football
SportAFP NewsMueller focuses on Bayern despite calls for Germany recall
Thomas Mueller admitted he watched Germany's humiliating loss to Spain with horror, but insists his focus remains on European champions Bayern Munich despite demands the playmaker be recalled to the national side.
SportEvening StandardBring Back The Fans: How the Evening Standard campaigned for safe return of supporters
From the very start the Evening Standard led calls to Bring Back the Fans. From Arsenal legend, Ian Wright, launching our drive to begin the recovery for football clubs hit so hard by coronavirus – to a road map to the safe return of spectators, we have fought hard for today’s announcement. Up to 4,000 fans will be allowed into outdoor sports events when the national lockdown ends.
SportAFP NewsPhenomenal Haaland, trouble for Barcelona and PSG: European football talking points
Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain look vulnerable after weekend defeats, while Erling Braut Haaland laid down another marker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic keeps on scoring too, and Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt have a record which will take some beating.
SportReutersDortmund's Sancho could be back with coach Favre banking on rotation
Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho could return to the lineup against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday with coach Lucien Favre saying rotation will be the key for their busy schedule until the end of the year. The 20-year-old England international, who is nowhere near his sensational form of last season with two goals in nine games in all competitions so far, sat on the bench for the entire game during their 5-2 Bundesliga win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday. "We decided in favour of freshness on Saturday," Favre told reporters on Monday when asked why Sancho had been benched.
SportThe TelegraphFoam balls and technique training – how Ajax proved children do not need to head the ball
It is Europe's most productive academy, nurturing and developing more players in the continent's top five leagues than any other club. When it comes to transforming children into great footballers, Ajax are without peer. So, when people express concerns that banning heading for children will leave them ill-prepared for the rigours of the professional game, Ajax offer the perfect counter-point. Having looked at the research which linked heading the ball to dementia in old age, Ajax decided to alter their methods so now players are not allowed to regularly head a full-size ball until they are on the verge of the first team. The youngest players on Ajax books (8-12) barely spend any time learning how to head the ball and when they do, it is with a small foam version rather than a leather or a plastic one. The focus instead is on technique, fitness and game awareness, with the ball rarely going above waist height. After five years of tears and toil, football’s dementia battle is only just getting started Even between the ages of 13 and 16, there is little heading practice in training and on the few occasions it is part of the sessions, coaches merely gently throw balls in the air with the focus on technique, getting the ball to go in the direction you want it to safely, rather than generating power or distance. It is only when players move into their development squad at the age of 17 that heading becomes a major part of their training programme, the club confident that players can still hone and master their heading technique in their late teens.
SportAFP NewsAfrican players in Europe: Haller hailed after 'fabulous finish'
New Ivory Coast international Sebastien Haller scored his first goal from outside the penalty area in almost 200 Dutch, German and English league matches to give West Ham a 1-0 victory at Sheffield United.
- SportReuters
Talking-points from the Bundesliga weekend
When Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland was taken off in the 85th minute of their 5-2 win at Hertha Berlin even his coach Lucien Favre had lost count of the number of goals he had scored. The Norwegian's four-goal performance was just what his team needed following their 3-2 home loss to title rivals Bayern Munich last time out and ahead of Tuesday's Champions League group game against Club Brugge.
SportReutersImpressive Union beat Cologne 2-1 to climb to fifth place
Union Berlin's Max Kruse scored a second-half winner as they snatched a 2-1 victory at Cologne on Sunday to stretch their club record unbeaten run to seven Bundesliga matches and climb to fifth place. Kruse scored on the rebound in the 72nd minute after Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn saved his penalty, denying the 32-year-old forward a league record of 17 consecutive successful spot kicks. Taiwo Awoniyi had put the in-form visitors, unbeaten on the road this season, ahead in the 27th minute before Ellyes Skhiri pulled Cologne level with a close-range effort.
SportAFP NewsKruse grabs Union winner after missing Bundesliga penalty record
Union Berlin striker Max Kruse endured a bittersweet evening on Sunday as he scored the winner in a 2-1 win away to Cologne but missed the chance to break a 37-year-old Bundesliga record.
SportEvening StandardWest Ham finding consistency as David Moyes tactics and transfers down Sheffield United
West Ham took another step in their transformation under David Moyes as Sebastien Haller’s thunderous strikes made it back-to-back wins either side of the international break. Hammers sides of the past have always been rather adept at folding after impressing results against big sides. After defying the odds in their opening run of games this season - pulling off free-scoring wins over Wolves and Leicester before taking a point from each of Manchester City and Tottenham - Hammers fans were ready to come crashing down to earth against Fulham and Sheffield United.
SportEvening StandardErling Haaland marks Golden Boy award with four goals as Youssoufa Moukoko becomes youngest Bundesliga player
Erling Haaland celebrated his Golden Boy award by scoring four times in a sensational second-half display as Borussia Dortmund thrashed Hertha Berlin 5-2 on Saturday. The 20-year-old was named the winner of the prestigious annual award, which recognises the best under-21 player in Europe, and showed exactly why with a ruthless performance. It was a memorable evening for Norwegian Haaland, who notched his first away goals of the campaign and took his season tally to 10 goals in eight matches, one less than top scorer Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.
SportReutersFour-goal Haaland sends Dortmund up to second
Erling Haaland scored four goals in a sensational second-half performance to help Borussia Dortmund come from a goal down to crush hosts Hertha Berlin 5-2 on Saturday and climb to second place in the Bundesliga. It was a memorable evening for Norwegian Haaland, who notched up his first away goals of the campaign and took his season tally to 10 goals in eight matches, one less than top scorer Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich. Haaland also scored four goals for the first time in the Bundesliga.
SportAFP NewsHaaland scores four as Dortmund cut Bayern's lead
Erling Braut Haaland netted four goals and Youssoufa Moukoko became the youngest player in Bundesliga history on Saturday as Borussia Dortmund routed Hertha Berlin 5-2 to trim Bayern Munich's lead at the top of the table to just a point.
SportReutersDortmund's Moukoko becomes youngest ever Bundesliga player
Borussia Dortmund's 16-year-old striker Youssoufa Moukoko became the youngest-ever player to feature in a Bundesliga game when he came on as a second-half substitute against Hertha Berlin on Saturday. Moukoko came on in the 85th minute in the place of Erling Haaland. Moukoko, whose sensational run through the youth teams in recent seasons has shown him to be one of the biggest talents of his generation, made his league debut a day after his 16th birthday on Friday made him eligible to play under current rules.
SportAFP NewsMoukoko, 16, makes history as Bundesliga's youngest player
At 16 years and one day, Borussia Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko became the youngest player in Bundesliga history Saturday when he made his German league debut in the 5-2 romp at Hertha Berlin.
SportReutersLeipzig draw 1-1 at Frankfurt and miss chance to go top
RB Leipzig wasted their chance to join champions Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga after drawing 1-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. The Bavarians had earlier slipped up at home against Werder Bremen by the same score, giving Leipzig a chance to join them on 19 points with a win. Instead it was the hosts who scored first, with Aymen Barkok breaking the deadlock two minutes from halftime.
SportAFP News'That'll be on YouTube': Leverkusen 'keeper Hradecky laughs off own-goal howler
Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky expects to see plenty of memes and YouTube clips of his horror own-goal after his sliced kick in the Bundesliga rolled into his net on Saturday.
SportReutersComan rescues 1-1 draw for Bayern against Werder
Lacklustre Bayern Munich had to come from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen on Saturday, slipping up for only the second time in their last 35 matches in all competitions but staying a point ahead of Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. Four days after Germany's stunning 6-0 loss to Spain, there was little in terms of redemption for Bayern's many internationals, with the Bundesliga champions failing to hit a single shot on target in the entire first half. "We did not create the chances today as we normally do," said Bayern coach Hansi Flick, in his 50th game in charge.
SportAFP NewsSuperb Neuer saves Bayern Munich from shock defeat
European champions Bayern Munich remained top of the Bundesliga despite being held on Saturday to a 1-1 home draw by Werder Bremen, who were only denied a shock win by a string of excellent saves from Manuel Neuer.
SportReutersDortmund's Haaland wins 2020 Golden Boy award
Haaland beat Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati and Bayern Munich winger Alphonso Davies to the award, which is given to the best under-21 player from one of the top-flight European leagues. The Norwegian scored 44 goals in all competitions last season, which included 16 for Dortmund following his mid-season transfer from Austrian club Salzburg.
SportAFP NewsBoateng 'knows how I feel' about Bayern departure: Flick
Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick hinted Friday that he feels burly centre-back Jerome Boateng should have been offered a contract extension for next season by the European champions.
SportAFP NewsDortmund keeping Moukoko debut under wraps
Borussia Dortmund were keeping under wraps whether Youssoufa Moukoko will make his Bundesliga debut this weekend as the teen goal sensation celebrated his 16th birthday on Friday.
SportAFP NewsUS teen Reyna extends Dortmund deal until 2025
US teen midfielder Giovanni Reyna has extended his Borussia Dortmund contract until June 2025, it was announced Friday, a week after his 18th birthday.
SportReutersDortmund extend American teenager Reyna's deal to 2025
Reyna, who celebrated his 18th birthday last week, progressed from Dortmund's under-19 team to link up with the senior side in January and has made 22 league appearances, scoring two goals with five assists. Reyna, who also has Champions league experience, said he was delighted to continue his development at Dortmund.
SportAFP NewsFlick seeking Kimmich replacement for Bayern half century
Hansi Flick needs to settle on a replacement for Bayern Munich's injured midfield dynamo Joshua Kimmich ahead of his 50th game as head coach on Saturday.
