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Wagner: “We are not stubborn or naive”

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Wagner: “We are not stubborn or naive”

Moping around? Not with coach Sandro Wagner and his FC Augsburg team. He wants to learn from the two recent defeats and surprise Borussia Dortmund on Friday.

However, the coach also knows: “It’s going to be brutal, but also cool.” Why? He referred to the trinity of Friday evening, floodlights, and BVB as the opponent, all in front of a sold-out crowd. The only player FCA will definitely have to do without is captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw. Tests on Chrislain Matsima revealed no structural injury, and the Frenchman is expected to play if possible. There is a contingency plan in place without the defensive leader, but Wagner did not want to reveal it.

Wagner was eloquent at the press conference, argued well on his own behalf, and showed that he was capable of learning from recent setbacks. “Of course we have to change something, we’ve conceded too many goals,” he said, referring to the Bundesliga’s leakiest defense, which has conceded 20 goals. “We’re not stubborn or naive,” he added.

Dahmen remains the clear number 1

Wagner is the focus of attention, and almost everything at FCA revolves around him. Is this an alibi for the players? “They can play freely because the coach is being criticized,” he replied to this legitimate question. The recipe for regaining momentum and success? “We are workers, we have to get back on track through hard work.”

The FCA coach insisted that he himself could cope with the current situation. His state of mind was “completely irrelevant,” he said, adding, “It annoys me more when the players and spectators don’t go home with a smile on their faces. I’m not the type to bury my head in the sand.” Wagner said that the pressure as a coach is greater than when he was a player, but that it’s good for his personal development when the going gets tough.

There is no debate about the goalkeeper position, even though Nediljko Labrovic played well against Bochum and earned his place with good performances in training. “Finn is our number one in the Bundesliga and will clearly remain so,” he said of Dahmen, who – like practically everyone else – had recently made a serious mistake against Leipzig.

Spicy tattoo: Juve announces Spalletti as new coach

Lesley Summerville
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Spicy tattoo: Juve announces Spalletti as new coach

Juventus has been waiting for its next championship title since 2020 and has gone through several coaches during that time. Now, as expected, Luciano Spalletti is set to stabilize the Italian record champions and lead them to new heights.

Juventus Turin last won the Scudetto under Maurizio Sarri, who nevertheless only remained in office between 2019 and 2020. Since then, the 36-time Italian champions have only managed two triumphs in the Coppa Italia.

The sad side effect on the coaching bench: Neither the attempt with World Cup winner Andrea Pirlo, the return of Massimiliano Allegri (championship winner from 2015 to 2019) between 2021 and 2024, nor the appointments of Thiago Motta and, most recently, Igor Tudor have really borne fruit.

Italy commitment most recently

Now it’s up to Luciano Spalletti to fix things. The 66-year-old was presented as the new Juve coach on Thursday, as expected, succeeding former player Tudor, who was recently dismissed after eight winless competitive games.

The common thread between the two parties involved: both the Old Lady, who returned to winning ways this week with a 3-1 victory over Udinese under interim coach Massimo Brambilla, and Spalletti want and need to prove themselves.

After all, the new coach also has his sights set on a turnaround following successful years at Zenit St. Petersburg (2009 to 2014), AS Roma (2016 to 2017), Inter Milan (2017 to 2019) and, above all, Napoli (2021 to 2023).

Contract extension if they finish fourth?

According to Italian media reports, the contract, which is valid until the end of the season, contains a clause stipulating that it will be extended by two years if the club finishes at least fourth this season and qualifies for the Champions League. His salary for the entire season is reported to be three million euros plus bonuses.

Spalletti, who hails from Tuscany, took over the Italian national team at the end of the 2022/23 season after a short break following his famous championship title with the Neapolitans.

The sad result: At the 2024 European Championship, the Squadra Azzurra, as reigning champions, were knocked out of the round of 16 by Switzerland without a fight, and most recently, the team failed to make it past Germany in the quarterfinals of the Nations League. At the beginning of June 2025, Spalletti announced his own dismissal. As is well known, Gennaro Gattuso will now lead the Italians at the 2026 World Cup.

And Spalletti? He brings with him to his new job in Turin a tattoo that is certainly not welcome to some Bianconeri fans. After winning the Scudetto with Juventus’ southern rivals Napoli, who had won the title for the first time in 33 long years, the coach had the logo tattooed on his left forearm.

Luis Diaz would gladly do without this record

Lesley Summerville
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Luis Diaz would gladly do without this record

Luis Diaz has already scored eight goals in 14 competitive games for FC Bayern. That’s a very respectable tally, but it could be much higher. No one in Europe’s top five leagues misses more big chances.

Here are just three examples of Luis Diaz missing an almost certain goal: In Augsburg on matchday 2, the 28-year-old only had to tap the ball into an empty net from close range in the first minute, but instead passed it across. Last Saturday, the Colombian again ran alone towards the Mönchengladbach goal after just a few seconds, but shot wide of the gaping net. On Wednesday evening in Cologne, with the score at 2-1, he had time and space from the halfway line to consider how to shoot the ball into the goal. In the end, his attempt went over.

There are other examples: in the first round of the DFB Cup, for example, Luis Diaz wasted half a dozen good chances against Wehen Wiesbaden. The notable exception to the many chances that often arise at the start of a game was his 1-0 goal in Frankfurt in the first minute of play.

Don’t get me wrong: Liverpool’s new signing has already proven his worth, he plays very well for the team, is resilient, and delivers goals and assists. It’s just that there could be a lot more goals.

The statistics are almost unbelievable: Luiz Diaz has already accumulated 19 big chances this season and missed 14 of them. That’s the highest number in Europe’s top five leagues.

Optimists might say that a professional has to earn those chances first, but realists shake their heads in disbelief. Especially when you look at the other names in the top five:

Kane, Haaland, and Mbappé are also on the list

In second place, with ten big chances each, are Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Dia’s teammate Harry Kane, as well as former Mainz player Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace. The only explanation for this collection of world-class players is that many other players cannot have missed ten big chances because they didn’t even have that many in total…

But back to Luiz Diaz: these misses are not significant yet, as his FC Bayern has won all 14 competitive games this season. On Wednesday evening in Cologne, he missed his best chance, as described, but scored the 1-1 and skilfully set up the final 4-1 by Michael Olise. However, the 1-1 would have been disallowed in the Bundesliga, where VAR would have spotted the clear offside.

Nevertheless, this generosity in missing chances could come back to haunt them at some point—namely when it comes to the decisive knockout games, where chances are fewer and farther between. Because efficiency is what counts, one goal or another. Kane can tell you a thing or two about that: the usually accurate Englishman missed a 100% chance in the Champions League quarter-final against Inter Milan last season when the score was 0-0 in the first leg. Considering the 3-4 aggregate score, it was a very costly miss.

Bosz on star reserve Wanner: “Things are going slower than he had hoped”

Lesley Summerville
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Bosz on star reserve Wanner: “Things are going slower than he had hoped”

Paul Wanner joined PSV Eindhoven in the summer with high hopes, but the 19-year-old has hardly featured so far. Coach Peter Bosz has now commented on the situation of the top talent.

Things are going pretty well for PSV Eindhoven at the moment: the Dutch champions are unbeaten in seven competitive games, celebrating four wins in a row, including an impressive 6-2 victory over SSC Napoli in the Champions League and, most recently, a 3-2 win at the usually tricky away ground of league leaders Feyenoord. In terms of points, PSV is now level with the Rotterdam team, which, however, has a two-goal better goal difference. Nevertheless, for Eindhoven and coach Peter Bosz, it’s safe to say that things are going well.

The same cannot be said for Paul Wanner. The 19-year-old moved from Munich to Eindhoven in the summer for €15 million, one of the top transfers PSV has ever made in its club history – and not without controversy and criticism from Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl. Wanner is not really getting a chance at PSV. Four games in the Eredivisie, only one start and three relatively late substitutions, as well as two appearances as a substitute in the Champions League are the German-Austrian’s record so far.

Apparently a lot to talk about

“Things are certainly going slower than he had hoped,” Bosz said of the 19-year-old’s development to Dutch public broadcaster NOS. “But I know that we are talking about a young man who comes from abroad and first has to adapt. That’s not a bad thing at all – and he’s doing an excellent job, by the way.”

However, Wanner’s problem also has the name Ismael Saibari. The 24-year-old Moroccan is in brilliant form, scoring six times in ten league games and adding two more goals in the Champions League. Wanner “also has Saibari ahead of him, who is playing well,” Bosz attests, emphasizing that he has by no means written off the young midfielder.

Wanner is not the first footballer to need “some time” to “settle in” at a new club, says Bosz, noting that this is actually more common than players making an immediate impact from day one. “I try to convey to him that this is completely normal,” says the 61-year-old: “I try to talk to him about it, so I sit down with him every week. He wants to know from me what he needs to do differently or better.”

PSV seeks tailor-made solutions

Bosz does not reveal what tips the coach gives his protégé, but he does say that PSV tries to “find tailor-made solutions” for players who do not get much playing time—and one thing is particularly important in this regard: “The players must always feel that they have the prospect of making it into the starting lineup at some point.”

In addition to Wanner, this also applies to Adamo Nagalo, who was signed from FC Nordsjaelland in the summer of 2024 for €7 million. In order to get more playing time, both players recently traveled to England with Jong PSV, where they played for at least 90 minutes in a 2-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ U21 team.

In the end, it was clear: Bayern defeats Bologna in Dinwiddie’s debut

Sotd Editor
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In the end, it was clear: Bayern defeats Bologna in Dinwiddie’s debut

FC Bayern narrowly won the rematch with former Munich player Carsen Edwards and Virtus Bologna. The game was dominated by NBA newcomer Spencer Dinwiddie. But it was someone else who made the headlines again.

Just two days earlier, in the surprise victory over Real Madrid, forward Isaiah Mike excelled with 29 points. Against Bologna, the Canadian had another great day, scoring 17 points and missing only two shots (6/8).

New signing Spencer Dinwiddie had a rather inconspicuous evening on his debut for Bayern. After eleven years of NBA basketball, the American clearly had some adjustment difficulties. In the first half, the guard was very cautious and failed to score any points. After the break, he played with a little more courage and scored his first points with a difficult layup.

Jessup seals the deal

It was at this point that the tide turned in Munich’s favor. A 12-2 run gave Munich a double-digit lead for the first time. The strong Jessup ensured that the last-ditch efforts of former Munich players Carsen Edwards and Karim Jallow were unsuccessful. The guard, who came from Ulm in the summer, scored eight of his twelve points in the final quarter alone, pulling the Italians’ teeth. In the final quarter, the visitors finally fell behind – they didn’t score a single point for more than six minutes. Then Andi Obst sealed the deal with his accuracy: the national player scored eleven points in the final quarter alone and was Bayern’s top scorer with a total of 21 points.

Bayern ends the EuroLeague double week with two wins and now has a balanced record of four wins from eight games in the top flight. The Bundesliga continues next Monday, when Munich hosts MLP Academics Heidelberg at 8 p.m.

Olympic Esports Games: IOC and Saudi Arabia part ways

Sports Of The Day
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Olympic Esports Games: IOC and Saudi Arabia part ways

On Thursday, the IOC announced that it had ended its cooperation with Saudi Arabia for the Olympic Esports Games. What does this mean for the Olympic future of esports?

The turbulent history of Olympic eSports enters its next chapter: As announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Esports Games will not take place in Saudi Arabia over the next twelve years as planned.

The decision was made after reviewing the project with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) and the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF). The relevant contracts have been terminated by mutual agreement and partnerships have been dissolved.

New approach, new partners

“For its part, the IOC will develop a new approach to the Olympic Esports Games and pursue a new partnership model, taking into account the feedback from this process,” according to the statement from the world governing body.

This new approach is intended to “better align the Olympic Esports Games with the long-term goals of the Olympic Movement and make the opportunities offered by the Olympic Esports Games accessible to a wider audience.”

The following clause is particularly interesting: the goal is to “hold the first Games as soon as possible.” This sounds very much like the start of the Olympic Esports Games could be postponed again.

2027 unlikely to be met

With the announcement of the Olympic Esports Games 2024, the first games were scheduled for 2025. A few months later, the IOC backtracked and announced that they would take place one or two years later after all.
Shortly thereafter, the date was set for 2027.

Following the split between the IOC and Saudi Arabia, the start date for Olympic esports seems uncertain once again. Those responsible must first work out the new approach and new partners. 2027 currently seems unlikely to be met.
Surprise and opportunity

“The IOC’s latest announcement has surprised many,” says Felix Falk, managing director of the video game industry association game. “It’s good that the IOC is once again emphasizing the great importance of eSports and its plans for the Olympic Esports Games.” However, the scrapping of the previous plans also shows “that eSports and traditional sports function differently in important ways.”

The German eSports Federation (ESBD) emphasizes on LinkedIn the opportunity that the now-canceled cooperation with Saudi Arabia opens up: “The discussion about venues and partners is open again. Among other things, this would be a huge opportunity for Germany and other European countries to successfully address this issue.” The federation will “continue to closely follow developments.”

Button sacrifices his career: What is more important to the F1 world champion now

Jason Maverick
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Button sacrifices his career: What is more important to the F1 world champion now

Jenson Button has announced the end of his motorsport career—the 2009 Formula 1 world champion will drive his last race in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Jenson Button retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 2016 season, and nine years later, the 2009 world champion is now calling it quits for good. The 45-year-old has confirmed that the final race of the 2025 WEC season in Bahrain will be his last professional car race.

“This will be my last race. I’ve always liked Bahrain, I think it’s a great track, and I’m going to enjoy it as much as possible because it marks the end of my professional racing career,” Button revealed in an interview with the BBC.

He said he “really enjoyed” his time in the World Endurance Championship, but emphasized that “my life has become far too hectic, and it wouldn’t be fair to the team or myself to continue until 2026 and believe that I’ll have enough time for it.”

After the end of his Formula 1 career, Button made a one-off return to the premier class in 2017 as a replacement for Fernando Alonso at the Monaco Grand Prix. The Brit has also made guest appearances in numerous other series since then.

In recent years, he has competed in Extreme E, the NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA, and the DTM, among others. He has also completed several full seasons in the Japanese Super GT series and, most recently, in the WEC.

After two years with Jota-Cadillac, he is now calling it quits with the World Endurance Championship—and with professional motorsport in general. “My children are four and six years old, and when you’re away for a week, you miss so much that you can never get that time back,” Button explains.

“I feel like I’ve missed out on a lot in recent years, but that was okay because I knew it was going to happen. But I’m not prepared to do that for another season,” explains the long-time Formula 1 driver.

Button would like to continue driving in occasional races in the future, but he reveals that these will be more likely to involve “historic cars.” He is turning his back on motorsport at a professional level.

Button entered Formula 1 with Williams in the 2000 season and later drove for Benetton, Renault, BAR (later Honda and Brawn), and McLaren. He won a total of 15 races and celebrated his greatest success in 2009 when he became world champion with Brawn.

He has remained connected to the premier class even after the end of his active career. Among other things, he regularly works as an expert for Sky, and in 2021 he signed a contract as a consultant with Williams.
Button’s last professional race, the Bahrain 8-Hour, will take place on November 8.

Expert opinion: Why the McLaren stars are not world class

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Expert opinion: Why the McLaren stars are not world class

Former Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers reveals which three drivers he currently considers to be the best in the premier class – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are not among them.

Will the best driver not be world champion in the 2025 Formula 1 season? According to expert Christijan Albers, that would be the case if McLaren ended up winning the title. In his opinion, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are not among the absolute top drivers in the premier class.
In a column for De Telegraaf, published before Norris’ strong weekend in Mexico, Albers writes about McLaren: ” In my opinion, a lot is going wrong there operationally, and I don’t think the drivers are getting the most out of it either.“

”I think the lead over Verstappen [in the World Championship] should have been much bigger. That doesn’t mean that Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are bad drivers. But I don’t think they are among the absolute best,” said the former Formula 1 driver.

“In my opinion, three drivers currently stand out: Verstappen, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc,” said Albers, who competed in Formula 1 between 2005 and 2007. He added: “With Norris, you see a clear pattern on many weekends.”

“He often starts well, but then regularly collapses. You see that regularly in qualifying. When Verstappen drives a good first lap in Q3, Norris gets nervous and makes mistakes. And everyone always says that Piastri is such a cool guy.”

“But that’s mainly about his demeanor,” Albers believes, explaining: “He had two accidents in Baku, plus a false start, and I didn’t think he was particularly strong in Singapore either.” After several months at the top of the drivers’ championship, Piastri lost the lead to Norris in Mexico.

With four races to go, the Brit is one point ahead of his teammate, while Max Verstappen, in third place in the championship, is still in with a chance of winning the title, 36 points behind Norris. According to Albers, however, Verstappen shouldn’t really be in the title race anymore.

In his opinion, the fact that his compatriot can still dream of a fifth consecutive title is also due to the fact that McLaren does not currently have the best drivers.

Start crash in Mexico: Liam Lawson “furious” with Carlos Sainz

Jason Maverick
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Start crash in Mexico: Liam Lawson “furious” with Carlos Sainz

⁠Liam Lawson criticizes Carlos Sainz for the accident in turn 1 of the Formula 1 race in Mexico – The New Zealander demands more respect

Liam Lawson has harshly criticized Carlos Sainz after his retirement from the Mexican Grand Prix. A collision in the first corner severely damaged both cars and ended the New Zealander’s race prematurely.

The incident occurred at the start after Fernando Alonso lightly touched the rear of Esteban Ocon’s car. Sainz moved to the left to avoid the slow Haas, but this maneuver caused him to drive straight into Lawson’s Racing Bulls car.

While Sainz suffered damage to his tires and rims and later spun out of the Grand Prix, Lawson had to retire his battered car immediately.

“Just crap”

“A lot of guys slid in Turn 1, but I left plenty of room next to Carlos, and I think he just decided to cut the chicane,” the New Zealander fumed after the race. “But he didn’t look to his left, and I’m right there. He just drives into me.”

“That’s just crap. I think you have to be more careful there, to be honest,” said Lawson. “It destroyed the side of my car and I had to retire.”

When asked if he would talk to Sainz about it, Lawson replied: “I mean, there’s not much I can say. I’m not saying he did it on purpose. I’m sure he didn’t run into me on purpose, but it’s just one of those things.“

Sainz blames the chaos at the start

”I completely understand that it’s Turn 1 on the first lap, it’s chaotic,” he admitted. “But we all try to be aware of what’s going on around us. You can’t just decide to cut the chicane without looking to the left, because he hit me so hard that the whole side of the underbody was destroyed, my front wing was broken, and our race was simply over—we were three seconds per lap slower after that.”

Sainz himself summed up the incident very neutrally, avoiding blaming anyone or taking responsibility.

“I think there were three or four of us in Turn 1 and there was a big mess. We were three or four cars side by side, as always in Mexico, a tricky spot,” was all the Williams driver said.

The collision contributed to the Racing Bulls’ third consecutive race without points. This means that their lead in the Constructors’ Championship over Aston Martin, Haas, and Sauber has shrunk to three, ten, and twelve points, respectively. In the remaining races, it is now a four-way battle for sixth place.

Formula 1 owner Liberty Media: John Malone steps down as chairman

Andrew Jackson
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Formula 1 owner Liberty Media: John Malone steps down as chairman

John Malone is no longer chairman of Formula 1 owner Liberty Media – his successor has already been named

A bombshell at the top of Formula 1’s owner: John Malone is stepping down as chairman of Liberty Media and Liberty Global. The company, which owns both Formula 1 and MotoGP, will be led by Robert R. “Dob” Bennett as its new chairman from the beginning of next year.
When Bennett takes over the post, Malone will move into the role of chairman emeritus. Malone has been instrumental in driving Liberty Media’s expansion into various motorsports over the past decade.

Liberty Media formally took over Formula 1 in 2017 after the company agreed to a deal in the previous season. Under Liberty Media’s leadership, the championship has experienced significant growth, driven by a sharp increase in media exposure and the global success of the Netflix series “Drive to Survive.”

The entrepreneur’s career

Under Malone’s leadership, Liberty recently acquired Dorna, the holding company of MotoGP and its affiliated racing series, following approval by the European Commission.

Malone originally made his fortune in the cable television industry.
He founded Liberty Media as a spin-off of the cable TV company Tele-Communications Inc (TCI), whose growth Malone helped shape in the 1970s and 1980s.
“Founding Liberty Media and serving as its chairman has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life,” Malone is quoted as saying.

Successor has been with the company for a long time

“After successfully simplifying our portfolio in recent years and establishing a strong position for our operating businesses, I believe this is an appropriate time to step back from some of my responsibilities. I am delighted that Dob Bennett, my partner and colleague for 35 years, will assume the role of Chairman.”

“Dob has been involved in all of the important decisions in Liberty Media’s history, and I am confident that Liberty Media is well positioned for the future,” Malone continued. “I look forward to remaining active as a major Liberty shareholder and strategic advisor to our management and board.”

Bennett has been a director of Liberty Media since 1994 and served as the company’s president and chief executive officer from 1997 to 2005. He will join current president and chief executive officer Derek Chang and former Formula 1 chief Chase Carey to form the company’s three-member executive committee.

Words of praise for Malone

“I would like to thank John for more than three decades of partnership and mentorship,” said Bennett. “His legacy as a visionary business leader is unparalleled, and I am deeply grateful for his trust.”

“I speak for the entire board in thanking John for his extraordinary leadership as our chairman and for his continued commitment as chairman emeritus.”

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