BIELEFELD, Germany: German Cup holders Bayer Leverkusen suffered a shock 2-1 elimination at Arminia Bielefeld in the semifinals of the competition on Tuesday.
Xabi Alonso’s side were heavily favored to reach their second successive final but were outclassed from start to finish by their underdog opponents.
Jonathan Tah’s 17th-minute goal was canceled out by a Marius Woerl strike for the hosts three minutes later.
Maximilian Grosser’s goal in first-half stoppage time would prove the difference for Bielefeld, who have now beaten four top-division opponents on their way to the final.
Bielefeld, who have never made a German Cup final, became just the fourth third-division team to reach the showpiece event.
Should Bielefeld win in Berlin in May — they will face either RB Leipzig or Stuttgart — the club will be rewarded with a Europa League spot next season.
Home coach Michel Kniat said: “We didn’t need luck at all because we were on the front foot the whole time.”
The coach said he “normally wouldn’t have a drink with the players, but tonight I’ll make an exception,” adding that “nobody will go to sleep in this city tonight.”
Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich said it was “by far our worst game of the season” and added that “Bielefeld deserved the win tonight, which means we did plenty of things wrong.”
Leverkusen coach Alonso came into the game having never lost in 10 matches in the competition and needed just one more victory to beat Louis van Gaal’s all-time record set as Bayern Munich manager.
Everything seemed to go according to plan when Leverkusen took the lead after 17 minutes, Tah tapping in unmarked at the far post.
The hosts hit back almost immediately however, Woerl taking advantage of a sloppy clearance attempt by Piero Hincapie to curl the ball home.
As the half wore on, Leverkusen were unable to make their possession count, with Bielefeld fast and threatening on the counter.
The hosts once again caught Leverkusen napping to take the lead moments before halftime, Grosser hammering in a Louis Oppie free kick from close range.
Bielefeld continued to out-energise their opponents, fighting in the duels and giving Leverkusen few chances to drag themselves back into the game.
Patrick Schick, so often Leverkusen’s late hero over the past two seasons, had a chance to level the scores while unmarked after 81 minutes but hit a header against the post.
This year’s German Cup is one of the more open in recent memory, with recent champions Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt all suffering early eliminations from the competition.
On Wednesday, RB Leipzig play away at Stuttgart in the other semifinal.
Leipzig, who have won two of the past three German Cups, will be managed by interim coach Zsolt Low, who took over after Marco Rose was sacked on Sunday.
Third-division Bielefeld shock holders Leverkusen in German Cup
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Third-division Bielefeld shock holders Leverkusen in German Cup
- Bielefeld, who have never made a German Cup final, became just the fourth third-division team to reach the showpiece event
SEF arena inauguration heralds exciting new era for Saudi esports
- The state-of-the-art facility includes event halls, venues, the SEF Academy, workspaces and more
RIYADH: Esports in Saudi Arabia is set for an exciting new era following the official opening of the new SEF Arena.
The Saudi Esports Federation center in Boulevard World, Riyadh, is a state-of-the-art complex designed to revolutionize gaming and esports in the Kingdom.
Spanning 25,000 sq. meters, it boasts dedicated esports venues, event halls, the SEF Academy, SEF Studio and collaborative workspaces and is purpose-built to support every phase of a player’s journey from grassroots level to the international stage.
The inauguration is a landmark achievement in Saudi Arabia’s journey to becoming the global capital for competitive gaming, in line with the ambitions of Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s accelerating digital economy.
Turki Al-Fawzan, CEO of SEF, said: “This isn’t just a venue; it’s the beating heart of an ecosystem. It’s where ambition meets opportunity, and where champions are made. We want Saudi Arabia to be known as the ‘Land of Champions,’ a winning nation where talent is discovered, nurtured, and elevated to the world stage.”
At the heart of SEF’s vision is the gamer’s journey. Starting with the SEF’s School League, players can progress through a structured system that includes the SEF Academy, high-performance coaching, training, and mentorship, taking them from casual player to full-time professional.
Al-Fawzan added: “From watching Twitch streams at home to competing in the Saudi eLeagues and ultimately representing the Kingdom on the global stage, this is the structured journey we’ve built for our youth. It all starts right here, at the SEF Arena.”
The arena is also home to the Saudi eLeagues, where more than 2,800 active players compete across tournaments including the Saudi eLeague Elites, Saudi Women League, Saudi Fighting League and Saudi Challenger League, making it a year-round venue.
To support its mission of developing local talent, the SEF has signed groundbreaking Memoranda of Understanding with Saudi Arabia’s largest esports clubs and stakeholders — Team Falcons, Twisted Minds, R8, and The Ultimates, as well as Savvy.
These will help expand opportunities for Saudi players, creators and organizations across both local and global circuits, while also facilitating knowledge exchange and driving industry innovation.
Delivering a comprehensive and high-performance environment, the SEF Arena will deliver a comprehensive, high-performance environment, providing players, teams and publishers with the tools and infrastructure they need to thrive. With world-class training, live broadcasting capabilities, and immersive fan experiences, it sets a new standard for esports development.
Al-Fawzan said: “We are laying the foundation for the future of esports in Saudi Arabia. This is our legacy, our promise to the next generation of champions. Let’s make history, together.”
The opening comes three months before the start of the second Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
Faisal bin Horman, chief product officer of the Esports World Cup Federation, told Arab News the success of last year’s event means there will be more tournaments and players in 2025.
“I think this year is (going to) be better (in) every aspect, from player experience, prize money and publishers as well,” he said.
“We are challenging the players, we are challenging the clubs, no mercy when it comes to qualification. Everything is earned and nothing is granted. If you are good, come and compete and win.”
Norris turns on the heat at sweltering Bahrain practice
- World championship leader Lando Norris topped the timesheets in a baking hot opening practice ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday
SAKHIR: World championship leader Lando Norris topped the timesheets in a baking hot opening practice ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday.
It was hunt-some-shade time on a sweltering afternoon in the Gulf kingdom — 35 degrees celsius and track temperature nudging 50 degrees.
As a consequence the relevance of the opening session on the rest of the weekend will be minimal, with second practice later Friday, Saturday’s qualifying and the race itself all staged at sunset and in cooler temperatures.
That was one main factor in teams using ‘FP1’ to give a half dozen rookies a shot as a ‘Friday driver’ as per the governing body’s guidelines.
As a result, four-time world champion Max Verstappen, one point adrift of Norris in the driver’s standings after his win in Japan last weekend, had some down time with Ayumua Iwasa taking the wheel of his Red Bull.
Dino Beganovic was handed the keys to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.
Other new faces were Fred Vesti (in for Mercedes’ George Russell), Luke Browning (Williams/Carlos Sainz), Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin/Fernando Alonso) and Ryo Hirakawa, in for Ollie Bearman at Haas.
Williams team principal James Vowles explained the reasoning behind running Browning rather than Sainz, third to Verstappen in last year’s race for Ferrari.
“It’s much, much warmer than it will be so it is unrepresentative, and (Sainz) has done many hundreds of kilometers around here. It’s always painful, but it is less painful to run a Friday driver here.”
Browning had a scary moment with his temporary teammate Alex Albon, the pair coming close with a quarter of an hour left of the session.
The stewards immediately announced they were investigating the incident and summoned both drivers to appear at an inquiry before second practice.
“Wow that was close,” said Drugovich who had a close-up view of the incident in the Aston.
Kimi Antonelli was reporting loss of power in his Mercedes over the team radio early on with the Italian teenaged rookie, who has made such a bright start to his career, forced back into the garage, missing almost the entire session.
Ferrari have brought upgrades to Bahrain but Lewis Hamilton was quickly complaining about lack of balance.
With tire compounds set up for the cooler evening temperatures drivers were complaining of lack of grip.
Liam Lawson described it as “shocking” in his second run out for RB after being demoted by Red Bull.
Hamilton was asked if he wanted to have another lap before a quick return to the pits but the reply was short, sharp and an unambiguous ‘no’
“It feels horrendous, mate,” said Hamilton.
Alpine, the only team arriving at this desert track still pointless, will have been encouraged by Gasly’s effort in jumping to lead the timesheets late on.
But Norris quickly asserted control with a lap of 1min 33.204s, from Gasly at 0.0238
Seven-time champion Hamilton’s afternoon improved as he ended up with the third quickest time after switching to the faster softs.
Yuki Tsunoda replaced Lawson as Verstappen’s teammate last weekend and the Japanese driver came in ninth ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, winner in China.
Meet Ali Al-Shabeeb, the Geordie Saudi who scored at Wembley and dreams of SPL move
- The 24-year-old spoke to Arab News about growing up in Newcastle, playing for Darlington and almost signing for Al-Qadsiah
LONDON: When Ali Al-Shabeeb starts talking, his Geordie accent is unmistakable. Although he was born in Dammam, Al-Shabeeb left Saudi Arabia when he was 8 years old to move with his family to Newcastle. He went to school there, stayed in the northeast of England to go to Northumbria University, and now plays football there too, for FC Darlington.
“When I first came here, I did not speak an ounce of English,” Al-Shabeeb told Arab News. “My dad was studying for his PhD, so he brought us all across, but I didn’t even play football then. I was a tennis player.
“But you can’t grow up in Newcastle without seeing the love and joy that football gives people, and so of course I started playing and kept improving to the level that I was able to think about having a career in the game.”
Picked for the prestigious English Universities side while studying at Northumbria, Al-Shabeeb recalls facing the likes of ex-Manchester United players Mason Greenwood and Angel Gomes in youth football tournaments.
Al-Shabeeb was still at university when he made history in 2021. Playing for non-league Consett AFC, the young Saudi forward helped his team reach the FA Vase final at Wembley Stadium, the iconic home of England’s national team. Although Consett lost the final 3-2, Al-Shabeeb became the first player from the Kingdom to score at Wembley.
“If I’m being totally honest, I had it in the back of my mind the night before,” Al-Shabeeb recalled, smiling. “Sitting in the hotel, I remember thinking, ‘You’ve actually got a chance to score at Wembley tomorrow.’
“I didn’t have any nerves going into the match, and then I scored the first goal of the game. It was surreal, incredible. When you think about all the players who have scored goals at Wembley, it is difficult to believe and hard to describe how it feels.
“The only disappointing thing was it was during COVID-19, so there were no fans. I wish my family could have been there and we could have enjoyed playing in front of a big crowd.”
News of the Wembley goal made it all the way back to the Kingdom, and Al-Shabeeb soon found himself being approached by Saudi clubs about a professional contract.
The most exciting offer came from Al-Qadsiah, who were then playing in the Saudi First Division. Al-Shabeeb was set to sign for the club, but then the deal fell through when a groin injury was identified in his medical. Since then, Al-Qadsiah have enjoyed a meteoric rise and are currently third in the Saudi Pro League table and the King’s Cup semifinals.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow if I’m being totally honest,” Al-Shabeeb admitted. “Qadsiah would have been the right environment for me to improve and develop in Saudi Arabia. But these things happen in football, and I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had.
“Still, I honestly believe if I had signed for Qadsiah then I would still be there now. I think playing in English football has given me knowledge and experience that no other Saudi player has. I can handle myself physically but have the technical ability too.”
Al-Shabeeb ended up having surgery on his groin and moved to the Kingdom in the summer of 2022, joining Saudi First Division side Al-Sahel. He later played for Al-Qaisumah too, coming up against Michel’s Al-Qadsiah on their way to winning the Saudi First Division title last season.
“It was funny going back home to Saudi Arabia because there were four foreign players in the squad, but everyone would see me as a foreigner more than a Saudi player,” Al-Shabeeb said.
“I always got on really well with the foreign players — we had Brazilians and Portuguese — because I think we had a lot more in common. But of course, I speak Arabic too, so I really found myself to be a bridge between the two sets of players in the dressing room. It’s a nice position to be in when you can be that connection.”
Al-Shabeeb struggled to find his feet back in the country of his birth, and he felt his development was stifled as coaches regularly came and went.
“I didn’t have anyone to take me under his wing to show me the ropes,” he said. “I used to ask my coaches how I could develop, but it was more of a ‘keep your mouth shut and move on’ type of approach; no one seemed to like me asking these questions.
“Things didn’t quite click at either club, and that’s why I moved back to Darlington. I needed to get my love for the game back, and that’s exactly what has happened.”
At Darlington, Al-Shabeeb’s coach is Steve Watson, the former Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United defender who spent 14 seasons in the Premier League.
“Steve is a guy that has reached levels that me and my teammates wish we can. He’s also very honest and straight up. He took me in with no hesitation, and even though I felt pressure coming from a professional club in Saudi Arabia, he just let me play football.
“Even though we are in a league where teams like to kick it long, Steve wants us to play out from the back and actually play football. That’s what suits me best.”
Darlington play in the National League North, the sixth tier of English football, but Al-Shabeeb feels his experiences this season have left him better equipped to move back to Saudi Arabia.
“There are a few teams that have shown an interest from the Saudi First Division, and that is probably the best step for me right now,” Al-Shabeeb said.
“Obviously I would love to play in the Pro League, but there are so many great foreign players moving to Saudi Arabia now; in the First Division, there are more spots on the teams for Saudis, so it’s better for me.”
Al-Shabeeb admits it will be a wrench to leave Newcastle, his home for the majority of the past 17 years. But there remains an inextricable link between the city and Saudi Arabia; Al-Shabeeb has seen firsthand how the city has changed since the Saudi Public Investment Fund bought Newcastle United in 2021.
“It has been amazing since the takeover,” Al-Shabeeb said. “When I first came to Newcastle in 2008 and people asked where I was from, I’d say, ‘Saudi Arabia,’ and they’d respond with, ‘Where is that?’
“I remember I would just say, ‘Near Dubai,’ as more people had that as a reference point in the Middle East. There were never any other Saudis in school; we were the only ones.
“But since the takeover, I have seen so many more Saudis in Newcastle, it’s mad. The city has a lot of love for Saudi Arabia because of how well the team is doing. Now when people find out I’m from Saudi, there is more of an understanding and of course people also love that I sound like a Geordie!”
Dubai World Cup 2025 sets new attendance record
- Over 65,000 racing fans attended the festival at Meydan Racecourse
DUBAI: The 29th edition of the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse last weekend attracted a crowd of more than 65,000 racing enthusiasts to set a new record for the venue.
This year’s event also raised the bar in terms of prize money with $30.5 million up for grabs across nine world-class races. The prestigious Group 1 $12 million Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline, was claimed by Hit Show, trained in the United States by Brad Cox, adding another thrilling chapter to the sport’s rich legacy. There were also winners from the UAE, UK, and Japan, underscoring the event’s international allure.
“This year’s Dubai World Cup meeting was nothing short of phenomenal,” said Ali Al-Ali, CEO and board member of Dubai Racing Club. “Attendance surged by 18 percent compared to 2024, a testament to the dedication of our incredible team, sponsors, and partners — and to the growing global excitement surrounding racing in Dubai.”
Meanwhile, the Dubai World Cup closing ceremony put on a drone and light show that broke three Guinness World Records — for the second consecutive year:
• Largest aerial image of a mammal made by multirotor/drones
• Largest flying LED screen formed by multirotor/drones
• Largest aerial image of a trophy formed by multirotor/drones
The Dubai World Cup was broadcast by 37 channels in 170 countries, with event airing for the first time on Australia’s Channel 7 public TV, joining major networks from the US, South America, Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, Hong Kong, and the UAE’s own Dubai Racing and Yas TV.
The Dubai World Cup will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Salah signs new contract to stay at Liverpool
- “I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football,” Salah said in a statement
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract to extend his eight-year stay at Anfield, the Premier League club said on Friday.
“Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football,” Salah said in a statement.
“It’s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.
“I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies.”
