Newly promoted V-League team extends 2-year contract with head coach; Di Maria cries when receiving farewell gift from Messi to Argentina team

Di Maria cried when receiving a farewell gift from Messi to the Argentina team

Angel Di Maria could not hold back his tears on the day his teammates held a farewell ceremony for him to leave the national team.

"I'm not ready for my last time with the national team, but the time is coming. I will leave, taking with me a lot of titles. But the thing that makes me happiest is the team spirit and friendship. It will always be with me, those are things that you can't buy," said the 36-year-old midfielder.

Here, Messi gave Di Maria a shirt with the words "Thank you Fideo" (Di Maria's nickname). The 37-year-old superstar also admitted that he tried to persuade his junior to postpone the decision but he respected the decision.

"We always told him that if everything went well, we would continue to play together in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, Di Maria decided to stop and nothing can change that," Messi said.

Di Maria is about to end his glorious 16-year reign in the National Team with 144 matches, scoring 31 goals.

After leaving the national team, Di Maria will devote all his time to the club. He has just reached a 2-year contract extension with Benfica.

Chelsea use Gallagher plus cash to recruit Watkins

The Blues have had a busy summer transfer window, bringing in the likes of Omari Kellyman, Estaveo Willian, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tosin Adarabioyo, Renato Viega and Marc Guiu. With only two players over the age of 24, the Blues' transfer strategy has clearly not changed and the focus remains on young talent.

But Chelsea will not only bring in young talent but also need to add stars who are at their peak. Strikes were a problem for the Blues last season and new manager Enzo Maresca could bring in one of the best players in the Premier League last season.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are planning to sign Ollie Watkins by using money plus Conor Gallagher to convince Aston Villa to let him go. Watkins has just become a hero for England at EURO 2024 when he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in the semi-finals.

If Watkins is signed, Chelsea will have an immediate upgrade for Nicolas Jackson. The Senegalese striker scored 17 goals in all competitions last season but still often missed many good chances. Remember, Watkins scored 27 goals last season and always knows how to shine at important times.

The Aston Villa star's ability to create and find the back of the net is something that could bring life to Chelsea's forward line.

Newly promoted V-League team extends 2-year contract with head coach, sets high goals for new season

SHB Da Nang has officially announced the re-signing of coach Truong Viet Hoang until 2026. This is good news for fans of the Han River team, because coach Truong Viet Hoang has made important contributions to help the team win the National First Division championship and be promoted to V.League 1 in the 2024/2025 season.

In addition to his impressive professional achievements, Coach Truong Viet Hoang also received the trust of Da Nang fans because of his rich experience and strategy. He helped the team overcome many challenges and asserted its ability.

With the goal of conquering V.League 1, SHB Da Nang is actively preparing for the new season. Hoa Xuan home field is being renovated to meet competition needs. In addition, the team is also planning to add 3 quality foreign players.

Coach Truong Viet Hoang shared: "There are actually many things that need to be overcome, especially in terms of expertise as well as player strength. We will have to supplement to compete at our best in the V-League."

Regarding the transfer plan, coach Truong Viet Hoang said: "Actually, many players still have contracts with football teams. Everyone wants to bring good players to their team. But we need to know what their contracts with their management units are like. So we cannot say this in advance."

With the leadership of coach Truong Viet Hoang and the determination of the board of directors, SHB Da Nang promises to have an impressive V.League 1 season.

Thanh Hoa Club continues to retain key players

According to VTC News, Le Van Thang received offers from other clubs but he chose to stay with the Thanh team for another 2 years. "Boss" Doan hopes that this midfielder will extend his contract to guide young players and continue to play in cup competitions - where the experience of the former Vietnam national team player will be effective.

During the two years under coach Velizar Popov, Le Van Thang did not play often. However, whenever he was trusted, this player always maximized his ability. Van Thang still scored in the National Cup when Thanh Hoa FC faced First Division teams, not being allowed to use foreign players. In fact, Van Thang's physical foundation is still very good even though he is 34 years old.

But from the perspective of the team's history, Van Thang is considered a legend of Thanh Hoa Club. He grew up from the youth training center of this team. Van Thang contributed greatly to the Silver Medal in the 2018 season, the championship cups, and the national super cup. In addition, Van Thang was the only one to score the goal that helped Thanh Hoa defeat Pho Hien in the play-off match for relegation in the 2019 season.

The 2023/2024 season ended successfully for coach Velizar Popov and his team. They had no difficulty staying in the league and ranked 8th on the V.League rankings. They won the National Cup for the second time in a row in 2 seasons. Thanh Hoa's goal is to continue to win the championship for the third time in a row in this arena and achieve good results in the Southeast Asian Cup./.