Bayern Munich confirmed their return to domestic dominance by securing their 34th league title on Sunday after rivals Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 at Freiburg, but rescaling the summit of German football was harder than it looked. 

The Bavarians, who had won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles in a record league run between 2013 and 2023, had seen Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen race to a domestic league and cup double last season without a single defeat in either competition. New Bayern coach Vincent Kompany had his work cut out with Bayern urgently looking for direction after a turbulent period under his predecessor Thomas Tuchel, who left the club at the end of last season.

Unlike some former Bayern coaches, including Tuchel, Kompany lacked experience coaching a big club with the former Belgium international having previously coached Anderlecht and Burnley.

Bayern bosses were prepared to take the risk and it paid off with Kompany quickly establishing control in the changing room.

Bayern were desperate for a good start in the current season in order to put an early marker down in the title race and they bagged four straight wins to kick off the campaign, before carving out a 1-1 draw against the reigning champions.

With Leverkusen no longer invincible this season and lacking last year’s consistency, Bayern gradually pulled away and by the 11th matchday had a six-point advantage, having shaken off Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund as possible title rivals.

The Bavarians were lethal in attack with Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane in top form but struggled with their backline throughout the season.

A string of injuries in recent weeks that sidelined several key defenders compounded the problem and Saturday’s 3-3 draw with RB Leipzig took their goals conceded tally to 32, an average of one goal per league match this season.

But Kompany’s team have been lethal up front, bagging 93 goals in 32 matches.

With 24 goals, Kane was once more Bayern’s guarantee in attack with the England captain looking set to become the first player in Bundesliga history to be crowned top scorer in both his first two seasons in the league.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, England’s all-time top scorer and second on the all-time Premier League scorers’ list, Kane had won a hatful of individual awards.

He had, however, no single team trophy to show for his efforts after 400-odd goals for clubs and country and with talk of a ‘Kane title curse’ developing over the years.

Kane had spent the majority of his professional career at Tottenham Hotspur, playing for the London club from 2009-2023 with some loan spells in between, prior to joining Bayern in a league record transfer worth 100 million euros ($114 million).

In England he had failed to win a trophy with Spurs, being Champions League runners-up in 2019, while also reaching consecutive finals at Euro 2020 and 2024 with the national team.

So his move to Bayern, Germany’s record champions and six-time European champions, was all about finally adding trophies to his goal-scoring records and fulfilling his title-winning ambitions.

While fans were unhappy with the club’s decision not to offer talisman Thomas Mueller a new contract, the 35-year-old, who will leave at the end of the season after 25 years at Bayern, did manage to reach the 500-league-match milestone before his departure.

He was only the fourth player in Bundesliga history to achieve that feat while playing for just one club and he has now extended his record-breaking haul of league titles to 13.

The Bavarians failed to get past the quarter-finals in the Champions League after their 4-3 aggregate loss to Italy’s Inter Milan last month and they also lost to Leverkusen in the German Cup round of 16, leaving the league title as their only possible trophy for the season.

But they would not be denied in the league as they kept second-placed Leverkusen at bay in the final sprint to the finish line.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters) 

Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal 1-0 in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday, with Ousmane Dembele scoring early at the Emirates. PSG controlled the game to protect their lead and head into the May 7 return leg in Paris as favourites to reach their first-ever Champions League final.

Paris Saint-Germain seized the advantage in their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal as Ousmane Dembele sealed a 1-0 win in the first leg on Tuesday.

Dembele struck in the opening minutes at the Emirates Stadium and Luis Enrique’s side held on to the lead with a composed display that kept Arsenal at bay.

PSG will head into the second leg at the Parc des Princes on May 7 as favourites to reach the final against Barcelona or Inter Milan as they look to win the tournament for the first time.

But the French champions should take nothing for granted given their history of epic European collapses.

Arsenal’s first defeat in 18 home European matches was a painful blow to their own bid to win a first Champions League crown.

Mikel Arteta had labelled Arsenal’s run to the semi-finals a “beautiful story”.

The last chapter might make for frustrating reading, but they aren’t dead and buried just yet.

The Gunners had beaten holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate to reach their first Champions League semi-final since losing to Manchester United in 2009.

They could not replicate the swaggering display that blew Madrid away 3-0 in the first leg, despite a frenzied atmosphere as kick-off approached.

When Arsenal’s players gathered for a pre-match huddle in the tunnel, Declan Rice implored his team-mates to give everything as he roared “if we don’t have the ball we die”.

A video message from Arteta played on the Emirates screens struck a similarly rousing chord as the Spaniard urged fans to raise the roof.

But PSG had already eliminated Premier League champions Liverpool in the last 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, after coming back from two goals down to beat Manchester City in the league phase.

Arsenal were the one English side they had failed to conquer, losing 2-0 in north London in October.

However, PSG were without the influential Dembele for disciplinary reasons on that occasion and Luis Enrique insisted his side were “more complete” seven months on.

Source: France 24

Hansi Flick’s Barca are a step away from reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2019 and extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches.

The five-time winners took the lead against last year’s runners-up through red-hot winger Raphinha before Lewandowski reached 40 goals for the season with his double.

Teenager Lamine Yamal was an unstoppable force throughout and deftly prodded home Barcelona’s fourth as Dortmund collapsed.

Barca, who last lifted the trophy in 2015 are aiming to seal a final four clash against Inter Milan or Bayern Munich when they visit Germany next Tuesday.

“I think we played very well but we have one more game to go… we always want to play our football and we want to play it there and we will win,” Lewandowski told Movistar.

“If you have 4-0 in the first half (of the tie), in the second half in Dortmund you have to play the same or better.

“In the end it’s the Champions League, and we always want to play at our level.”

Flick selected his typical side, with only one decision to make — he opted for Fermin Lopez over Gavi in attacking midfield to support the dynamic forward trio.

La Liga leaders Barcelona seized control from the start, with Gregor Kobel saving well from Yamal and Lewandowski.

Spain starlet Yamal, 17, fired across the face of goal and then over as he ran riot, Dortmund unable to slow him down.

Barcelona took the lead after Karim Adeyemi needlessly gave away a free-kick in a dangerous area, pulling Jules Kounde back by his dreadlocks while trying to burst forward on the counter.

Lopez whipped it to the back post, with Inigo Martinez nodding the ball towards Pau Cubarsi, who turned it towards goal.

The young defender’s effort beat Kobel and was heading over the line before the tournament’s top scorer Raphinha slid in to make sure, claiming his 12th goal.

The Brazilian winger faced a nervous wait while VAR worked to confirm his 25th-minute strike was onside.

Yamal and Raphinha zipped forward in search of a second but could not get the final ball right, before Serhou Guirassy spurned a huge chance for the visitors to level.

With Dortmund’s first slick attacking move of the game, the forward, who has 10 goals in the competition, was played in but snatched badly at a bouncing ball with just Wojciech Szczesny to beat.

Whirlwind

Unsurprisingly Niko Kovac’s Dortmund came to regret Guirassy’s misses, with Lewandowski netting his 10th of the tournament early in the second half.

Yamal clipped a cross to Raphinha, who looped a header over to Lewandowski at the far post to nod home from virtually under the crossbar three minutes after the interval.

Lopez struck the post and lashed inches over as Barcelona searched for a third to kill the tie off.

It arrived after 66 minutes, with Lopez teeing up Lewandowski to drill home at the near post.

This was the former Dortmund striker’s 29th goal in 28 matches against his old club, and his 99th in a Barcelona shirt since joining in 2022.

“I am very happy, 99 goals for the club,” added Lewandowski.

“In my head I always have not just winning, but helping the team with my qualities, goals.

“I think strikers always have to think about goals.”

Yamal, who had toyed with Dortmund’s defence all night, deservedly got on the scoresheet as the visitors left themselves wide open and Raphinha sent the youngster through on goal.

The only worry for Barca was Yamal asking to be replaced in the final stages, although he was smiling as he was afforded an ovation.

Flick’s side are aiming for a potential quadruple this season and on this evidence, they will take some stopping.

Source: AFP

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said he “never thought about committing fraud” as he testified in court in Spain over tax evasion charges.

The former Chelsea and Everton boss is accused of failing to pay 1m euros (£830,000) in tax on his Real salary during his first spell in charge from 2013 to 2015.

Ancelotti began his second stint at Real in 2021.

Prosecutors are seeking a prison term of four years nine months and a fine of 3.2m euros (£2.7m).

The Italian is accused of paying tax only on his Real salary and omitting income from image rights on his tax returns.

“For me, everything was in order,” Ancelotti told the Provincial Court of Madrid.

Ancelotti said he was offered a net salary of 6m euros (£5.1m) by Real and that he left the structure of it to his financial advisors.

“I thought it was quite normal because at that time all the players and the previous coach had [done the same],” he said.

“For coaches [image rights] don’t mean the same as they do for players because they don’t sell shirts.”

Several high-profile figures in Spanish football have been charged with tax evasion in recent years.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was fined 252,000 euros in 2017 after initially being given a 21-month prison sentence.

In 2019 Real striker Cristiano Ronaldo accepted an 18.8m euro fine following an out-of-court settlement and Jose Mourinho was fined 2.2m euros relating to tax charges during his time as Real manager from 2011-12.

Source: BBC

Newcastle United secured their first domestic trophy for 70 years – and ended a wait for a major prize stretching back to 1969 – with a deserved Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool at Wembley.

The Toon Army were sent into ecstasy as goals either side of half-time by Dan Burn and Alexander Isak put them on course for a triumph that will lead to legendary status on Tyneside for manager Eddie Howe and his players.

Burn celebrated his first England call-up by meeting Kieran Trippier’s corner with a towering header in first-half stoppage time, before Isak pounced to finish clinically from Jacob Murphy’s knockdown after 52 minutes.

Liverpool, who were knocked out of the Champions League on penalties by Paris St-Germain in midweek, pulled a goal back through substitute Federico Chiesa in injury time.

Newcastle, however, survived a tense finish to clinch their first major silverware since the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969 and first domestic success since the 1955 FA Cup.

Source: BBC

Jose Mourinho’s tenure at any club is guaranteed to be colourful, but his eight-month reign as Fenerbahce manager is turning caustic.

The 62-year-old Portuguese has repeatedly revisited his favourite subject of refereeing – an issue Turkish football has struggled with of late – which led to him being accused of racism on Monday night.

BBC Sport breaks down the latest chapter in Jose v Turkish football.

What happened?

Monday’s Istanbul derby between the country’s two biggest clubs Galatasaray and Fenerbahce ended in a not-so-thrilling 0-0 draw – the fireworks coming afterwards in Mourinho’s media conference when he accused the Galatasaray bench of “jumping like monkeys”.

Galatasaray responded by accusing Mourinho of racism – something Fenerbahce deny, with the club’s vice-president insisting Mourinho’s comments were “100% nothing to do with racism. In this situation [Galatasaray are] trying to manipulate simply just resembling [animals]”.

So far, so messy.

Experienced Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic had been drafted in to take charge of the domestic match – the first in nearly 50 years by a foreign official – following a request from both clubs., external

Mourinho thanked Vincic in his post-match media conference for not booking a Fenerbahce player early in the game – believing many refereeing decisions are heavily influenced by Galatasaray.

He then aimed a dig at the Turkish fourth official, in which he is reported to have said: “If you were a referee this match would be a disaster.”

All of which follows months of complaints by Mourinho about officiating in the Turkish Super Lig, including saying he would not have taken the Fenerbahce job if he had known the standards of officiating.

Turkish football’s chaotic past

“The Galatasaray and Fenerbahce derby is the biggest sport event in Turkey,” says Burak Abatay from BBC Turkish.

“Life stops on derby evenings – even the terrible Istanbul traffic is relieved. It is very big tension. The match [last night] was played in this tension.

“There has been a great chaos in Turkish football for a long time. The main discussion is usually about the referees.

“Last season a referee was attacked by a club president in the centre of the pitch. And two teams withdrew from the pitch last season. Another club did the same this season.

“In the middle of this season, foreign referees started to work as VAR referees in all matches, but this did not reduce the controversy.

“President of the Turkish Football Federation Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu stated that the reason for a foreign referee to officiate the derby was ‘to prevent these discussions and not to put the referees in a controversial position’.”

Abatay added: “Galatasaray’s manager Okan Buruk called Jose Mourinho ‘The Crying One’ after the match. He also criticised [referee] Vincic.

“Many football analysts say that Turkish football needs more structural and long-term change.”

And Mourinho’s own club claim change is required, with Fenerbahce vice-president Acun Ilicali claiming there is no protocol for selecting referees in Turkey, “unlike England”.

“In England, if somebody [is] from Newcastle, you cannot be a ref of a Newcastle game,” he told Sky. “[The] problem in Turkey is nobody’s asking referees ‘Which team do you support?’ We don’t know – they can be a Galatasaray fan or Fenerbahce fan.”

Uefa told BBC Sport it “works with its 55 member associations on refereeing”, but the responsibility lies with individual associations to manage the process for its own officials.

In England, professional referees have to declare which teams they support as part of transparency measures – so they avoid games involving their own team.

Is this just more Mourinho antics?

Mourinho is famed for winning some of football’s biggest prizes, all while performing some of the game’s biggest wind-ups.

And while his method of getting under competitors’ skins by criticising referees, managers, players and football authorities has yielded results, it has also formed a questionable reputation in the game’s dark arts.

“Fenerbahce must have known what they were getting into when they hired Jose Mourinho. He is no stranger to headlines,” says BBC Sport chief football news reporter Simon Stone.

“As recently as October, he stated a desire to return to England – and join a club that didn’t compete in Uefa competition as he believed his red card against former club Manchester United was confirmation of an agenda against him.

“The following month he was banned for a game and fined £15,000 by the Turkish FA for an attack on the impartiality of Super Lig officials.

“He maintains to this day his Roma side were badly treated in their Europa League final defeat by Sevilla in 2023, a game when 13 players were booked. Mourinho waited for referee Anthony Taylor in the car park as he was leaving the stadium and expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the Premier League official had handled the game.

“Taylor and his family were subsequently attacked by Roma fans at Budapest airport. Uefa gave Mourinho a four-match ban.”

Culled from the BBC

Liverpool finished first in the 36-team league phase of the competition to qualify directly for this stage, while PSG had to come through a two-legged play-off tie in which they crushed fellow French side Brest 10-0 on aggregate.

The first leg will take place at the Parc des Princes in Paris on March 4 or 5, with the return at Anfield a week later.

The clubs last met in the Champions League in the group stage in 2018/19, when PSG won 2-1 at home after Liverpool triumphed 3-2 in England.

In another eye-catching tie, reigning champions Real Madrid will play city rivals Atletico Madrid in a repeat of the finals of 2014 and 2016, both of which were won by Los Blancos.

Bayern Munich will take on German rivals Bayer Leverkusen, while Arsenal face PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan take on Feyenoord, who are fresh from knocking out AC Milan in the play-offs.

Barcelona will face Benfica, who they defeated 5-4 away in Lisbon in the league phase last month.

Aston Villa will face Club Brugge, having already lost away to the Belgians in the league phase.

Last season’s beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund will take on French side Lille.

Source:  AFP

A Spanish court on Thursday convicted former football chief Luis Rubiales of sexual assault over the forced kiss he gave star forward Jenni Hermoso and fined him € 10,800 ($11,300).

But the court acquitted him and the three other accused of the charge of coercion in the case.

Prosecutors had sought a prison term of two-and-a-half years for Rubiales – one year for sexual assault and 18 months for coercion – for having allegedly pressured the player to downplay the incident.

Rubiales was accused of sexual assault for kissing Hermoso in 2023 following Spain’s triumph in the women’s World Cup in Australia, as well as coercion for allegedly trying to convince her to downplay the incident afterwards.

Rubiales will appeal his conviction for sexual assault over the forced kiss, his lawyer Olga Tubau Martinez said Thursday.

“Mr. Rubiales has decided to appeal the ruling,” she told AFP after the verdict in the trial.

Global outcry

The global outcry over the kiss forced Rubiales to resign in disgrace and thrust the spotlight on the prevalence of macho culture and sexism in sport.

Hermoso, 34, said on the opening day of the trial on February 3 she felt “disrespected” after a non-consensual kiss that “should not happen in any social or work setting”.

But Rubiales, 47, told the court on Tuesday he was “totally sure” Hermoso consented to the kiss as she went up to receive her winner’s medal, which was broadcast live around the world, and denied putting pressure on her after the incident.

He conceded he “made a mistake” on the podium, saying he should have “been in a more institutional role”, but denied any offence had been committed.

Rubiales’ stance on the stand contrasted with the defiance he displayed when the scandal broke.

During an emergency federation meeting in August 2023, he minimised the importance of the kiss and defied calls for his resignation, railing against “false feminism”.

Rubiales resigned in September that year after FIFA suspended him and Spanish prosecutors opened an investigation into alleged sexual assault. He had been federation chief since 2018.

Hermoso, the all-time top scorer for the Spain women’s team who now plays for Mexican club Tigres, was not called up to the national squad immediately after the World Cup.

The new coach Montse Tome said she wanted to protect the player and denied omitting her from the squad was a “punishment”.

(Source: AFP)