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Kimmich: “We Germans can’t really comment on the issue of fatigue.”

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Kimmich: “We Germans can’t really comment on the issue of fatigue.”

It wasn’t fatigue that caused Joshua Kimmich to score the first own goal of his career; it was simply bad luck. Nevertheless, the prolific player subsequently revealed himself to be a fan of the winter break.

The mishap that led to the 0-1 score against Sporting Lisbon ultimately had no consequences: Joshua Kimmich deflected a sharp cross from Joao Simoes into his own goal, leaving Manuel Neuer with no chance. After Tuesday evening’s 3-1 win, the 30-year-old was able to laugh about his debut and joke with Sky reporter Torben Hoffmann, who had suffered a similar mishap as a Bundesliga professional. “I’ve never scored an own goal? Really? I wasn’t aware of that. Wow,” said the national player. Much more important for Kimmich and his teammates was the 3-1 win against the Portuguese, their fifth victory in their sixth Champions League group stage game. That means they need one more point, perhaps a win in the final two games against Union Saint-Gilloise and PSV Eindhoven, to avoid the knockout round playoffs, unlike last year, and instead have two fewer busy weeks in February.

“It would be important if we didn’t have to go through the play-offs. I still remember last February when we had to play Celtic, Leverkusen, Celtic, it was intense,” said Kimmich, recalling the play-offs against the Glasgow team and a lucky 0-0 draw in between in the top match at Bayer Leverkusen. “We scraped through, played a poor away game, which is exhausting, and we want to avoid that.”

“No one in the Bundesliga can complain about too many games”

Kimmich believes that the winter break in Germany could prove to be an advantage, even if it is short. “The fact that we have the winter break in Germany is a factor. I really enjoy playing and like to play a lot, but a winter break like this is good, I’m looking forward to it. You can switch off and recharge your batteries and then start the new year.”

Before that, Munich still has two Bundesliga games to play, at home against Mainz on Sunday and in Heidenheim the following Sunday. ” There’s a lot of talk about the workload, but we Germans can’t really join in that conversation. Of course, there are two more Champions League games,“ Kimmich explained, referring to the format since 2024/25, ”but otherwise, it hasn’t really increased over the past ten years.“

”We only have 18 clubs in the league, other countries have more, they may even have a second cup. Accordingly, no one in the Bundesliga can complain about too many games,” Kimmich argued against the fuss. Anyone who knows Kimmich knows that he will use the break and then push forward with even more energy to achieve FC Bayern’s goals. Being a little more rested than the international competition can’t hurt.

Andrich: “With all due respect, that has to be a red card.”

Phil Laffertey
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Andrich: “With all due respect, that has to be a red card.”

Bayer Leverkusen were by no means unhappy with the 2-2 draw against Newcastle United on Wednesday evening after the match. However, one scene in the game did anger the Werkself…

“For long stretches before the break, we played a really good game,” Robert Andrich told DAZN after the match. “After the break, we had a few sleepy phases. We then conceded another cross,“ said the national player, referring to the build-up to the 2-1 lead. ”From the 65th minute onwards, we ran out of steam a bit, so I’m very happy with the point,” summed up the 31-year-old in view of Alejandro Grimaldo’s late equalizer.

Andrich: “Rarely seen such a fatal mistake”

Andrich had a clear opinion on one scene in particular from Leverkusen’s strong first half, which could have changed the course of the game had Dutch referee Serdar Gözübüyük made a different decision. Malick Thiaw prevented a clear scoring opportunity by holding Patrik Schick at the edge of the penalty area. Gözübüyük immediately pointed to the spot, but after consulting with VAR Rob Dieperink, he quickly decided to place the scene of the incident outside the box.

However, it was not so much the decision to award a free kick that angered the Werkself afterwards. ” I don’t think that was a penalty,“ said Andrich, who nevertheless went so far as to say that he had ”rarely seen such a fatal misjudgment.“ ”With all due respect, if that’s not a penalty, then it has to be a red card, and then it would certainly be a different game,” Andrich continued in no uncertain terms.

How bad is Schick’s injury?

On top of that, Andrich (“If you look at his Achilles tendon, that alone is enough for a red card”) also hinted that it was obviously not just Thiaw’s holding that caused Schick to fall. In fact, after the foul, the Czech player was treated on the pitch for a long time and then on the sideline – and remained on the sidelines after the break.

After the game, Schick left the BayArena limping. It is therefore still unclear whether coach Kasper Hjulmand, who is set to return at the weekend after his absence on Wednesday evening for personal reasons, will be able to count on the 29-year-old again in Saturday evening’s derby against 1. FC Köln (6:30 p.m.).

Schlotterbeck’s sharp criticism: “The players who come on lose every ball.”

Jeffrey Gooding
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Schlotterbeck’s sharp criticism: “The players who come on lose every ball.”

Nico Schlotterbeck was fed up after the 2-2 draw against Bodö/Glimt. He believes that not all players were aware of how important a win would have been. BVB lacked a winner’s mentality.

Late on Wednesday evening, BVB experienced a déjà vu that everyone at the club would have preferred to do without: Dortmund dominated the first half, leading 1-0, but failed to extend their lead and then conceded the equalizer shortly before the half-time whistle. And in the second half, the scenario repeated itself in very similar fashion.
In the end, the Norwegian visitors were even closer to a 3-2 win than Borussia. After the game, captain Nico Schlotterbeck appeared very annoyed at the DAZN microphone about the avoidable loss of points, partly because he had already addressed the carelessness in the lead during the break.
Schlotterbeck criticizes his teammates: “Everyone plays their own game.”

“I said that at halftime. After going up 1-0, we started playing extremely erratically and had incredibly poor first touches. Everyone is playing their own game a bit. The players who come on lose every ball.” The center back repeated the core problem over and over again: “You have to kill the game, and we didn’t do that.” Instead of putting the lid on it, BVB got lost in fancy footwork. That’s not enough, Schlotterbeck believes. And he sent a clear message to his teammates: “We could have gone up to 13 points here, and I think some people didn’t realize how important that is. That’s why it’s not bitter, it’s just really bad.”

The 26-year-old was particularly dissatisfied with the performance of the substitutes: “When you come on in the 60th minute, I expect 30 minutes of full throttle.” However, substitutes Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy achieved virtually nothing. The former admitted in his post-match interview that he had played one of his weakest games of the season. Schlotterbeck didn’t limit his angry rant to the substitutes, though. He was dissatisfied with the entire team: “Killing the game is a matter of quality. If you don’t kill the game and then it’s 2-2 because of a throw-in where you don’t clear the ball, that’s not good enough.“ He said the team lacked a ”winner’s mentality.”

Top 8 will be difficult: Tottenham and Inter still await

In the last quarter of an hour, his team played “particularly sloppily” and Bodö/Glimt even had more possession in injury time. “That can’t be the standard. Above all, it’s a home game and that’s not good enough.” And he repeated his assessment: “I think some people didn’t realize how important today was. Now you have to win both games again, otherwise you won’t be in the top 8 again. Then you have two more games and everyone gets upset that they’re playing too much.”

But before the Champions League continues in January against Tottenham and Inter, BVB must first play their penultimate competitive game of 2025 in Freiburg on Sunday (3:30 p.m.) in the Bundesliga. Shortly after the game against Bodö/Glimt, Schlotterbeck was unable to say how he would process the bitter draw. Fortunately, he still has a few days to turn his anger into something positive.

Contract option takes effect: ManCity can terminate Bayer’s loan of Echeverri

T0m@dmin1
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Contract option takes effect: ManCity can terminate Bayer’s loan of Echeverri

So far, Manchester City’s loan of Claudio Echeverri to Bayer 04 has been disappointing for all sides. Now the option for the English club to bring the attacking player back early in the winter has taken effect. Whether the club would find a replacement is another question.

When Bayer loaned Claudio Echeverri from Manchester City in the summer, high expectations were placed on the 19-year-old. But now, after only one start and five substitute appearances in the Bundesliga, the creative player is facing an early departure. The Skyblues, who would have preferred to loan the talented player to FC Girona last summer but then transferred him to Leverkusen at the insistence of Echeverri’s agent, would like to see the Argentine U-20 international at a club where he can get more playing time.

The conditions for ManCity to terminate the loan have been met

The English club can terminate the loan early during the winter transfer window if Echeverri does not meet a specified amount of playing time. The statistical requirements for this have now certainly been met. In the remaining games, the Gaucho, who made two starts in five Champions League appearances for Bayer and collected one point, can no longer reach this contractually fixed playing time in Leverkusen, meaning that the Bundesliga club cannot prevent the dribbler’s early departure.

However, this is not a major problem for the club, as the technician has not played a major role so far. Even without Echeverri, coach Kasper Hjulmand would still have more than enough candidates for the two number 10 positions with Alejandro Grimaldo, Malik Tillman, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Jonas Hofmann, Martin Terrier, and Ibrahim Maza, who has recently been used exclusively as a defensive midfielder.

With a new player coming in, competition in the center will increase anyway

If Bayer had not turned things around in the Champions League, making elimination after the group stage a foregone conclusion, and if they had not progressed in the DFB Cup round of 16 against BVB (1-0), those in charge would have had to think about how to reduce the squad. But now that the club is still in contention on three fronts, the bosses have to weigh up whether to sign a replacement for Echeverri.

Since Bayer wants to sign an attacking player for the right side in the winter anyway, a player like Nathan Tella, who mainly plays on the wing, would also be available for more central tasks if successful. Hofmann, who has recently been helping out permanently on the right, would then be back in contention for the right-half position.

Bayer will not automatically sign a replacement for Echeverri in the winter

It is therefore quite possible that Bayer will not react to Echeverri’s premature departure. Unless, that is, favorable circumstances arise on the market, in which case Leverkusen would simply have to seize the opportunity to sign a player in anticipation of the summer, as this would no longer be feasible for the club later on. However, there is no automatic mechanism whereby Echeverri’s departure would be immediately followed by the signing of a new creative force.

Castle leads Spurs to semifinals: San Antonio defeats former Cup champions Lakers

Sports Of The Day
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Castle leads Spurs to semifinals: San Antonio defeats former Cup champions Lakers

The San Antonio Spurs secured the last ticket to the NBA Cup semifinals with a strong away performance. Stephon Castle was particularly impressive in the commanding victory in Los Angeles, taking control in the second half.

With their 132-119 away win, the San Antonio Spurs knocked the 2023 Cup winners out of the NBA Cup. The Spurs laid the foundation early on and pulled away to a double-digit lead in the second quarter. A 17-2 run gave San Antonio an 18-point lead at one point, with Stephon Castle and Harrison Barnes consistently exploiting L.A.’s defensive problems on the three-point line. The Lakers remained within striking distance thanks to Luka Doncic (35 points) and LeBron James (19 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists), but were only able to close the gap late in the game. The guard also contributed ten rebounds and six assists and put in an outstanding performance in his second game after a ten-day injury break. De’Aaron Fox (20 points) and Keldon Johnson (17 points, 8 rebounds) also helped San Antonio maintain a stable lead over three quarters. A total of eight Spurs players scored at least eight points, with the bench clearly winning the duel against the Lakers reserves 48-31.

Lakers comeback not rewarded

Los Angeles started a late comeback and closed the gap to eight points in the fourth quarter, but San Antonio held on after a ice-cold three-pointer from Fox. Marcus Smart had his best offensive game of the season with 26 points and eight three-pointers, while Austin Reaves added 15 points. The Spurs can celebrate their ninth win in their last twelve games and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Las Vegas semifinals on Saturday.

“At my wit’s end”: FM26 irritates with Content Update 1

Jason Maverick
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“At my wit’s end”: FM26 irritates with Content Update 1

The list of fixes for Content Update 1 for Football Manager 26 is long. Nevertheless, many fans feel that it lacks significant impact. The name in particular has been criticized—there is still discontent among the fan base.
“We need to talk about FM26”: With these words, Tery Whenett from FM.Zweierkette opens his latest YouTube video. What doesn’t sound good at the beginning doesn’t get any more positive as the video progresses. The FM expert is irritated by Content Update 1, which developer Sports Interactive released for Football Manager on Monday.

“It’s not even about the quality of the update. Because, as far as I can tell, it’s a good update,” says Whenett. For example, he welcomes the reintroduction of chants, the free assignment of attribute colors, and the option to arrange U-19 test matches. So what is bothering the content creator so much? The naming.

Hopes for “a whole new gaming experience”

“This is never going to be Content Update 1,” says Whenett. He had hoped for “a whole new gaming experience” from a patch with that name. The return of chants is already “the main feature. Something that has been ported unchanged from FM24 to FM26. “ The streamer’s big problem: ”Communication – again.”

What may seem petty at first glance is quite understandable in light of recent events. Transparent communication with the fan base was once Sports Interactive’s great trump card. Until, around the time FM25 was canceled, there was suddenly months of radio silence from the developer. The community’s trust was shaken for good.

Whenett on the verge of a change of heart?

“I’m fixated on the term ‘content update,’ I’m well aware of that,” Whenett admits, “but we’re at a point where I’m completely confused. Because Sports Interactive’s communication isn’t clear. I don’t imagine that a content update means we’ll get an old feature back. Rather, that what we see in FM26 will be much better.“

The expert seems to be on the verge of a fundamental change of opinion: ”These are no longer question marks. I am currently very inclined to switch to the camp of those who have commented negatively on all my videos about FM26.“ Until now, Whenett had ”tried to report in a relatively balanced way.” For which he also received some criticism from his viewers.

“It’s still the same horror screen”

But even the most die-hard FM enthusiast is slowly reaching the end of his tether. “If this is content update 1, then I’m afraid of content updates 2 and 3.” As an example of the stagnation in FM26, Whenett cites one in-game view in particular: “The training screen was an absolute horror—and it’s still the same horror screen.”

The new Football Manager is now better than it was at release. However, Sports Interactive has not yet ironed out the “major flaws.” Even in the detailed patch notes, Whenett finds nothing that leaves him satisfied: “There’s nothing there that says they’ve added a chapter to FM24.” Not to mention a new era.

“F1: The Movie” receives two Golden Globe nominations for 2026

Jeffrey Gooding
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“F1: The Movie” receives two Golden Globe nominations for 2026

“F1: The Movie” surprises with two nominations at the 2026 Golden Globes and continues its record-breaking run – talks about a sequel are underway

The Formula 1 blockbuster “F1: The Movie” by director Joseph Kosinski, starring Brad Pitt, has received two nominations for the 2026 Golden Globes. The film was nominated in the categories “Cinematic and Box Office Achievement” and “Best Original Score – Motion Picture.”

In the “Cinematic and Box Office Achievement” category, F1 is up against Avatar: Fire and Ash, KPop Demon Hunters, Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning, Sinners, Weapons, Wicked: For Good, and Zootopia 2.

Hans Zimmer’s film score also made it into the final selection. It is competing with Alexandre Desplat for Frankenstein, Ludwig Goransson for Sinners, Jonny Greenwood for One Battle After Another, Kangding Ray for Sirat, and Max Richter for Hamnet. The 2026 Golden Globes ceremony will take place on January 11.

Brad Pitt’s most successful film

Since its theatrical release in June 2025, F1 has grossed over $600 million worldwide. This makes it the most successful film in Brad Pitt’s career. The film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton was involved as executive producer.

The plot follows nomadic driver Sonny Hayes, played by Pitt, who returns to Formula 1 to support the struggling APXGP team. At his side is rookie Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris.

The rest of the cast includes Kerry Condon as technical director Kate McKenna, Javier Bardem as team boss Ruben Cervantes, Tobias Menzies as board member Peter Banning, and Kim Bodnia as team boss Kaspar Smolinski. The film was shot during real Formula 1 weekends, which is why numerous drivers and team members appear in the film.

Ideas for a sequel are already in the works

Following the film’s overwhelming success, talks are already underway about a possible sequel. Producer Bruckheimer confirmed initial meetings with Hamilton in November. He told Forbes: “We met with Lewis Hamilton a few weeks ago and started talking about some ideas.”

He went on to explain: “We’re in London right now and have shown the film twice each of the past three nights. The audience is thrilled. My first question is always: How many of you haven’t seen this movie yet? 80 percent raise their hands and it’s incredible.”

“The other 20 percent have already seen it several times. Many who didn’t want to see the film before say, ‘Oh, that’s not really my genre.’ But it is your genre. The film is emotional, fun, and offers a great night at the movies,” Bruckheimer continued.

Robbery of Willi Weber: Former Schumacher manager robbed

Jason Maverick
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Robbery of Willi Weber: Former Schumacher manager robbed

Willi Weber is in shock after a robbery: the intruders tied up the 83-year-old and searched his villa for valuables.

Willi Weber, the former manager of Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, was the victim of a robbery in Stuttgart, according to the Bild newspaper. On Tuesday evening, unknown individuals broke into the 83-year-old’s villa, tied up Weber and other people present, and robbed them.
Weber confirmed the incident to the Bild newspaper and said he felt “awful” and was “completely in shock.” According to his own statements, the perpetrators also injured him: Weber spoke of a “black eye.”

The burglars left their mark in the house: “Several safes were broken into and emptied,” according to reports. However, there are no details yet about the contents of the safes or any sums of money or items that may have been stolen—the police are investigating.

Willi Weber as manager and businessman

Weber is best known in Germany as Schumacher’s manager: from the late 1980s, he looked after the man who would go on to become a seven-time Formula 1 world champion and negotiated his move from Benetton to Ferrari, among other things.

Immediately before his Formula 1 comeback with Mercedes in the 2010 season, Schumacher decided to make a change in his management team: Weber was replaced by Schumacher’s former media advisor, Sabine Kehm.

However, Weber did not only have Schumacher as a client over the years: he also managed his brother Ralf Schumacher, Nico Hülkenberg, Timo Scheider, and, at times, Naomi Campbell, among others. At the same time, Weber was active as a businessman, trading in used cars. He also owns several hotels and restaurants. For example, he once owned a restaurant in the Stuttgart TV tower.

Weber’s nickname “Mister 20 Percent” comes from his collaboration with Michael Schumacher: as his driver manager in the early years, he is said to have profited from 20 percent of his client’s earnings.

AvD President: “No F1 in Germany without government funding”

Lesley Summerville
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AvD President: “No F1 in Germany without government funding”

Why a Formula 1 race in Germany remains unrealistic and how much it really costs to host a Grand Prix

For a long time, the German Grand Prix was an institution in the Formula 1 racing calendar. But since 2019, a new edition has been a long time coming—and a return remains uncertain. This is mainly due to the high costs involved in hosting a Formula 1 race, as Lutz Leif Linden, president of the Automobile Club of Germany (AvD), explains.

He says: “The problem is that Formula 1 has enjoyed extreme popularity in recent years, partly due to promotional activities such as the Netflix documentaries. This has made everything significantly more expensive.”

Because he himself was involved in organizing several Formula 1 races in Germany, Linden says he knows “pretty much exactly what the fun costs.” “The license fees and any security costs for such an event alone cannot be covered by the only source of income, namely ticket sales.”

“On top of that, in Germany they have to pay withholding tax for the drivers. And that’s despite the fact that they all live elsewhere and only work in Germany for four days. This is in stark contrast to all other venues, where the countries don’t dip into their pockets, but actually provide state funding.”

How much does a Formula 1 race cost?

The financial hurdle is high: according to Linden, a budget in the tens of millions is now required to even have a chance at hosting a Grand Prix. “Twenty or 25 million euros is no longer enough,” he explains. The consequence: “Unless a super-mega sponsor comes along, it won’t be possible without millions in funding from the state or federal government.”

Such funding is not currently in sight, but it “would make perfect sense,” as Linden emphasizes: “When you consider that with two weeks of setup, one week of dismantling, and international attendance on race days, the entire region benefits touristically and economically over a long period of time, then you can’t underestimate that.”

However, Linden sees another problem and says: “Even if the federal government could provide the necessary funding, it assumes that this would contradict EU subsidy policy. Other countries, however, are finding ways around this.”

“The bottom line is that nowadays you can’t get a major international sporting event anywhere unless the state is fully behind it and cross-finances it. This applies equally to the Olympic Games and soccer World Cups. We are always in international competition, and we can only achieve something if we go ‘all in’ – and that means everyone.”

Valtteri Bottas bids an emotional farewell to Mercedes

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Valtteri Bottas bids an emotional farewell to Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas bids an emotional farewell to Mercedes and starts afresh at Cadillac: an experienced driver is set to get an ambitious project off the ground

Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas bid an emotional farewell to Mercedes after the final race in Abu Dhabi. After his year as a test and reserve driver for the “Silver Arrows,” the Finn wrote on social media: “Thank you, Mercedes. It was great to be back with the family during my gap year.”

Bottas had lost his regular Formula 1 seat at Sauber at the end of 2024 and therefore returned to Mercedes as a reserve driver. Bottas had already competed for Mercedes from 2017 to 2021 – at that time as a regular driver and with great success: in 2019 and 2020, he finished second in the Drivers’ Championship behind his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

This is probably why Bottas wrote: “This team will always have a special place in my heart, and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to have been the team’s third driver. I now have even more respect for the team, the sport, and every single member of staff than I did before. I wish you all the best for the future—and see you again soon!”

But then as competitors: Bottas has signed with Formula 1 newcomer Cadillac for 2026 and, together with Sergio Perez, is expected to help make the new team competitive. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff thinks it’s “great that Valtteri is getting his place back in the Formula 1 field” and says: “He still has so much to offer as a racing driver and deserves to be on the grid in 2026.”

Wolff emphasizes that he views Bottas’ departure from Mercedes with mixed feelings: “We are naturally sad to see him go. Valtteri has played an important role in our team, and his contribution as our third driver this year has been exemplary.”

Cadillac is hoping for something similar from Bottas from now on: the Formula 1 returnee completed his first official day of work with his new team immediately after the season finale in Abu Dhabi, where he had his seat fitted, among other things . Cadillac aptly wrote on social media: “Here we go!”

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