Former Portuguese player may play in Vietnam; Thailand risks losing the right to host U23 Asia
(Baonghean.vn) - The former Portuguese player has just contacted Hanoi FC, ready to leave Türkiye to play football in Vietnam. Meanwhile, due to some stadiums not meeting requirements, Thailand could be stripped of the right to host the tournament they did not qualify for.
Send cover letter
"A week ago, Hanoi received a letter from Oscar Soler Sola, Ricardo Quaresma's agent. He wanted to introduce the 35-year-old Portuguese player to play for us in the V-League," a leader of Hanoi Club shared.
Oscar Soler Sola said Quaresma's contract with Besiktas only expires in June 2020. If Hanoi makes a reasonable offer, the player who was once considered Cristiano Ronaldo's senior is ready to move to play in Vietnam.
 |
| Quaresma and Ronaldo fought together for many years in the Portuguese shirt, contributing to helping the team win Euro 2016. |
Quaresma grew up at Sporting Lisbon, and was once expected to be even more than Ronaldo. He has played for many big teams such as Porto, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea... This attacking midfielder also played for Portugal from 2003 to 2018, and was a member of the Euro 2016 winning team. Quaresma is famous for his rebona (cross-legged kick) and trivela (outside-of-the-foot kick) techniques.
Thailand at risk of losing the right to host the U23 Asia
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has not signed a contract for Thailand to host the 2020 AFC U23 Championship," Football Association of Thailand (FAT) President Somyot Poompunmuang told the Bangkok Post on July 11.
"The AFC inspection team will have the final decision, so relevant parties in Thailand need to speed up preparations for the tournament. Thailand will suffer a great loss if it is no longer able to host, because then we will not be able to participate in the final round and will no longer have the opportunity to participate in the 2020 Olympics."
 |
| Mr. Somyot is worried that Thailand will lose the right to host the AFC U23 Championship. Photo: BKP. |
The four stadiums selected by Thailand to host the tournament are 700th Anniversary (Chiang Mai), Thammasat (Rangsit), Rajamangala (Bangkok) and Tinsulanonda (Songkhla). At the end of May 2019, the AFC inspection team visited Thailand to inspect and request the country to improve all four stadiums to meet standards. The team will return in October 2019. If Thailand fails to improve the situation in time, they may be stripped of the hosting rights. Malaysia is likely to replace Thailand in that case.
The biggest problem with Thammasat Stadium is the lighting system. According to the Daily News, the stadium in Rangsit province needs $163,000 in renovations. However, the Sports Ministry of Thailand (SAT) has not agreed to pay the money because it believes it is not their responsibility.
De Rossi prepares to retire
According to Sky Sports, contrary to his plan to join another club after leaving Roma, Daniele De Rossi seems to be retiring to move into coaching, following in the footsteps of his father Alberto, who is currently the coach of Roma's youth team. |
| De Rossi may not return to the pitch. Photo: Reuters. |
De Rossi played his last game for Roma in May. At 35, he has played for the club for 18 years. Fiorentina, Milan and Boca Juniors are said to be interested in De Rossi.
De Rossi's departure from Roma has sparked outrage among a group of the club's fans, with the 35-year-old telling rioting fans outside the Trigoria training ground that he would retire if that was what they wanted.
In mid-June, after resigning as director at Roma, legend Francesco Totti criticised the club's owners for letting De Rossi leave.
"In September, I told the board that if they thought this was Daniele's last season, tell him now. Don't treat him like I did. He is the captain and deserves respect," Totti said.
In the 2020 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers, Thailand is in Group K with Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei. They are in second place with six points, behind Vietnam (nine points). The result helps Vietnam enter the final round, while Thailand would have been eliminated if they were not the host. The final round is scheduled to start on January 8.
