Latest news with #ex-Porto
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iran Superstar Increasingly Likely To Join Inter Milan Club World Cup Squad Despite National Team Call-Up
Iran Superstar Increasingly Likely To Join Inter Milan Club World Cup Squad Despite National Team Call-Up Iran star Mehdi Taremi has received a call-up for upcoming World Cup qualifiers but should play for Inter Milan at the Club World Cup instead. According to Iranian journalist Hatam Shiralizadeh via FCInterNews, the 32-year-old will probably skip June's international window. Advertisement With Iran already securing a spot at the 2026 World Cup, there's no need to risk Taremi in 'dead rubber' matches next month. Indeed, they'll take on Qatar and North Korea in games carrying no bearing on qualification. Meanwhile, Simone Inzaghi could make good use of the ex-Porto striker in the summer tournament in North America. Mehdi Taremi to Feature for Inter Milan at FIFA Club World Cup at The Expense of Iran World Cup Qualifiers LECCE, ITALY – JANUARY 26: Mehdi Taremi of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring his team's fourh goal goal during the Serie A match between Lecce and FC Internazionale at Stadio Via del Mare on January 26, 2025 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by) It's not been an impressive maiden Serie A season for Mehdi Taremi, who joined Inter as a lethal goalscorer. On the contrary, he has flopped at San Siro, making the Nerazzurri contemplate a summer sale. However, he may still have a chance to redeem himself at the Club World Cup. With Marko Arnautovic and Joaquin Correa set to leave, he'll be the only reliable backup option in attack.
Scottish Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘Like walking into a luxury spa' – Nuno Espirito Santo plays handpan in his office, reveals Nottingham Forest star
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NOTTINGHAM FOREST manager Nuno Espirito Santo has adopted a very unusual hobby during his time in charge at City Ground. Nuno, 51, joined Forest in December 2023 and has taken the club by storm by leading them to their first European qualification in 30 years after a turbulent debut season that saw him barely escaping relegation. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has adopted an unusual hobby 2 Nuno plays the handpan in his office to unwind and meet Forest's demands According to The Athletic, however, it's not just the performances on the pitch that have left everyone at Nottingham fascinated with the Portuguese tactician. But it's also the fact that the ex-Wolves boss has proven to be a very multi-layered person. The former Tottenham boss is well-known as a composed, disciplined and soft-spoken person when he speaks in front of the cameras. But behind the scenes he shows various different attributes as former team-mates remember him as a daredevil, who loves deep-sea diving, as well as a dressing room joker. Read More on Football SOLD TRAFFORD Man Utd put every star up for sale as cup loss leaves 'em in financial ruin Forest captain Ryan Yates also revealed Nuno has become famous for his love of music. One of the first things the ex-Porto star did when he signed with Forest was locating a music shop in Nottingham that could find him a percussion instrument known as a handpan. The handpan produces soothing sounds when tapping or drumming against its steel edges as it perches on the knee and looks like a huge metallic shell. And it has become quite common for people to hear these melodic sounds from the manager's office. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Yates told The Athletic: "Is that [handpan] what it's called? 'I went for a chat with him and I just sat there while he was playing it for five, 10 minutes. Taiwo Awoniyi health update with Nottingham Forest star recovering in hospital after emergency abdominal surgery "It was incredible — like walking into a luxury spa or a five-star hotel. I thought I was going to fall asleep!' Yates insists this is just one of many things that show what a "very special man" Nuno is. The midfielder also praised the former goalkeeper's stunning job at Forest as he led them to the FA Cup semi-finals as well this season. Yates added: "He's a very special man. He's very different to anyone I've come across before. But, more than anything, he's obviously incredible at his job. "It's incredible for the club to orchestrate Forest to their first European success in 30 years. It speaks for itself. Incredible.' Nuno is now gearing up for Sunday's crunch home clash with Chelsea in the final fixture of the 2024-25 Premier League season needing a victory and other results to go his way in order to secure Champions League qualification. Nottingham saw their Champions League hopes suffering a devastating blow two weeks ago when they drew 2-2 with Leicester at City Ground. The game made headlines after Taiwo Awoniyi's horror injury which led to owner Evangelos Marinakis having an intense talk with Nuno in front of the cameras at full-time as the Greek supremo was very unhappy with the way that incident was handled by the medical team.
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Like walking into a luxury spa' – Nuno Espirito Santo plays handpan in his office, reveals Nottingham Forest star
NOTTINGHAM FOREST manager Nuno Espirito Santo has adopted a very unusual hobby during his time in charge at City Ground. Nuno, 51, joined Forest in December 2023 and has taken the club by storm by Advertisement 2 Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has adopted an unusual hobby 2 Nuno plays the handpan in his office to unwind and meet Forest's demands According to But it's also the fact that the ex-Wolves boss has proven to be a very multi-layered person. The former Tottenham boss is well-known as a composed, disciplined and soft-spoken person when he speaks in front of the cameras. But behind the scenes he shows various different attributes as former team-mates remember him as a daredevil, who loves deep-sea diving, as well as a dressing room joker. Advertisement Read More on Football One of the first things the ex-Porto star did when he signed with Forest was locating a music shop in Nottingham that could find him a percussion instrument known as a handpan. The handpan produces soothing sounds when tapping or drumming against its steel edges as it perches on the knee and looks like a huge metallic shell. And it has become quite common for people to hear these melodic sounds from the manager's office. Advertisement Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Yates told The Athletic: "Is that [handpan] what it's called? 'I went for a chat with him and I just sat there while he was playing it for five, 10 minutes. Taiwo Awoniyi health update with Nottingham Forest star recovering in hospital after emergency abdominal surgery "It was incredible — like walking into a luxury spa or a five-star hotel. I thought I was going to fall asleep!' Advertisement Yates insists this is just one of many things that show what a "very special man" The midfielder also praised the former goalkeeper's stunning job at Forest as he led them to the FA Cup semi-finals as well this season. Yates added: "He's a very special man. He's very different to anyone I've come across before. But, more than anything, he's obviously incredible at his job. "It's incredible for the club to orchestrate Forest to their first European success in 30 years. It speaks for itself. Incredible.' Advertisement Nuno is now gearing up for Sunday's crunch home clash with Chelsea in the final fixture of the 2024-25 Premier League season needing a victory and other results to go his way in order to secure Champions League qualification. Nottingham saw their Champions League hopes suffering a devastating blow two weeks ago when they The game made headlines after
Al Arabiya
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Exclusive Coach Flora says Al Diriyah will be one of Saudi Arabia's ‘most important clubs'
When Al Diriyah came under the ownership of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) last June, it represented the first step of an exciting new journey for the Riyadh club. Founded in 1976, Al Diriyah has historically achieved little success – consistently overshadowed through the decades by the Saudi capital's more established teams like Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Shabab and Al Riyadh. But Al Diriyah is now firmly on an upward trajectory. Ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, resources were poured into the club to support its bid for promotion to the Saudi First Division – one step below the Saudi Pro League. For more Saudi sports news, visit our dedicated page. Experienced players including ex-Porto striker Moussa Marega and Cape Verde international Julio Tavares were signed, while Fabiano Flora was appointed as coach. The Portuguese tactician masterminded Al Kholood's unlikely ascent to the Pro League last season and this week, a year after that triumph, he also secured promotion for Al Diriyah. A 1-0 victory over AlUla, another well-financed club in Saudi Arabia's third-tier, in the Second Division Final came courtesy of a single goal from top scorer Marega. The match, played at al-Awwal Park – the home of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, represented a significant milestone for Al Diriyah, which will now be aiming to follow in the footsteps of NEOM SC and achieve successive promotions. If it succeeds, the celebration of the club's 50th anniversary next year could also coincide with its first ever appearance in the Saudi Pro League. 'Our performance was fantastic and a sign of the work that we did during the season,' Flora told Al Arabiya English two days after the Saudi Second Division final. 'These were two teams with very good players and we had a great atmosphere in Riyadh. 'I think we deserved our victory – we pressed from the start in terms of possession and we played a positive game. I am very happy and feel like we are building something special at this club.' Opting to drop down the divisions to coach Al Diriyah may have seemed to many on the outside like a strange decision by Flora. But he insists the professionalism and ambition of the club matched his own – and persuaded him to move to Riyadh. 'Honestly it was simple for me,' Flora recalled. 'I listened to what Al Diriyah Club said and believed in this project. It is more than just a football club – we are just one part of this wider giga-project and it is an exciting time here. 'For me the future is clear and in the next two to three years I genuinely think Al Diriyah can be one of the most important clubs, not just in Saudi Arabia but in Asia.' Flora had never coached in the Kingdom before last season but has demonstrated that he is an astute operator, able to work effectively with both local and foreign players. He is one of several Portuguese coaches impressing in Saudi Arabia, alongside the likes of Jorge Jesus (Al Hilal), Jose Gomes (Al Fateh), Pedro Emanuel (Al Fayha) and Nuno Almeida (Damac). 'Two consecutive promotions here in Saudi Arabia is not easy to accomplish but I think my staff and players worked very well,' Flora said. 'We basically had 25 new players at the start of the season and we had to build a strong, positive mentality. 'The way the players respond tactically is important too – they understand what we want from the games and follow the right principles. But the main thing is that they have a big-team mentality – they always believe they can, and will, win. 'We never lost focus and I honestly think the numbers that we posted this season will not be achieved in the next 10 or 20 years in this division.' A record Saudi Second Division haul of 74 points from 30 games underlined Al Diriyah's superior quality, with Mali striker Marega one of the league's leading scorers – despite not always being in Flora's starting XI. 'Both Moussa and I had the same situation because as myself, coming a step further down the Saudi leagues,' Flora reflected. 'This is a guy who can play anywhere – he is a really professional guy and a humble person. 'My team in Portugal is Porto so I followed him a lot of games when he played there. He still has so much quality and even though he missed a few games he was Al Diriyah's top scorer. He is a leader whose big experience and confidence is very important to the team.' Last month it was announced that Al Diriyah would appoint Dougie Freedman as its new sporting director. Freedman was previously in the same role at English Premier League side Crystal Palace, with the move further highlighting Al Diriyah's ambition to become one of the Kingdom's elite clubs. Flora hasn't yet had the chance to meet with Freedman but he hopes to be part of the club's plans for the 2025-26 Saudi First Division season. 'When you get the sporting director with big experience, it means that the club has ambition but also that the sporting director believes in the club's project and wants to build something important here too,' Flora said. 'Beyond the sporting director, of course you need the coach and you need the players too. We can create a big team here and I hope that soon we will have time to put everything on the table and to think about the future. 'Right now I will just relax a little bit, and travel to Portugal to see my family. Then let's see the future. This season was really intense and unbelievable so I am looking forward to having this break and then we will see what happens.' After leading Al Diriyah to only its second ever Saudi Second Division title, Flora would certainly like to continue his work and try to earn his second straight promotion with the club, and third in a row the Kingdom. 'When you promote teams consecutively it is not lucky – it's about working in a professional way. I know the league, I know the teams and I know 90 percent of the players we will face next season. 'I know what we need to do to get promoted again and though it is difficult we have to believe that we can do it. There is big pressure and big responsibility at Al Diriyah because there are some very important people supporting the club. 'But I am really confident we have only taken the first step in building a big future for Al Diriyah.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Turning Point – Inter Milan Struggler Scores Twice In Iran 2-2 Uzbekistan Draw
Inter Milan striker Mehdi Taremi netted a double in yesterday's goal-glutted 2-2 draw between Iran and Uzbekistan. According to Gazzetta dello Sport via FCInterNews, it could be a turning point for the struggling center-forward. Mehdi Taremi has not had a season of his life by any means. Despite joining Inter as one of Europe's most prolific goal-getters, his career at the San Siro has been disappointing. Indeed, the 32-year-old has only netted one Serie A goal this term, converting a penalty against Lecce in January. After staying on the bench against the United Arab Emirates last week, Taremi returned to the starting XI yesterday. However, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei was afraid a 'physical problem' would sideline the ex-Porto ace again. Instead, Taremi regained his starting berth and scored on either side of halftime to help Iran secure a draw. His performance in Tehran could encourage Simone Inzaghi ahead of Sunday's home clash against Udinese. With Lautaro Martinez out with a muscle injury, this could be a chance for Taremi to shine alongside Marcus Thuram.
