Latest news with #JoaoCancelo
The National
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Ask Mina: How will Liverpool cope with Diogo Jota's death and is Donnarumma to blame for Musiala injury?
Q: I've been deeply affected by the passing of Diogo Jota. As a Liverpool fan, I worry how his teammates will be expected to just return to normal. Will the club just be expected to overcome their grief? @Laithmarmarchi via Instagram A: I was beyond shocked to hear the news. To lose such a young and beloved player, in the prime of his life, in an accident, is not only a brutal reminder of how fragile life can be, but also of how uncertain it is. For many of us, football is a form of escape from a world that is growing more and more defined by grief and conflict. To then lose a player who brought so much joy to his club, teammates, and family feels unbearably cruel. I deeply empathise with your pain. Liverpool boss Arne Slot now faces the extraordinary challenge of preparing his team for the season while offering emotional support to players, all while processing his own grief. It's overwhelming, and I hope both media and supporters give the club the space and compassion to navigate this tragedy. Some will inevitably struggle – not just at Liverpool, but beyond. You can already see the emotional toll on players like Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo at Al Hilal. Others may find strength in playing for his memory, determined to honour him on the pitch. As for Liverpool, the club is yet to confirm whether their scheduled friendly against Preston North End on Sunday will go ahead. Their next confirmed fixture is the opening match of their pre-season tour of Asia, against AC Milan in Hong Kong, on July 26. We were all so excited to see how the new players would fare and how Liverpool would build upon their Premier League title triumph last season. What a horrible way to start pre-season. Q: The Nico Williams saga has kept me entertained. I really loved the player and hoped he would join Barcelona, but I'm astonished at his lack of professionalism @Commentinggenius via Instagram A: What is your issue, exactly? Williams taking steps to protect his future? The player has faced a barrage of criticism, particularly in the Catalan press, as has his 'entourage', for insisting on certain clauses in case Barcelona were unable to register the player. For context, Williams was all set to join Barcelona before performing a U-turn and signing a long-term contract with Athletic Club. The deal fell apart because, as Barcelona's own management have now acknowledged, they are still working toward meeting La Liga's 1:1 rule, meaning they are currently unable to register players freely. The rule limits spending to what the club earns, based on projected income calculated by La Liga. Barcelona ultimately could not guarantee they would be able to register Williams due to ongoing financial restrictions. Working in the best interest of his client, Williams' agent requested an escape clause to protect the player in case Barcelona were unable to complete the registration. Barcelona refused, fearing they would have wasted the €50m buyout fee to release him from his contract at Athletic if he left on a free transfer. With talks stalling, critical reports aimed at Williams and his representatives began circulating in the Catalan press, saying that, if he really loved the club, as he claimed, he would not request these types of clauses. Dani Olmo, Williams' Spanish teammate, was cited as a model example of a player signing for Barca and not asking for a similar clause. This was contradicted by a report in The Athletic, saying the midfielder did in fact have such a clause written into his contract when he signed from RB Leipzig last year. Spanish football expert Guillem Balagué set the record straight when contacted by The National: Olmo didn't have the clause when he first joined the club, but it was subsequently inserted into his contract last September. Williams was merely looking out for his best interests. There's nothing wrong with that. Q: What do you make of the injury to Jamal Musiala in the match between Bayern Munich and PSG? Manuel Neuer blamed Gianluigi Donnarumma, do you agree? @Zeeh107 on X A: Jamal Musiala's injury – a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle – came as a result of challenging for the ball with Donnarumma. The Paris Saint-Germain man came out to close Musiala down and do what any goalkeeper should do: try to win the ball. In doing so, he collided hard with Musiala's planted leg. The outcome was awful, but in my opinion, Donnarumma had every right to go for the ball. Bayern Munich captain Neuer didn't hold back, calling Donnarumma's challenge 'unnecessary' and publicly criticising the PSG goalkeeper for failing to check on Musiala immediately after the collision. To me, his comments appear more emotional than fair. Donnarumma, for his part, looked traumatised. He later told La Gazzetta dello Sport, 'I'm shaken by what happened. It was never my intention to hurt Musiala.' The Italian goalkeeper was reportedly so affected by the incident that he sought psychological support in the days that followed. Beyond the moment itself lies a bigger issue: should Musiala have even been on the pitch? He had only recently returned from a hamstring injury he suffered in April and was playing in an off-season tournament many view as excessive. The likes of Jurgen Klopp and Javier Tebas have long warned that the Club World Cup unnecessarily overloads players and heightens injury risks. Musiala is expected to be out of action for up to five months, a blow to both Bayern and Germany. Q: Jonathan David is officially a Juventus player. Is he the man to resolve their problems in attack? @Lanoushak via Instagram? A: Resolve the problems? No, but he will improve the attack significantly. While I've often pointed out Juventus' missteps in squad building, simply signing one or two better players won't fix the deeper issues. The club has repeatedly shown a lack of a coherent sporting vision, leaving the team to reset and rebuild almost every season. However, David is a great signing and one they've been chasing for some time. A consistent and clinical striker who scored 25 goals and grabbed 12 assists for Lille last season. David has reached double-digit goal figures in every campaign since 2019. He is also Canada's all-time leading scorer with 36 goals. Last year, Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch called him the most intelligent player he has worked with. 'His ability to put things into practice, his ability to read the game, what's necessary. He's really clever.' Lille boss Bruno Genesio extolled his former player's attributes, saying: 'He's a player who plays a big part in the game and above all, a player who's full of selflessness. He works enormously for the team. We all make an effort, but he's the perfect example of our team at this level.' Juventus desperately need to improve in attack. Last season, the Bianconeri averaged just 13.6 shots per game in Serie A. By comparison, top sides in England and Spain typically produce over 16 shots per game. Even Manchester United – hardly a tactical benchmark – managed more than Juve last term. Q: Luca Modric going to Milan at 39 – is Serie A just home to all ageing players? @Jenna_J7 via Instagram A: Modric is a commanding presence and an exceptional player, but time waits for no man, and Italy appears to have branded itself as the home of experience. Don't get me wrong, I understand perfectly why Modric was targeted and wanted by Milan. The Croatian, the 2018 Ballon d'Or, is a leader who commands respect. He is an example on the pitch and perfect for a coach who values veterans when building a sporting project – feeding off their intellect while surrounding them with runners. Andrea Pirlo was deemed too old when he arrived at Juve, and both Antonio Conte and then Max Allegri used him to build a team. Modric will join the Rossoneri after Real Madrid's involvement at the ongoing Club World Cup. No doubt he still has something to give, but I am aggrieved that Milan and Italy are not doing more to invest in nurturing their own talents. It's extraordinary to think that a club that finished eighth last season and struggled to string a bunch of decent results together still didn't have time to throw on a few youngsters like Francesco Camarda for more than a handful of minutes. This is a 17-year-old who scored 485 goals in 89 matches for Milan's youth sides. Did he not deserve more than 199 minutes of Serie A action last season? Yes, Camarda is a striker and Modric is a midfielder, but my point is, give youth a chance.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Diogo Jota: Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo in tears during Club World Cup moment's silence
Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves broke down in tears during an emotional silence held for Diogo Jota, who tragically died on Thursday. Neves was named in the starting line-up for Al-Hilal's clash against Fluminense at the FIFA Club World Cup, in the opening quarter-final match. Joao Cancelo also started, but both players were visibly emotional as they attempted to focus on soccer while dealing with grief. Advertisement Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died on Thursday in a car accident after the Lamborghini they were driving suffered a burst tire and swerved off the road. Jota was traveling back to the UK and was due to report to preseason training next week, ahead of his sixth season as a Liverpool player. READ MORE: Diogo Jota wake LIVE: Liverpool star's mom, dad, wife and mourners arrive before funeral in Portugal READ MORE: Jordan Henderson breaks down in tears while laying flowers for Diogo Jota at Anfield The tragedy has shocked the sports world, as Jota was 28 and entering the prime of his soccer career. The forward was an extremely popular athlete, who was adored by his Liverpool and Portugal teammates. Advertisement Jota celebrated his first Premier League title with Liverpool on May 25, and just two weeks later he lifted the UEFA Nations League for the second time with Portugal. Al-Hilal head coach Simone Inzhagi explained on Thursday that the news was extremely difficult to take for Neves and Cancelo. "We all know it's a very sad day because of what happened to Diogo and André," Inzaghi said. "These things should never happen. We're all aware of the tragedy. Joao Cancelo was emotional as Diogo Jota was remembered in a moment of silence -Credit:2025 Getty Images "We have two Portugal players Rúben Neves and João Cancelo who were friends to them. Today has been a very difficult day for all of us. We tried to work in the same way but the atmosphere was different. It's a very, very sad tragedy." Advertisement Jota and Cancelo were international teammates for six years, and they shared five seasons together in the Premier League. While Jota and Cancelo played for rival English teams, they shared a friendly off-field relationship. The friendship between Jota and Neves was much deeper. After meeting in the youth team ranks internationally, Jota and Neves became domestic teammates for four straight seasons. Tributes have been placed outside Anfield for Diogo Jota -Credit:Getty Images Jota joined FC Porto on loan for the 2016-17 season and shared the stage with Neves, before both players moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the same transfer window. Jota and Neves achieved promotion together with Wolves, and enjoyed two seasons together in the Premier League. Advertisement Liverpool then signed Jota in a deal worth $56 million on Sept. 19, 2020, but Neves stayed at Wolves for three more seasons until he departed for Al-Hilal. Jota was one of Neves' closest friends in soccer, and he wrote an emotional tribute on Thursday. "Wherever you are, I know you'll read this," Neves wrote on Instagram. "We've never been that stupid and maybe now I regret it a little, but you know what you mean to me as much as I know what I mean to you. Jota and Neves won the UEFA Nations League together on June 8 -Credit:2025 UEFA "More than a friend, we're family, and we won't stop being that way just because you've decided to sign a contract a little further away from us! When I go to the national team, you'll continue to be by my side at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane... you'll always be there with me, as usual. Advertisement "We'll continue to laugh, make plans, share our lives with each other. I'll make sure you're always there and I'll make sure your family never lacks anything while you're there, far away but thinking about us, waiting for us. "Life brought us together and now it can't separate us. We've achieved beautiful things together, we still have a lot to achieve, I know we'll make it. "Starting today, you'll enter the field with me, and we'll follow our path together, on the stage where we met. Diogoal, you are my favorite lemonade!!"
CNA
05-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Neves serves as pallbearer at Jota funeral hours after emotional Club World Cup match
ORLANDO, FLA :Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo flew to Portugal for the funeral for their former teammate Diogo Jota after an emotional Club World Cup quarter-final against Fluminense on Friday that saw them break down in tears during the minute's silence. Neves, one of Jota's closest friends, served as a pallbearer for the Liverpool forward who died alongside his younger brother Andre Silva following a car accident in northwestern Spain on Thursday morning when their Lamborghini veered off the road and caught fire. Tributes have continued to pour in for the brothers with footballing greats including Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard, joining the Prime Ministers of Portugal and Britain in mourning the loss. Friday's match between Al-Hilal and Fluminense in Orlando began with players and fans observing a minute's silence in memory of the two brothers. Neves, who played with the 28-year-old Jota during their days at Wolverhampton Wanderers, issued a touching tribute on Instagram about an hour before kick-off. "Wherever you are, I know you're going to read this, we've never been one for this sort of thing and maybe now I'll regret it a little, but you know what you mean to me just as much as I know what I am to you," Neves said. "More than a friendship, we're family, and we're not going to stop being family just because you've decided to sign a contract a little further away from us! "When I go to the national team, you'll still be by my side at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane... you'll always be there with me, as usual. We'll keep laughing, making plans, sharing our lives with each other. "I'll make sure you're always there and I'll make sure your family never lacks anything while you're there, far away but thinking of us, waiting for us ... "As of today, you'll be on the pitch with me, and we'll follow our path together, on the stage where we met." Chelsea's Portuguese forward Pedro Neto also paid a heartfelt tribute to his friends when he walked out on the field with a shirt bearing their names before their quarter-final against Palmeiras in Philadelphia. "We spoke with Pedro yesterday and this morning and this afternoon and it was completely Pedro's decision to play or not to play," Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said after his team's 2-1 win. "He did, he made a fantastic effort to play this game, to play with his teammates, and we really appreciate what he has done. "I just said to the players that this win is especially for him because we know how close he was, and the effort that he has made. So no doubt that we really appreciate what he decided in the end."
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Diogo Jota's Portugal team-mates Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo fly out for funeral - just hours after playing in Club World Cup in USA
Diogo Jota 's Portugal team-mates Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo have flown out for his funeral.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Distraught Ruben Neves & Joao Cancelo unable to contain their emotions as Al-Hilal & Fluminense players pay tribute to Portugal team-mate Diogo Jota with minute's silence at Club World Cup
Minute's silence for Jota at CWC Fluminense and Al-Hilal pay respects Portugal team-mates line up for Saudi side WHAT HAPPENED? Jota was killed in a car crash on Thursday and players from both sides paused ahead of the game to remember the Portugal international, who was just 28 years old and got married a matter of days ago. Advertisement WATCH THE CLIP THE BIGGER PICTURE The moment was particularly moving for Portugal internationals Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves, both of whom lined up for Al-Hilal. The pair played with Jota on several occasions for the national team, including most recently for Neves at the Nations League finals in June. WHAT NEXT FOR THE CLUB WORLD CUP? WHAT NEXT FOR THE CLUB WORLD CUP? A minute's silence was held ahead of Chelsea vs Palmeiras later on Friday night, while there will also be one ahead of Saturday's quarter-finals, where Paris Saint-Germain face Bayern Munich and Real Madrid play Borussia Dortmund.
