BERLIN: Unbeaten Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are facing three finals in one week in their bid for a treble, coach Xabi Alonso said on Friday.
Leverkusen are on a season-long unbeaten run of 50 games, already breaking a 59-year-old UEFA record.
Leverkusen can become the first ‘invincible’ team in Bundesliga history by avoiding defeat at home against Augsburg on Saturday.
Alonso’s men face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by the German Cup final against second-division Kaiserslautern three days later.
“Tomorrow is our first final,” Alonso said. “We can achieve something historic.
“To stay unbeaten in the Bundesliga — we’ll be the first team and we’ll be a part of history.”
Leverkusen will be presented with the Bundesliga trophy for the first time in their history after Saturday’s match.
Long derided as “Neverkusen” for often finishing second and never winning a top-flight crown, Leverkusen are close to a remarkable treble.
“(We are) not thinking about Wednesday (Europa League final) — we’re thinking about tomorrow and about Augsburg,” Alonso insisted.
The Spaniard, who is in his first full season as a head coach, said his players “don’t have time” to celebrate “too much” on Saturday.
“We can celebrate with our fans, but from Monday we need to be fully focused on our final week.
“They’re professional and I don’t need to tell them. We need to be intelligent.”
Alonso said star midfielder Florian Wirtz, who has not started in the league for five games, had overcome a leg injury and “can start” against Augsburg.
“There are no limitations for tomorrow. He feels much better and doesn’t have any pain.”
Unbeaten Leverkusen facing three finals in a week, says Alonso
https://arab.news/m44kp
Unbeaten Leverkusen facing three finals in a week, says Alonso
- Leverkusen are on a season-long unbeaten run of 50 games, already breaking a 59-year-old UEFA record
- Alonso’s men face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by the German Cup final against second-division Kaiserslautern three days later
Riyadh prepares for 2nd annual Saudi Elite Hockey Championship
- 80 players from 8 teams will battle it out at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex on Jan. 17 and 18
- Najd Falcons were crowned winners of the inaugural event last year, ahead of runners-up Alittihad Club
RIYADH: Final preparations are underway for the second annual Saudi Elite Hockey Championship at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh next week.
Eight teams, featuring a total of 80 players, will battle it out on Jan. 17 and 18: defending champions Najd Falcons, last year’s runners-up Alittihad Club, Alshabab Club, Jubail Buraq, Naqi, UTSC, Arab Legends and Hamra Legends.
The event has been organized under the supervision of the Saudi Hockey Federation, which said the championship represents a significant step in the development of hockey, in line with the wider sports renaissance in the Kingdom as part of efforts to enhance quality of life and contribute to the goals of the Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification.
Leipzig sign wing back Ridle Baku from Bundesliga rival Wolfsburg
- Leipzig said Friday that the 26-year-old Baku had signed a 2½-year contract to 2027
- “Ridle will give us more options in the future,” Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer said
LEIPZIG, Germany: Leipzig have signed wing back Ridle Baku from Bundesliga rival Wolfsburg after an injury to Benjamin Henrichs.
Leipzig said Friday that the 26-year-old Baku had signed a 2½-year contract to 2027. He will be available for Sunday’s home game against Werder Bremen as the league restarts this weekend after its winter break.
“Ridle will give us more options in the future,” Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer said. “He can play anywhere on the right side, loves to get forward, is a good finisher and tackler, and comfortable in possession too.”
Baku’s contract with Wolfsburg was set to expire at the end of the season. Kicker reported that the clubs had agreed on a transfer fee of under 5 million euros ($5.1 million) for the player.
Baku, who was born in Mainz, made his Bundesliga debut against Leipzig for Mainz in 2018. He joined Wolfsburg in 2020 and established himself as a regular at the Volkswagen-backed club. Altogether he scored 20 goals in 166 appearances for the team.
Baku made his debut for Germany under Joachim Löw in a friendly against the Czech Republic in November 2020, and made three more appearances for the team in World Cup qualifying in 2021, but hasn’t been called up since.
Henrichs ruptured an Achilles tendon in his right foot in Leipzig’s 5-1 loss at Bayern Munich on Dec. 20 before the winter break. The club said he “will remain out of action for a while.”
Leipzig have struggled so far this season, losing all their games in the Champions League and dropping points in seven of their 15 games in the Bundesliga.
Amorim keen to keep hold of Mainoo, Garnacho
- “I really love my players. I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones,” Amorim said
- “It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, but, of course, I’m really happy with Kobbie, he’s improving, and also with Garna“
MACNEHSTER: Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has expressed his desire to keep talented youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho despite rumors the duo could be sold to ease the club’s financial pressures.
United sit 13th in the Premier League and have won only four of Amorim’s 12 games in charge so far.
The club’s ability to hand the former Sporting Lisbon coach, who took charge in November, significant funds to rebuild in the transfer market is limited by profit and sustainability rules.
United lost £113.2 million ($139 million) in the financial year to June 2024 — their fifth straight year in the red.
As academy graduates, any fee received for Mainoo or Garnacho would appear on the books as 100 percent profit.
Reports this week said United were therefore open to offers for the pair, as well as a number of other recently acquired signings such as Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt.
“I really love my players. I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones,” Amorim said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup trip to Arsenal.
“It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, but, of course, I’m really happy with Kobbie, he’s improving, and also with Garna.”
Amorim has previously admitted United’s recruitment must be better and he stressed the need to also improve the club’s academy to help save money in the transfer market.
“When we are targeting players, we need to be sure that they will cope with the demands,” he added.
“I also said we have to improve our academy, to bring young kids that fills the club in the right way, and also with that rules, we are able to do some business and have some money to invest in the team.
“Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club.
“We know the position that the club is in at the moment, but we will see. I’m very happy, I like our players, especially the guys from our academy.”
Another United academy graduate — Marcus Rashford — does seem set to leave Old Trafford this month.
The 27-year-old reportedly held talks with AC Milan this week, with other European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, also interested.
Rashford has not featured in United’s last six games and Amorim refused to be drawn on whether he could return at the Emirates.
The Portuguese coach did confirm that second string goalkeeper Altay Bayindir will feature ahead of Andre Onana despite his errors in a 4-3 League Cup quarter-final exit to Tottenham last month.
Newcastle boss Howe eager to hang onto goalkeeper Dubravka
- Newcastle manager Eddie Howe still hopes goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will stay at St. James’ Park beyond the end of the January transfer window
LONDON: Newcastle manager Eddie Howe still hopes goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will stay at St. James’ Park beyond the end of the January transfer window.
The in-form 35-year-old Slovakia international has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al Shabab as he enters the final six months of his contract with the Magpies.
Dubravka has conceded just two goals in seven games in all competitions — all of them victories — while deputising for the injured Nick Pope during a run where Newcastle are closing in on a place in the English League Cup final and are fifth in the Premier League table.
“Martin’s been in a difficult situation,” Howe said Friday.
“Like any player that is coming out of contract in the summer, with every player that I’ve ever worked with, there’s always that feeling of doubt.
“He will naturally want some conclusion to his future, whether that’s a new contract with us, whatever the outcome. But he’s certainly played very well and I’ve been really pleased with him.
“He’s more than played his part in our recent run of fixtures. Again against Arsenal (a 2-0 win in the first leg of a League Cup semifinal), I thought he was very, very good, so hopefully we can come to some sort of agreement with him.”
Dubravka was seen to be in tears following the conclusion of Tuesday’s game against Arsenal, in what many observers interpreted as a farewell to Newcastle.
He was signed by former Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez, initially on loan, in January 2018, but has largely been a back-up to England international Pope for the last two-and-a-half years, a period which included a loan spell at Manchester United.
But he has shown his value in recent weeks with Howe, who must decide whether or not to rest Dubravka for Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie against fourth-tier Bromley, saying: “I know how much Newcastle means to him and you can see that emotionally, he’s very invested.
“Of course, all those things will be playing a part in his decision-making and our decision-making and hopefully there’s a successful outcome at the end.”
Newcastle have been linked with a move for Burnley’s England under-21 international James Trafford should Dubravka move on.
And Howe refused to say whether Pope, who is back in training, remained his first-choice goalkeeper.
“It’s always in a state of flux,” he said. “It’s always changing and moving because that’s down to the player’s performances.”
Manuel Neuer set to return in goal for depleted Bayern as Jamal Musiala is out with illness
- Musiala hasn’t been training because of illness and now is confirmed to miss Bayern’s first league game of the new year
MUNICH: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set to return for Bayern Munich for the first time in more than a month in Saturday’s Bundesliga game against Borussia Moenchengladbach but Jamal Musiala will miss out.
The 38-year-old Neuer missed Bayern’s last four games of 2024 with a broken rib and wasn’t in the squad for a friendly against Salzburg on Monday, but now looks fully fit again, coach Vincent Kompany said Friday.
Neuer’s return for Bayern’s first league game of 2025 is all the more important after backup Daniel Peretz injured a kidney in a training incident on Wednesday. He’s expected to miss a few weeks, Kompany said.
Kompany confirmed Musiala, who hadn’t been training because of illness, won’t be available Saturday for the German league leader.
Among several other absences are midfielder João Palhinha, who hasn’t played since early November with an adductor muscle tear, and defender Dayot Upamecano, who’s serving a one-game Bundesliga suspension for five yellow cards.
