Neymar and Jordi Alba might give a ‘surprise’ to Kolkata’s football fanatics, and Messi also at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan!
Sports entrepreneur Shatadru Dutta, the key man behind Lionel Messi’s second visit to Kolkata on December 13, has planned a ‘surprise’ for Messi. As a result, Kolkata’s football fans may see even more excitement, as world football superstars Neymar of Brazil and Jordi Alba of Spain might join Messi at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan on the afternoon of December 13. Discussions are ongoing to bring Neymar and Suarez to Kolkata on December 13 for what could become a Barcelona reunion. At present, Messi is unaware of these plans. If Neymar and Suarez attend on December 13, it will reunite Messi, Neymar, and Suarez, who played together at Barcelona in La Liga from 2014, when Suarez joined from Liverpool, until 2017, when Neymar left for Paris Saint-Germain. If the arrival of Brazil’s Neymar and Uruguay’s all-time leading goal-scorer Suarez materialises, it will only be for the Calcutta leg of Messi’s India visit. fter his set of events in Calcutta, Messi will move on to Wankhede and the Kotla for more programmes on December 14 and 15, in Mumbai and Delhi, respectively. In New Delhi, the organisers will also try to have India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill on the same stage as Messi.
Manchester United owner gives Amorim a three-year time to prove his mettle!
Ruben Amorim must have been relieved by Manchester United’s minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s latest statement. The Portuguese coach has been under huge mental pressure after Manchester United’s struggles with a poor start in the EPL this season. Even after constant criticism from the media as well as the fans’ demands to sack him from the coach’s post, Amorim’s job was at stake at one point in the season. The coach will be finishing his first anniversary with Manchester United on 1st November. Significantly Ratcliffe, while speaking to media has clearly stated that Amorim will be given a period of three years to show his ability and performance, rejecting any notion of “knee-jerk” reactions. Amorim’s tenure has been challenging, with the team failing to secure back-to-back Premier League victories and finishing 15th last season – their worst top-flight performance since 1974. This season has also seen an early exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of League Two side Grimsby. Despite calls for change, Ratcliffe, speaking on The Business podcast, produced by the Times and Sunday Tomes, described the 40-year-old as a “good guy” who needs time. “He has not had the best of seasons. Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be,” Ratcliffe stated. He criticised media pressure for instant success, adding: “The press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. “They think it’s a light switch. You know, you flick a switch and it’s all going to be roses tomorrow. “You can’t run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week.” Ratcliffe has owned just under 30 percent of United through his chemicals company Ineos since February 2024, taking over control of football operations at the club. That still left the Glazer family, who have been the subject of numerous fan protests over their handling of the club since taking over in 2005, in overall charge. Asked what would happen if the Glazers told him to sack Amorim, Ratcliffe said: “It’s not going to happen.”