HEIDENHEIM, Germany: Donyell Malen had a goal ruled out for offside as Borussia Dortmund’s winning start to the new year ended in a 0-0 draw at Heidenheim in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Dortmund won their opening three games of 2024, scoring 10 goals, but a team depleted by injuries and illness — and without Jadon Sancho — created few chances against Heidenheim’s compact defense.
Dortmund nearly gifted Heidenheim the lead when Dortmund’s Salih Özcan gave away the ball to forward Tim Kleindienst while trying to play a simple pass across the defense. Seemingly surprised to get the ball, Kleindienst shot high and wide.
Dortmund celebrated when Malen put the ball in the net in the 26th minute but it was ruled out for offside. Heidenheim nearly managed an upset win when Kevin Sessa’s header bounced just wide of the post in stoppage time.
Dortmund stayed fourth and missed a chance to overtake Stuttgart for third. They were 12 points off leader Bayer Leverkusen.
Promoted Heidenheim moved up one place to ninth after taking a point from Dortmund for the second time this season. Heidenheim are unbeaten in seven Bundesliga games but the last four have been draws.
Dortmund were missing Sancho, who has a muscle injury that coach Edin Terzic has linked to his long absence from Manchester United’s team before rejoining Dortmund on loan last month. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and forward Marco Reus and Julian Brandt all missed out with illness.
Dortmund held at Heidenheim to end their winning start to new year
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Dortmund held at Heidenheim to end their winning start to new year
- Dortmund celebrated when Malen put the ball in the net in the 26th minute but it was ruled out for offside
- Dortmund stayed fourth and missed a chance to overtake Stuttgart for third
Klopp to Roma could be a rumor created by amateur sleuths
- The rumor of his imminent arrival stems from a social media post
- Roma owner the Friedkin Group posted a video on Friday celebrating the capital club and its legacy
ROME: Roma fans have been driven into a frenzy by Italian media reports that Jürgen Klopp has agreed to be the team coach from next season.
However, the rumor of his imminent arrival stems from a social media post that some may be reading far too much into.
Roma owner the Friedkin Group posted a video on Friday celebrating the capital club and their legacy.
The video included images of iconic Rome sites: Colosseum (Kolosseum in German), Lupa Capitolina, Olimpico, (St.) Peter’s and Pantheon in that order.
Someone pointed out the starting letters of those words — some in Italian, some in German, some omitting part of the name — spell Klopp. And it spiralled from there.
In the past two days, people on social media have been saying they have spotted former Liverpool coach Klopp, his agent and even his dog in Rome.
Italian newspaper La Stampa proclaimed that Klopp accepted Roma’s offer shortly after the Giallorossi’s final home match of the season on Sunday, when a packed Stadio Olimpico paid tribute to current coach Claudio Ranieri, who is set to depart at the end of the season.
Other media outlets picked up La Stampa’s story, but the same newspaper said on Tuesday that Roma have “categorically denied” the news.
Klopp, who is Red Bull’s head of global soccer, left Liverpool in 2024 after steering the team to seven major trophies over nearly nine years.
The Friedkin Group also owns Liverpool’s city rival, Everton.
‘I’m not a clown’: Spurs boss Postecoglou hits out ahead of Europa League final
- Postecoglou said he had not addressed his future with his players because it would not be “helpful“
- “I’ve said to the lads from day one, nothing is guaranteed in life, nothing is guaranteed in sport”
BILBAO, Spain: Ange Postecoglou angrily defended his managerial record ahead of Tottenham’s Europa League final against Manchester United after a disastrous Premier League season, stating: “I’m not a clown.”
Spurs face United in Bilbao on Wednesday with a chance to win their first trophy for 17 years, which would mean qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Postecoglou, whose side are 17th in the Premier League — a place below United — has been under mounting pressure over recent months as results have nosedived.
Many observers believe the Spurs manager could be out of a job regardless of the result at the San Mames stadium in northern Spain against Ruben Amorim’s fellow strugglers.
Postecoglou was asked at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday whether he was aware he was walking a fine line between infamy and history ahead of the match.
“That depends on your outlook but I’ll tell you one thing — irrespective of tomorrow, I’m not a clown, I never will be mate,” he said, directly addressing a reporter who had used the word in an article.
“It’s really disappointing that you use such terminology about a person who for 26 years, without any favors from anyone, who’s worked his way to being in a position where he’s leading out a club in a European major competition, for you to suggest that somehow us not being successful means that I’m a clown.”
The former Australia and Celtic boss said he had worked tirelessly to turn things around at Spurs, who have not won a trophy since 2008 and have not tasted European success since 1984.
“I’ve tried as hard as I can to stick to that process in getting the club to a position where they can challenge for trophies and at the same time, rejuvenate the squad and change the playing style,” he said.
“It has been a fair assignment with plenty of challenges along the way.
“With such a big game tomorrow, there is an opportunity to fulfil at least the main task I was given which was to bring trophies to the club.”
Postecoglou said he had not addressed his future with his players because it would not be “helpful.”
“I’ve said to the lads from day one, nothing is guaranteed in life, nothing is guaranteed in sport. You’ve just got to try and make sure you take every opportunity before you and that’s what I’ve done my whole career,” he added.
“I’ve been in this position before, where the big game was the last game I managed. It’s not unusual territory for me.”
He said: “My future is assured. I wouldn’t be the first person who changes jobs. We all change jobs. I’m sure you’ve had more than one job. My future is assured. I’ve got a beautiful family, I’ve got a great life.
“I’ll keep on winning trophies until I finish, wherever that is. Don’t worry about my future mate.”
But the 59-year-old feels he still has a job to do at Spurs, who finished fifth in the Premier League in his first season in charge, in 2023/24.
“I really feel like we’re building something and what a trophy does is hopefully accelerates that,” he said.
“So I still think there’s a lot of work to be done. That’s quite obvious with the challenges we’ve had this year, but also there’s been some growth that I’d like to see through.”
Postecoglou confirmed that Lucas Bergvall would not be fit to face United. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are also out.
But Pape Matar Sarr is available after he was taken off in the 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa on Friday.
Barcelona set August target for matchday return to Camp Nou stadium
- Barcelona have played in the city’s Olympic Stadium for two years
- The original target was a November 2024 return to a partially finished venue
BARCELONA: Barcelona aim to return belatedly to their Camp Nou stadium after two years of reconstruction work for a preseason friendly on Aug. 10.
Club president Joan Laporta set the date for the traditional season-opening Joan Gamper Trophy game when he spoke in a television interview late Monday.
Barcelona have played in the city’s Olympic Stadium for two years — and won La Liga this season — during the massive overhaul to create a 105,000-capacity home that would be the biggest soccer stadium in Europe.
The original target was a November 2024 return to a partially finished venue, then Barcelona said in February they hoped to play games in Camp Nou before the end of this season with 60,000 spectators.
The February update also detailed plans to complete the project by adding a roof at the end of the 2025-26 season.
The Camp Nou is a potential candidate to stage the 2030 World Cup final which Spain will co-host with Portugal and Morocco. The more likely options are Real Madrid’s renovated Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and a 115,000-seat venue planned in Casablanca, Morocco.
Marseille president rules out move to sign Man City great De Bruyne
- Club president Pablo Longoria has ruled out a move for the 33-year-old playmaker
- Signing a player of such stature might prove disruptive
MARSEILLE: Kevin De Bruyne will be hot property when he leaves Manchester City and many clubs would love to sign him next season.
Marseille are not one of them.
Club president Pablo Longoria has ruled out a move for the 33-year-old playmaker because he thinks signing a player of such stature might prove disruptive.
“If we take a player with a much higher salary than the players we have in the squad today, who qualified us for the Champions League, it destroys all the balance, all the good things, the good dynamic the players built,” Longoria said. “It would be, on the part of a club, a total lack of respect for the players who helped us qualify for the Champions League.”
Marseille finished second in Ligue 1 behind champion Paris Saint-Germain and qualified directly for next season’s Champions League.
De Bruyne was set to make his final home appearance for City later Tuesday against Bournemouth after 10 trophy-laden years at the club. He is one of City’s greatest ever players and won 16 trophies with the club, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
De Bruyne shares the record for the highest number of assists in a single Premier League season with 20, and scored more than 100 goals for City.
Ousted Brazil FA president Rodrigues drops appeal ahead of election
- The former president said his decision aims to ‘restore peace to Brazilian football and serenity to the official’s family life’
- A new election had already been scheduled for next Sunday by the CBF’s interim president, Fernando Sarney, one of the CBF’s vice presidents who requested Rodrigues’ removal
RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA: The ousted president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) Ednaldo Rodrigues officially withdrew his appeal on Monday to remain in office following his removal by a Rio de Janeiro court last week.
In a statement submitted to Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court by Rodrigues’ legal team, the former president said his decision aims to “restore peace to Brazilian football and serenity to the official’s family life.”
A new election had already been scheduled for next Sunday by the CBF’s interim president, Fernando Sarney, one of the CBF’s vice presidents who requested Rodrigues’ removal.
Rodrigues confirmed through his lawyer that he will neither run for any position nor support any candidate in the upcoming vote.
“In relation to the new elections called by the intervener, he declares that he is not running for any office or supporting any candidate,” says the document signed by Rodrigues’ lawyer Gamil Foppel.
According to the document, Ednaldo “wishes success and good luck to those who will take over Brazilian football.”
The document also lists a number of Ednaldo’s “achievements” at the head of the CBF, including the hiring of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, who is expected to announce his first Brazil squad next week for their next World Cup qualifiers.
The CBF declined to comment.
Only one candidate successfully registered for Sunday’s election — Samir Xaud, president-elect of the Roraima Football Federation, a state with limited influence in Brazilian top-tier football.
To register as a candidate, the interested party must have the support of at least eight state federations and five clubs.
The move follows a court ruling that nullified an agreement which had enabled Rodrigues to secure re-election until 2030.
The agreement was deemed invalid by the Rio de Janeiro court due to the alleged forgery of former CBF president Antonio Carlos Nunes’ signature and concerns over his mental capacity.
