Enzo Alves Called Up to Spain’s Under-17 National Team

Enzo Alves is headed to Spain’s under-17 national team…

The 15-year-old Spanish professional footballer, the son of former Real Madrid and Brazil left back Marcelo, was called up to play on the team on Tuesday.

Enzo AlvesIt was the first call-up to the national team for Alves, who was born in the Spanish capital.

Alves signed his first contract with Real Madrid in 2022 and chose to represent Spain in 2023.

Enzo Alves, MarceloMarcelo played 16 seasons for Real Madrid. He retired last year after joining Brazilian club Fluminense last year.

Chelsea FC Reach Agreement with Palmeiras for Estêvão Willian

Estêvão Willian is headed to England.

Chelsea FC has agreed to a deal with Palmeiras for the 17-year-old Brazilian soccer player, per ESPN sources.

Estêvão WillianThe west London club have beaten off competition from some of Europe’s biggest clubs to agree a deal that sources have told ESPN is worth an initial €34 million ($37m) with performance-related add-ons potentially taking the total to a figure in the region of €67m.

The teenager is regarded as one of the best young talents in his native Brazil but, should the transfer be completed, the teenager will not join the club until 2025

Chelsea have prioritized signing young talent ever since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover two years ago, with the club’s new owners investing more than £1bn in the time since.

They have executed a number of deals with clubs in South America over the past few transfer windows. Andrey Santos and Kendry Páez, signed for Chelsea last year, while Thiago Silva will leave the club to rejoin his former club Fluminense after the final match of their Premier League season on Sunday.

Marcelo Leaving Real Madrid with Record-Breaking 25th Trophy at the Club

Marcelo is leaving Real Madrid with a special record… 

The 34-year-old Brazilian professional footballer, who confirmed he’ll leave Real Madrid this summer, has won a record-breaking 25th trophy at the club in their 1-0 Champions League final victory over Liverpool.

MarceloThe veteran defender was an unused substitute in Madrid’s win in Paris but lifted the trophy — his fifth Champions League hardware after having been involved in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 — as club captain.

Marcelo had said earlier this week that he wanted to stay at the Bernabeu with his contract due to expire next month, but said after the game that he would be leaving Madrid after 15 years.

“It’s an incredible emotion because it’s my last game at Real Madrid,” he told journalists in the mixed zone at the Stade de France. “Leaving with a Champions League is a huge joy. It isn’t a sad day.”

The left-back became the most decorated player in Real Madrid’s history when he overtook legendary winger Paco Gento‘s 23 trophies as the club won LaLiga last month.

His trophy haul now stands at five Champions Leagues, four Club World Cups, three European Super Cups, six league titles, two Copas del Reys and five Spanish Supercopas.

Marcelo had been widely expected to move on this summer — having lost his first-team place to Ferland Mendy in recent seasons — but said in the aftermath of Madrid’s league title celebrations that he wanted to continue.

“You talk about things,” he said on Saturday. “We’ve spoken and we’ve decided it’s best like that. I’ve already done everything I had to do at Madrid. I’ve been lucky to be here for 15 and a half years at the best club in the world.”

Marcelo joined Real Madrid from Fluminense in January 2007. He has been linked with a return to Brazil, although his family is settled in the Spanish capital, with son Enzo starring this season for Madrid’s under-13 team.

Fred Signs Two-Year Contract with Former Team Fluminense FC

Fred is pedaling his way back… 

The 36-year old professional soccer striker, whose full name is Frederico Chaves Guedes, is leaving Cruzeiro to return to his previous team Fluminense FC,and he’s announced plans to cycle the 600 kilometers to join his new club.

Fred

Fred signed a two-year contract with Fluminense over the weekend and a day later announced he was setting off with a support team on a charity cycle from Belo Horizonte to Rio de Janeiro.

“The objective is to receive hampers of basic foodstuffs for 4,000 families on this trip to the Fluminense training center that I am starting today,” Fred said on Instagram, where he has 2.6 million followers.

“I am counting on you during this solidarity trip. I’m cycling and you are donating from your homes and we’re all in this together for a bigger cause.”

Fred, who became the third highest scorer in Fluminense’s history in his previous spell between 2009 and 2016, left Cruzeiro, who were relegated to Brazil’s Serie B last season.

Brazilian football was suspended in March and the state championships have yet to restart, while some Rio clubs resumed non-contact training on Monday.

Batista to Sign with Shanghai Shenhua…

Sergio Batista may soon be taking his soccer coaching skills to Asia…

The 49-year-old Argentine fútbol coach is expected to sign with Shanghai Shenhua in another high-profile hiring by a Chinese Super League team.

Sergio Batista

The club has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday to introduce its new coach, although no other details were given on Shenhua’s website.

Batista, who has been in China since Friday, met on Monday with the club’s star signing, former Chelsea player Nicolas Anelka, who has been leading a five-man coaching lineup since the departure of Jean Tigana of France last month.

Batista helped Argentina win the 1986 World Cup as a player, and coached the Argentine Olympic squad to the gold medal in Beijing in 2008.

Chinese teams recently have begun emerging from years of poor management and match-fixing scandals to splurge on foreign coaches and players, a reflection of China’s growing economic might and thirst for global recognition.

Chinese clubs hope the big names will boost sponsorship and give the league wider recognition, although the dearth of homegrown talent remains a glaring problem for the national team, a perennial underperformer in international competition.

Among other the recent signings, Super League champion Guangzhou Evergrande broke the Chinese transfer spending record to sign Argentine playmaker Dario Conca for $10 million from Fluminense, reportedly making him the third-highest paid player in the world.

The Evergrande followed up this month by hiring coach Marcello Lippi, who guided Italy to the 2006 World Cup title.