Good afternoon all. It has been a relatively slow day in the soccer world, but there is always news so here are some nuggets from today:
Queiroz to coach Portugal
Former MetroStars head coach and long-time Manchester United assistant Carlos Quieroz has been named head coach of the Portuguese national team. He replaces Luiz Felipe Scolari, who left Portugal to take over at Chelsea.
Add this news to the mounting evidence pointing to Cristiano Ronaldo’s likely departure from Manchester United. Ronaldo and Quieroz are very tight and the prospect of staying at ManU without Quieroz around probably makes it that much less likely that Ronaldo stays (or you could argue that Ronaldo’s departure made it easier for Quieroz to leave).
Quieroz now takes over a Portugal squad with the talent to be a serious contender at World Cup 2010 (assuming they qualify and assuming they learn how to defend free kicks).
His departure also raises questions about what is going on with Alex Ferguson. Will he ever retire, or is he pulling a Hyman Roth and thinks he will live forever? With prime replacement candidates Mark Hughes and Paul Ince taking new jobs this year I can’t help but wonder who exactly Man U will turn to when Ferguson finally does hang it up.
Porto signs Colombian midfielder
Porto didn’t waste much time finding a replacement for Paulo Assuncao, who recently left for Atletico Madrid. The Portuguese powerhouse signed Colombian midfielder Freddy Guarin from St. Etienne. No word yet on the fee, but Guarin had been rumored to be making a $5 million move.
N’zogbia dreams of Arsenal move
Newcastle winger Charles N’Zogbia didn’t have the best season for the Magpies, but he still figured to play a role in the coming season. At least that was before the Frenchman has revealed that he still dreams of a move to Arsenal. Here’s a serious question. Does Arsenal want him? After signing Samir Nasri I have a feeling N’Zogbia may be aiming a little high.
What do you think of these stories? Will Ferguson ever retire? Does Quieroz’s Man U departure mean Ronaldo is definitely gone? Is Freddy Guarin ready to be the next great Colombian in Europe? Share your thoughts below.