LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday became the first team in Bundesliga history to go through an entire season unbeaten after a 2-1 home win against Augsburg extended their undefeated streak in all competitions to 51 games.
Crowned champions for the first time in April, goals from Victor Boniface and Robert Andrich put Leverkusen — who play the Europa League final against Atalanta and the German Cup final this week — on course for victory.
“Totally deserved. It was our goal after winning the title against Bremen. Very proud of the team — very satisfied and very happy,” said Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso.
“We can enjoy it just a little bit — and recover tomorrow.”
Elsewhere on the final day of the league campaign, Cologne were relegated after a 4-1 loss at Heidenheim.
Union Berlin scored in stoppage time against Freiburg to win 2-1 and beat the drop, leapfrogging Bochum who will play a two-legged relegation play-off against second-division Fortuna Duesseldorf after losing 4-1 at Werder Bremen.
Leverkusen took the lead after 12 minutes when Amine Adli forced Augsburg goalkeeper Tomas Koubek into an error, winning possession before squaring for Boniface to tap in from close range.
Midfield star Andrich doubled Leverkusen’s lead, backheeling in a rebound after 27 minutes.
Augsburg teenager Mert Komor pulled one back on his first start for the visitors with a stunning strike on the 62nd-minute mark, but Leverkusen held on to win ahead of what could be a historic week.
At the other end of the table, Union — who were playing in the Champions League against the likes of Real Madrid as recently as December — were locked 1-1 at home to Freiburg in stoppage time and headed for a relegation playoff clash with Duesseldorf.
Union had been reduced to 10 men when Michael Gspurning was red carded with four minutes remaining but won a penalty just into stoppage time.
Kevin Volland missed the spotkick but Janik Haberer was there to turn in the rebound and save Berlin.
Bochum, who looked to have secured top-division football with a 4-3 win at Union Berlin two weeks ago, will now need to beat Duesseldorf in a home and away playoff.
The loser will join relegated Cologne and Darmstadt in the second division.
Serhou Guirassy scored a brace as Stuttgart won 4-0 at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach, leapfrogging Bayern Munich, who lost 4-2 to a Andrej Kramaric-inspired Hoffenheim, into second spot.
Despite being without the injured Harry Kane, Bayern were 2-0 up after just six minutes thanks to goals from Mathys Tel and Alphonso Davies.
Maximilian Beier, selected as part of Germany’s Euros squad on Thursday, cut the deficit two minutes later, capitalizing on an error by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to make it 2-1.
Kramaric then scored three goals in 20 minutes to turn the match on its head.
Bayern finished outside the top two for the first time since 2010-11.
“We made a series of a large, individual mistakes and gave the game away. We brought the opponent into the game, defended absolutely inadequately and gave up a 2-0 lead,” outgoing manager Thomas Tuchel said.
“This has happened to us far too often.”
Borussia Dortmund veteran Marco Reus signed off in impressive style in his last home match, scoring a goal and laying on another in a 4-0 win over Darmstadt.
In Dortmund’s last competitive outing before June’s Champions League final with Real Madrid at Wembley, Reus set up Ian Maatsen for the opener after 30 minutes, then added one of his own from a free kick eight minutes later.
Julian Brandt and Donyell Malen added second-half goals to seal the win.
Eintracht Frankfurt came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at home with RB Leipzig, while Mainz came from behind to win 3-1 at Wolfsburg.
Leverkusen become first team to complete Bundesliga season unbeaten
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Leverkusen become first team to complete Bundesliga season unbeaten
- Cologne were relegated after a 4-1 loss at Heidenheim
- Union Berlin scored in stoppage time against Freiburg to win 2-1 and beat the drop
Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi team up to launch a soccer club in Uruguay
- Suarez announced on Tuesday he has founded a professional soccer team in his native Uruguay
- The team formerly known as Deportivo LS will now be called LSM
MONTEVIDEO: Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi have been partners on the pitch for several years. Now they’re teaming up off it as businessmen.
Suarez announced on Tuesday he has founded a professional soccer team in his native Uruguay, and he is bringing his Inter Miami teammate along on the project.
Suarez, the all-time scoring leader of Uruguay’s national team, explained in a video posted on his social media accounts that the team formerly known as Deportivo LS will now be called LSM and will start playing professional soccer in the Uruguay’s fourth division.
“Deportivo LS are a family dream that began in 2018. We have grown a lot with more than 3,000 members,” Suarez said. “I want to offer Uruguayan soccer, the place I love and where I grew up as a child, opportunities and tools for teenagers and children to grow.”
The 38-year-old Suarez retired from international soccer last September, played with Messi at Barcelona for six seasons, and they’ve been teammates the past two years with Inter Miami.
“I’m proud and happy that you chose me, so I hope to contribute everything I can to continue growing and, above all, to be by your side in this,” said Messi, who was sitting alongside Suarez in the video.
It’s still unclear what Messi’s role will be in the project, although local media reported that he will be a partner. It was also reported that Álvaro Recoba, a former player for the Uruguay national team and Inter Milan, will be the team’s coach.
The announcement also launched the club’s Instagram account, which had over 40,000 followers two hours after its creation.
Suárez and his family opened an 20-acre sports complex in 2018 in Ciudad de la Costa on the outskirts of Montevideo. It has numerous activities for more than 3,000 members.
The club have a synthetic turf stadium with a capacity for 1,400 spectators, among other fields.
Chelsea’s Maresca says Conference League ‘best competition in the world’
- “Probably the most complicated thing this season about the Conference (League) has been to convince the players that for us it was the best competition in the world,” Maresca said
- “And the reason why was because it was the competition that we were in“
WROCLAW, Poland: Enzo Maresca said he had to convince his Chelsea players this season that the UEFA Conference League was the “best competition in the world” as he prepares his men to face Real Betis in Wednesday’s final.
The Premier League club are seeking to end their campaign with a flourish in Wroclaw after securing a Champions League spot for next season.
If they beat Betis in Poland, Chelsea would become the first club to win all four major UEFA tournaments, having previously won the Champions League, Europa League and the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup.
Maresca, in his first season as manager at Stamford Bridge, said had been forced to stress the importance of Europe’s third-tier club competition to his players.
“Probably the most complicated thing this season about the Conference (League) has been to convince the players that for us it was the best competition in the world,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“And the reason why was because it was the competition that we were in.”
Chelsea are two-time European champions but have not won silverware since lifting the Champions League in 2021.
“We cannot play Champions League if we are at the Conference (League), or we cannot play Europa (League). We are in the Conference, so for us it was the most important competition, and we need to try to win that.
“If we are able to win, I think it’s a good thing, especially because we continue to build a winning mentality.”
Chelsea have reached the final in eye-catching style, scoring a competition-record 38 goals so far and winning 11 of their 12 matches.
Maresca rounded on his critics after his youthful side secured fourth spot in the Premier League on Sunday with a 1-0 win at the City Ground, even using an expletive.
His team were within touching distance of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool in mid-December before stumbling badly, but results picked up again toward the end of the campaign.
On Tuesday he described Sunday’s eruption as an “outburst” in the heat of the moment.
“From our point of view, they (critics) were not talking in the right way,” he said.
“And the reason why is because, yes, we are young, yes, we are the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, but at the same time, they are men.
“So I also used what critics had said to say, ‘Guys, today (Sunday) is a chance that we can say that we are not young, we are mature enough, we can compete and we can do the right things’.”
The former Leicester boss said sealing a Champions League place for next season had been a huge relief.
“We feel much better,” he said. “I said a few times during the season that for me it was already a good season for different reasons.
“It can become a very good season if we finish top four, top five and if we are able to win the final tomorrow.
“The first target is there. We achieved that last Sunday and hopefully we can achieve tomorrow the second one.”
Stiller out, Burkardt in for Germany’s Nations League games
- Burkardt will join the team at their training base in Herzogenaurach on Friday
- The 24-year-old Burkardt has played three games for Germany
BERLIN: Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has called up Mainz forward Jonathan Burkardt to his squad for upcoming Nations League games after Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller dropped out with an injury.
Burkardt will join the team at their training base in Herzogenaurach on Friday, the German soccer federation said Tuesday, in preparation for the Nations League semifinal against Portugal in Munich on Wednesday, and the final or third-place playoff against either Spain or France four days later.
The 24-year-old Burkardt has played three games for Germany. He was the Bundesliga’s top-scoring German player with 18 goals for Mainz this season.
Stiller, who starred for Stuttgart as the team won the German Cup on Saturday, dropped out with a recurrence of the ankle ligament injury that had kept him out for two weeks previously.
The DFB said Stiller has “not completely healed.”
Stiller was involved in three of Stuttgart’s four goals as they defeated Arminia Bielefeld 4-2 in the cup final.
Newcastle losing another sporting director as Mitchell to step down
- Mitchell was leaving “due to health reasons” and his departure was “by mutual consent,” NUFC said
- “The club are in great hands on and off the pitch,” Mitchell said
NEWCASTLE: Newcastle are losing another sporting director after the Premier League club announced Paul Mitchell is stepping down next month.
Mitchell took the position only last July following the departure of Newcastle’s previous sporting director, Dan Ashworth, to Manchester United.
Mitchell was leaving “due to health reasons” and his departure was “by mutual consent,” Saudi-backed Newcastle said on Tuesday.
There were reports of tension between Mitchell and Newcastle manager Eddie Howe at the start of this season.
Newcastle won the English League Cup in March for their first major domestic trophy in 70 years, and finished in fifth place in the Premier League to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
“The club are in great hands on and off the pitch,” Mitchell said, “and are in a fantastic position to continue building.
“I’d like to wish everyone connected with Newcastle United a bright and successful future.”
Mitchell previously worked for Tottenham, Leipzig and Monaco.
Coach Michel Gonzalez readies Al-Qadsiah for King Cup final
- Spaniard holds light training session after resting key players for league game against Al-Hilal
- Al-Qadsiah will play Al-Ittihad in Friday’s showdown in Jeddah
JEDDAH: Spanish coach Michel Gonzalez put his Al-Qadsiah team through a light training session on Tuesday as they prepare for Friday’s King Cup final showdown against Al-Ittihad.
Al-Qadsiah qualified for the final after beating Al-Raed 1–0 in the semifinal. Al-Ittihad beat Al-Shabab 3–2 to secure their spot.
Gonzalez left several of his first team players out of Monday’s Saudi Roshn League away clash with Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena, which they lost 2-0.
Goalkeeper Koen Casteels, defenders Nacho, Ibrahim Mahnashi, Turki Al-Ammar, midfielder Nahitan Nandez and striker Julian Quinones were all rested ahead of final, which will be played at Al-Inma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City.
Al-Qadsiah will fly to Jeddah on Thursday and have their final training session at the stadium ahead of the match.
