Two of Vietnam's 'sparring partners' in South Korea risk relegation; Mourinho strongly criticizes rumors of a reunion with Ronaldo.

Mourinho reacts strongly to rumors of a reunion with Ronaldo.

The Fenerbahce head coach mocked the press for reporting that Ronaldo might join Fenerbahce.

"If he wants, Ronaldo can fly into Türkiye for a meal, since the country is halfway between Saudi Arabia and Portugal," Jose Mourinho sarcastically remarked about rumors that he had invited his former pupil to Fenerbahce.

"If Ronaldo wants to meet this old friend, fine. Come here. I'll invite him to dinner at the hotel where I'm staying. Those who say Ronaldo will come to Fenerbahce are in one of two situations: either they don't know what they're writing, or they're simply pleased with the ridiculous news they're spreading," the "Special One" emphasized.

Ronaldo has just over six months left on his contract with Al Nassr. To date, the Parisian club has yet to decide whether to extend the 39-year-old superstar's contract. Ronaldo faces the risk of leaving Al-Awwal Park empty-handed.

Al Hilal is also considered the most likely destination for Ronaldo. According to recent reports, Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus wants to sign Ronaldo to replace Neymar Jr. The Brazilian star has suffered a series of injuries since joining Al Hilal last August. These serious health problems have fueled rumors that Neymar's contract may soon be terminated.

Whether Ronaldo will continue playing in Saudi Arabia or return to Europe remains a question mark. At 39, Ronaldo still shows a hunger for conquest. He reached the milestone of 15 goals at all levels in the 2024/25 season. In the UEFA Nations League alone, since September, the superstar has scored 5 goals in 5 appearances.

Indonesian naturalized player refuses to play in AFF Cup for a surprising reason.

Not long ago, sources from Indonesia reported that coach Shin Tae-yong was considering calling up several naturalized players to prepare for the 2024 AFF Cup. Among the names on the South Korean strategist's plans for the 2024 AFF Cup is goalkeeper Maarten Paes.

However, according to the latest information from Bola, Maarten Paes will not be participating in this tournament with the Indonesian team. Instead, the 26-year-old goalkeeper will be traveling with his girlfriend.

"After playing two matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Maarten Paes continued to stay in Indonesia. He and his girlfriend went on vacation to several tourist destinations in Indonesia before returning to his club," wrote Bola.

Notably, the President of the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI), Erick Thohir, also agrees with Maarten Paes's approach.

"Players aren't machines. They play for 9-10 months a year, so taking 1-2 months off is normal. What if Maarten Paes tries to play in the AFF Cup and gets injured?", the PSSI president said.

Maarten Paes is a goalkeeper of Dutch and Indonesian descent. He obtained Indonesian citizenship in April 2024. However, the goalkeeper, born in 1998, will only be eligible to play for the Indonesian national team in September 2024.

Two of Vietnam's "sparring partners" in South Korea are at risk of relegation.

Two of Vietnam's "sparring partners" in South Korea, Jeonbuk and Daegu FC, have to play in the play-offs and face the risk of relegation.

During the training trip to South Korea,Vietnam national teamThe team will test their skills against three "sparring partners" in preparation for the 2024 AFF Cup. Accordingly, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team will...The Vietnamese national team will "warm up" in their first match against Ulsan Citizen FC of K-League 3 on November 27th. The next two matches will see them face Daegu FC (November 28th) and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (December 1st). Both teams currently play in K-League 1 – the top league in South Korea.

Currently, the K-League has concluded. Incheon United, finishing last in the standings, will be relegated to K-League 2 next season. The play-off round will be held between 6 teams, including 2 representatives from the K-League and 4 representatives from K-League 2.

Notably, the two K-League representatives who had to play in the play-offs were both "sparring partners" of the Vietnamese national team: Daegu FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC. According to the regulations, these two teams played against the second-placed team in K-League 2 and one of the three teams (ranked 3rd-5th in K-League 2) competing for two spots in next season's K-League.

Daegu FC will play their play-off matches on November 28th (first leg) and December 1st (second leg), coinciding with their friendly match against the Vietnamese national team (November 28th). Meanwhile, Jeonbuk will play their play-off first leg on December 1st (second leg on December 8th), also coinciding with their training match against the Vietnamese national team. Given the importance of the match, it is likely that Daegu FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC will field young teams in their encounters with the Vietnamese side.Coach Kim Sang-sik.

Coach Guardiola admits Man City will find it difficult to defend their title.

Man City suffered a humiliating 0-4 defeat against Tottenham at their home ground, Etihad Stadium, in the 12th round of the Premier League.

The defeat makes the defending champions' title defense campaign much more challenging and it comes just days after Pep Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension with Man City.

"Of course things aren't going well," said manager Guardiola after the defeat to Tottenham. "We haven't experienced a situation like this in the last eight years. At this moment, we are very vulnerable."

The Spanish strategist arrived at the Etihad Stadium in 2016. The defeat against Tottenham marked the first time in his coaching career that the 53-year-old had suffered five consecutive losses. “Of course we are worried when the team is not in good form,” the former Barca coach added: “I don’t know what will happen this season, but I will never lose faith in the players.”

"No team in the world can maintain success for 8, 9, or 10 consecutive years. We will analyze, move on to the next match, and see what happens," he added.