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Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ex-Premier League boss told 'f*** you' by own player in angry Club World Cup row
The Club World Cup saw stunning teams as Benfica boss Bruno Lage was seen in a furious row with his own midfielder following a substitution - despite the Portuguese side leading Former Premier League manager Bruno Lage was remarkably told 'f*** you' by his own player during Benfica's 6-0 win over Auckland City in the Club World Cup. The ex-Wolves was involved in an intense spat with midfielder Orkun Kokcu after he decided to replace the Turkish star with the Portuguese side already 2-0. Goals from Angel Di Maria and Vangelis Pavlidis saw Benfica cruising and Lage opted to replace Kokcu with ex-Bayern Munich and Swansea ace Renato Sanches. Kokcu did not take kindly to the decision and made as much clear as he departed the pitch. The 24-year-old was furious as he made his way to the sidelines and refused to shake the hand of his manager. According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Kokcu shouted 'f*** you' at Lage as the row escalated with the Benfica star taking his seat among team-mates, while Lage fired back by telling his player to be quiet by shushing him. Lage was soon allowed a moment of smugness as Portugal international Sanches got on the scoresheet to add a third goal for Benfica, soon after his introduction. The 49-year-old coach made sure that Kokcu knew his decision paid off. The boss, in his second spell with Benfica, covered his mouth to share a few words with his player. It is suggested the 49-year-old told Kokcu that he had a better feel for game when deciding to make the substitution. The words did not land well however as Kokcu rose to his feet and vented his anger. The midfielder forcefully pointed towards his manager and was visibly furious. Kokcu needed to be restrained by team-mate Kerem Akturkoglu as Lage was again put his finger to his mouth. Unsurprisingly, Lage was asked about the situation following the game. "Orkun Kokcu wanted to win and score more goals, but we decided that Renato should come on," he explained. "Regardless of the players' form, I make the decisions. "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 added. "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." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. 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.
Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Robert Lewandowski accuses manager of "betraying" him as he refuses to play
Robert Lewandowski has lost the captaincy with Poland after sitting out recent games but has been left fuming with the head coach for how he's handled the saga Poland icon Robert Lewandowski claims he was "betrayed" when he lost the armband after claiming he will never play for his country whilst Michał Probierz is the head coach. The Barcelona frontman, who is his country's record goalscorer, has been left fuming by the series of events that saw him stripped of the captaincy as he lamented the manner in which he found out. Lewandowski had copped heavy criticism in the Polish media after making himself unavailable for games against Moldova and Finland this month. He cited "physical and mental tiredness" after a long season with his club as well as and a recent hamstring injury. Lewandowski was replaced by Piotr Zielinski as captain on Sunday, but claimed his situation had been agreed with Probierz. The 36-year-old also questioned how certain information became public and insists he should never have been informed about the changes over the phone. Lewandowski told SportoweFakty: "I got a surprise call from Probierz with the information that he had decided to take away the armband. I was not prepared for it at all, I was putting my children to bed. The conversation lasted a few minutes. "I didn't even have time to tell my family what had happened, because a few moments later it appeared online. I've been wearing the armband for 11 years and playing for the national team for 17. It seemed to me that such matters should be handled differently. "Everything was communicated over the phone. It really shouldn't be like this. The coach betrayed my trust. I've always given everything to the national team, it's always been the most important thing to me, but I'm very hurt by what happened." The ex-Bayern Munich maintained he was not angered by Zielinski replacing him, handing his full backing to the Inter Milan star, but believes the coach didn't back him. "It's not even about the decision regarding the armband, but the way it was communicated to me," he added. "I really don't care about the armband itself. I believe in Zieliński and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him. I have the impression that the coach caved in to the media pressure. He broke agreements we had and that's why I'm surprised by his attitude." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. 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.
