German Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt has said he quit as Bayern Munich team doctor in 2015 amid a spat with Pep Guardiola because the Spaniard “knew better”.

“I couldn’t put up with the fact that a young coach (Guardiola) — who was very successful and who is probably one of the very, very big names — interfered in medical matters and knew everything better than I did,” Mueller-Wohlfahrt told broadcaster BR24.

The 77-year-old German has a reputation as one of the world’s top sports doctors, whose list of superstar clients included retired sprinter Usain Bolt.

Bolt dedicated his 2016 Olympic gold medal after the men’s 100m final to him for helping him overcome a calf injury.

Mueller-Wohlfahrt started working with Bayern in 1977, but resigned abruptly five years ago.

At the time, he said it was because then-Bayern coach Guardiola blamed the club’s medical department for a Champions League defeat at Porto.

Mueller-Wohlfahrt only returned to Bayern in 2017, after Guardiola had left to join present side Manchester City, and stepped down again as club doctor last month.

However, he refers to his time at Bayern under Guardiola as a “black spot”. Mueller-Wohlfahrt says the pair have since buried the hatchet.

“We have met since and talked things over. It’s over now,” he added.

Guardiola won the Bundesliga title in each of his three seasons at Bayern from 2013-16 and has since lifted the Premier League trophy twice with Man City.

As well as Bayern, Mueller-Wohlfahrt also worked with the Germany national team from 1995 until after the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Source: AFP

Robert Lewandowski passed the 50-goal mark this season as Bayern Munich completed the double with a 4-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen behind closed doors to win a 20th German Cup on Saturday.

Bundesliga champions Bayern dominated at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium as David Alaba smashed home an early free-kick before Serge Gnabry added the second goal in the first-half.

Lewandowski has 51 goals in total this season after scoring twice in the second-half either side of a Sven Bender header for Leverkusen.

Kai Havertz converted a penalty deep into added time for Leverkusen.

Bayern, crowned Bundesliga champions for the eighth straight year last Saturday, have won all of their 11 games since the season resumed in mid-May after a two-months hiatus due to the coronavirus.

They could finish the season winning the treble as they are among the favourites for the Champions League finals in Lisbon next month.

This was the 13th time in the club’s history they have won the double.

Lewandowski, crowned Bundesliga top-scorer for the fifth time last weekend, netted six times in the cup, has 34 league goals and 11 more in the Champions League this season.

Leverkusen completed a hat-trick of defeats after also losing the 2002 and 2009 cup finals in Berlin.

When Lewandowski was clattered by defender Edmond Tapsoba on 16 minutes, it was Alaba who swung the resulting free kick inside the post to give Bayern the opening goal.

They doubled their lead after Joshua Kimmich won the ball in midfield eight minutes later.

His pass split the defence, Gnabry sprinted onto the ball and fired past Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to make it 2-0 at the break.

With players’ calls echoing around the near-empty terraces of the cavernous stadium, where Germany head coach Joachim Loew was one of a handful of guests, the tempo dropped after the break.

Having skied a shot at goal moments earlier, Lewandowski made it 3-0 when he controlled a clearance kick by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and tried a long-range speculative shot at Hradecky.

The Leverkusen keeper parried the shot, but watched in horror as it rolled behind him and over the goal line on 59 minutes.

It fired life into Leverkusen, whose centre-back Sven Bender slipped his marker Leon Goretzka and headed home on 64 minutes.

Leverkusen nearly got a second moments later when Kevin Volland and Havertz both failed to connect with a cross.

Lewandowski claimed his second when he fired home Ivan Perisic’s pass on 89 minutes.

Bayern defender Alphonso Davies conceded the penalty in the fourth minute of added time which Havertz converted just before the whistle.

Source: AFP

Liverpool ended a 30-year wait for the English title as they were crowned Premier League champions on Thursday, triggering jubilant scenes as fans ignored social distancing to celebrate uproariously.

Jurgen Klopp’s men sealed a 19th league title with a record seven games remaining after Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat of second-placed Manchester City left the 2018 and 2019 champions an unbridgeable 23 points adrift.

Liverpool’s first English title since 1990 — further delayed by the coronavirus shutdown — earns them their maiden trophy in the Premier League, which was introduced in 1992 and has been won 13 times by their arch-rivals Manchester United.

Klopp was in tears after Liverpool’s long-awaited win, which follows their Champions League and Club World Cup victories last year, when they finished just a point behind City in the Premier League.

“It’s such a big moment, I am completely overwhelmed,” an emotional Klopp told Sky Sports. “Tonight it is for you out there.

“It’s incredible. I hope you stay at home, or go in front of your house if you want, but not more. We do it together in this moment and it is a joy to do it for you.”

However, thousands of fans, many in face masks, converged on Anfield, lighting flares, chanting and celebrating with a replica trophy, while motorists drove up and beeped their horns.

Congratulations poured in from around the world with basketball star LeBron James, actor Samuel L. Jackson and former world number one tennis player Caroline Wozniacki among those paying tribute.

(AFP)

Neymar must pay 6.7 million euros ($7.53m) to Barcelona, a court ordered Friday after the player’s case against his former employer was dismissed.

After his world-record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 the Brazilian forward sued Barca for 43.6 million euros that he claimed he was due for various bonuses.

But a judge dismissed Neymar’s case and instead sided with Barcelona, who had also sued their former player for breach of contract.

Neymar has five days to appeal the decision.

He joined Barca in 2013 and signed a new five-year contract in 2016, which included a renewal bonus worth 43.6 million euros, with 14 million paid up front.

The remaining 29 million euros was due to be paid on August 1, 2017 but Neymar left Barcelona on August 3 for Paris Saint-Germain, who activated the striker’s 222 million euro release clause.

Barcelona refused to pay Neymar the remainder of the bonus, insisting the terms of his contract had been broken.

The club in turn sued Neymar and requested the return of the 14 million euros they had paid him up front, as well as a further 8.5 million euros in damages.

“We express our satisfaction with the verdict announced today,” Barcelona said in a statement.

“The ruling has fully dismissed the player’s claim for payment of EUR43.6m, and has accepted a large part of the defence presented by FC Barcelona, as a result of which the player must return EUR6.7m to the club.

“Since the player’s representative is entitled to appeal this decision, the club shall continue to fervently defend its legitimate interests.”

Despite the financial dispute between Barcelona and Neymar, both the club and the player have been eager to be reunited.

There were even discussions last year about coming to an agreement out of court but a compromise could not be reached.

Barca spent most of last year’s summer transfer window negotiating a transfer with PSG but were unable to strike a deal, even as a number of different players were offered in exchange.

Neymar remains a popular figure among the leaders of the Barca squad, including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, with whom he formed a devastating attacking trio during his time at Camp Nou.

“I’ve said it many times, as a footballer Ney is one of the best in the world and I would love for him to return,” Messi said in an interview with Barcelona newspaper Mundo Deportivo in February.

“He was always happy, he had fun both on and off the pitch. He brought a special sense of joy to the dressing room.”

Messi added: “He is eager to return, he was always regretful. He tried a lot to come back and that would be the first step in trying to get him here.”

Another attempt to re-sign Neymar was expected this summer but the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic make an agreement even more unlikely.

“Neymar-type transfers will not happen,” said La Liga president Javier Tebas earlier this month.

Neymar was brought to PSG to help them finally win the Champions League but they failed to go past the last 16 in his first two years at the club.

This season, they are one of four teams through to the quarter-finals, which will be played in Lisbon in August, according to an announcement made by UEFA on Wednesday.

Source: AFP

Lionel Messi scored and grabbed two assists as La Liga leaders Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win away to struggling Real Mallorca on Saturday, making the perfect return to action after Spanish football’s three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The champions got off to a flying start when Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal scored with a diving header in the second minute, while Danish international Martin Braithwaite scored his first goal for Barca later in the first half.

Jordi Alba then added a third goal for Barca in the 79th minute after latching on to a through ball from Messi, who had also set up Braithwaite’s goal with a header.

The Argentine then completed the scoring with a deflected strike in stoppage time, netting 20 league goals for the 12th season in a row.

The win takes Barca on to 61 points after 28 games, five clear of nearest challengers Real Madrid, who host Eibar on Sunday in their first game back.

“We controlled the game and it was a great performance after not competing for three months,” goalscorer Alba said.

“We now have 10 must-win games to go and we are really looking forward to them.”

The game was played behind closed doors to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus, but a fan wearing an Argentina shirt somehow made it on to the pitch, only to be swiftly taken away by security guards.

Luis Suarez made his first appearance since injuring his knee six months ago, coming off the bench in the second half, while his fellow Uruguayan Ronald Araujo hit the post shortly before Alba struck.

Mallorca occupy the final relegation spot in La Liga but despite the heavy loss they gave a decent account of themselves, with 19-year-old Japanese playmaker Takefusa Kubo pulling the strings.

Kubo tested Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the first half while Ante Budimir, Lago Junior and Abdon Prats all flashed shots just wide of the target after the interval.

(REUTERS)

Some of the French Ligue 1’s club presidents joined forces on Monday to criticise the decision in April to declare the season over due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said five week ago the campaign could not restart but Germany’s Bundesliga has resumed while Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and England’s Premier League are set to follow suit by the end of this month.

“Start of April, we were the only league among Europe’s big five to propose the restart of the season,” Nantes’ Waldemar Kita said in a statement by Premiere Ligue, a union of the league’s chiefs.

“We were ahead of time, we were mocked. We were the motor and the other countries followed us later. But unfortunately, we stayed in the same spot,” Kita added.

Lille’s Gerard Lopez said the move was “pretty brutal”.

“We keep saying that we’re trying to catch up on the other four big leagues and then we make a rod for our own backs at a key moment.

“We’re all alone. It might be in France that football is not at the same level as other countries,” he added.

Saint-Etienne’s Bernard Caiazzo, who is the head of the body, pointed the finger solely at politicians.

“We’re not responsible, those who are responsible are the Prime Minister and the government. They have information we don’t have,” Caiazzo said.

“You could ask if the government decided too quickly. Was there a discussion with the clubs? No. Was there a discussion with other countries? No,” he added.

Lyon, whose chief Jean-Michel Aulas has been vociferous since the April 30 decision with his side set to miss out on Europe next season, and relegated Amiens will challenge the decision at France’s highest administrative court on June 4.

Bottom side Toulouse are among other clubs expected to appeal.

Source:  AFP

Andre Villas-Boas will coach Marseille in the Champions League next season, the French club has rushed to announce amid mounting disquiet among fans alarmed by reports the Portuguese was set to leave after just one year in charge.

“After several discussions in recent days with Frank McCourt and Jacques-Henri Eyraud, Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed that he wants to continue working with OM next season,” the club, formally known as Olympique de Marseille (OM), told AFP on Monday.

L’Equipe, France’s main sport daily, also wrote that Villas-Boas had chosen to stay on, citing the “unanimous” support of his players and management pledges to invest in the squad as key factors in his decision.

Last week, Marseille offered Villas-Boas — whose existing deal runs until the end of next season — a two-year contract extension as doubts persisted over his future at the club following the departure of right-hand man and sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta.

Villas-Boas, 42, led the former European champions to second place behind Paris Saint-Germain in the most recent Ligue 1 season, which was ended early because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Marseille, who are owned by American tycoon Frank McCourt, are therefore set to feature in the Champions League next season, Europe’s top-tier club competition, for the first time since 2013/14.

However, the former Porto, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur coach has expressed concern about the club’s ability to invest in new signings this summer, with experts noting that the current squad is ill-equipped for the challenges of Champions League football.

‘Ruinous management’

Confirmation that Villas-Boas — who is popular with Marseille fans — will remain in charge came just hours after supporters groups castigated the board for what they called “years of ruinous management”.

In a joint statement, fans also criticised the system of refunds for seat-holders deprived of matches after the Ligue 1 season was ended prematurely due to the coronavirus. One option proposed by the club was for ticket holders to forgo a refund and donate the money instead to help its finances.

“It seemed logical to us a month ago to give this money to the club to help it through a difficult period,” the fans wrote on Monday. “However information since then has led us to question this. It’s clear that we are in financial difficulty due to years of ruinous management.”

They added: “Is it really up to us to shore up the incompetence of our directors or the shortcomings of our players?”

After listing further grievances the letter concluded: “Management get out! Come on Marseille!”

Marseille last won the French title in 2010. On Sunday, Eyraud, the club president, announced via social media his intention to hire a “business director” and his determination to build up the club despite all the current problems.

Source: FRANCE 24 with AFP

Barcelona coach Quique Setien says he would love to coach Neymar and would be “delighted” if the Brazilian returns to the club from Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca tried to re-sign Neymar last year but were unable to agree a deal with French champions PSG, whom he joined for a world-record fee of 222 million euros ($264 million at the time) in 2017.

An agreement may even harder to strike this summer given the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic, although reportedly Barcelona could offer players in exchange.

“I would love to be able to coach him some day,” said Setien, speaking to beIN Sport on Friday night. “We are talking about an exceptional level. Fortunately I have already fulfilled one of my dreams, which was to coach (Lionel) Messi but I would be delighted if Neymar comes.”

Neymar previously formed a successful attacking trio with Luis Suarez and Messi at Barcelona but the future of Suarez is uncertain.

The 33-year-old has not played since January when he underwent surgery on an injury to his right knee, and Setien admitted he needs more time to regain full fitness with La Liga due to restart from its coronavirus-enforced suspension in the middle of next month.

Asked if Suarez was fully fit, Setien said: “No, I think he’s in a good condition and has been working with the group. But we see that he lacks a bit of confidence.

“He underwent an operation and after two months I would say he’s still recovering. But it’s clear that soon (he will be ready), I don’t know whether it will be two, three or four weeks.”

Barcelona sit top of the table, two points ahead of Real Madrid.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has said the preferred date for the season to resume is June 12 but the restart will depend on the Spanish health authorities.

Source: AFP

Milan’s San Siro stadium is closer to being demolished after Italy’s heritage authority found that the iconic stadium cannot be protected for cultural or historic reasons.

“The property named ‘Giuseppe Meazza Stadium (San Siro) has no cultural interest and as such is excluded from the protection provisions,” the Lombardy region of Italy’s cultural heritage ministry wrote in a report, according to the AGI news agency.

AC Milan and Inter Milan, who share the stadium to the west of the city, have launched their bid to knock down the San Siro and build a new 60,000-capacity home on the same site.

City authorities have been divided over the project and requested the opinion of Italy’s heritage authorities.

The report found that as the San Siro has undergone continuous transformation since being built in 1926, with only a small part of the original stadium remaining, it would not be subject to protection.

Although approval from Italy’s heritage body is not the final decision, it could be an important step towards both teams’ hope of redeveloping the site.

The clubs want to build a new ground adjacent to the current San Siro, while the old stadium would make way for an area “dedicated to sports, entertainment, and shopping”.

The two clubs presented their projects last September and estimated that it would require an investment of 1.2 billion euros ($1.34 billion).

Milan Mayor Guiseppe Sala insists he wants to renovate the existing stadium so that it could celebrate its centenary in 2026 by hosting the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics that year.

Both clubs are former European giants with AC Milan having won the Champions League seven times while Inter were the last Italian team to win the European title, when they lifted the trophy for the third time in 2010.

Neither have won the Serie A title since AC Milan triumphed in 2011.

Source: AFP

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has joked that his biggest lesson from the coronavirus lockdown is just how outspoken former Manchester United defender Gary Neville can be.

In his role as a television pundit, Neville has vented on a range of issues related to the Premier League and the health crisis.

The former England international has criticised Premier League chiefs for being slow to give updates on their restart plans.

He also took issue with the government’s call for players to take wage cuts during the pandemic and let rip on a host of other subjects.

Klopp could not resist a good-natured jibe at Neville when asked what his lockdown experience had been like.

“I didn’t learn a lot in lockdown, other than Gary Neville has an opinion about absolutely everything. It is incredible,” Klopp told the BBC’s Football Focus programme.

Liverpool were two wins away from winning the English title for the first time in 30 years when the Premier League was postponed on March 13.

The league hopes to resume in mid-June and players are already returning to training while observing strict social-distancing rules.

Klopp has been in touch with Liverpool’s squad, but he admitted it had been hard to go so long without seeing them in person.

“I am quite proud how we as a society have dealt with it,” he said. “We are not perfect. We will always make mistakes but I think we have learned how connected we are to each other.

“I miss the boys the most because we created a group where all the people at Melwood (training ground) have a really good relationship and we became friends over the last four-and-a-half years.

“We saw each other with Zoom and other calls but it is still not the same. Going back to Melwood and doing the things we usually do is something I really miss.”

Source:  AFP