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“Revival” turns into a party: Fortuna Cologne dethrones Alemannia Aachen

Jeffrey Gooding
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“Revival” turns into a party: Fortuna Cologne dethrones Alemannia Aachen

The Sparkassen Verbandsliga Rheinland has a new king: Fortuna Cologne. The fact that a team that “played together five times in six months” defied established giants borders on a minor fairy tale.

Captain Pascal Altpass didn’t want to hear anything about a bittersweet note in his interview with eSport after winning the final: “It’s a sweeter note. Because we managed to beat teams that play together continuously.”

He had just won the 2025 season with Fortuna Cologne in the final of the Sparkassen Verbandsliga Rheinland against favorites and defending champions Alemannia Aachen. In a Pro Clubs team that probably only got back together for this tournament. After they had actually withdrawn from regular ProLeague competition in 2024 and disbanded. A “revival,” as Altpass had christened it.

Fortuna turns Cologne duel against Fühlingen-Chorweiler around

In the first semifinal of the Final4, Fortuna faced SV Fühlingen-Chorweiler in the Cologne duel. Despite high-quality chances on both sides, it was a set piece goal that decided the first game in favor of SVF. However, the tournament format saved Fortuna for the time being: the semifinals were still played in a best-of-two format, while the third-place play-off and final were later played as single matches.
Fortuna took advantage of this opportunity in the second leg – in the third minute from a corner and shortly afterwards on the counterattack. A chip ball from captain Altpass set up the second goal – a trademark of the team. But Fortuna also distinguished itself with its hard-working defensive play: Fühlingen-Chorweiler was unable to create a single clear-cut chance after that. SVF was consequently narrowly defeated in the first semifinal.

Aachen’s defensive bulwark frustrates Rellinghausen

On the other side of the tournament tree, there was a repeat of the 2024 season final: Alemannia Aachen against ESC Rellinghausen. In the first game, the black and yellow defending champions took an early lead after winning the ball high up the pitch and then controlled the game. For the longest time, Rellinghausen’s keeper Jeffrey Goldsmith was able to prevent a bigger deficit. But after a dream move down the wing, even he had no chance in the end – 2-0 final score for Aachen.

So Rellinghausen was under pressure in the second leg: they had to make up three goals after conceding another early goal, and last season’s runners-up played with corresponding intensity. In the 32nd minute, an ESC player broke through the Aachen defense, which had been almost flawless up to that point, and scored the equalizer.

This was followed by a period of enormous pressure: every attempt by the defending champions to clear the ball was immediately thwarted – and yet Rellinghausen repeatedly failed to find the final pass. A counterattack in injury time finally decided the game in Aachen’s favor, allowing them to continue their mission to defend their title.

Fühlingen climbs onto the podium with a thrilling comeback

In the match for third place, it was Rellinghausen who got off to the better start. Goalkeeper Jan Reif kept SV Fühlingen-Chorweiler in the game for a long time – but he still had to pick the ball out of his net twice in the first half: first after a corner, then after a strong solo run by Maurice Kumar, who left three defenders in his wake in a tight space.

“We were annoyed for a moment, then we all looked at each other and pushed ourselves again,” said Fühlingen captain Dominik Voigt after the game in an interview with eSport: “Everyone works for everyone else in our team.” This enabled them to catch up in the first half and equalize shortly after the break. And then the big nerves set in: no one wanted to make the decisive mistake, and both sides were visibly tense.

Until the 85th minute, when relief came. To the cheers of their friends from Aachen, Fühlingen combined to take the lead; shortly afterwards, they added another goal to make it 4-2. SVF won the bronze medal for the second time in a row. But the team is not satisfied with that for the future, as captain Voigt made clear: “All good things come in threes—but we don’t want to come third three times.”

Final: Altpass over the chain – Fortuna on cloud nine

Even before the tournament, Altpass had emphasized that determination would decide whether his Fortuna team had a chance of winning the Sparkassen Verbandsliga Rheinland title. They seemed to have had a perfect day. “When we went into the final and scored the first goal very quickly, I knew we were going to win. I knew we would score another and they would score one too – but 2-1 means victory,” explained the captain – and that’s exactly how it turned out. Altpass played a key role in both goals – with a chip ball behind the defense. Each time, he had loudly pushed the team on, showing more emotion than any other player in the tournament. The expected goal was conceded, but Fortuna played for time according to all the rules: set pieces, passing combinations, long balls. A brief period of pressure from Aachen came too late, and Cologne were crowned the new champions of the Sparkassen Verbandsliga Rheinland.

After the final whistle, the captain explained to eSport what the future holds for the temporarily reunited Fortuna team: “It will probably stay as it is – we won’t continue playing together. Although one or two people have already approached me today and asked about a collaboration. So we’ll see.”

And he still has a glimmer of hope for his beloved Cologne club. “We’ll see. Now that they at Fortuna see that we’ve won here, maybe something will come of it,” said the former soccer player.

History: These seven DTM champions have won more than one title

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History: These seven DTM champions have won more than one title

Only seven drivers have won more than one DTM title – who was able to defend their overall victory and who had to wait the longest for their second success?

Bernd Schneider, Mattias Ekström, and Rene Rast: In the more than 40-year history of the DTM, only a few drivers – seven to be precise – have won more than one title. And only three of them have ever managed to successfully defend their title.

There’s no question about it: with a total of five titles, Bernd Schneider remains the undisputed number one in the series and still deserves his reputation as “Mister DTM.” The Mercedes driver celebrated his first overall victory in 1995 and added four more successes (2000, 2001, 2003, and 2006) in the era of the “new” DTM. He even managed to defend his title once, when Schneider repeated his success from the previous year in 2001. This is a privilege that only two other DTM drivers can claim: Audi driver Timo Scheider triumphed in 2008 and 2009, while his brand colleague Rene Rast was crowned champion in 2019 and 2020.

DTM legend Klaus Ludwig holds a rare record

With a total of three overall victories, Rast shares second place in the all-time rankings with Klaus Ludwig, who also has three DTM titles to his name. Nevertheless, the Bonn native achieved something that no other driver in the long history of the DTM has ever achieved, and which even Rene Rast was unable to do in 2025: Ludwig won his titles with different brands.

Ludwig achieved his first DTM success in the 1988 season in a Ford Sierra Cosworth, while he triumphed with Mercedes in 1992 and 1994. All six other multiple champions were victorious with only one manufacturer.

Just boredom in the early hours of the morning—or can Vegas offer more?

Phil Laffertey
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Just boredom in the early hours of the morning—or can Vegas offer more?

One pit stop, few overtaking maneuvers, and a track in poor condition—races in Las Vegas often can’t keep up with the glitz and glamour of the city.

The real excitement in Las Vegas in 2025 seems to happen after the race. McLaren’s disqualification not only shook up the race results once again, but also turned the World Championship battle in a completely different direction. In the race itself, however, there was little spectacular action.

After the cold practice sessions and rainy qualifying for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday, Pirelli was a little in the dark when it came to making clear statements about race strategy. However, the Formula 1 teams seemed to be in agreement: Las Vegas needs a one-stop race. Watching on TV, some viewers may have found their eyes closing in the early hours of the morning.

So between laps 16 and 34, drivers either switched from medium to hard tires or vice versa. Apart from that, there were few overtaking maneuvers to be seen, except for the start phase. And when there were, they mostly took place at the end of the long Las Vegas Strip with the help of DRS. That is, if the drivers weren’t stuck in a DRS train.

Boredom on and off the track

McLaren boss Zak Brown saw boredom above all else: “I hate to say it, but it wasn’t a particularly exciting race.” Nico Hülkenberg, who now takes home six points instead of two thanks to McLaren’s disqualification, also experienced a “typical static one-stop race where not much happens.”

The lack of graining, which was a major unknown factor last year with its coarse grain and heavy tire wear, also contributed to the lack of alternative strategies. “Compared to last year, the graining was maybe about one percent of what we had back then,” Oliver Bearman reported after the race. “I didn’t expect that. None of us did.“

Fernando Alonso is even harsher in his assessment of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, which saw ”a long race without much to do.“ ”To be honest, the asphalt doesn’t meet Formula 1 standards,“ said the Spaniard. ”It’s far too slippery, we can’t get the tires into the window and there’s just no grip.”

Between track safety and Cirque du Soleil

However, the Aston Martin driver mentions another factor that even caused Hülkenberg back pain. “It’s also extremely bumpy, already pushing the limits of what is considered safe.” For the future, Alonso says, “we need to talk to the FIA about whether this is acceptable,” even though he enjoys the track “because it’s very fast.” The solution for him: simply repave it.
Overall, however, the drivers seem to have come to terms with the entire event in Las Vegas. “I didn’t enjoy it in the first year,” reports Carlos Sainz, who has bad memories of the third US Grand Prix, and not just because of the loose manhole cover.

The Spaniard was never really able to enjoy the weekend, “because Formula 1 tried too hard to look like Vegas.” Since then, Formula 1 has toned down the pomp a little, and so Sainz says “since last year, to be honest, it’s been really fun.” Or as Lando Norris comments on the early days: “We might as well have been performing in Cirque du Soleil, given what we had to do there. Now we’re all much happier.”

The timing, the triple-header format, and the cool temperatures are still a problem that many drivers criticize, including Norris. “If you could change something there, a lot of people would like that.” In the end, Max Verstappen sums it up aptly for all of us: “I like some weekends more than others.”

Helmut Marko on Las Vegas victory: An “incredible Verstappen show”

Phil Laffertey
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Helmut Marko on Las Vegas victory: An “incredible Verstappen show”

Helmut Marko raves about an “incredible show” after Verstappen’s Las Vegas victory—and talks about risky setup strategy and private gambling.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is thrilled after Max Verstappen’s victory at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix – and talks about a performance that even his long-time top driver doesn’t deliver every day. “It was an incredible Max Verstappen show,” says Marko.

Right in the first corner, Verstappen forced Lando Norris into a mistake and then “more or less controlled” the race. He was particularly impressed by the phase in which McLaren radioed Norris to attack: “That was what Max needed – or rather, didn’t need. And then: poof, poof, poof – one fastest lap after another.”

Marko answers the question of whether Red Bull had expected a strong dry setup the day before openly. Although the weather forecast had indicated a dry race, they weren’t really prepared: “We didn’t have a single lap on the hard tires. Two or four laps on the softs – they weren’t very impressive. It was a gamble. We’re in Las Vegas, and our gamble paid off.“

Marko: Verstappen is ”back in full force”

Even though Verstappen has won many times in his career, Marko noticed how relaxed his driver seemed after the race. His joy at his tire management and race pace was clearly palpable. “After the summer break, this is now the third race he has won.”

A reporter corrects him: “I think it’s the fourth,” to which Marko laughs: “The fourth, yes. And he was beaming, he enjoyed it. He’s back in full force.”

Looking back on the previous races, Marko admits that it hasn’t always been easy for Verstappen, despite his strong results. In Brazil, for example, his comeback was impressive, but the setup wasn’t quite right—nor was it in Mexico. In Las Vegas, on the other hand, things went much more smoothly and clearly: “In the end, we didn’t really have a chance to do a proper dry setup. Maybe that was a good thing.“

Marko’s ”private gamble” – and a little dig

Finally, Marko was asked whether he had engaged in any other form of gambling besides the risky setup – after all, Las Vegas is world-famous for its casinos and Marko for his bets. His answer came promptly: “Not in the casino, I have my private gambling.”

When asked if he had won a lot, he says with a grin: “I won – moderately. But not as much as Max’s bonus.”

Newey conflict at Aston Martin: Will Cowell have to leave and will Horner take his place?

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Newey conflict at Aston Martin: Will Cowell have to leave and will Horner take his place?

The situation at the Aston Martin F1 team is coming to a head—reports suggest that an old acquaintance could become the new team principal—Andy Cowell in conflict with Adrian Newey

Aston Martin is apparently facing a personnel shake-up at the management level. According to information from the BBC, Christian Horner is considered a possible candidate for the role of team principal, while CEO Andy Cowell could be on his way out.

The background to this is said to be internal differences with technical director Adrian Newey, who joined the team this year as managing technical partner.

Since leaving Red Bull in the summer of 2025, Horner has repeatedly been linked with a return to the Formula 1 paddock. He was dismissed by Red Bull in July after around two decades and numerous titles, and officially left in September after reaching a financial agreement.

In the months that followed, he explored various options and contacted several teams. Most recently, there had been speculation about potential options at Haas, Ferrari, or Alpine.

However, according to the BBC report, Aston Martin now appears to be the most likely destination. The tense relationship between Cowell and Newey is said to have had a decisive influence on this.

The 66-year-old designer is Aston Martin’s most prestigious signing in years and has been working on the development of the 2026 car for a long time. However, several disagreements are said to have now put Cowell’s position at risk.

When asked by Autosport, the Silverstone-based team declined to comment on the reports. They said they were focusing exclusively on the remaining races of the season and preparations for 2026.

In sporting terms, the current year is falling well short of expectations for Aston Martin: seventh place in the constructors’ championship with two races remaining stands in stark contrast to their strong start to 2023.

Horner-Newey relationship also tense

Cowell, who previously worked for Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains for many years, has only been at the helm of Aston Martin for just over a year. Despite his higher position in the hierarchy, Newey is said to be the more influential figure in the company. The Briton is also the highest-paid employee and holds a minority stake in the team.

However, Horner’s move is by no means certain. Although Horner and Newey worked closely together at Red Bull for many years, Newey’s departure came in the shadow of internal investigations against Horner. He had been accused of inappropriate behavior and controlling behavior toward a female employee. Although Horner was ultimately exonerated, his relationship with Newey is said to have suffered.

Should Cowell leave the company and Horner not move to Aston Martin, British media are bringing other names into play. Among others, former McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl and Martin Whitmarsh, former CEO of Aston Martin, are considered possible alternatives.

This means that Aston Martin is likely to be the subject of intense speculation in the coming weeks, and further changes at the top of the team cannot be ruled out.

German talent with sensational coup

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German talent with sensational coup

Eva Bennemann triumphs on the ITF Tour – as a qualifier. The promising German tennis player climbs over 180 places in the world rankings.

Eva Bennemann has sensationally won the title at the ITF tournament in Petingen.

The 18-year-old won the Shootingstars final against Belgium’s Jeline Vandromme in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

Bennemann plays big

Remarkably, Bennemann won the tournament as a qualifier. The promising German tennis player outclassed the competition in the main draw and marched to the title without losing a single set. She had lost one set in the qualifiers.

In the quarterfinals, Bennemann eliminated Elena Gabriela Ruse, currently ranked 99th in the world. It was her first victory against a player from the top 100. Before the tournament, Bennemann was ranked 568th in the WTA world rankings. With this triumph, she catapulted herself up 189 places and will be ranked 379th in the world as of Monday.

“It’s definitely unexpected,” said Bennemann with a grin after her victory over Vandromme: “It’s a special feeling. I didn’t expect it at all at the beginning because I had many strong opponents throughout the tournament.”

Triumph at the French Open

Bennemann is one of Germany’s greatest talents and trains under former national coach Barbara Rittner. In May of this year, she and Sonja Zhenikhova won the junior doubles title at the French Open.

“It’s been an incredible year,” said Bennemann with a smile. “Starting with the French Open doubles title. But it’s also great that I managed to make such a smooth transition from juniors to women’s tennis. In between, I graduated from high school in the summer. And now, ending the year with a tournament victory is something very special, I’m very happy.”

Former world champion elected president

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Former world champion elected president

Gennady Golovkin has been elected president of World Boxing in Rome. He is tasked with securing the future of Olympic boxing.

Former world champion Gennady Golovkin has been elected as the new president of World Boxing.

The Kazakh was elected by acclamation on Sunday at the world association’s annual congress in Rome and is expected to help rehabilitate Olympic boxing in the long term. He was the only remaining candidate.

Golovkin: “It’s a privilege”

“It’s a privilege to be elected as the new president of World Boxing. But this is only the beginning,” said 43-year-old Golovkin, who was twice unified middleweight world champion during his career and won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.

“On the road to LA28, we will restore confidence in Olympic boxing to secure our place in Brisbane and beyond. Now is the time to move forward as a united boxing family.” Golovkin succeeds Boris van der Vorst, who did not run for re-election after two years as founding president. Under the Dutchman’s leadership, World Boxing had received recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the upcoming 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Gender tests cause a stir

However, the first world championships under the umbrella of the association in early September were accompanied by controversy surrounding the gender tests that were introduced at short notice.

The World Boxing Association was founded in April 2023 with the aim of securing the Olympic future of boxing after the Russian-led IBA federation was excluded by the IOC due to numerous scandals.

Dream return to Camp Nou: Barcelona crowns Lewandowski’s early start

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Dream return to Camp Nou: Barcelona crowns Lewandowski’s early start

FC Barcelona made its eagerly awaited return to Camp Nou a joyous occasion, ultimately giving Athletic Bilbao no chance in a 4-0 victory. The Basques, who finished the game with ten men, were too careless with their chances overall.

Last Monday, the news spread like wildfire in Catalonia: the eagerly awaited return to Camp Nou was already scheduled for this weekend. 45,401 spectators were officially allowed in, and 45,157 were ultimately admitted. The rush for tickets, the cheapest of which cost a whopping €199, was huge.

Hansi Flick was also hugely excited, and after the 4-2 win against Celta Vigo, the former national coach fielded his best eleven. They were fired up from the start. The Catalans started at their usual high tempo. The fact that the hosts were already 1-0 up after just four minutes gave the party atmosphere in the stadium an extra boost: Eric won the ball high up the pitch, Lewandowski immediately shot from the left side of the penalty area and found the near corner – keeper Unai Simon did not look too happy about that.

For Bilbao, led by former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde, Nico Williams had the first shot on goal in the 12th minute. However, the champions were much more dangerous at first: within seconds, Fermin and Dani Olmo missed chances to make it 2-0 (20th minute).

It took Bilbao half an hour to wake up, partly because Barcelona kept retreating and leaving the field to their opponents. This almost had consequences: Nico Williams headed the ball to Unai Gomez with great vision. He shot unchallenged, but straight at goalkeeper Joan Garcia (36′). Four minutes later, the fans held their breath as Barcelona failed to defend Bilbao’s attack down the left and Nico Williams shot inches wide of the left post (40′).

Ferran Torres punishes Bilbao mercilessly

If you don’t take your chances… The punishment came before the break: Yuri Berchiche played a weak ball that flew around Bilbao’s ears. Lamine Yamal set up a dream pass with the outside of his foot, and Ferran Torres made it 2-0 at halftime with the kind assistance of Unai Simon (45+3).

After the break, Barcelona had no time to lose—and sealed the deal in the 48th minute: the powerful Eric set up his second goal, this time for Fermin.

The Spaniard was back in the spotlight shortly afterwards when Bilbao’s Sancet fouled him from behind without any chance of getting the ball. The yellow card that was initially given was rescinded after video evidence, and the red card was absolutely justified (54′).

Raphinha misses dream comeback

In the last half hour, the hosts took it much easier, with an eye on the Champions League. After a strong attack via Koundé, Dani Olmo narrowly missed the fourth goal (65′). Nine minutes before the end, Raphinha was celebrated with chants on his return, and seconds later his curling shot almost found the top left corner (82′). Shortly afterwards, Lamine Yamal missed his chance to score, but he was to set up another goal: after an outstanding solo run, his through ball to Ferran Torres was perfect. Alone in front of Unai Simon, the finish to make it 4-0 was a mere formality (90′).

After the clear La Liga home win, the team travels to Chelsea on Tuesday in the Champions League, who will not make it easy for the Catalans. Bilbao has a tough task away to Slavia Prague at the same time.

Son scores twice and misses: Müller reaches conference final with Vancouver

Jeffrey Gooding
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Son scores twice and misses: Müller reaches conference final with Vancouver

Thomas Müller’s Vancouver Whitecaps faced Los Angeles FC in the conference semifinals. The Canadians squandered a 2-0 lead, Heung-Min Son saved LA with a brace in extra time, but then missed in the penalty shootout.

Thomas Müller versus Heung-Min Son was the headline act in the MLS playoff Conference Semifinal duel, with the Vancouver Whitecaps hosting Los Angeles FC. B.C. Place Stadium in the Canadian metropolis was sold out for the first time, at least since Müller started playing there after his move from Bayern Munich.

Vancouver had finished second in the Western Conference and prevailed in two games against Dallas in the first playoff round. LAFC, third after the regular season, had similarly confidently eliminated Austin.

The Canadians took the lead in the 39th minute after a long ball from goalkeeper Takoaka completely caught the LAFC defense off guard. Sabbi sprinted forward and lifted the ball over Lloris into the net. Shortly before halftime, Vancouver scored twice in quick succession—and Müller was right in the thick of it: After a corner from Berhalter, the long-time Munich player rose high and headed the ball at Lloris, who was unable to hold on to it. Laborda was in the right place at the right time and scored (45+1).

Things were looking good for Vancouver and Müller, who was shown a yellow card in the 44th minute. However, LAFC remained in the game and made it really exciting again after an hour: Son failed several times from close range against keeper Takoaka, but somehow poked the ball over the line (60′).

Vancouver now had a lot of defensive work to do, with the visitors pushing for the equalizer. Shortly before the end, the Whitecaps were also reduced to ten men when Blackmon was shown a second yellow card (90+2). A little later, LAFC were rewarded for their efforts – and how: Son took a free kick from 18 meters and curled it perfectly over the wall from the left. Takoaka got a hand to it but couldn’t prevent it from going in (90+5).

Son misses, of all people

This sent LA into extra time, which Müller did not watch on the pitch after being substituted. However, the decision was not made there either, even though the visitors had a great chance to win after 120 minutes – but in one scene, Vancouver was lucky three times with the aluminum.

So it had to go to penalties. The first shooter was Son, who showed nerves and only hit the post. LAFC was behind, with the Whitecaps converting all of their penalties, while Cherundolo’s team missed their third penalty, taken by Delgado. Ocampo had the chance to win the game, but failed to put the ball in the net. LAFC equalized again, but Laborda sealed the deal and sent the Whitecaps to the Conference Final for the first time in their club history.

There, Vancouver will now face the winner of the San Diego vs. Minnesota match, which kicks off on Tuesday at 4 a.m. If the Whitecaps prevail there as well, Vancouver will advance to the MLS final. Awaiting them there will be Cincinnati, Inter Miami, Philadelphia, or New York City FC.

After more than two years: Pogba’s comeback ends in heavy defeat

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After more than two years: Pogba’s comeback ends in heavy defeat

Paul Pogba had to wait 26 months for this moment: on Saturday evening, the 32-year-old came on as a substitute in Monaco’s away game in Rennes – but Pogba was unable to prevent the Monegasques from losing.

It was the 85th minute at Roazhon Park in Rennes when Monaco coach Sebastien Pocognoli ended Pogba’s long wait and sent him onto the field to replace Mamadou Coulibaly.

Pogba had last played professionally on September 3, 2023, when he was still with Juventus Turin. This was followed by a lengthy doping ban and several injuries. His ban expired in March of this year, and his contract with Juve had already been terminated in November 2024. Pogba then moved to the principality this summer. Curiously, Pogba made his Ligue 1 debut at the ripe old age of 32. Born east of Paris, Pogba joined Manchester United at the tender age of 16 without ever having played in the top flight in his home country. He then moved back and forth between ManUnited and Juve before his inglorious end at the Old Lady with the doping offense. Pogba always denied knowingly taking anything illegal.

When he came on, the score was already 0-4.

His first minutes at Monaco ended in a clear 1-4 defeat. By the time he came on, the game was already decided, with Rennes leading 4-0 thanks to goals from Boudlal (20′), Camara (48′), Embolo (73′) and Blas (83′). Biereth was only able to make the score look a little better for AS in stoppage time (90’+5).
Next Friday, Stade Rennes will kick off the 14th matchday at 8:45 p.m. at FC Metz. AS Monaco will face Pafos FC in the Champions League on Wednesday (6:45 p.m.) before hosting PSG on Saturday (5 p.m.).

 

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