Thomas Muller will not be allowed to leave Bayern Munich in January, despite him being unhappy with his lack of game time, according to Sky Germany.
Reports in Germany had suggested that Muller wants to leave the Allianz Arena in the winter but it is understood that this is an exaggeration.
However, the World Cup winner is not happy with his lack of minutes on the pitch this season and both he and his agent will hold talks with the club about the situation.
The 30-year-old has made 10 appearances in all competitions for Bayern this season, with half of those coming from the bench. He has scored once.
Sky Germany understand that Muller will not be allowed to leave Bavaria as he is considered irreplaceable for Bayern, as a club figurehead, a leader and as backup in three positions for No 10 Philippe Coutinho, striker Robert Lewandowski and out wide – where Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry are currently starting.
Indeed, it is understood that Bayern would actually like to extend Muller’s contract in the summer. His current deal expires on June 30, 2021.
There’s never a right answer to the question of what to do in the face of racist abuse, but Tammy Abraham gave a very good one…
The issue of how footballers should respond if they suffer racist abuse from the stands is an extremely tricky one. There’s really no right or wrong answer to it, because people of colour are not one single consciousness that believes the same thing about any given question. The correct response is whatever the person involved thinks the correct response is.
Understandably, with the England players coming together for a couple of European Championship qualifiers against Czech Republic and Bulgaria, the topic has been raised again, and it was interesting and heartening to hear Tammy Abraham speak so clearly and straightforwardly about what would happen if the situation arose, particularly in Sofia next week.
“We’ve had meetings about it…Harry Kane even said that if it happens and we’re not happy with it, we all come off the pitch together. It’s a team thing. Don’t isolate one person. Harry did ask the question about instead of going through the three steps – if we decide that we want to stop the game, no matter what the score is – if we’re not happy as a team we’ll decide whether or not to stay on the pitch. Watching the gaffer speaking yesterday, he was quite keen on putting a stop to it. No one wants it in football. It’s not just affecting one person, it’s affecting the team. If we decide that we don’t want to play this game because of what’s going on, we’ll come off as a team. We’d just let the FA or whoever deal with whatever’s next – the scores or what happens with the points. At the time, it’s about making sure we’re a team, we don’t stand for it and we want the world to see that we don’t stand for the silly abuse.”
Would there be consequences? Probably, but this is about something more important than that. Let’s hope England’s players never have to ask the question.
The Nigeria Professional Football League 2019/20 season will kick-off October 20, according to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare.
The NPFL league has been on break since June when Enyimba were crowned champions after they defeated Akwa United 3-0 to end the NPFL Super Six Championship Playoffs with 12 points from five matches.
According to the Minister of Sports, a notification has been sent out to all the NPFL teams apprising them of the new date.
He, however, did not disclose when the fixtures for the season will be announced.
“We have been working round the clock in the last one month,” Dare told newsmen during his visit to the Golden Eaglets camp in Abuja.
“You will recall that I gave a directive that the NPFL should start on the 15 latest October 20 but after due consultation, it was obvious that the league can’t kick-off on the 15 anymore but definitely the league will start on the 20.
“Notification has gone to all the clubs to get ready. We are doing all that is necessary beyond the league announcement.
“But while the league starts, the issues that have bedevilled are under x-ray right now and we intend to attack them.
“We will be making some changes and we will be talking to a number of people and the federation and those in the past and present in the glorious days of the league.
“We have a solution to all these problems. We just need unity of purpose to solve them. I’m trying to unify as many factions as possible. So if their interests in the league are genuine we will move ahead with them.”
Gareth Bale appeared destined to leave Real Madrid. However, an injury to Marco Asensio and a few other first-team players meant Los Blancos did not have the liberty to sell the Welshman and thus held on to him.
This does not mean everything is all fine between the player and the club. In fact, according to the latest rumor, the former Tottenham star is eyeing a Santiago Bernabeu exit, with a recent incident leaving him frustrated and wanting out.
According to AS , it was Zidane’s decision to snub him for their Champions League clash with Club Brugge. Despite being a starter for the Spanish giants from the beginning of the season, the French manager decided to leave out the Welshman for their first European home game of the season.
As a result, Bale was forced to watch the game from the stands as Los Blancos had to fight from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 to avoid an embarrassing defeat. Gareth returned to the lineup in their next game, the 4-2 win over Granada, but that did little to help change the attacker’s mind.
He feels unwanted by the manager and lacking support from the club. Zizou stated that the 30-year-old was not in his plans during the summer. Now, the winger is “angry” and “fed up” in the words of Guillem Balague.
The Welshman will likely be linked with an array of clubs once the transfer window reopens. However, whether a top European side can afford to match his current wages are doubtful.
AC Milan announces it has relieved Mr. Marco Giampaolo from his position as coach of the First Team. The Club is grateful to Marco for the work carried out and wishes him all the best to come in his professional career.
Ryan Giggs says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs five new players to revive Manchester United.
United, who visit Newcastle, live on Sky Sports on Sunday, have taken only nine points from seven games to make their worst start to a top-flight campaign for 30 years.
Solskjaer’s side have not scored more than one goal in a match since an opening-day win over Chelsea – and hopes of a top-four spot at Old Trafford appear a distant prospect.
Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James were recruited this summer at a cost of £145m, but United legend Giggs says much more is needed for the club to recapture past glories. “They need another four or five players,” the Wales manager said. “He (Solskjaer) has bought in three players but he probably needs seven or eight (altogether).
“But you can’t do that over one transfer window, so you have to be patient because it will be slow.
“The culture has changed and what he is trying to do was much needed. He needs time.”
Steve Bruce, another one of Giggs’ former United team-mates, has his own problems at Newcastle with the Magpies in the relegation zone.
With his latest goal against Southampton taking him to nine for the season, the young striker has earned high praise from his club captain
Cesar Azpilicueta says that he knew Tammy Abraham was ready to make an impact for Chelsea this season, with the young striker taking his tally to nine in all competitions after scoring against Southampton on Sunday.
Though Frank Lampard’s side have made a mixed start to the campaign and are currently fifth in the Premier League, Abraham has been a source of optimism in testing circumstances.
With his latest goal against Southampton taking him to nine for the season, the young striker has earned high praise from his club captain
Cesar Azpilicueta says that he knew Tammy Abraham was ready to make an impact for Chelsea this season, with the young striker taking his tally to nine in all competitions after scoring against Southampton on Sunday.
Though Frank Lampard’s side have made a mixed start to the campaign and are currently fifth in the Premier League, Abraham has been a source of optimism in testing circumstances.
That has represented a huge opportunity for Abraham, however, along with the likes of Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who made his first Premier League start against Southampton after a long lay-off with a ruptured Achilles.
Club captain Azpilicueta talked up Abraham’s contribution, saying: “I had confidence in him because I have known him since he was quite young.
“Every time I saw him his work ethic was very good. Last season he had an amazing spell at Aston Villa, he was a key player for them, he scored a lot of goals.
“I knew he was ready for us and for the Premier League. As soon as he arrived he worked hard and wanted to help the team.
“Strikers live for goals so it’s great for him. He’s doing incredibly well and he scored an amazing goal. I’m very happy for him and I’m sure he can give us a lot more happiness in the future.”
The fallout to Manchester United’s defeat by Newcastle United is continuing as we enter the international break.
United succumbed to their third loss in eight
Premier League games at the beginning of the new season, going down 1-0 on Tyneside following another dour display.
Matty Longstaff scored the winning goal for the hosts on his top-flight debut and United are not back in action until league leaders Liverpool visit
Old Trafford on October 20.
“We’re unhappy with the results and it’s the results that bring out the mood of everyone,”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said. “And I’ve got to say sorry to the fans that we’re not winning games.
“But that’s down to starting a rebuild and this is not a similar situation to when I was sat here after [the 4-0 defeat at] Everton last year, when I felt people had given up, and they don’t give what they have for the shirt. These boys give everything for the shirt and we’ll get there again.”
Aaron Connolly scored twice on his first Premier League start as Brighton increased the pressure building on Mauricio Pochettino, thrashing Tottenham 3-0 at the Amex Stadium. Tottenham came into the game low on confidence already following their 7-2 midweek mauling at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, but their problems deepened in only the third minute when goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who was subsequently stretchered from the field after suffering a nasty arm injury , gifted Neil Maupay Brighton’s opener.
Pochettino’s side were second best throughout the first half and Brighton deservedly extended their lead in the 32nd minute thanks to Connolly’s close-range finish.
Spurs’ dreadful afternoon was complete when the impressive Connolly cut inside Toby Alderweireld before finding the far corner to extend Pochettino side’s winless run on the road to 10 Premier League matches, stretching back to January.
A second straight defeat in five days leaves Pochettino, who insisted he would not walk away from Tottenham before the game , facing further scrutiny with his side now seventh and 13 points behind league-leaders Liverpool heading into the international break.
However, the gloom has lifted at the Amex Stadium with Graham Potter, whose side are up to 13th, leading his side to just their second win of the season and a first win at home since March.
Pochettino would have wanted to see a strong opening from his side as they attempted to bounce back from their midweek humbling, but he got nothing of the sort as Spurs made a shocking start on the south coast.
Jurgen Klopp believes Brendan Rodgers will receive a warm welcome on his first return to Anfield as an opposition manager but is warning that Leicester will ensure it is “not a friendly game”.
Almost four years to the day since being sacked by Liverpool, the Northern Irishman will bring his high-flying Foxes to Merseyside for a top-of-the-table encounter.
“The reception will be good, from my side and from the supporters I think as well, but still it is not a friendly game and that’s what we want to make sure,” the Liverpool boss said at his pre-match conference on Friday.
“We are there to perform as well and hopefully that’s what we will do.”
Leicester head into the weekend after a 5-0 victory over Newcastle United at the King Power Stadium last Sunday.
Liverpool are top of the table with a perfect seven wins out of seven Premier League matches this season and are on a winning run of 16 consecutive league matches.
Klopp praised former Celtic boss Rodgers for the job he was doing at Leicester, who are third in the Premier League table, seven points behind Liverpool.
Asked whether the Foxes had the potential to challenge for a spot in the top four, Klopp replied: “It looks like, 100 per cent. It looks like. There is no difference to other top-six teams apart from maybe the name.”
“Of course, it is not forbidden to show up in the top four,” he added. “There are no reservations made and everyone who is ready for that will fight for it. And they will fight for it until the end.”
If Liverpool are to extend their winning run, Klopp knows nullifying the threat of Jamie Vardy could be key.
The striker has scored seven times in nine appearances against the Reds and already has five in the Premier League so far this season for Leicester.
“In general he is an incredible player, for years already, and if he gets the service he will be a proper threat and we have to make sure that will not happen that often. It works in the first place to avoid these passes,” said Klopp.
“We know about his speed obviously, but it is more about timing, so we need to be in the right place at the right moment to defend him. There is no alternative to that.”
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