Coach Troussier receives good news from Tuan Anh; PSG accused of 'buying' the 2021 Golden Ball for Messi

Coach Troussier received good news from Tuan Anh

On the evening of January 6, coach Philippe Troussier and his team had their first training session in Doha (Qatar) to prepare for the 2024 Asian Cup finals campaign.

The Vietnamese team arrived in Doha (Qatar) on the afternoon of January 5 and had a total of 2 physical training sessions in the hotel gym. At 6:30 p.m. on January 6 (Qatar time), coach Philippe Troussier and his team had their first official training session on the field.

According to the record, the Vietnam team was arranged to practice at Al Rayyan 2 Stadium, the official training ground of the “Golden Star Warriors” during the 2024 Asian Cup in Doha. The above training ground is about 25 minutes away from the Vietnam team’s base by bus.

It is known that the training ground of the Vietnam National Team has a beautiful grass surface and was previously used by FIFA for teams participating in the 2022 World Cup. The field is flat, the grass is green and smooth like a carpet. The weather in Qatar in the evening has an average temperature of about 18 degrees Celsius, giving a chilly feeling but not uncomfortable and quite favorable for training activities.

Returning to the training session of the Vietnam National Team, Coach Troussier's students were quite excited to breathe the fresh air on the field after 2 sessions of physical training in the gym. The training atmosphere of the Vietnam National Team was more cheerful than ever, as the team welcomed the return of midfielder Nguyen Tuan Anh.

The HAGL player has fully recovered from his injury and is training with his teammates. Thus, the Vietnam national team only has one player who needs to recover from his injury, central defender Do Duy Manh. However, information from the medical department shows that Duy Manh's recovery process is making quite positive progress.

In the training session on the evening of January 6, coach Philippe Troussier decided to increase the amount of physical activity to relieve the inertia of his players. In addition, he continued to practice a proactive style of play and increase the ability to connect between the lines.

According to the records, all Vietnamese players have been highly focused, trying their best to carry out the instructions of coach Philippe Troussier on the training ground. Although the French coach continues to show the necessary strictness towards his students, he still gives many words of encouragement and boosts the team's spirit.

According to the schedule, on the morning of January 7, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will have a meeting with the Vietnam National Team to discuss the tournament regulations and inspect training and competition equipment according to regulations. In the afternoon, the players will participate in AFC's filming and photography activities to serve the promotion of the 2024 Asian Cup.

Coach Philippe Troussier and his team will continue to have a training session in the evening of the same day at Al Rayyan 2 training ground.

Vietnam team has the lowest average height in Asian Cup 2023

According to the list of players sent by the teams to the Organizing Committee, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has had remarkable statistics about the teams participating in the Asian Cup.

According to statistics, the 2023 Asian Cup Finals held in Qatar have the participation of 624 players and an average height of 1.798m.

Notably, the Vietnamese team has an average height of 1.754m, the shortest among the 24 teams participating in the tournament.

Goalkeeper Filip Nguyen is the tallest member of the Vietnam National Team (1.92m). Right behind him are Bui Hoang Viet Anh (1.86m), Ho Tan Tai and Nguyen Thanh Binh (both 1.81m).

The Vietnamese team has 4 players under 1.7m tall, including Le Pham Thanh Long (1.65m), Nguyen Quang Hai (1.66m), Nguyen Hai Long (1.68m) and Truong Tien Anh (1.69m).

Meanwhile, the Iranian team tops this statistic with an average height of 1.838m.

Not only is the team the shortest among the teams, coach Troussier's team is also among the lightest. According to statistics, the average weight of the Vietnamese team is 71.7kg, only higher than the Thai team (69.6kg) and the UAE team (70.9kg).

However, in terms of average age, the Vietnamese team is the fourth youngest at the tournament with 25.8; behind Indonesia (24.8), Tajikistan (25) and Kyrgyzstan (25.4).

Notably, the Vietnamese team is also one of five teams with all players playing for domestic clubs, alongside the teams of India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Meanwhile, Japan and Australia are teams with many players playing in foreign tournaments, both with over 20 players.

Real Madrid won easily in the King's Cup

In the match between Arandina vs Real in the 2023/24 King's Cup, the away team, despite not fielding their optimal lineup, still won to advance to the next round.

Coach Ancelotti used quite a lot of young and reserve players for this match such as Vinicius Tobias, Alvaro Carrillo, Fran Garcia, Paz; Nacho, Ceballos, Brahim Diaz and especially new player Guler. Because of using a relatively young squad, although Real had more possession of the ball and more shots, their accuracy was quite poor. That explains why they ended up with a 0-0 draw after the first 45 minutes.

It was not until the beginning of the second half that Real opened the scoring thanks to Joselu's penalty kick. When the deadlock was broken, "Los Blancos" almost immediately scored the second goal thanks to Brahim Díaz.

In the 90+1 minute, Rodrgyo created a gap of 3-0 for the Royal team. Arandina's great effort helped them get an honorary goal in the 90+3 minute, after Nacho's own goal. With a 3-1 victory, Real booked their place in the round of 16 of the 2023/24 King's Cup.

In the remaining notable matches, Girona defeated Elche 2-0 and Atletico also beat little-known club Lugo with a score of 3-1, while Betis unexpectedly stopped early when losing 0-1 on the field of Alaves.

PSG accused of buying the 2021 Ballon d'Or for Messi

PSG have been accused of lobbying the 2021 Ballon d'Or organisers to ensure Lionel Messi wins. French police are investigating the incident.

According to a report in Le Monde, leaders at PSG tried to influence Pascal Ferre - former editor-in-chief of France Football magazine, the organizer of the Ballon d'Or.

It is alleged that the leaders of the Parc des Princes club sought to gain Ferre's support through various means, including gifts and other payments. Le Monde said PSG hoped Messi would win the Ballon d'Or during his time at the club.

According to Le Monde, the investigation focuses mainly on PSG's former communications director Jean-Martial Ribes. A report by the Inspector General of the National Police from November 2023 stated: "Ribes asked journalists, politicians, cabinet members or artists to buy tickets to PSG football matches."

In a message sent to president Nasser Al-Khelaifi on September 18, 2021, Ribes wrote: "We are going to lobby. So have lunch with Pascal." Two months later, Messi was honored with the 2021 Ballon d'Or. This is the 7th Ballon d'Or that the Argentine superstar has won in his career, before being crowned again in 2023.

Messi joined PSG in the summer of 2021 as a free agent, before leaving in the summer of 2023, joining Inter Miami. In total, La Pulga made 75 appearances for PSG, contributing 32 goals and 35 assists.

At the 2021 Ballon d'Or award, Messi surpassed Robert Lewandowski to win the award. According to the announcement of the organizing committee, the 36-year-old striker won 613 points, while Lewy only had 580 points.

"Old Wolf" Mario Zagallo passed away

Brazilian football legend Mario Zagallo passed away on January 5 (Brazil time) at the age of 92.

The news of the passing of legendary Mario Zagallo was posted on his Instagram account, the post read: "It is with great regret that we announce the passing of eternal world champion Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo.

A devoted father, a loving grandfather, a caring father-in-law, a loyal friend, a winning professional and a great human being. A colossal icon. A patriot who left us a legacy of great achievements."

Zagallo began his playing career at Rio's America in 1948, and later played for Flamengo and Botafogo. As a player, Zagallo was a talented left winger. He won the first World Cup with Brazil in 1958, and then successfully defended the title in 1962.

He retired from professional football in 1965 and began his coaching career at Botafogo the following year. Zagallo led Brazil to the 1970 World Cup title and the 1998 World Cup runner-up finish. Mario Zagallo was also assistant coach to Carlos Alberto Parreira when Brazil won the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Mario Zagallo is the first person in history to win the FIFA World Cup as both a player and a coach.

For his impressive achievements, he received the FIFA Order of Merit in 1992. In 2013, he was ranked 9th in the list of Greatest Coaches of All Time by World Soccer magazine.