In case you missed it, a video surfaced earlier this week of Germany coach Jogi Low scratching his crotch then sniffing his hand during Germany's 2-0 win against Ukraine. It was very funny and led to some content for some websites for which we are very grateful. But there's more.
Apparently, this was not an isolated incident.
Jogi Low can celebrate the fact that his Germany squad opened up Euro 2016 by taking care of business against Ukraine, 2-0, but, instead of doing that, maybe he shouldn't appear in public for a bit.
Low got caught by a camera on the sidelines doing . . . well he . . . just watch the video, which may or may not be safe for work (it probably is unless your company is run by Puritans).
As the final whistle blew on Saturday's 0-0 draw between the Brazil National Team and Ecuador, boos began to ring down from fans all around the Rose Bowl. Brazil had been largely unimpressive and ineffective, punctuated only by occasional moments of magic that failed to produce anything of substance. For anyone hoping that Brazil could shake off the shackles of the 2014 World Cup and regain their spot at the top of world football, it was a depressing dose of reality.
I’ve got to imagine that being a retired legend is a frustrating thing. As soon as you leave the game people probably think you are washed up. Your legacy immediately starts to diminish. People forget just how great you were, and it has got to be incredibly tempting to come back to the game just to shut all those idiots up. That’s what I am imagining was going through Clarence Seedorf’s head when he lit up a charity match with a hat trick bad in 2014.
Security at Euro 2016 is of the utmost importance to France and the tournament’s organizers, but the reality of today’s age means that the risk of a terrorist threat at the competition remains very real. Portugal, because of the global stature of Cristiano Ronaldo, have been identified as one of the more high-risk teams, and their coach Fernando Santos acknowledged the threat after his side’s friendly defeat to England on Thursday.
Most didn’t want him there. A good deal still doesn’t agree with his work ethic. And yet, Mexican fans should be more than happy to have a manager like Juan Carlos Osorio at the helm of their national team.
Osorio brings something many American (North, South, and Central) squads aren’t used to seeing from their national team managers: the blunt truth.
The Colombian manager recently commented, saying he dreams of coaching Colombia’s national team.
Arsene Wenger is going to be retiring as the manager of Arsenal at some point. I would guess that if he wins the title this next season, it will be his last. And when he does go the game will lose one of the greatest minds, and souls, to ever grace it.
In the interview you are about to watch, Wenger talks a lot about the mind and the soul; how a great manager has to have more than just good ideas, but the courage to stand up for what he believes in as well.
Louis van Gaal is no longer Manchester United manager. Jose Mourinho is Manchester United manager. This has been rumored literally for months, but the actual Van Gaal-Mourinho Manchester United manager saga has been fascinating, full of the types of details only found in soccer stories.
Take this snippet from ESPNFC:
Jurgen Klinsmann’s record and accomplishments with the United States national team are well known. After winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2013, his fortunes have gradually taken a turn for the worse. The 2016 Copa America represents a massive chance for Klinsmann and the US squad to make the country proud again, but of the highest importance is the continued buildup to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Rafa Benitez is the only manager to have won the Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Now, though, he faces his biggest test as a manager: the Championship.
I feel like I need to explain what I mean by "challenge." Most elite managers don't challenge themselves really. Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola are not "challenging themselves" by moving to Manchester. Sure, they will experience problems, but at those clubs the solution is usually "throw money at it until it goes away." That's not a challenge.