Klopp warns: he will resign if the press crosses the line with his family

Manchester City midfielder Rodri Hernández will undergo back surgery next Monday. This was confirmed by the club’s new coach, Enzo Maresca, during his official presentation.

Rodri has had physical problems since the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in 2024. Despite this, he managed to become World Cup champion with Spain and won the Ballon d’Or that year.

Surgery and Maresca’s words

Maresca did not specify the recovery time, but made clear his intention to retain the player. “Around a great player there are always conjectures, so it doesn’t worry me. I think it’s normal also because they won the World Cup,” he said.

“He was one of the best players and I think every coach wants to have Rodri because he is a top-level player. But now he has the surgery, I think on Monday, and he needs a vacation. He needs to rest, he needs to recover and then he will return here with us,” he added.

The Italian coach took over after the departure of Pep Guardiola, who left the club at the end of last season. Guardiola won 17 trophies with City, including six Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League.

Guardiola’s legacy and the new cycle

Maresca, 46 years old, is living his third stage at the club. Previously, he was the academy coach (2020-21) and Guardiola’s assistant (2022-23), a season in which the team won the treble. “It is a privilege that the club has opted for me,” he said.

“I consider Pep probably the best coach in the world in the last 20-25 years, but it is a nice challenge,” he added. His style seeks to maintain aggressiveness with the ball and control of the game, concepts that he already knows from his time with Guardiola.

City trusts that Rodri will recover soon to continue being a key player in Maresca’s new project.

Replacement on the Belgian bench

The Belgian Football Federation announced this Friday Mark van Bommel as the new national coach. The former Netherlands international replaces Rudi Garcia, whose departure was confirmed after his contract expired on July 31.

Van Bommel arrives after Belgium reached the quarterfinals in the last World Cup. The 48-year-old coach will lead a generation that he considers has high potential.

“Belgium has extraordinary players and enormous potential,” said Van Bommel. “Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the best.”

The Dutchman has previous experience in clubs such as PSV, Wolfsburg and Antwerp. Now he takes on the challenge of leading the ‘Red Devils’ to new achievements on the international stage.

Their first test will be qualifying for the next World Cup. The fans expect a firm and offensive style, a hallmark of his career as a player and technical director.

Vozinha a Colo Colo

Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, will be a new Colo Colo player, confirmed the president of Blanco y Negro, Aníbal Mosa.

Mosa assured that the goalkeeper will travel to Chile in the coming days to undergo medical examinations and then will be presented at the Monumental Stadium. “He meets the conditions to be here,” he declared.

According to the leader, the operation also has a marketing component, but he stressed that Vozinha “has just had a very good World Cup.” He added that his arrival “places our club in the global orbit.”

Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar Dias, stole the show on June 15 with a key performance in Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw against then-European champions Spain. It was the first World Cup match in the history of his team.

Then Cape Verde tied 2-2 with Uruguay and 0-0 with Saudi Arabia. They lost in the round of 32 against Argentina, forcing extra time.

His career includes clubs in Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia and Portugal. His last team was Chaves, from the Portuguese second league, where he played for two years and left with the pass in his possession.

The nickname “Vozinha” means “granny” in Portuguese. He received it from children who bullied him and laughed when he went home crying to his grandparents. He later adopted him because another classmate had the same first name.

After the game against Spain, his followers on Instagram went from about 50,000 to more than 2.4 million in a few hours. Today it totals 29.5 million.

Mosa stated that the final details are being worked out, but he has confirmation from the player’s representatives.