The Juventude Sentinel
Boardroom7 Feb 2028
Drogba has agreed to leave Juventude for nothing
He will play here until the summer and then walk out of the door for free, having already signed elsewhere. Supporters will manage the first part of that sentence; it is the second they will struggle with.
Squad7 Feb 2028
Messias in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Juventude this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad7 Feb 2028
Words at Juventude training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Ênio is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout7 Feb 2028
Fábio Lima gets picked when it counts
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Fábio Lima is on it.
Market7 Feb 2028
Ari Moura told to find a new club
“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Ari Moura has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Juventude.
The dugout7 Feb 2028
Ari Moura gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market7 Feb 2028
The Alan question follows Juventude around
Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Alan’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.
The dugout7 Feb 2028
Rodrigo Sam knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Juventude, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad7 Feb 2028
Antonny moves up the pecking order
Nothing is announced when this happens and everybody knows. He is a bigger part of the plan at Juventude than he was a month ago, and the training ground worked that out before the team sheet said so.