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MANCHESTER City Director of Football Txiki Begiristain will step down at the end of the season and be succeeded by Sporting’s Hugo Viana, the Premier League club said on Saturday.
Former Portugal midfielder Viana, 41, became Sporting’s Director of Football in 2018 and played a key part in guiding the club to Portuguese league titles in 2021 and 2024.
Begiristain, 60, joined City in October 2012 after serving as Barcelona’s Director of Football for seven years until 2010.
“Viana will begin his full-time role in the summer of 2025, but will collaborate with Txiki in the preceding months to ensure a smooth transition,” said a City statement.
Begiristain’s departure from the Etihad has raised questions about coach Pep Guardiola’s future at the club.
The pair have worked closely together at City and with 53-year-old Guardiola’s current contract ending after this season, the Spaniard’s plans remain uncertain.
Suspended Van Dijk heads back to Liverpool for rest after red card
Suspended Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk will not travel with the squad for Monday’s Nations League match in Germany after opting for extra rest in preparation for a busy period with Liverpool, the Dutch FA said on Saturday.
Van Dijk was sent off in the 1-1 draw away to Hungary on Friday and is banned for the next Nations League fixture.
The 33-year-old initially said that, despite the suspension, he wanted to stay with the squad to support his teammates.
“I’ll just travel with the team, of course,” he told NOS television following the match. “At least, that’s natural for me. I just played 80 minutes tonight, so I will first have to recover and I just want to be with the team as captain.”
However, Van Dijk later changed his mind and on Saturday was heading back to Liverpool, who face Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion (twice) over the next three weeks.
“I would have liked to continue supporting the team, but I decided that I would like to go home. There has been a lot of talk about all the matches we have to play, all those trips. It is a good time to get some rest,” he added.
Van Dijk is the first Netherlands captain to be sent off in a full international and misses an international for the first time since June 2022. He has 77 caps.
The KNVB said no replacement would be called up to the squad, which travelled to Munich from Budapest on Saturday.
Uruguay boss Bielsa says his authority was affected after Suarez criticism
Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa said his authority was somewhat affected after striker Luis Suarez slammed his coaching style, but the Argentine added that he was prepared for the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifier against Peru with utmost seriousness.
Uruguay’s all-time leading goal-scorer Suarez, who retired from internationals in September, earlier this month accused Bielsa’s coaching style of having divided the squad because of how he trains and that some players were considering quitting.
The Inter Miami player added that some things happened at the Copa America in the United States, where the 15-times champions Uruguay finished third, that he did not agree with but chose to keep quiet.
Bielsa said his side’s commitment was unaffected in their shock 1-0 loss away at Peru on Saturday.
“What happened during the week does not condition or explain how we played, nor do I think it has had an effect because it was a week with a lot of effervescence,” Bielsa told reporters after the defeat.
“As for how the situation affected me, I don’t ignore what happened, and I know that my authority was affected in some way, but I prepared for the game with the utmost seriousness, and the response I got from the players was the same as I have always had since I started working here.
“It didn’t alter the conviction with which the match was prepared and the way the group and the coaching staff worked. The preparation was the same as always.”
Uruguay, third in the World Cup Qualifying standings with 15 points from nine matches, next host fifth-placed Ecuador.
Pochettino’s US debut sees 2-0 victory against Panama
Coach Mauricio Pochettino made a successful debut in charge of the United States, leading them to a 2-0 friendly win over Panama on Saturday.
Pochettino, who left Premier League side Chelsea in May after one season in charge, was appointed last month to replace Gregg Berhalter, following his dismissal after a humiliating early exit from the 2024 Copa America.
The new boss spent much of the first half on the sidelines giving instructions to his team, who were unable to find the back of the net despite threatening chances, the closest coming from former Chelsea striker Christian Pulisic, whose shot after a quick breakaway was blocked by goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera.
Pulisic, however, found his rhythm and showed glimpses of his scintillating start to the season with AC Milan when he delivered a fine cross for Yunus Musah to finish with aplomb four minutes after the break.
Goalkeeper Matthew Turner helped the Americans maintain their advantage, denying efforts by Yoel Barcenas and Jose Rodriguez as Panama failed to equalise, and substitute Ricardo Pepi put the icing on the cake with a late goal in stoppage time.
Having won his first game in charge, Pochettino will be looking to continue that streak when the U.S. travel to Guadalajara to take on Mexico on Tuesday. — Reuters
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