Mourinho's record-low salary; Surprisingly, two Vietnamese-born players who haven't even played a full half are still called up to the Vietnam U23 team.

Vietnamese-born tennis player causes shock by eliminating Medvedev, reaching ATP Tour final for the first time.

Learner Tien continued his fairytale run at the 2025 China Open by defeating Daniil Medvedev to reach the final against Jannik Sinner.

The player of Vietnamese origin started strongly, taking advantage of Medvedev's errors to secure breaks in the early games and quickly take the lead.

However, Medvedev's consistency at the end of the first set, along with his ability to play consistently from the baseline, helped him come back and win 7-5 after Learner Tien committed a double fault at a crucial moment.

In the second set, Medvedev had an early advantage, but an injury slowed him down. Tien seized the opportunity, played with great composure, and won 7-5 to level the score.

Set 3 saw Medvedev almost completely exhausted from cramps, even arguing with the umpire after being cautioned for "lack of determination." Tien seized the opportunity, securing two consecutive breaks to lead 4-0. After losing a game to nil, Medvedev was forced to withdraw.

With this victory, Learner Tien has reached his first ATP Tour final.

Learner Tien was born in 2005 in California, USA. Both his parents are of Vietnamese descent. His passion and talent for tennis were evident from an early age. This Vietnamese-American tennis player started playing tennis at the age of one, guided by his parents. At the age of five, he won his first title at the 2011 Halloween tournament in Upland, California.

Surprisingly, two Vietnamese-born players who haven't even played a full half are still called up to the Vietnam U23 team.

The Vietnam U23 squad list is puzzling, with coach Kim Sang Sik calling up two overseas Vietnamese players who are only reserves at their clubs.

The Vietnam U23 team will reconvene in Hanoi on October 4th, alongside the national team, during the FIFA Days in October 2025. This is an important preparation step for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

In the list of players called up for the third training camp of 2025, besides familiar names who shone in the U23 Asian qualifiers such as Pham Ly Duc, Le Van Thuan, Nguyen Van Truong and Nguyen Ngoc My, attention is focused on three overseas Vietnamese players: Viktor Le, Tran Thanh Trung and Nguyen Vadim.

While Viktor Lê left a somewhat positive impression, the participation of Trần Thành Trung and Nguyễn Vadim was truly controversial.

Nguyen Vadim, born in 2005 in Russia, has a Vietnamese father and a Russian mother. The 20-year-old recently joined Da Nang FC for the 2025/26 season. Despite being considered quite versatile, capable of playing both on the wing and in the center, Vadim has only made 4 appearances in the V.League, with his highest total playing time being just 31 minutes. In the other three appearances, he played only 12, 20, and 22 minutes respectively.

Meanwhile, Tran Thanh Trung, a Vietnamese-born player valued at 400,000 euros, had even less playing time. He also made 4 appearances, but each time he only played for between 12 and 23 minutes. No goals, no assists – according to statistics from Transfermarkt.

Typically, coaches base their player selection on actual performance at their clubs. Giving opportunities to players who rarely play, or who haven't shown anything outstanding, is clearly a major paradox.

According to the plan, the team will train at the Vietnam Youth Football Center until October 7th, then travel to the UAE for a training camp. The Vietnam U23 team will play two high-quality friendly matches against Qatar U23 on October 9th and 13th.

Mourinho's record-low salary

Returning to Benfica after 25 years, Jose Mourinho accepted the most modest salary of his coaching career since leaving Portugal.

Mourinho pocketed £6 million in his two-year contract at Benfica.
Benfica appointed Mourinho just three weeks after he was sacked by Fenerbahce at the end of August. Speaking to CNN, Benfica chairman Rui Costa declined to reveal the specific figure, but acknowledged that Mourinho's salary was only equivalent to or lower than that of his predecessor, Roger Schmidt.

According to British media, the "Special One's" two-year contract is worth approximately £6 million.

Previously, Mourinho had to take a pay cut when he left Tottenham to manage AS Roma in 2021. At that time, he agreed to a reduction of approximately £3.5 million per year, receiving £6.5 million from Roma compared to £10 million at Spurs.

Mourinho continues to sacrifice financial benefits to return to Benfica, where he began his coaching career. Although his salary is no longer as high as before, his arrival promises to give the Portuguese team a significant boost in both the Champions League and the domestic league. After three matches under Mourinho, Benfica maintains an unbeaten streak with two wins and one draw. Since the start of the season, Benfica has also remained undefeated after seven rounds in the domestic league.

The person behind Antony's rise to stardom

Striker Antony has publicly expressed his desire to have a long-term commitment to Real Betis, especially to manager Manuel Pellegrini.

In an interview broadcast on Onda Cero, Antony expressed his admiration for coach Pellegrini: “He is a great coach. Everyone knows his impressive career. I am very happy to have worked with him, not only because of the way he treated me but also all the players. The contract extension is a matter between the club and Pellegrini, but personally I always wanted to stay with him longer.”

Antony's arrival at Betis is also linked to the influence of the Chilean strategist. Earlier this year, Pellegrini himself persuaded Antony to join Betis on loan, helping the player regain his form in the second half of the 2024/25 season.

At 25, Antony had a difficult time and faced much criticism in England. But at Betis, he is gradually regaining confidence and affection. Coach Pellegrini also played a role in helping Antony adapt quickly and shine.

Manchester United agreed to let Antony leave for €25 million last summer. Despite suffering a significant loss on the deal, the Red Devils can still hope to recoup their investment if the Brazilian winger shines in La Liga.