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Upamecano sets conditions: How will Bayern respond?

Sotd Editor
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Upamecano sets conditions: How will Bayern respond?

The hoped-for progress on a contract extension before Christmas has not yet materialized. Now there is a new development in the Dayot Upamecano case. The center back and his management are putting a little pressure on FC Bayern.

In the spring, the two parties were already in broad agreement, but no signature was forthcoming. Since then, Dayot Upamecano, whose contract expires at the end of the season, and FC Bayern have been engaged in tough negotiations. Shortly before the Club World Cup, the player and his management and the Munich bosses agreed to resume talks after the transfer window in September.

Background: The established center back sees himself—understandably—on a par with the top earners, but is not expected to be placed there financially, as is the case with Alphonso Davies, for example. A recurring topic: salary and signing bonus. Especially after Jonathan Tah, in addition to Davies, received a double-digit million sum for his signature.

It’s all about money and clauses – Real and PSG lying in wait

Upamecano can basically imagine staying at FC Bayern. However, the conditions must be right for him. And he and his management have now set these out.  the player’s demands have been submitted to the sporting management team led by Max Eberl – including additional clauses. The player’s side does not currently consider further negotiations to be necessary. In other words: either Munich accepts the proposal, or Upamecano will leave FC Bayern at the end of the season. According to reports abroad, Real Madrid and Paris St. Germain are prepared to meet Upamecano’s demands to the German record champions.

At FC Bayern, on the other hand, the word is that after the overpriced contract extensions in the spring, not every demand will be met. “No,” as honorary president Uli Hoeneß recently emphasized, has become an important word in today’s soccer business. The Upamecano case is likely to be correspondingly exciting in the new year, because with the turn of the year, the Frenchman will be allowed to officially negotiate with other clubs.

What’s behind it: Will Bayern soon extend Olise’s contract?

Lesley Summerville
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What’s behind it: Will Bayern soon extend Olise’s contract?

He has long since attracted the interest of Europe’s top clubs. After the season, concrete inquiries and offers for Michael Olise could or should arrive at the Munich club. The Bayern bosses want to prevent precisely this scenario and prepare for the future.

This Friday, he celebrates his 24th birthday. At his young age, he has long since played his way into the European elite. After an already good debut season with the German record champions, Michael Olise is once again impressing in the current first half of the season, with the statistics speaking for themselves.

In 13 league games, the Frenchman has been directly involved in 15 goals (6 goals, 9 assists), in the six Champions League games he has scored six points (1 goal, 5 assists), in the three cup games he has scored four more (2 goals, 2 assists), and on top of that he has scored two goals for the French national team. This means that the talented left-footed player has been directly involved in 27 goals in 28 competitive games (including the Super Cup), with 11 goals and 16 assists.

No wonder Munich’s sporting directors want to keep the winger, who can also play in the number 10 position, at FC Bayern for a long time to come. Olise’s current contract runs until 2029. There is no reason to rush into extending this contract. Nevertheless, for understandable reasons, the FCB decision-makers are aiming for an early extension of the collaboration.

Foreign clubs prepare offers in the hundreds of millions

clubs in England are preparing concrete offers in the hundreds of millions to lure the delicate technician away from Munich next summer. Paris St. Germain and a club from Spain are also said to be keeping a close eye on Olise. Although the Frenchman does not have an exit clause in his contract, as sporting director Max Eberl has emphasized several times, Bayern still want to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, namely attempts by the financial powers in international soccer to poach him. A potential early extension would give Olise a pay rise and, logically, as is usual, the term of the contract would also be extended. This is to ensure internal planning security on the right wing. After all, Olise is set to become an integral part of the new Bayern era that has just begun. Similar to Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben in their day.

Olise, Luis Diaz, Lennart Karl, and Jamal Musiala are set to be the offensive line-up of the present and the future. Serge Gnabry, who is in good form and would have to take a significant pay cut for a new contract beyond the summer of 2026, would be the fifth professional in the group. He is a well-suited all-rounder, but his future is uncertain.

Saudi Arabia as a way out? “Salah doesn’t fit into our league”

Phil Laffertey
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Saudi Arabia as a way out? “Salah doesn’t fit into our league”

If Liverpool and Mohamed Salah part ways, Saudi Arabia is considered the most likely destination. But do the clubs there even want him? One official would prefer someone else.

If Mohamed Salah does indeed have to look for a new employer soon, Al-Kholood would not be an option. Ben Harburg, club boss of the current eleventh-placed team in the Saudi Professional League, has spoken out against a possible move by the Liverpool superstar to Saudi Arabia.

Salah said he had negotiated with league representatives before extending his expiring contract with the Reds until 2027 in the spring. As early as 2023, they are said to have rejected an immoral offer in the hundreds of millions from Saudi Arabia.

“There are rumors that they have already approached him once and he turned us down. These are not people who like to be rejected and try a second time,” Harburg told Reuters news agency on Wednesday at the World Football Summit in Riyadh.

He continued: “So I think even in public there is already much more skepticism about him moving to the league. He is 33 years old, has earned a lot of money and has since played well below his potential.” Harburg said he was sure “that some people like his star power, and he comes from the region. But in my opinion, he doesn’t fit into our league.”

“If I had to choose between him and Vinicius Junior, I would take Vinicius.”

The US investor, whose Harburg Group also holds shares in Spanish second division club FC Cadiz, would prefer to see someone else in the Saudi league instead of Salah. “If I had to choose between him and Vinicius Junior, I would take Vinicius.” The 25-year-old Brazilian, who is increasingly controversial at Real Madrid, could “flourish” in the 2034 World Cup host country. “I hope,” said Harburg, “that we focus more on the 25-year-old players of the next generation than on people like Salah, for whom this would definitely be the last stop of his career.”

However, it is doubtful whether Harburg also speaks for other league representatives. According to league boss Omar Mugharbel, Salah is “definitely” a transfer target for domestic clubs. Salah has sidelined himself for the time being with a public broadside in Liverpool. Whether he will remain sidelined after his ban from the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League match at Inter Milan (1-0) is likely to be announced by coach Arne Slot on Friday at the latest.

Serie A match in Australia suddenly in doubt

T0m@dmin1
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Serie A match in Australia suddenly in doubt

After La Liga’s withdrawal, is the planned Serie A match abroad also in danger of being canceled? At the very least, there are apparently difficulties.

On February 8, Serie A plans to hold the league match between AC Milan and Como 1907 in Perth, Australia. However, organizational problems have apparently arisen that could thwart these plans. “A number of conditions were imposed very late in the day for the game to be approved, which we believe are extremely difficult to meet,” Rita Saffioti, Minister for Sport and Recreation in Western Australia, told The Athletic.

Has FIFA even been called in?

The background to this is that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) must approve the Australian association’s application for the match to take place in Perth as planned. According to the report, the AFC will only give the green light under certain conditions. Among other things, it must be “ensured that the match is not organized, promoted, or marketed by Serie A.” In addition, the AFC wants to appoint the referees itself. Even FIFA is said to have been involved in the case. In the fall, UEFA grudgingly granted Serie A and La Liga special permission to play a league match abroad, something that has never happened before in Europe.
La Liga had originally moved the match between Villarreal and FC Barcelona to Miami on December 20, but backtracked after massive protests from clubs and fans. Serie A, on the other hand, had always stuck to its plans, but now apparently has to fear for the project itself.
“If we want an international league, we must have the courage to make unpopular decisions that do not assume that we will listen to the instincts of fans or players who have short- or medium-term interests,” league chairman Luigi De Siervo emphasized at the end of October.

At present, a match between Milan and Como would be a real top game. The Rossoneri lead the table after 14 matchdays, ahead of defending champions SSC Napoli, who are level on points, while Como are sixth.

Rethinking after the end: Where will Paul go now?

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Rethinking after the end: Where will Paul go now?

⁠Chris Paul faces an uncertain future after his surprise departure from the Los Angeles Clippers. According to US media reports, the veteran is no longer committed to a specific location. Instead, the focus is shifting to a conciliatory end to his NBA career.

Following the Los Angeles Clippers’ decision to move on without Chris Paul, the 40-year-old is taking a new approach to the next chapter of his career. As NBA insider Marc Stein reports, the point guard is now much more open about his choice of his next team than he was a few months ago.

“I’m traumatized”:
Paul speaks out after Clippers dismissal

Paul made a conscious decision to return to Los Angeles last summer. The decisive factors were both sporting prospects and personal reasons, particularly the proximity to his family. However, this criterion now seems to have lost its significance.

Focus on a dignified end to his career

According to Stein, Paul is now less concerned with location and more with the overall package. The experienced playmaker wants to end his career with a “happier final chapter” after his second stint with the Clippers did not turn out as hoped.

As of Monday, Paul is officially tradeable under league rules. His one-year, $3.6 million contract facilitates potential deals. Several teams are said to have already signaled their interest. The Clippers, for their part, are considered cooperative when it comes to finding a mutually agreeable solution. In terms of sports, Paul has only played a minor role so far this season. In an average of 14.3 minutes per game, he has scored 2.9 points and made 3.3 assists.

“Too conservative”: Why Mercedes played no role in Abu Dhabi

admin3r
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“Too conservative”: Why Mercedes played no role in Abu Dhabi

Mercedes had a difficult Sunday at the season finale in Abu Dhabi – why they were even better in qualifying but couldn’t keep up in the race

Mercedes played no role in the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi and thus also in the World Championship battle between McLaren and Red Bull on Sunday. George Russell finished the race in an unspectacular fifth place, almost 50 seconds behind race winner Max Verstappen.

This poor performance came as a surprise, as Mercedes had regularly been in contention for the podium in the races leading up to Abu Dhabi. The Silver Arrows have now understood why their performance was so comparatively poor in the finale.

Team representative Bradley Lord explains that initial analysis after the race showed “that we could have been more aggressive in terms of ride height.” He reveals: “We suffered from aerodynamic bouncing in the long runs [on Friday].”

“That’s why we made changes [on Friday evening] and raised the car slightly to mitigate this problem, as we believed it was damaging the tires in the long run,” says Lord. But that also affected performance.

In qualifying, where Russell had finished fourth, this was not yet so noticeable on fresh tires with a lot of grip, “but in the race it became clear that we could have been more aggressive with the ride height of the car and some other setup decisions.”

Looking back, Mercedes was “probably a little too conservative in our decisions,” admits Lord, who emphasizes: “It was enough to secure P2 [in the World Championship], which was the primary goal. But we couldn’t bring it home the way we had hoped.”

While Russell finished fifth, teammate Kimi Antonelli missed out on the points in 15th place. With only ten points, the final race was the worst weekend of the entire second half of the season for Mercedes in terms of points after the summer break.

Nevertheless, it was enough to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship with 469 points ahead of Red Bull (451).

“Deserves a better chance”: Formula 2 champion to race in the WEC in 2026

Jason Maverick
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“Deserves a better chance”: Formula 2 champion to race in the WEC in 2026

Theo Pourchaire wins Formula 2 in the 2023 season, but the Frenchman fails to make the leap to Formula 1: He will now race for Peugeot in the WEC in 2026

His Formula 2 title ultimately proved to be virtually worthless: Theo Pourchaire, who was crowned champion in 2023 in the highest junior series below Formula 1, failed to make the step up to the premier class and will now compete for Peugeot in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2026.

The permanent cockpit ends a long period of uncertainty for the Frenchman, who experienced difficult months after winning the title in his third season with ART. Pourchaire terminated his contract in Super Formula after McLaren offered him the chance to finish the 2024 IndyCar season for the team.

But just eight races into the season, the British team abruptly showed him the door. Pourchaire was left without a cockpit for the rest of the year. He had to rebuild his career step by step, driving for Algarve Pro in the European Le Mans Series and acting as a reserve driver for Peugeot in the WEC at the same time.

In September, his efforts were finally rewarded: he secured a full-time cockpit in the Peugeot 9X8 for the 2026 season (see the complete starting list). “It’s like the first big chance of my career,” he says of his Peugeot commitment, albeit not without a touch of melancholy.

“Since my Formula 2 title, I’ve had a lot of bad luck, and I deserved at least a slightly better chance and slightly better opportunities. But that’s part of life,” says the Frenchman. “In sports as well as in life in general. There are ups and downs.”

Why Theo Pourchaire is now “really happy”

“Now I’m starting, let’s say, the second part of my career,” says Pourchaire, seeing a happy turn of events. “I’m a professional, I represent a car brand, and I’m driving in a world championship. I’m really happy and can’t wait to get out on the track.”

In addition to his ELMS program, Pourchaire also sat in Maserati’s Formula E car twice this year. He drove in both the rookie test in Jeddah and in Berlin. He does not rule out a return to formula racing, but emphasizes that, given the current boom in manufacturers, the WEC is “the place to be right now.”

“You never know what might happen. I’ve also done some Formula E testing, which is also a single-seater,” he said. “It’s different, it’s electric racing. But you never know what might happen. The thing is, I’m only 22 years old, which is still young in motorsport.”

“I can still have a great career for many years to come,” believes Pourchaire. “Endurance racing is the place to be right now, with all the manufacturers, and it’s a world championship. My dream is to win Le Mans. As a French driver with Peugeot, that would be a dream come true.”

Norris reveals: This is how wild the World Championship party in Abu Dhabi really was

Lesley Summerville
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Norris reveals: This is how wild the World Championship party in Abu Dhabi really was

Lando Norris is Formula 1 World Champion and celebrated until the early hours of the morning – The McLaren driver reports on a surreal night with his team and family

Lando Norris has revealed how he celebrated winning his first Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship in Abu Dhabi. A third-place finish behind race winner Max Verstappen and his teammate Oscar Piastri at the season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit was enough for the McLaren driver to seal the deal.
After extensive celebrations at the track, the Briton set off on a very long night that lasted until the early hours of the morning.

“I celebrated with my team, with everyone, with as many people as possible,” Norris told BBC Sport. “We had a small team gathering. Just McLaren, friends, and family near the hotel. A few drinks for them, and then we extended the celebrations and took it up a notch.”

Norris on the success: “But I celebrated a lot because that’s it now. It’s not like, ‘Okay, one more step or one more year to achieve that.’ What we achieved yesterday was it, that was the last piece of the puzzle.”

“Congratulations, world champion”: A whole new sound

Despite the party, the success doesn’t quite feel real yet for the 25-year-old. “I still find it very surreal when someone says, ‘Congratulations, world champion’ or something like that,” Norris admits. “It definitely has a completely different sound to it than just saying ‘Congratulations, Lando’ or whatever. I don’t know, because I think it’s just such a remarkable achievement.”

Norris has entered the history books with his triumph: he is the 35th driver in the history of the premier class to win a world championship title and only the eleventh British driver to do so.

Exclusive club

He joins an illustrious list that includes Mike Hawthorn, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Lewis Hamilton, and Jenson Button.

“The 35th driver, I believe, to have achieved this. The 35th in the world, and I am privileged to be one of them,” he adds proudly. “Eleven Britons. The British are doing well. The British have always done well in Formula 1.”

The competitive situation in particular makes the title valuable to him: “I’m also very proud that I’m still racing against [world champions] on the current starting grid. There are a good number of them, and of course it’s pretty incredible for the British that my name is now alongside theirs.”

0:24 against Fernando Alonso: Lance Stroll “no longer acceptable”?

Sotd Editor
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0:24 against Fernando Alonso: Lance Stroll “no longer acceptable”?

Expert Ralf Schumacher believes that Lance Stroll’s time in Formula 1 is up – he would prefer to see a younger driver in the Aston Martin

You can’t get beaten more decisively by your teammate: Lance Stroll was crushed 0:24 by Fernando Alonso in the internal qualifying duel at Aston Martin in the 2025 Formula 1 season. The Canadian did not qualify ahead of his teammate in a single Grand Prix this year.

Admittedly, the World Championship standings don’t look quite as bad, with Alonso “only” 56:33 points ahead in the past season. Nevertheless, expert Ralf Schumacher believes that Stroll’s time in Formula 1 should slowly come to an end.

“Strictly speaking, it’s no longer acceptable,” he says in Sky’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast about Stroll’s performance, explaining in this context that some younger drivers are much more deserving of a Formula 1 cockpit.

Schumacher cites the new Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli as an example. The six-time Grand Prix winner believes that Fornaroli “did a great job” last season and therefore “belongs in a car like that a thousand times more.”

While Stroll, who remains firmly in the saddle at his father Lawrence’s team, will be entering his tenth season in the premier class in 2026, other drivers such as Fornaroli have not found a regular cockpit. This is a fact that annoys Schumacher.

“But I’m also curious to see what happens there, because honestly, even Lawrence Stroll […] can’t turn a blind eye to the issue,” says the expert, adding: “In my opinion, [Lance Stroll] is also a candidate who shouldn’t really be in Formula 1 anymore.”

In his nine seasons in the premier class so far, Stroll has finished third on the podium three times and also secured pole position in Turkey in 2020. In the World Championship, he has only finished ahead of his teammate once in his Formula 1 career so far.

In 2018, he was ahead of Sergei Sirotkin at Williams with 6:1 points, but apart from that, he lost all internal World Championship duels. It’s a record that, alongside Schumacher, makes many Formula 1 fans doubt whether Stroll still deserves his cockpit in the premier class.

WTA announces major deal

Lesley Summerville
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WTA announces major deal

The WTA Tour has secured a major new advertising deal. Icon Billie Jean King is thrilled.

It’s a big day for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Starting in 2026, Mercedes will be making a major entry into women’s tennis as a premium partner and exclusive automotive partner.

Under the joint slogan “WTA Tour – driven by Mercedes-Benz,” the WTA Tour will take to the court in the future, as both partners announced at a press conference.

“This is the press conference of the century,” said former tennis player Andrea Petkovic as she opened the press conference as its moderator. It became clear how important this step is from the perspective of many players in women’s tennis. This was also illustrated by the invited guests. The audience included two absolute legends of tennis, Billie Jean King and Roger Federer.

Tennis icon Billie Jean King delighted with deal

Tennis icon King, who once founded the WTA, was enthusiastic about the new partnership: “Since the WTA was founded, our mission has been to give every girl and woman the opportunity to compete, receive recognition for their achievements, and turn their sport into a career.”

King explained: “When a global brand like Mercedes-Benz stands alongside us, it sends a message that goes far beyond the world of tennis: women’s sport is important.”

Coco Gauff as ambassador

Female athletes around the world deserve this stage, “where they can be seen and heard, and where they can shine and inspire,” King emphasized: “I am incredibly proud that the WTA is driving this vision forward with determination and passion.”

A current star of the tennis circuit is already benefiting from the deal. Coco Gauff was introduced as the new Mercedes brand ambassador. Starting next season, Mercedes will be present at 30 WTA 1000, 500, and 250 tournaments.

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