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'Jose Mourinho hasn't lost anything!' – Pepe insists ex-Real Madrid & Chelsea boss is now a 'much more thoughtful coach' with Benfica homecoming 'beneficial for Portuguese football'

Portugal legend Pepe has heaped praise on his former manager Jose Mourinho following his return to management with Benfica. The pair worked together at Real Madrid in what was, at times, a fractious relationship. But Pepe is delighted to see Mourinho back in his homeland, after he took his place in the dugout at the Estadio da Luz.

Jose Mourinho piles the pressure on Roberto Martinez as Benfica boss insists Portugal must aim to win 2026 World Cup

Jose Mourinho has piled the pressure on Roberto Martinez as the Benfica boss insisted that Portugal must aim to win the World Cup next year. The Selecao boast one of the best squads in Europe with players like Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva in midfield and an attack spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal are also fresh from winning the Nations League this year.

Revealed: When Cole Palmer should return from niggling groin injury as Chelsea talisman faces missing out on another England squad despite avoiding surgery

Chelsea fans will be relieved to hear their talismanic forward Cole Palmer faces weeks, not months, on the touchline as he recovers from a groin injury. But fears persist Palmer may need surgery to avoid the injury becoming chronic and hampering him for the long-term, with England manager Thomas Tuchel admitting his concern after the player missed out on another of his squads.

'He's defying medical science' – Cristiano Ronaldo backed to keep playing 'at least into his mid-40s' by old Premier League rival

Cristiano Ronaldo has been backed to keep playing "at least into his mid-40s" by former Premier League rival and England star Joe Cole, who claimed the Portugal legend is "defying medical science". At 40, Ronaldo is still scoring for fun at both club and international level. He has kicked off the 2025-26 campaign on a high, having scored five goals in six matches across all competitions for Al-Nassr.

When will Alexander Isak be fully fit? Liverpool warned it could be weeks before £125m man reaches peak match sharpness after detrimental summer transfer saga

Liverpool may have to wait weeks before they begin to see the best of their record signing Alexander Isak following his protracted move from Newcastle. The disappointing projection has been blamed on that drawn-out transfer which saw Isak sidelined while the two clubs negotiated for almost two months, meaning he missed pre-season and was left well short of match sharpness.

'Luka Modric is a giant!' – Gennaro Gattuso tells AC Milan midfielder to watch and learn from Real Madrid great as Italy boss explains decision to leave star out of squad

Gennaro Gattuso addressed his decision of not selecting young midfielder Samuele Ricci in Italy's squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers, citing his lack of regular playing time at AC Milan as the reason. The Italy head coach, however, urged the 24-year-old to "watch" and learn from the iconic ex-Real Madrid midfielder, who has made an immediate impact since arriving at the San Siro.

Florian Wirtz putting in the hard yards! How Liverpool man is trying to kickstart Reds career on Germany duty after slow start following blockbuster £116m transfer

Florian Wirtz is putting in the hard yards as he is doing extra training for Germany in a bid to kickstart his Liverpool career after a slow start to life at Anfield. Since completing a whopping £116 million ($156m) transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, Wirtz has struggled to adjust to his new surroundings and has not had a single goal involvement in the Premier League.

Rafael Leao told 'don't p*ss me off' by AC Milan coach in fiery dressing room confrontation as Max Allegri criticises woeful performance in Juventus draw

Rafael Leao’s inconsistent return for AC Milan has sparked tensions behind the scenes, including a fiery exchange with coach Massimiliano Allegri. The Portuguese winger was reportedly scolded in front of his team-mates following missed chances against Juventus, with his starting role now under threat as Milan’s boss demands greater intensity and maturity.