Skip to main content

Dortmund look to keep hold of young squad after exiting Europe Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – After losing to Manchester City in Europe, Borussia Dortmund must now  focus on keeping together a young squad which includes striker Erling Haaland and Champions League history-maker Jude Bellingham. Phil Foden’s thunderbolt shot at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday sealed Man City’s 2-1 comeback win in the quarter-final, return leg. The result gave City a 4-2 win on aggregate to set up a Champions League semi-final clash with Paris Saint Germain. Dortmund’s dreams of the last four in Europe are over, but, more worryingly, they are seven points from qualifying for next season’s Champions League with six Bundesliga games left. However, their young squad is maturing and 17-year-old Bellingham’s outstanding performance grabbed Pep Guardiola’s attention. Four days after scoring his first Bundesliga goal, the England midfielder opened the scoring against City to become the second youngest goal-scorer in the knock-out stages of the Champions League. “I can’t believe he is only 17,” said City manager Guardiola. “Maybe he is a liar,” joked the Spaniard. “He is so good, a fantastic player.” “I’ve seen him shouting to the centre-backs, demanding the ball. At that age, it’s incredible.” Bellingham is by no means Dortmund’s only teen talent. Striker Ansgar Knauff, 19, capped a week to remember by starting both legs against City after scoring his first Bundesliga goal last Saturday.   Giovanni Reyna, Knauff’s second-half replacement against City, is a full USA international at 18. Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko, currently sidelined by injury, is only 16, but last December he became the youngest player in Champions League history. – Lost income – Moenchengladbach boss Marco Rose will replace Edin Terzic as Dortmund’s head coach next season, but it remains to be seen which young stars will remain. Without Champions League football and facing a deficit of around 75 million euros ($90 million) in lost income due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dortmund face a fight to keep the squad intact. Manchester United are reportedly still interested in England winger Jadon Sancho, 21, while the likes of City, Real Madrid and Barcelona are reportedly courting 20-year-old Haaland who has banged in 33 goals this season. Haaland has not scored in his last seven games for club or country, but still creates goals and was involved in the build-up for Bellingham’s opener on Wednesday. Terzic says the off-field speculation about his future has had little impact on Haaland. “It doesn’t do that much to him. We see him shooting in training and continuing to work hard,” said Terzic. “We don’t measure him only by the goals he scores for us, it’s more important that he works well for the team.” However, Haaland has made it no secret that he wants to play Champions League football next season. His contract expires in 2024 and a reported exit clause — for 75 million euros — only becomes active in 2022. Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc has made it clear selling Haaland this summer is not an option. While Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola is speaking to the likes of Real and Barcelona, Zorc acknowledged there is “a completely normal conflict of interest”. Raiola has moved to play down any tension “there is no war between us and BVB (Dortmund)”, but the club has said the player cannot leave “without a signature from BVB”. Zorc has been here before. He managed to keep Robert Lewandowski, who was at the time being courted by several top clubs, at Dortmund until the Poland striker left for Bayern Munich in 2014 after his contract expired. 


Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – After losing to Manchester City in Europe, Borussia Dortmund must now  focus on keeping together a young squad which includes striker Erling Haaland and Champions League history-maker Jude Bellingham.

Phil Foden’s thunderbolt shot at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday sealed Man City’s 2-1 comeback win in the quarter-final, return leg.

The result gave City a 4-2 win on aggregate to set up a Champions League semi-final clash with Paris Saint Germain.

Dortmund’s dreams of the last four in Europe are over, but, more worryingly, they are seven points from qualifying for next season’s Champions League with six Bundesliga games left.

However, their young squad is maturing and 17-year-old Bellingham’s outstanding performance grabbed Pep Guardiola’s attention.

Four days after scoring his first Bundesliga goal, the England midfielder opened the scoring against City to become the second youngest goal-scorer in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

“I can’t believe he is only 17,” said City manager Guardiola.

“Maybe he is a liar,” joked the Spaniard. “He is so good, a fantastic player.”

“I’ve seen him shouting to the centre-backs, demanding the ball. At that age, it’s incredible.”

Bellingham is by no means Dortmund’s only teen talent.

Striker Ansgar Knauff, 19, capped a week to remember by starting both legs against City after scoring his first Bundesliga goal last Saturday.  

Giovanni Reyna, Knauff’s second-half replacement against City, is a full USA international at 18.

Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko, currently sidelined by injury, is only 16, but last December he became the youngest player in Champions League history.

– Lost income –

Moenchengladbach boss Marco Rose will replace Edin Terzic as Dortmund’s head coach next season, but it remains to be seen which young stars will remain.

Without Champions League football and facing a deficit of around 75 million euros ($90 million) in lost income due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dortmund face a fight to keep the squad intact.

Manchester United are reportedly still interested in England winger Jadon Sancho, 21, while the likes of City, Real Madrid and Barcelona are reportedly courting 20-year-old Haaland who has banged in 33 goals this season.

Haaland has not scored in his last seven games for club or country, but still creates goals and was involved in the build-up for Bellingham’s opener on Wednesday.

Terzic says the off-field speculation about his future has had little impact on Haaland.

“It doesn’t do that much to him. We see him shooting in training and continuing to work hard,” said Terzic.

“We don’t measure him only by the goals he scores for us, it’s more important that he works well for the team.”

However, Haaland has made it no secret that he wants to play Champions League football next season.

His contract expires in 2024 and a reported exit clause — for 75 million euros — only becomes active in 2022.

Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc has made it clear selling Haaland this summer is not an option.

While Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola is speaking to the likes of Real and Barcelona, Zorc acknowledged there is “a completely normal conflict of interest”.

Raiola has moved to play down any tension “there is no war between us and BVB (Dortmund)”, but the club has said the player cannot leave “without a signature from BVB”.

Zorc has been here before.

He managed to keep Robert Lewandowski, who was at the time being courted by several top clubs, at Dortmund until the Poland striker left for Bayern Munich in 2014 after his contract expired. 



from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/2RELKRR
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Xavi under no illusions ahead of fairytale on Barcelona return Barcelona (AFP) – Xavi Hernandez said he is prepared for the “biggest challenge of his career” before leaving Qatar for Spain on Saturday, as Barcelona’s legendary former midfielder returns home to take over as coach. Xavi’s appointment was confirmed by Barca in the early hours of Saturday morning and the 41-year-old will be presented to fans at Camp Nou on Monday. “I’m very happy as you can imagine, it’s the biggest challenge of my career,” Xavi told Spanish journalists at Doha airport. “I’m going home and I am very happy.” Xavi faces a huge challenge, with Barcelona adrift of La Liga’s top four, struggling to make the knock-out stages of the Champions League and grappling with debts of more than a billion euros. “I have also experienced bad situations,” Xavi said. “It’s not the best moment in the history of the club but I want to explain what my idea is and to work hard, to make a team. Obviously the first thing is to talk to the players to see how they are.” Xavi left Camp Nou to play for Qatari club Al Sadd in 2015, after making 767 appearances for Barcelona, with eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues among his 25 trophies. “It’s time to come home. Welcome, Xavi,” Barca tweeted in the early hours of Saturday morning, as Spain slept.  “It wasn’t goodbye, it was see you later,” it wrote, along with a video montage of the player’s departure in 2015. Barcelona said in a statement they had reached an agreement with Xavi to become first-team coach for the rest of the season and two more seasons, replacing the sacked Ronald Koeman. “It is expected that Xavi Hernandez will arrive in Barcelona this weekend and that on Monday 8, November his presentation as new FC Barcelona first team coach will take place in an event open to the public at Camp Nou,” it said. Nicknamed the “Maquina” (the Machine), Xavi is widely considered one of the club’s greatest players and there is huge excitement about his potential as a coach after his influence on the iconic Barca team managed by Pep Guardiola. His passing style was seen as the embodiment of Guardiola’s “tiki-taka” team that won the treble in 2009. “One of the greatest midfield maestros of all time, he helped redefine the art with his creative mind, pinpoint passing and sublime ability to read the game,” Barca said in their statement, heralding the return of “an absolute legend”. Al Sadd, which Xavi had coached since 2019, hours earlier said they had reached an agreement with Barca and posted photos on social media of the Spaniard saying goodbye to the players and staff. – ‘The dream’ – Barcelona’s attempt to appoint Xavi as Koeman’s successor had been held up on Friday over his Al Sadd release clause, with Xavi and Barca considering splitting the payment to complete the deal. Al Sadd said Barca had agreed to pay the clause in Xavi’s contract, which is reportedly set at around five million euros ($5.8 million), but Barcelona did not give any details of the deal in their statement. Spanish sports daily Marca headlined the club hero’s return and estimated the cost to Barca of sacking recent managers Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setien and Koeman at 32 million euros. Xavi had made no secret of his desire to return to Barcelona, which he joined through the club’s La Masia academy at the age of 11. “My main objective, when I can do it, is Barca,” Xavi told Marca last year. “It’s my home, that’s the dream.” Barcelona sat ninth in La Liga on Saturday morning, with concerns growing they might not qualify for next season’s Champions League. The club are also in dire financial straits, having posted debts of 1.35 billion euros. They could not afford to renew Lionel Messi’s contract in the summer, and the Argentine left for Paris Saint-Germain. Xavi will also be charged with improving the team’s style of play, which was a key criticism during the tenure of Koeman, another former Barca player. Xavi’s flight is due to touch down as Barca take on Celta Vigo in La Liga in Juan Barjuan’s last game as caretaker coach before he hands over to the man the fans are pinning their hopes on to turn the club around.

Barcelona (AFP) – Xavi Hernandez said he is prepared for the “biggest challenge of his career” before leaving Qatar for Spain on Saturday, as Barcelona’s legendary former midfielder returns home to take over as coach. Xavi’s appointment was confirmed by Barca in the early hours of Saturday morning and the 41-year-old will be presented to fans at Camp Nou on Monday. “I’m very happy as you can imagine, it’s the biggest challenge of my career,” Xavi told Spanish journalists at Doha airport. “I’m going home and I am very happy.” Xavi faces a huge challenge, with Barcelona adrift of La Liga’s top four, struggling to make the knock-out stages of the Champions League and grappling with debts of more than a billion euros. “I have also experienced bad situations,” Xavi said. “It’s not the best moment in the history of the club but I want to explain what my idea is and to work hard, to make a team. Obviously the first thing is to talk to the players to see how they are.” Xavi left...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bayern down Mainz to go six points clear in the Bundesliga Berlin (AFP) – Defending champions Bayern Munich extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to six points on Saturday after coming from behind to seal a 2-1 home win against Mainz. Second-half goals by Kingsley Coman and 18-year-old Jamal Musiala sealed the victory behind closed doors at Munich’s Allianz Arena after Mainz had taken a shock lead. Bayern remain firmly on course to win the German league for the tenth straight season after stretching their lead at the top of the table as second-placed Dortmund were held 1-1 at Bochum. 

Berlin (AFP) – Defending champions Bayern Munich extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to six points on Saturday after coming from behind to seal a 2-1 home win against Mainz. Second-half goals by Kingsley Coman and 18-year-old Jamal Musiala sealed the victory behind closed doors at Munich’s Allianz Arena after Mainz had taken a shock lead. Bayern remain firmly on course to win the German league for the tenth straight season after stretching their lead at the top of the table as second-placed Dortmund were held 1-1 at Bochum.  from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/3lVLPNa
Post a Comment
Read more

Rangers brush aside title rivals Hearts Glasgow (AFP) – Alfredo Morelos and Joe Aribo fired Rangers to a 2-0 win at Hearts on Sunday as the Scottish Premiership leaders extended their strong start under new boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Van Bronckhorst has won four successive league games since replacing Steven Gerrard after his predecessor’s move to Aston Villa. Morelos and Aribo scored in the early stages at Tynecastle, giving Rangers six consecutive league victories encompassing the end of Gerrard’s reign. Hearts had Josh Ginnelly sent off late on as they squandered a chance to close the gap on the champions. Rangers are 12 points clear of third placed Hearts and seven ahead of second placed Celtic, who host Motherwell later on Sunday. Van Bronckhorst made six changes to the Rangers side that began Thursday’s 1-1 draw at Lyon in the Europa League. Liam Boyce had a great chance to open the scoring for Hearts in the third minute when he ran on to John Souttar’s clipped ball over the top, but the Northern Ireland striker saw his lob tipped over by Allan McGregor. It was Rangers who scored with their first chance of the match after nine minutes when Ryan Kent’s cross reached Fashion Sakala and the Zambian cut the ball back to Morelos, who fired home from six yards out. Sakala shot just wide from close range moments later before Morelos headed wide from James Tavernier’s corner. Rangers’ second goal came in the 13th minute when Aribo ran on to a brilliant long diagonal from Connor Goldson and fired an angled low shot beyond the exposed Craig Gordon. Gary Mackay-Steven saw his angled shot pushed behind by McGregor early in the second half. Rangers had a let-off in the 53rd minute when Calvin Bassey knocked a Ginnelly cross off the underside of his own crossbar. Rangers remained a threat, however, and Scott Arfield and Sakala were both denied by saves from Gordon. Boyce fired over from close range after being set up by Mackay-Steven before Stephen Kingsley cracked a free kick off the bar from 30 yards out. In the 80th minute, Ginnelly was sent off after being shown a second yellow card for squaring up to Borna Barisic.

Glasgow (AFP) – Alfredo Morelos and Joe Aribo fired Rangers to a 2-0 win at Hearts on Sunday as the Scottish Premiership leaders extended their strong start under new boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Van Bronckhorst has won four successive league games since replacing Steven Gerrard after his predecessor’s move to Aston Villa. Morelos and Aribo scored in the early stages at Tynecastle, giving Rangers six consecutive league victories encompassing the end of Gerrard’s reign. Hearts had Josh Ginnelly sent off late on as they squandered a chance to close the gap on the champions. Rangers are 12 points clear of third placed Hearts and seven ahead of second placed Celtic, who host Motherwell later on Sunday. Van Bronckhorst made six changes to the Rangers side that began Thursday’s 1-1 draw at Lyon in the Europa League. Liam Boyce had a great chance to open the scoring for Hearts in the third minute when he ran on to John Souttar’s clipped ball over the top, but the Northern Ireland stri...
Post a Comment
Read more