Reus begins farewell tour while Bayern stumble in Stuttgart

Reus begins farewell tour while Bayern stumble in Stuttgart
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Stuttgart’s Wooyeong Jeong scores a goal, during their Bundesliga match against Bayern Munich, in Stuttgart on May 4, 2024. (AP)
Reus begins farewell tour while Bayern stumble in Stuttgart
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Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus leaves the pitch during their Bundesliga match against Augsburg, in Dortmund, on May 4, 2024. (AP)
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Updated 04 May 2024
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Reus begins farewell tour while Bayern stumble in Stuttgart

Reus begins farewell tour while Bayern stumble in Stuttgart
  • Late goals from South Korea’s Jeong Woo-yeong and the DRC’s Silas Katompa Mvumpa saw Bayern suffer their first defeat in Stuttgart since 2007
  • It was a particularly emotional afternoon for Reus, who had announced on Friday that after 12 years at Dortmund he would leave at the end of the season

BERLIN: Marco Reus scored what could be his last ever goal for Borussia Dortmund in a 5-1 win over Augsburg on Saturday, while Bayern Munich stumbled to a 3-1 defeat away to Stuttgart ahead of their Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Late goals from South Korea’s Jeong Woo-yeong and the DRC’s Silas Katompa Mvumpa saw Bayern suffer their first defeat in Stuttgart since 2007.
Stuttgart took the lead with a smash-and-grab goal just before the half-hour mark, Leonidas Stergiou prodding home after a dainty chip over the back line from Deniz Undav.
Bayern then equalized in controversial circumstances, after Stuttgart captain Waldemar Anton conceded a penalty with a very light challenge on Serge Gnabry.
Harry Kane converted the resulting penalty, taking his season tally to 36 goals, moving to within just four of Robert Lewandowski’s Bundesliga record.
But an 83rd minute header from Jeong put Stuttgart back in front before Silas sealed the win in stoppage time.
While Bayern head to Madrid with their tails between their legs, fellow Champions League semifinalists Dortmund were in fine form ahead of their trip to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
It was a particularly emotional afternoon for Reus, who had announced on Friday that after 12 years at Dortmund he would leave at the end of the season.
Youssoufa Moukoko gave Dortmund the lead early on, flicking the ball in from close range after some chaotic defending from Augsburg.
Donyell Malen doubled the lead on 20 minutes, heading home and in swinging corner from English winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Moukoko added another from a corner shortly afterwards, before Ruben Vargas pulled one back for Augsburg against the run of play.
Dortmund remained unfazed, however, and Reus soon made it 4-1 with an elegant chip over goalkeeper Alexander Meyer.
Reus then set up Felix Nmecha for Dortmund’s fifth in the second half, and hit the bar himself before leaving the pitch to standing ovations on 65 minutes.
Elsewhere, Wolfsburg moved closer to safety with a 3-0 home win over Darmstadt while Werder Bremen were held 2-2 at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Two goals from Nick Woltemade saw Bremen come from behind after Robin Hack’s early opener for Gladbach, but the visitors snatched a point when Florian Neuhaus smashed a late penalty into the top corner.
Two early goals from Patrick Wimmer and Jonas Wind and a late strike from Vaclav Cerny saw Wolfsburg cruise past already relegated Darmstadt.
Ralph Hasenhuettl’s side are now nine points clear of the relegation play-off place, having played one more game than fellow strugglers Mainz.


Bellingham leads Madrid past Mallorca to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona

Bellingham leads Madrid past Mallorca to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona
Updated 10 January 2025
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Bellingham leads Madrid past Mallorca to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona

Bellingham leads Madrid past Mallorca to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona
  • Bellingham blasted in the third shot in a row by Madrid after Rodrygo initially hit the post
  • Madrid tacked on two goals late in stoppage time

JEDDAH: Jude Bellingham scored again to lead Real Madrid into the Spanish Super Cup final with a 3-0 win over Mallorca in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The England midfielder, who led Madrid in scoring last season, started this campaign slowly but has netted seven goals in his last eight Spanish league games.
He notched another goal in 63rd minute of the Super Cup semifinal when he finally broke down a tough Mallorca that until his goal had imposed their defensive style on the star-studded Madrid.
Bellingham blasted in the third shot in a row by Madrid after Rodrygo initially hit the post and goalkeeper Dominik Greif blocked a follow-up by Kylian Mbappé.
Bellingham collected the rebound and slotted his shot from just outside the six-yard box under the on-rushing Greif and past three defenders who were trying to protect the goalmouth.
Madrid tacked on two goals late in stoppage time. Mallorca’s Martin Valjent scored an own goal when he inadvertently turned a pass by Brahim Díaz into his net. Rodrygo then took Madrid’s third.
The match ended with a short scuffle after the final whistle before calm was restored.
Barcelona await Madrid in Sunday’s final.
Madrid lost Aurélien Tchouaméni, a midfielder playing as a central defender, in the 54th after he took a hard knock to the head during a collision with a Mallorca player.
Youth player Raúl Asencio replaced him.
Madrid were competing as last season’s Spanish league champion, while Mallorca were invited as the runner-up in the Copa del Rey.
Former Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who now plays in the Saudi Arabian league, was in attendance.
The minor trophy has become a major cash maker for the federation and competing clubs since the federation struck a deal in 2019 to hold it in the Middle Eastern kingdom.


Everton fire manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners

Everton fire manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners
Updated 09 January 2025
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Everton fire manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners

Everton fire manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners
  • Everton announced the move just hours before hosting third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup third round
  • “The process to appoint a new manager is underway and an update will be provided in due course,” Everton said

LONDON: In the first big call by its new American owners, Everton fired manager Sean Dyche on Thursday with the team just two spots above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Everton announced the move just hours before hosting third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup third round.
The storied club — a nine-time English champion which have been without a major trophy since 1995 — were bought last month by the Texas-based Friedkin Group in a deal reportedly worth in excess of 400 million pounds ($495 million).
Fronted by Dan Friedkin and his son Ryan, the group also owns Italian team Roma and has made itself unpopular with supporters of the Serie A club for making contentious management changes — including firing Daniele De Rossi, the club’s beloved former captain, early this season.
Removing Dyche might have been necessary, however, with Everton having won just one of their last 11 league games and scoring in just three of them. With 15 goals from their 19 games, Everton are the second-lowest scorer in the division and have plunged to just one point above the bottom three.
“The process to appoint a new manager is underway and an update will be provided in due course,” Everton said in a statement.
Dyche was in charge for nearly two years, during which he maintained Everton’s status as an ever-present in England’s top division since 1954. His style of play was pragmatic and often turgid, relying on not conceding goals more than providing entertainment — and that might be something the Friedkins look to change.
Everton said Leighton Baines, a former player and the club’s under-18s coach, and current club captain Seamus Coleman will take charge of the team on an interim basis.
Everton’s next Premier League game is on Wednesday against Aston Villa.


Tottenham beats Liverpool 1-0 in English cup semis after a serious injury and in-stadium ref call

Tottenham beats Liverpool 1-0 in English cup semis after a serious injury and in-stadium ref call
Updated 09 January 2025
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Tottenham beats Liverpool 1-0 in English cup semis after a serious injury and in-stadium ref call

Tottenham beats Liverpool 1-0 in English cup semis after a serious injury and in-stadium ref call
  • Liverpool, the defending League Cup champion, saw its 24-match unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end

Lucas Bergvall’s first goal for Tottenham secured a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the English League Cup semifinals on Wednesday in a first-leg match notable for a serious-looking injury to Rodrigo Bentancur and the first in-stadium announcement by a referee in the English game.
The 18-year-old Bergvall slotted home the winner in the 86th minute following a pass from Dominic Solanke, who thought 10 minutes earlier that he had given Tottenham the lead. That goal was ruled out after a VAR check for offside and referee Stuart Attwell communicated the decision via a wireless microphone to spectators inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and to TV viewers.
In the sixth minute, Bentancur — the Uruguay midfielder who plays for Tottenham — fell to the ground and lay prone after landing awkwardly when attempting a header from a corner. He was carried off on a stretcher, to applause from around the ground, after receiving treatment during a 10-minute delay.
The second leg is at Anfield on Feb. 6.
Newcastle leads Arsenal 2-0 after the first leg of the other semifinal match.
Liverpool, the defending League Cup champion, saw its 24-match unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end and there was a hint of controversy about only the team’s second loss of the season.
Visiting players and manager Arne Slot were unhappy that Bergvall was on the field to score what proved to be the winning goal after he escaped collecting a second yellow card for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas moments earlier. Indeed, Tsimikas was off the field, waiting to come back on having received treatment following Bergvall’s tackle, when the Sweden midfielder tucked home his finish.
Slot earned a yellow card himself for his protests, though he shook Attwell’s hand after the final whistle.
“It was quite obvious it was going to be a second yellow,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said. “A minute later he scores the winner.
“He (Attwell) made a mistake, in my opinion.”
It was a busy end to the match for Attwell, who took center stage after there was a video review following Solanke’s strike in the 76th minute. After being notified that Solanke was offside, Attwell used the public address system to declare the goal had been ruled out, in an NFL-style announcement.
The League Cup semifinals were chosen to pilot a process in England that has been widely used in other sports, and in soccer at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 and other FIFA events.


‘Real Madrid are ready for Mallorca’, says Ancelloti ahead of Spanish Super Cup clash

‘Real Madrid are ready for Mallorca’, says Ancelloti ahead of Spanish Super Cup clash
Updated 08 January 2025
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‘Real Madrid are ready for Mallorca’, says Ancelloti ahead of Spanish Super Cup clash

‘Real Madrid are ready for Mallorca’, says Ancelloti ahead of Spanish Super Cup clash
  • Ancelotti stated that his players are well-prepared and looking forward to winning
  • Vazquez: ‘Tomorrow’s match is our way to the final’

JEDDAH: Ahead of Real Madrid’s Spanish Super Cup clash with Mallorca in the semifinals on Thursday in Jeddah, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told media on Wednesday that he and his squad are happy to play again in Saudi Arabia.
He said: “Having the competition here is good for Spanish football. Firstly, for the teams that play here because they have the opportunity to receive the support of all the fans they have here.”
Asked about Real Madrid’s position if Dani Olmo and Pau Victor take part with Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, he said: “You can ask about the games only but not this issue.”
He was also asked about Vinicius Junior’s behavior, to which he responded: “The Brazilian player has been insulted so many times. We don’t care what everyone thinks. He is a super player, and we are delighted to have him in all aspects.”
Speaking of tomorrow’s match against Mallorca, Ancelotti stated that his players are well-prepared and looking forward to winning. He said: “We have a lot of respect for their quality and the work of the coach. We have to respect them to the maximum.”
Lucas Vazquez met the press on Wednesday and said: “The Spanish Super Cup is a very good opportunity to win a title.
“We are determined to keep winning. Tomorrow is the first step toward winning the Spanish Super Cup, which is our objective.
“It’s a very good opportunity to win a title. We’re really looking forward to it and tomorrow we want to beat Mallorca to play in the final. We have a year with many challenges and we’re going to take them on with a lot of ambition.”
Asked if he is staying with Real Madrid for next season, the defender said: “It’s too early to know what’s going to happen. I’m happy here, enjoying this season. We’ll see what happens next season. I can’t say anything more.”
Defending LaLiga champion Real Madrid and 2023-24 Copa del Rey runner-up Mallorca face off Thursday at “The Jewel,” King Abdullah Sports City, in Jeddah at 10 p.m. Saudi time.


Lebanese football star awakes from coma she went into after Israeli airstrike

Lebanese football star awakes from coma she went into after Israeli airstrike
Updated 08 January 2025
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Lebanese football star awakes from coma she went into after Israeli airstrike

Lebanese football star awakes from coma she went into after Israeli airstrike
  • Celine Haidar’s father says she ‘wants to go back to football once her medical situation allows her’
  • Coach Samer Barbary tells Arab News: ‘When I asked if she still wants to play football, she pressed on my hand and moved her right leg’

BEIRUT: Lebanese football star Celine Haidar has awakened from a coma nearly two months after suffering a critical head injury during an Israeli airstrike, her father and coach told Arab News on Wednesday.
“By the grace of Allah she has awakened from coma but she remains in ICU as she cannot speak and still requires a ventilator to help her breathe properly,” said Abbas Haidar, the father of the 19-year-old international footballer.
In mid-November, Haidar, who is a youth international and captains her club, Beirut Football Academy, was injured while fleeing her home in Al-Chiyyah in Beirut’s southern suburbs after an Israeli warning of an imminent attack on their building.
Speaking from Saint Georges Hospital where his daughter is being treated, her father confirmed that Celine awoke a few days ago (without giving a date), saying “she still cannot talk easily, and remains under extensive treatment.”
He expressed his joy “because she has recognized us (her family members),” adding that whenever they want to chat with her, she writes down her replies.
Her coach at BFA, Samer Barbary, revealed to Arab News that he visited her two days ago. “She is still on a ventilator, however, she extended her right arm to shake hands with me … when I asked if she still wants to play football, she pressed on my hand and moved her right leg in an obvious sign of wanting to do so,” Barbary said.
Abbas explained that his daughter’s situation still requires further medical assessment and follow-up. He hopes that she improves soon and starts rehabilitation.
“She still realizes that she is a footballer and wants to go back to football once her medical situation allows her.”
Meanwhile, her coach said: “Her medical treatment and follow-up still requires time and effort … and based on how her medical situation progresses, we hope that she could be back on the green pitch.”
Barbary told Arab News previously: “She is Lebanon’s Sergio Busquets and has got remarkable skills in her position as a central midfielder.”
Her father said in November that their neighborhood had been subject to ongoing threats and bombardment before the family moved to a safer location outside Beirut.
“Celine is a very vibrant and sociable person. She found us the house in Baakline.”


Haidar stayed in Baakline for two days and returned to Al-Chiyyah to attend school and her football training. Her father was notified by phone that she had been injured and admitted to hospital.
Rising star Haidar represented her country as a member of the under-19 women’s national team who won the 2022 West Asia Cup, hosted by Lebanon, and had been selected to play for the senior national team before her injury.
“Celine is one of the best football midfielders in Lebanon … she is consistent, stable and a leader. She played a major role in us winning the 2024 league unbeaten,” Barbary said.
Before joining BFA in 2021, she played for Safa Club and with them won the Lebanese National League.