Former Premier League manager is told ‘f*** you' by his own player before he shushes him in furious Club World Cup row
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
EX-PREM boss Bruno Lage has been embroiled in an astonishing touchline spat with his OWN player.
The Benfica boss watched his side see off Auckland City 6-0 in the Club World Cup on Friday night.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
3
Benfica boss Bruno Lage was involved in a furious row with Orkun Kokcu
Credit: Getty
3
The ex-Wolves manager was seen shushing his player during the row
Credit: Getty
Benfica struggled to break down the Kiwi minnows, taking almost an hour to find the opener.
Lage decided to shuffle his pack in the Orlando heat, replacing Orkun Kokcu with ex-Swansea City midfielder Renato Sanches.
But Kokcu was furious at being subbed, refusing to shake Lage's hand as he skulked from the field.
Portuguese outlet A Bola claims Kokcu turned and shouted "f*** you" at his manager before taking his place on the bench.
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
MARC MY WORDS Guehi makes summer transfer decision between Arsenal and Liverpool
WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN
A furious Lage confronted Kokcu and was seen shushing him by placing a finger on his lips.
And after Sanches netted Benfica's third, the boss headed back to the bench to carry on the feud.
Kerem Akturkoglu was seen holding Kokcu back, preventing the incident from escalating as Lage again shushed his own player.
Lage claimed after the match that Kokcu was guilty of only wanting to "win and score goals".
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
He said: "We decided that Renato should come on.
"Regardless of the players' form, I make the decisions.
Bayern Munich beat Boca Juniors 2-1 at the Club World Cup
"In the last game, we started with Renato, and Kokcu came on later and helped us.
"That's how it was today, too. I saw the behaviour of a consistently professional athlete. That was a unique experience.
"He has always behaved very well both on and off the field. He has the desire to help the team.
"I make the decisions I have to make, no matter who it is. I've proven that many times.
"I look at the player's current situation and make my decisions calmly."
3
Lage, 49, took charge of Wolves in the Premier League between June 2021 and October 2022.
He won just 19 of 51 games at Molineux, but was hampered by an injury crisis to his strikers.
Julen Lopetegui replaced Lage in the Midlands, with the Portuguese taking charge of Botofago in Brazil before joining Benfica for a second stint last summer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
31 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Humbling of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami exposes flaw in Gianni Infantino's plan
Gianni Infantino took centre stage from Lionel Messi and his celebrating Inter Miami team-mates last October to make the surprise announcement that he had adjusted the Club World Cup qualification to accommodate the MLS franchise in its group stage. Eight months later, Messi and his fellow Barcelona veterans in pink shirts – Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba – found themselves on the end of four first-half goals from Europe's leading team, in a last-16 Club World Cup tie that was over almost as soon as it began. Beaten 4-0, Inter Miami are out, the last MLS representatives in this home Club World Cup and however far behind Paris St-Germain they might have been in Atlanta, they have served their purpose for Infantino. The Fifa president needed the star quality of Messi given that there was an absence of some of Europe's best supported teams in the competition, including the actual Barcelona, as well as Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United. Although even Infantino would have struggled to find a reason to include the latter. A US tournament without Messi would have been a difficult sell to an American public that has shown itself occasionally indifferent to the big overseas clubs who have arrived to play in the height of summer. It was clear from Cristiano Ronaldo's remarks from Saudi Arabia that he, too, was dangled the opportunity of playing for a Club World Cup team but preferred to keep himself fresh for next summer's real World Cup. Infantino's willingness to turn it into an invitational demonstrated the requirement for big names. The problem with shoe-horning in Messi and Inter Miami, was that it was destined to show the US just how far its own club sides are behind those of Europe and South America. Asked how the gap might be closed, Miami coach Javier Mascherano, another Barcelona veteran, passed on the question. 'People involved in MLS know better than me what they have to do to progress in the league and be competitive,' he said. Miami did at least hold their own in the group stages with a win over Porto and draws with Palmeiras and Al-Ahly of Egypt. PSG are a very different prospect. Having racked up a record margin of victory for any Champions League final – or its European Cup predecessor – over Inter Milan this month, that was always going to be a risk. Mascherano called the first half 'a bloodbath'. There could have been many more in the second half, but PSG relented notably and Luis Enrique substituted some of his biggest names. Goalscorers Joao Neves and Achraf Hakimi came off as well as captain Marquinhos, midfielder Fabian Ruiz and star left-back Nuno Mendes. The pundits on DAZN, the streaming service that is providing free coverage in the US, did their best to talk up the efforts of Messi and his team-mates in the second half, but the frustration of Suarez told its own story. Infantino had used Miami's victory in the Supporters' Shield element of the MLS season to justify their inclusion – they finished top of the league table. Nevertheless, the champions of MLS are the MLS Cup winners and that was LA Galaxy, after Miami went out in the play-offs first round to Atlanta United. LA Galaxy did not compete at the Club World Cup but then neither did the champions of England, Spain or Italy. The mistakes from Miami that helped PSG race into a commanding lead in Atlanta showed that many MLS sides have to balance the European or South American stars in their sides with relative inexperience elsewhere. Poker-faced as ever, Messi did what he could. He had a promising free-kick towards the end of the game but after much dramatic anticipation it was struck into the defensive wall. He had a header saved in the second half and there was a fine flick into the path of Suarez which the latter mis-controlled. Messi will have to wait longer for his rest. Miami are scheduled to be in Canada on Saturday for a game against strugglers Montreal. His club are sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference but have now played as many as four fewer games as some sides in the division. As things stand the Miami regular season does not conclude until October 18. Come next summer, back in the US, Messi will lead Argentina in their defence of the World Cup – a competition which will figure much larger in his mind than the one from which he and his Miami team-mates have just been eliminated.
The Herald Scotland
35 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Chelsea agree deal to sign Brighton striker Joao Pedro for reported £60m
Pedro could make his Chelsea debut in Friday's quarter-final clash against Palmeiras in Philadelphia. Joao Pedro joined Brighton from Watford for £30million in 2023 (Adam Davy/PA) The Brazilian, who will become Chelsea's sixth summer signing, scored 10 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions for Brighton last season. He has scored 30 goals and made 10 assists in 70 appearances in total for the Seagulls. Newcastle have been reported to have had a £50m bid for the striker last week turned down. Chelsea, who defeated Benfica 4-1 after extra time in Charlotte on Saturday night to reach the Club World Cup, have signed midfielder Kendry Paez, goalkeeper Mike Penders, winger Estevao Willian, striker Liam Delap and defender Mamadou Sarr since the end of last season. They are also reported to be poised to complete the £50m signing of winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund.
Daily Mirror
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Gyokeres furious with Sporting and repeats threat amid Man Utd and Arsenal saga
Viktor Gyokeres is annoyed with Sporting (Image:) Viktor Gyokeres will refuse to return to Sporting Lisbon this summer in an attempt to force through a transfer. Things have turned increasingly sour between the Swedish striker and his current club, who are dragging their feet over his exit in an attempt to extract the best transfer fee possible. Sporting president Frederico Varandas has been extremely vocal recently about the bitter saga in an attempt to keep supporters onside. At the centre of the dispute is an apparent gentleman's agreement, made between Gyokeres and the club hierarchy, that he would be allowed to leave for less than his official release clause. Gyokeres has made it clear that this summer is his time to leave Lisbon in search of new opportunities and a higher level of football. He plundered 53 goals and 13 assists in 51 games across the 2024/25 season, helping Sporting win the league and cup double, and feels he should be afforded some good will. Sporting have granted Gyokeres an extra week off before he is due to report for pre-season, but Portuguese newspaper Record says he has no intention of showing up. READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Gyokeres development, Liverpool near SEVENTH signing, Chelsea agree £60m deal READ MORE: Chelsea agree £60m Joao Pedro transfer and use FIFA rule to land Club World Cup boost The 27-year-old is fed up with the situation and has personally told Varandas that he feels betrayed and therefore won't play ball. He has also threatened to speak publicly to give his side of the story. Gyokeres has been a target of both Manchester United and Arsenal, who previously saw an offer of £55m rejected by Sporting. But with United moving for Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, and Arsenal preferring RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, there has been little movement in recent weeks. That has left Gyokeres frustrated, with the former Coventry man wanting to get a move sorted as soon as possible. Things have deteriorated and, when he does leave, it will be under a cloud, with Varandas refusing to back down. Viktor Gyokeres has vowed to never play for Sporting again (Image: Getty Images) "Sporting is calm regarding this matter," he said. "Secondly, Sporting does not need to sell Viktor Gyökeres. Fortunately, we have moved past the phase of selling our main asset. "However, we remain sensitive to Viktor's dreams or those of any other athlete. Sporting has made a commitment that, after weeks of meetings, we will not demand the full amount of the clause; we will be reasonable regarding the amount requested for Viktor. "Today, there is a strong likelihood that he will leave. I won't disclose the amount, but the player knows what it is. I can say that Viktor will not leave for 60+10m. He won't leave, absolutely not. "We have been watching the market and I saw [Martin] Zubimendi, who is six months younger than Viktor, leave for €65million. I saw Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, both forwards but who, in my opinion, do not have Viktor's market value or quality, being negotiated for around €75million. "Given the demands we consider fair, I believe Viktor could leave – unless he has the worst agent in the world, which is hard for me to believe, because he is one of the best footballers in the world." Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more. Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
