lot of great fights together. I respect them,” said Guardiola.
HEIDENHEIM, Germany: Chelsea cemented their position at the top of the UEFA Conference League table after a 2-0 win over Heidenheim, who lost their 100 percent record earlier this morning.
Manager Enzo Maresca made 10 changes to the squad that defeated Leicester in the English Premier League (EPL) last weekend.
But the Blues dominated the first half, with Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Mueller letting them down with some impressive saves.
Chelsea needed six minutes after the break to break the deadlock when Christopher Nkunku made a brilliant touch to control Jadon Sancho’s cross before firing into the top corner.
Nkunku, second only to Nicolas Jackson in Maresca’s EPL list of strikers, has scored five goals in four Conference League games this season.
The German club rallied from behind and almost equalized in the 69th minute when Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen brilliantly denied attempts from Paul Wanner and Leo Scienza.
The two-time European champions sealed victory four minutes from time when Sancho assisted for his second goal, sending the ball to Mykhailo Mudryk who fired home after playing a one-two with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
After winning their first four games, Chelsea lead the Conference League with a maximum of 12 points and goal difference ahead of Polish club Legia Warsaw.
LONDON: All eyes will be on Ruben Amorim’s first team as head coach of Manchester United this Sunday.
A visit to Ipswich Town awaits and the 39-year-old’s starting line-up at Portman Road is highly anticipated, especially with one change in formation expected.
At his previous club Sporting CP, Amorim often used a formation of three defenders, either a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 system.
While both are somewhat foreign to the squad he inherited, his first team selection is expected to be interesting.
If Amorim wants to expose the weaknesses of the opposition, his team will definitely need a strong player who will press Ipswich fiercely.
Aggressively closing down space is key to Amorim’s tactical approach, but Kieran McKenna’s men are already showing fragility when pressed in their own half.
Manchester City, Southampton, Aston Villa and West Ham United all scored against the newly promoted side after winning the ball back in the attack.
Forcing the Ipswich players to make mistakes when playing from the back must have been at the heart of Amorim’s game planning.
Who is good at pressing for United?
Mason Mount has struggled for game minutes under Erik ten Hag, but the midfielder has been working hard all week on the training ground with Amorim, while many of his team-mates are in action with their respective national teams.
This gives him the chance to be in action at Portman Road this Sunday.
Mount’s style of play certainly suits the new head coach, who likes his players to work hard even when not in possession.
Mount, who can operate in midfield or as one of two No 10s, exerts more pressure in the opposition area than any other player at United.
When looking at the amount of pressure applied throughout the 90 minutes by United’s players, Mount is at the top of the ladder leaving his nearest challengers far behind.
He averaged 45.6 pressures with Joshua Zirkzee second at 38.3.
Mount’s efforts, coupled with proven technical ability, will impress Amorim.
The 25-year-old will definitely want a fresh start, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he plays and shines over the next few weeks.
Which strikers will feature in Amorim’s starting line-up?
Ipswich’s midfield and defense are not among the fastest in the division and as a result they were exploited on many occasions by the pacey opposition.
Mohamed Salah sneaked in effectively as Liverpool won at Portman Road in the opening week of the league, while Erling Haaland, Jarrod Bowen, Vitaly Janelt and Jordan Ayew also contributed to exposing Ipswich’s weaknesses with quick runs that opened up the defence.
For this match, United will try to play in the three-quarters of the field, before looking for opportunities to break through the home defense with a quick attack.
United’s fastest players were Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund, with Marcus Rashford in third.
Amorim likes to attack quickly, so this trio is definitely in his consideration.
The new head coach will certainly want Bruno Fernandes (4.4 runs into the penalty area per 90 minutes) and Rashford (3.3 per 90 minutes) to enter the opposition penalty box more often than they have done so far this season.
This Sunday, look for Garnacho and Amad Diallo to offer a threat to break through the defense alongside forward Hojlund.
Given Amorim’s record of trusting and shaping young players, it would not be surprising if Garnacho and Diallo were named in his first XI.
Both have scored impressive individual goals under caretaker manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, which their new boss will surely be aware of.
Does Fernandes have a new role?
In Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 formation, Fernandes was used as a No 10, but he will definitely have to adapt to the new position.
The captain’s role is most likely as an ‘inverted wide’ striker. Ensuring both full-backs operate effectively alongside him, it may not be a big difference for him.
But you shouldn’t rule out the possibility of Amorim experimenting with Fernandes as an orthodox midfielder.
LONDON: Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo wished Ruben Amorim the best of luck who is now settling in as a new manager at Old Trafford.
Amorim, who was appointed to replace Erik ten Hag on November 1, arrived in England last Monday, less than 24 hours after coaching Sporting Lisbon for the last time.
Amorim, 39, who is awaiting work permit approval, was greeted by United officials upon his arrival at Carrington.
He was also given the opportunity to visit Old Trafford and hold his first interview as United head coach.
Amorim is expected to take charge of his first game when United travel to Portman Road against Ipswich Town in the Premier League next week.
He takes over a team currently 13th in the league, with a tough task to ensure they finish in the top four this season.
For Ronaldo, the Portuguese legend who was born just a week after Amorim, the club needed a bit of ‘luck’ after the failure of several previous managers.
“I wish Ruben Amorim luck in the world because Manchester (United) really needs him,” said Ronaldo.
Ronaldo made the comments after helping Portugal to a convincing 5-1 win over Poland in the UEFA Nations League, where he contributed two second-half goals.
London: Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted he was not surprised by his team’s excellent start to the season, as he was already aware of the strength of the team he inherited when he arrived at Anfield as Juergen Klopp’s replacement.
Slott’s side, who have won 14 out of 16 games in all competitions since he took over, are expected to remain at the top of the Premier League when they host Aston Villa in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Liverpool now have a two-point lead over defending champions Manchester City.
They are also top of the Champions League group as the only team to win four games from all meetings.
“I think ‘surprised’ is not the right word because I know the quality of our team.
“But quality is one thing and consistency is another. I’m not surprised because I see the energy my players give every day.
“Sometimes, a bit of luck helps. Most of our results were deserved but there were a few close matches,” he added.
“(Also) when I started working with them, I saw how hard they worked to achieve this result,” Slot told reporters.
Slot does not expect striker Diogo Jota, who has been sidelined since Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on October 20 due to injury, to return until after the international break.
Slot did not elaborate on Jota’s injury and stated that it had to keep the cause a secret.
“He will be back one or two games after the international break,” he said.
Curtis Jones, named in interim England manager Lee Carsley’s squad for the upcoming internationals, has been in excellent form in recent weeks.
Jones created a beautiful pass for Luis Diaz to score in Liverpool’s 4-0 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Slot said Jones has stepped her game up a notch since the birth of her daughter, Giselle, on Oct. 13.
“Since becoming a father, he’s started to perform really well,” Slot said.