DORTMUND, Germany: Former Bayern Munich striker Juergen Klinsmann says his two decades living in the US have convinced him that playoffs could play a central role in determining the Bundesliga winners.
Klinsmann said on Thursday he felt a playoff system would be an exciting way to challenge the monotony of seeing Bayern lift the Bundesliga trophy every year.
“I totally understand the discussion of it, because you want somebody else here and there to win the Bundesliga title, besides Bayern Munich.
“I find it fascinating. I find it a real thriller to go into a playoff format at the end of a season.”
All major US sports, including Major League Soccer, use some form of playoff system to determine their champions.
Klinsmann, who has lived in the US since 1998, pointed out that playoffs were already used in European leagues, including to determine relegation and promotion in the Bundesliga and promotion in the English Football League.
In England, “they play the playoffs at Wembley Stadium and it’s like an FA Cup final, because it’s so dramatic and it means a lot to the teams,” he said.
“I would be very open to a playoff idea, to be honest, I like it because I’m used to it here in the United States.
“If it’s doable, for the Bundesliga to take that idea to another level, that’s not up to me.”
Klinsmann, who had a brief stint at Bayern coach, tipped the club to win an 11th-straight title. He predicted Borussia Dortmund would again be their closest challengers, particularly with new recruit Nico Schlotterbeck, who Klinsmann said was “the discovery of the year.”
“I think Borussia Dortmund did fantastic in the transfer window, especially (bringing in) Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Suele in the backline.”
Klinsmann: Bundesliga playoff idea ‘thrilling’ amid Bayern dominance
https://arab.news/5n68t
Klinsmann: Bundesliga playoff idea ‘thrilling’ amid Bayern dominance
- Klinsmann said a playoff system would be an exciting way to challenge the monotony of seeing Bayern lift the Bundesliga trophy every year
- He pointed out that playoffs were already used in European leagues
Isak strikes again as Newcastle beats Arsenal 2-0 in League Cup semifinal 1st leg
- Isak struck in the 37th minute to continue his outstanding scoring run with his 14th goal in 15 games
Newcastle moved a step closer to a first major domestic trophy since 1955 with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the first leg of the English League Cup semifinals Tuesday.
Goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon at the Emirates Stadium put Newcastle within reach of the final at Wembley Stadium in March. The second leg is at St. James’ Park on Feb. 5.
It was Newcastle’s first win at the Emirates since 2010 and Arsenal’s first home defeat since April.
Isak struck in the 37th minute to continue his outstanding scoring run with his 14th goal in 15 games. The Sweden international was involved in Newcastle’s second in the 51st, when his shot was saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya and the rebound was converted by Gordon.
Despite being bought by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in 2021, Newcastle hasn’t won a major domestic trophy since lifting the FA Cup almost 70 years ago. But it is close to second League Cup final in three years after losing to Manchester United in 2023.
Newcastle is also pushing for a return to the Champions League after missing out last season — sitting fifth in the Premier League standings and one point outside of the automatic qualifying places for European club soccer’s elite tournament.
Victory against Arsenal was a seventh straight win in all competitions for Eddie Howe’s team, which has been inspired by Isak’s brilliant goal-scoring form.
He fired in off the underside of the crossbar from close range after a long free kick was played into his path by Jacob Murphy.
It was Isak’s seventh goal in his last five games.
Despite in-stadium referee announcements being trialed for the match, an apparent push in the buildup to his goal did not result in referee Craig Pawson reviewing the sideline monitor.
It was Isak’s sharpness that led to Newcastle’s second. His effort from inside the box six minutes into the second half was parried by Raya, but Gordon was the quickest to react at the far post to fire home.
Arsenal was unbeaten in 13 games in all competitions and is second in the Premier League standings.
It had the chance to take the lead when Gabriel Martinelli burst through in the 29th and fired against the post.
Kai Havertz wasted a golden opportunity to pull a goal back when his attempted header from directly in front of goal came off his shoulder and went wide.
Tottenham plays Liverpool in the other semifinal, with the first leg being staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday.
Rajkovic, Benzema star as Al-Ittihad dump Al-Hilal out of King Cup
- Thriller goes to penalties after sides finish level
- 120 minutes of football saw the sides end all-square at 2-2
RIYADH: Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Hilal 3-1 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to move into the semifinal of the King Cup after 120 minutes of action in Riyadh had ended 2-2.
Predrag Rajkovic was the hero for the Jeddah club, saving three of Al-Hilal’s penalty kicks.
The first half was an even affair, although it started badly for Al-Hilal with the Saudi Pro League’s top goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic leaving the pitch after 13 minutes with what seemed to be a hamstring injury.
Three minutes later, Al-Hilal almost took the lead but Salem Al-Dawsari’s shot from just inside the penalty area hit the foot of a post.
After 26 minutes, Karim Benzema started asking questions, forcing a good save from Yassine Bounou with a curling shot from outside the area.
The French striker had the ball in the net just before the break, shooting home after Bounou had got a hand to a low shot from N’Golo Kante, but he was ruled offside.
There was still time in the first half for Benzema to shoot tamely at the Moroccan goalkeeper from close range.
The former Real Madrid star finally broke the deadlock just after the hour, just moments after Malcom had hit the post for Al-Hilal. Benzema controlled a right-sided cross from Muhannad Al-Shanqiti and then fired home from close range.
Al-Hilal were back on level terms with 18 minutes remaining. The ball fell to Salem Al-Dawsari just inside the area and the 2022 Asian Player of the Year made no mistake to shoot past Rajkovic.
The game went into extra-time and after 101 minutes Al-Hilal moved ahead for the first time. Moteb Al-Harbi produced a perfect diagonal low cross from the left to find Marcos Leonardo at the far post and the Brazilian did the rest.
However, it did not take long for Benzema to equalize, sweeping the ball high into the net from close range to take the game to penalties.
A dismal effort from Al-Hilal followed from the spot as they scored just once.
Mohamed Kanno took the first, which was saved by Rajkovic, and when Benzema scored, Al-Ittihad were in the driving seat, especially as the Serbian goalkeeper also blocked Leonardo’s attempt.
Fabinho made it 2-0 to The Tigers and after Danilo Pereira scored to make it 3-1, Malcom had to hit the back of the net for the match to stay alive but Rajkovic saved once more.
Al-Ittihad and their traveling fans celebrated as they joined Al-Qadsiah, who defeated Al-Taawoun 3-0 earlier on Tuesday, in the last four. They join Al-Shabab and Al-Raed in the semis.
Saudi golf team to compete in Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco
- Othman Al-Mulla, Saud Al-Sharif among top Saudi golfers taking part in event’s 2nd edition
- Abdulkarim Al-Najran, Ali Babatin to represent Kingdom in amateur category
RIYADH: Top professional Saudi golfers, including Othman Al-Mulla and Saud Al-Sharif, will represent the Kingdom’s national team in the second edition of the Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco.
The event will take place at Mazagan Resort in the major port city of El Jadida on Jan. 9-12.
A media statement on Tuesday said that the participation aligns with the efforts of the Saudi Golf Federation to enhance the Kingdom’s presence in the Arab and international sports landscape, and showcase Saudi talent in the sport.
Al-Mulla and Al-Sharif are two prominent names in the Saudi sports scene who aim to achieve strong results in the competition.
Golfers Abdulkarim Al-Najran and Ali Babatin will represent the Kingdom in the amateur category, reflecting the country’s commitment to nurturing and developing young talent in golf.
SGF is dedicated to creating opportunities for Saudi players to compete in major international and regional tournaments, striving for achievements that elevate Saudi Arabia’s global sports standing.
The Arab Professional Golf Championship highlights Saudi and Arab talent while fostering sports interaction in Arab countries.
Organized by the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation in coordination with the Arab Golf Federation, the championship reflects a shared ambition to develop golf in the Arab world, showcase regional talent and strengthen Arab ties through sports excellence.
Sebastian Loeb limps home as teenager wins Dakar stage
- The nine-time World Rally Champion went off the road 12 kilometers into the 327km-stage between Bisha and Al Henakiyah
AL-HENAKIYAH, Saudi Arabia: Sebastien Loeb struggled to complete Stage 3 of the Dakar Rally on Tuesday after rolling his car near the start, a setback that is likely to cost him his dream of a first title in the event.
The nine-time World Rally Champion went off the road 12 kilometers into the 327km-stage between Bisha and Al Henakiyah. After a nasty bounce his Dacia performed several impressive rolls, which seriously damaged the vehicle.
The 50-year-old Frenchman and his Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin set off again after a five-minute stop for repairs, but struggled throughout the rest of the stage.
Loeb, who has finished second three times in the Dakar Rally, ended the stage in 4 hours 20 minutes 12 seconds, more than an hour behind the day’s winner, 19-year-old South African Saood Variawa.
“We were able to continue but suddenly the steering rod broke, I think because of the rollover,” said Loeb at the finish.
“Then we had a problem with the engine overheating. We tried to finish the stage. We managed to do so, but we lost an hour.
“It wasn’t the kind of day we prefer. We lost an hour and we got the feeling that we were in ‘it’ up to our necks. But it is what it is, we just have to continue. We’ll keep on racing and we’ll see, even if winning the rally is starting to look complicated.”
Variawa, in a Toyota, finished 33 seconds ahead of Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit in a Mini.
Another South African Toyota driver, Henk Lategan retained the overall lead after finishing 12th on the day, 7mins 31sec behind Variawa.
Variawa is 41st, 7 hours 47 minutes 11 seconds behind after losing eight hours the day before following a head-on collision with team-mate and compatriot Giniel de Villiers.
Loeb sits 16th, almost an hour and a quarter off first. He also lost 30 minutes on Sunday when a fan problem caused his engine to overheat.
Reigning champion Carlos Sainz had retired on Monday after his Ford Raptor flipped, damaging its roll bar.
With rain forecast, the stage was shortened from the original 496 km.
In the motorbike competition, Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino, riding a Sherco and making his seventh appearance in the Dakar Rally, won a stage for the first time.
Australian Daniel Sanders still leads the overall standings.
The Rally through Saudi Arabia ends on January 17 in the Empty Quarter desert.
‘I love winning trophies’ says Desert Vipers’ Sam Curran ahead of start of DP World ILT20 season
- England all-rounder will face off against brother Tom in the competition’s 3rd season
DUBAI: England all-rounder Sam Curran, a serial winner in England in 2024, is hoping he can bring that formula for success to the Desert Vipers in this season’s DP World ILT20.
The 26-year-old won The Hundred with the Oval Invincibles and the County Championship with Surrey last year, and now he wants to start 2025 with some more silverware as the Vipers chase a first title.
Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast, Curran said: “I guess I love winning trophies. Any player loves winning trophies and the last couple of years I have won a couple, which has been really nice.
“I think one of the keys to that is the culture of this team — that is really important. The vibe and the energy around the group is vital and that is one reason I have come to the Vipers after playing the last part of the season with them last year.
“For me, it links back to coming to a place where I know a lot of people and you can feel comfortable, you can express yourself, you can have a joke, but when you come down to training you can be that serious and energetic group, and train really hard and be honest with each other when you have a bad day.
Curran was one of a group of players that also included Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Aamir, UAE all-rounder Dhruv Parashar and wicketkeeper-batter Tanish Suri, and England fast bowler Luke Wood, that got together at the ICC Academy on Sunday for a first hit-out ahead of the new season.
The left-armer has chosen to return to the Vipers following his 2024 cameo despite having a number of possible options, with multiple leagues going on around the world at the same time.
Elaborating on his reasoning, Curran said: “The fact is I know quite a lot of people here. Obviously (Desert Vipers director of cricket) Tom Moody is a guy I know really well as he is my head coach at the Oval Invincibles. The Vipers’ strength and conditioning coach, Darren Veness, has worked with me at Surrey for many years and then there is James Foster, the Vipers head coach. There are a lot of familiar faces.
“I liked the environment and the culture last year that was created, even though I was only here for probably 10 days or so. The environment is something that is quite important to me and knowing that I am here for the next five weeks, with a sense we can build something quite nice is a positive.
Director of Cricket Tom Moody and Head Coach James Foster have both talked about their expectations for Curran not just as a batsman and bowler, but also as a senior leader of the team. Curran was player of the tournament when England won the T20 World Cup in Australia just over two years ago, and he captained the Punjab Kings during the 2024 Indian Premier League.
Curran said he was excited about sharing his knowledge and experience.
“Even though I am still fairly young I still feel extremely experienced around T20 cricket,” he said.
“I know the captain Lockie Ferguson quite well having played with him, so I will just be trying to help guys and share my experiences, and hopefully show some performances on the park that will enhance the team’s chances of winning.
Sam Curran’s brother Tom, who was a part of the Desert Vipers squad in season one and missed season two due to injury, has now signed with the Gulf Giants for season three of the DP World ILT20.
It means the brothers will be in opposing teams in this tournament, unusual because they are teammates both at the Oval Invincibles and with Surrey. The upcoming sibling rivalry is something Sam said he was looking forward to.
“I have spoken to Tom about it,” said Sam. He is in Australia now, playing in the Big Bash League, but we have already penned that date in the diary, the Vipers vs. the Gulf Giants!
“We played against each other once or twice in the IPL or twice, I think when he was with Delhi. It will be a very strange feeling but I think now that we are a bit older there will be no love on that field.
“I am sure there will be a lot of bragging rights around the dinner table and I am sure our mum will be there for that as well. I am very excited for that one. Whatever happens, as long as I hit him for six, I will be happy.”
The Vipers, even with Sam slotting in for the last part of last season, failed to make the playoffs in 2024 having been runners-up in season one, but Sam said he was confident the players on duty this time would be able to set the record straight.
“The schedule for this season looks pretty compact and busy, so I think it is probably really important for us to start well and try to get that confidence up.
“The good thing is, there is so much experience in our side. You look at guys like Alex Hales, Wanindu Hasaranga, Luke Wood and UAE players like Ali Naseer and Tanish Suri — these guys are coming back for the third season, so I am sure they will have learned from that last season and help us to put things right. That is important because the competition is going to keep getting stronger.
The Desert Vipers first match of the 2025 DP World ILT20 is on day two of the tournament, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.