Villas-Boas and the reflection between two paths (and one name)

Villas-Boas asked for a punch on the table, Anselmi wanted a punch on the table, in the end there was neither punch nor table. FC Porto was betting big on this Club World Cup, not only in terms of sporting aspects but also as a brand after a 2024/25 season that left anything but fond memories. Instead, it was more of the same: a 4-4 draw with Al Ahly in a game with too many errors within a different system that was tested without success , elimination in the group stage, exiting the scene as the worst European team . The reflection on everything that happened is still being made, between the more than likely termination of Anselmi's contract, the possible departure of Zubizarreta and a reinforced bet on Jorge Costa . What's next? This is where the key decision comes in. More than names, the president of the Dragons has two paths for the future , between the profile of someone who knows better the terrain he will tread on and a new bet on a more disruptive idea in search of shock therapy for the current state of the team. Between the two, and despite exploratory contacts made between names that fit the hypotheses, Francesco Farioli has been gaining strength at Dragão.

In contrast, Benfica thrashed Auckland City in a game that was interrupted for 2h30 due to bad weather warnings and produced one of the surprises of the group stage with a win against Bayern that secured them first place in Group C. Schjelderup scored, Trubin made every save, António Silva and Otamendi had one of the most successful matches of the season but what stood out the most was Bruno Lage's request at the end : "It's time for people to believe more in the work we're doing. In the president, in the sporting director, in me, in my players". The Reds will now face Chelsea in the round of 16 this Saturday (9pm), followed by the winner of Palmeiras-Botafogo (5pm) in case of victory in a competition that is starting to have Manchester City , Real Madrid , Inter and PSG as some of the main candidates for victory.

In women's football, and after the inglorious elimination of the U-19 team in the semi-finals of the European Championship against France, the European Senior Championship kicks off next Wednesday, with Portugal making its third consecutive appearance in the competition. Kika Nazareth, Jéssica Silva and Lúcia Alves, who were at risk of missing the competition, were confirmed in a call-up of 23 players that does not include Bárbara Lopes, Samara Lino and Stephanie Ribeiro. After the goalless draw in the last test against Nigeria , the team will start by facing world champions Spain (Thursday at 8pm in Bern), followed by matches against Italy (7th at 8pm in Geneva) and Belgium (11th at 8pm in Sion) to complete group B.

In terms of sports, the highlight will be the start of Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the season , where Carlos Alcaraz will attempt to win his third consecutive title after winning the two finals against Novak Djokovic (the last tests on grass end this Saturday, with the finals in Eastbourne, New Homburg and Mallorca). Before that, this weekend, attention will be focused on other latitudes: the European Athletics Team Championship, which started this Thursday afternoon in Madrid; the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix (Sunday, 2pm); the Dutch MotoGP Grand Prix, where Miguel Oliveira will have another opportunity to show that he deserves to continue with Pramac Yamaha (Sunday, 1pm); game 5 of the futsal League final, between Sporting and Benfica , at Pavilhão João Rocha (Sunday, 7pm); and the U-21 Handball World Cup semi-finals, with the National Team looking for a historic final against the Faroe Islands (this Friday, 8pm).

Previously, João Almeida showed that he is reaching a point of competitive maturity that allows him to dream of something more in a career that is still in its early stages. After victories in the Basque Country and Romandie , the Portuguese rider also won the Tour de Suisse following an epic comeback from a three-minute deficit that was crowned with his third stage triumph in the time trial . Now it is time for an active rest, but what the Portuguese rider did allows him to dream of something more in the Tour de France , where he finished fourth in his debut race in 2024. We will talk more about this next week, but the battle between Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates (and Almeida) and Vingegaard's Visma–Lease Bike is promising.