Tag: Lille

USMNT winger Tim Weah joins Juventus from Lille

The 23-year-old is making the move to Serie A, where his father starred for AC Milan

U.S. national team star Tim Weah has completed a move to Juventus.

Weah joins Juve after spending four seasons with Lille, where he won the Ligue 1 title in the 2020-21 season.

In a press release, Juventus said it would pay the French side a €10.3 million fee over two years for Weah, plus a maximum of €2.1m in add-ons and a €1m commission.

Weah has signed a contract through 2028 with Juventus, where he will link up with USMNT teammate Weston McKennie — at least for now. After spending the back half of last season on loan at Leeds, McKennie has been tipped to potentially leave Juventus permanently this summer.

During his time with Lille, Weah became a valuable contributor due to his versatility. Weah played several attacking roles for the French outfit, but this past season saw him converted into a fullback capable of playing on either side.

At Juventus, he is expected to continue as a wingback in Max Allegri’s 3-5-2 formation.

Weah’s move to Italy also sees him join the league where his father George Weah became a global superstar in the 1990s.

The elder Weah — who now happens to be the president of Liberia —  won the Ballon d’Or in 1995 while playing for AC Milan. To this date, he is still the only African player to win the award.

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USMNT’s Weah reportedly on the brink of Juventus transfer

It’s apparently down to the final details over Weah’s move to Turin

The promise of a busy summer transfer window for much of the U.S. men’s national team is becoming a reality.

Tim Weah is reportedly on his way to Juventus, with Gianluca Di Marzio and The Athletic reporting that the USMNT forward has agreed to a five-year contract. The Serie A giants and Weah’s current club Lille are said to have reached a verbal agreement over a €12 million transfer fee.

Per the report, the final steps in the process may boil down to whether that €12 million is paid in one lump sum, or if it’s split between a €10 million fee up front followed by €2 million arriving as a bonus of some sort down the road.

Weah’s move to Italy might spark a bit of nostalgia in the country, as his father George (before he became literally the president of Liberia) won the 1995 Ballon d’Or and two Serie A championships playing for AC Milan. Back in March, Weah expressed an openness to follow in his father’s footsteps there, but it appears he’s going to end up at one of their most formidable rivals instead.

New club, new role?

Reports of Weah’s move to Turin have been buzzing in the days following the USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League triumph. That said, the first-choice U.S. right winger figures to be signing on for a different role with Juventus.

Manager Max Allegri prizes fluidity in his team, but the base of his tactical approach has largely been a 3-5-2 formation. Juventus has interest in wingbacks who can function as wingers, and Weah — who finished the USMNT’s 2-0 Nations League final win over Canada as a wingback in a 5-4-1 — is high on their list for precisely this reason.

That adjustment doesn’t figure to impact his USMNT role under returning coach Gregg Berhalter, but it may see Weah rotated more regularly than he was at Lille. Between Allegri’s system requiring a prodigious amount of running from wingbacks and Juve being linked with Leicester City fullback Timothy Castagne, Weah likely won’t be playing 35-plus league matches a season with the Bianconeri.

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Mihailovic replaces injured Weah on USMNT roster

The 24-year-old AZ midfielder will be looking for his first cap in more than two years

AZ midfielder Djordje Mihailovic has been added to the U.S. men’s national team roster for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League matches, replacing the injured Tim Weah.

Weah is in concussion return to play protocol after he suffered a head injury in Lille’s 2-0 win over Toulouse on Saturday.

Mihailovic, who has six USMNT caps, will be aiming for his first national team appearance since December 2020. The midfielder’s chances of making the World Cup squad were damaged when, in the midst of an excellent start to the 2022 season with CF Montréal, he suffered an ankle injury that forced him off the team’s June roster.

Mihailovic has made 10 appearances for Dutch side AZ after joining from Montréal in January, tallying one goal and one assist.

The USMNT will travel to face Grenada on Friday (8:00 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo and Peacock), which will be followed by a game against El Salvador on March 27 at Exploria Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo and Peacock).

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Tim Weah: It would be great to play for AC Milan

The USMNT forward said he’d love to follow in his father’s footsteps one day

Tim Weah has admitted he would one day love to play for AC Milan — the club where his father George Weah starred in the 1990s.

The younger Weah is currently in his fourth season at Lille, where he’s transitioned into a left back role this season after a successful World Cup with the U.S. national team as a forward.

Weah’s father, who is currently the president of Liberia, became the first and still only African to win the Ballon d’Or in 1995 when he played for Milan.

“Milan gave everything to my father,” he said in an interview with MilanNews.it. “We have a great relationship with the city of Milan. Compared to my brother and sister, I wasn’t born yet when my father played for Milan but his Rossoneri story is incredible. His past with Milan is fantastic, Milan is a great club, it’s the story of my family.

“Milan is in my heart, the club gave everything to my father and my family. It’s normal to have a certain bond with the clubs where my father played. Watching the videos on YouTube, you realize the imprint it left on the history of football. And even today he often talks about his former teammates and friends, all of this is engraved in my mind. Dad was great at Milan.”

Weah has already represented one of the clubs where his father played, PSG, and although the 23-year-old insisted he’s only concerned with his current side, he said the draw of a move to Milan one day would be hard to turn down.

“I don’t like talking too much about the future also because right now I’m focused on Lille,” he said. “I just want to help the team and work hard, then we’ll see. Nobody knows what will happen in the future

“Of course, I’d like to retrace my dad’s footsteps. It would be something great to play for Milan. I’ll keep going on my way and then we’ll see.”

Sevilla and Borussia Mönchengladbach had interest in Weah in January, according to Foot Mercato, but Lille blocked any potential exit for the USMNT star.

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Tim Weah bags two assists in five minutes as Lille thump Strasbourg

Weah is looking sharp, which is great for USMNT fans

Tim Weah’s return from injury doesn’t seem to include a slow build back up to top form.

The U.S. men’s national team attacker, making his second appearance of the 2022-23 season after suffering an ankle issue in preseason, produced two assists in a five-minute span as Lille sprinted to a 3-0 away win over Strasbourg.

Weah made his first appearance of the season for Lille last weekend, playing 16 minutes in a 1-0 win over Lens. On Friday, he came in as a substitute in the 65th minute, with Lille ahead by a goal thanks to Jonathan David’s first half spot kick.

In short order, Weah was setting David up for a brace. A Lille attack in the 76th minute went awry inside the Strasbourg box, but the visitors kept play alive, cycling it wide right for Weah. Given enough room to serve the ball in, Weah chose to drive a low ball back into the mixer towards the Canadian national team striker, and David simply had to tap the ball home from all of four yards.

Five minutes later, Lille surged forward on the break, giving Weah a platform to pick up another assist. A nasty tackle from Gerzino Nyamsi sent Carlos Baleba sprawling, but advantage was played as the ball zipped right to Weah.

Before anyone from Strasbourg could challenge him, Weah cleverly chopped a square pass over to the onrushing Rémy Cabella, who provided a clinical finish from just inside the area.

Now with three wins in their last four games, Lille have moved up to sixth place in Ligue 1 at the moment, just one point off of the European places.

Watch Weah’s two assists for Lille

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Chelsea con un pie dentro, Juventus y Villarreal lo dejan a la vuelta

Continúan los octavos de final de la Champions League y esta vez abrieron llave el Chelsea ante el Lille y el Villarreal recibiendo a la Juventus

Continúan los octavos de final de la Champions League y esta vez abrieron llave el Chelsea ante el Lille y el Villarreal recibiendo a la Juventus.

Los campeones del mundo, el Chelsea, aprovechó su condición de local para tomar ventaja en la ida de los octavos de final ante un Lille que aunque opuso resistencia no le alcanzó para conseguir un gol para disminuir la desventaja para la vuelta.

© SIPA USA

Kai Havertz a los 8 minutos y Christian Pulisic al 63 pusieron los goles de la ventaja para el campeón defensor que parece tener un pie dentro de los cuartos de final.

Juventus logra buen empate en España

Para Juventus el partido ante Villarreal comenzaba como un cuento de hadas con un gol tempranero de Dusan Vlahovic que definió de forma exquisita al minuto de juego.

© SIPA USA

Pero ya con la ventaja Juventus no supo liquidar a su rival que fue creciendo en confianza al no verse tan comprometidos en defensa y al minuto 66, Daniel Parejó emparejó las acciones y la eliminatoria.

Todo quedará para la vuelta en Turín cuando Juventus reciba al submarino amarillo que con el empate deja la serie abierta y sin nada que perder, se pueden volver un equipo muy peligroso.

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Así les fue a los mexicanos en el sorteo de la Champions League

Ya conocemos los grupos de la Champions League en el sorteo que realizó la UEFA para la temporada 21-22.

Ya conocemos los grupos de la Champions League en el sorteo que realizó la UEFA para la temporada 21-22.

Muchas sorpresas como la del Real Madrid que prácticamente le tocó el mismo grupo que el torneo pasado, mucha coincidencia o el grupo B que verá enfrentarse a dos de los cuatro mexicanos que podrían ver acción en esta Champions League.

¿Cómo le fue a los mexicanos?

Herrera y Corona con el Atlético de Madrid y Porto, comparten grupo

El Atlético de Madrid de Héctor Herrera quedó como cabeza el Grupo B y se enfrentarán al Porto de Jesús Tecatito Corona, si es que no cambia de equipo.

Pero no la tienen nada sencilla, pues además tendrán que enfrentar al Liverpool y al Milan. Durísima prueba para el Atlético y el Porto que tendrán que sufrir para avanzar de ronda.

Ajax y Edson Álvarez con mejor suerte

El Ajax del ‘Machín’, Edson Álvarez, quedó situado en el Grupo C junto al Sporting de Portugal, Besiktas y Borussia Dortmund, será difícil pero no imposible para los de Ámsterdam avanzar de ronda.

Sporting es campeón de Portugal y el Borussia Dortmund lleva varios años queriendo escalar al peldaño de grande de Europa, así que Ajax tendrá que imponer jerarquía si quiere avanzar.

Lille de Eugenio Pizzuto

El centrocampista de 19 años, Eugenio Pizzuto del Lille O.S.C. se clasificó a la Champions League al arrebatarle al PSG el trofeo de Copa de Francia y el mexicano podría ver participación.

Lille comparte grupo con Sevilla, Salzburgo y Wolfsburgo en el que es probablemente el grupo más flojito de toda la Champions League.

© Sipa USA

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