Giorgio Chiellini is keen to stay in football when he calls time on his glittering career, though he imagines himself becoming a director rather than a coach.
Chiellini won nine Serie A titles during a distinguished spell with Juventus and captained Italy to Euro 2020 glory before moving to the United States last year, helping Los Angeles FC win the MLS Cup.
LAFC failed to go back-to-back as they were beaten 2-1 by the Columbus Crew in Saturday's MLS Cup final, and Chiellini has yet to make a decision on whether he will play on in 2024, with his contract due to expire this month.
As for his long-term future, the 39-year-old has his eyes set on a place in the boardroom, rather than the dugout.
Speaking exclusively to Stats Perform, Chiellini said: "I did a degree in economics and the NBA, and I had always that type of management in my mind.
"Not as a coach, not in scouting, but yeah, to try to remain linked in the world of football on that side.
"It's not easy. It's not a journey that you start and then you can decide, you have to study and learn many things because at the end, you come into this world at 40 and not at 25.
"Then you have some other skills that probably other football players don't have, but you miss other parts.
"What I hope for my future is to have the time to learn and the patience to stay close to some key figures and key people that are open to teaching me what I'm missing, and to develop this type of situation. I cannot just focus on watching games."
Expanding further on what his ideal role would entail, the defender added: "More of a director, not just scouting, but something more management based.
"Related to football, but not as one of the people who watch the players in order to pick them.
"Something where I maybe help the club to figure out about what we could spend for players, how we could afford them, how we could improve the situation, all this stuff."
Alisson set to miss at least seven Liverpool games with hamstring injury
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson is expected to be out for at least seven games after sustaining a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace.
The Brazilian went off in the 79th minute of Liverpool's 1-0 victory at Selhurst Park on Saturday and, according to widespread reports, is likely to be sidelined until at least the November international break.
Alisson was replaced by Premier League debutant Vitezslav Jaros against Palace as Caoimhin Kelleher missed that game through illness.
Kelleher deputised earlier in the season when Alisson was sidelined by a different hamstring injury, and is set to do so again, having recovered to join up with the Republic of Ireland national team.
Alisson also immediately pulled out of Brazil's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers before having his scans.
"Alisson is our clear No. 1, the best goalkeeper in the world, so it's a blow when he gets injured for himself and the team," Slot said after the match on Saturday.
"We have a second option that's already good. Caoimhin has already shown that, which is why Caoimhin is the No. 2, and the last time Alisson was injured, I played Caoimhin."
The Reds have made a flying start to the season, winning nine of their 10 matches in all competitions.
However, they will likely have to navigate Premier League matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton, who they also face in the EFL Cup, and Aston Villa without their usual number one, as well as Champions League meetings with RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.
The Numbers Game: Carsley aims to stake claim for permanent England job
England have made a bright start to life without Gareth Southgate, putting in impressive displays to win both of their Nations League openers against Republic of Ireland and Finland in September.
With a permanent replacement still yet to be announced for the national team, Lee Carsley will again be in the dugout this week aiming to maintain his 100% record.
With the aim to gain promotion back to League A, Carsley is set to come up against his toughest test yet given that England are not in the driving seat in their current group.
Greece sit above them in the table, with a superior goal difference and are on a three-match winning streak in all competitions.
But having disappointed in their previous Nations League campaign, England will be determined to put things right and avoid a slip-up in front of the home fans.
Using Opta data, we delve into the key talking points ahead of Thursday's clash at Wembley.
What's expected?
The Three Lions put on an attacking show against Ireland and Finland, having a collective total of 38 shots and accumulating 4.3 expected goals (xG) across both matches.
So it is perhaps no surprise that England are favourites going into this one, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 75.1% chance of victory.
Greece, on the other hand, are only given a 10.2% chance of causing an upset, while the likelihood of getting a draw sits at 14.6%.
History is certainly on England's side as they have never lost any of their nine meetings with Greece in all competitions (W7 D2), keeping a clean sheet in seven of those matches.
Greece have, however, drawn their last two competitive away matches against England, most recently 2-2 in a World Cup qualifier in October 2001. They led that match twice before David Beckham's famous 90th-minute free-kick sent the Three Lions to the 2002 World Cup.
Staking his claim
Carsley isn't keen to answer questions about his long-term future with England, but he is certainly doing his chances of getting the full-time job no harm.
In fact, he is aiming to be the first England manager to win his first three competitive matches in charge since Fabio Capello in October 2008. If the team can keep another clean sheet, he will be the first ever to do so without conceding.
The interim manager also has some familiar faces available again after illness and injury prevented Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham from linking up with the squad last time around.
Palmer has started the Premier League season in scintillating form, with six goals to his name already.
Since his Chelsea debut last September, he has been involved in more goals in the competition than any other player (44 – 28 goals, 16 assists), and he is surely pushing for just his third England start.
Carsley could go with Bellingham for this game though, which would move him outright second for the most England appearances before turning 22 (currently 36, level with Marcus Rashford), after Wayne Rooney (40).
While England's attack is often the main focus, Carsley's defensive record is nothing to be dismissed. At the 2023 U21 Euros, his side did not concede a single goal, and he has carried that record into the senior team, albeit only facing eight shots across the first two matches.
Kyle Walker provides a welcome boost at the back as he returns to the squad and, if he is given the nod at right-back in this game, he will have made the joint-fifth most appearances for England at Wembley (currently 37).
He would have to unseat Trent Alexander-Arnold for that to happen, with the Liverpool right-back having created five chances against Finland. That is the third time he has created five or more chances in an England game since the start of 2019, with no other player doing so on more than one occasion.
Top of the pile
England may have won 16 of their last 21 competitive outings on home soil (D2 L3), including each of the last five, but Greece will certainly be no pushovers.
After three seasons in League C, they managed to gain promotion and have taken to their new league with consecutive wins to top the table.
Since the inaugural Nations League in 2018-19, no team has won more games in the competition than Greece (W13 D3 L4).
They also boast the best defensive record in the tournament's history, conceding the fewest goals (eight) and keeping the most clean sheets (14).
Greece are, however, winless in their last 12 matches against nations in the top five of the FIFA rankings (D6 L6) - a run that stretches back to a 1-0 win over France en route to their Euro 2004 title.
Having drawn 2-2 against France in November 2023 - their most recent fixture against any team currently in the top five - there is a small body of evidence of their ability to compete against the best.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
England – Harry Kane
England captain Harry Kane has scored 26 goals in 26 competitive home appearances for the Three Lions, scoring in each of his last six such outings (nine goals).
Only Steve Bloomer (1895-1899) and Wayne Rooney (2012-2015) have ever scored in seven straight competitive home games for the nation. Having scored twice against Finland last time out in the Nations League, he will be keen to keep his run going.
Greece – Fotis Ioannidis
Only Slovenia's Benjamin Sesko (four) scored more goals than Fotis Ioannidis (three) across the opening two matchdays of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League.
He has also scored five goals in his last six international appearances. But Ioannidis is a major doubt for this fixture, having hobbled off just before half-time for Panathinaikos against Olympiacos on Sunday.
Messi headlines 23-player MLS MVP shortlist
Lionel Messi is one of 23 players to be nominated for the 2024 MLS MVP award, being joined on the shortlist by Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez.
Messi is considered the leading candidate to win the league's top individual prize after scoring 17 goals and contributing 10 assists in just 18 regular-season matches this year.
The Argentina legend has missed large chunks of the campaign through injury, recently sitting out two months with an ankle problem he sustained while representing his country in the Copa America final.
Yet only four players – D.C. United's Christian Benteke (23), Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga, the Columbus Crew's Cucho Hernandez (both 19) and Suarez (18) – have outscored him this term, and he also sits joint-eighth in the assist charts.
Suarez is the other Miami player to be nominated for the prize, having put himself in Golden Boot contention in his first season in the United States.
The Uruguayan's 18 league goals have come from chances with a total expected goals (xG) value of 12.04, giving him an overperformance of 5.96.
Only New York City's Alonso Martinez (6.13, 16 goals from 9.87 xG) and Messi (6.08, 17 from 10.92 xG) have overperformed their underlying figures by a greater margin.
Suarez is also up for the league's Newcomer of the Year award, alongside players including Hugo Lloris of LAFC and the Galaxy's leading scorer Gabriel Pec.
Last season's MVP, FC Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta, is in the running for the top prize once more after providing more direct goal involvements (30, 14 goals, 16 assists) than any other player in the league.
With Miami winning the Supporters' Shield and remaining on course to break the league's single-season points record (73 by the 2021 New England Revolution), head coach Gerardo Martino has been nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
The Colorado Rapids' Chris Armas, Greg Vanney of the LA Galaxy and the Columbus Crew's Wilfried Nancy are considered among the other leading contenders.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
