Bayern Munich have received some encouraging news from the treatment room, with Holger Badstuber resuming squad training after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The Germany international has not featured for Bayern since picking up a thigh injury in the 6-1 Champions League win over Porto in April.
Badstuber had already resumed individual training and he has now taken the next step in his recovery process, joining his team-mates for parts of squad training on Thursday.
We are all incredibly happy that Holger is back again, left-back David Alaba told the official Bayern website.
Badstuber, 26, came through the ranks of the Bayern youth academy and quickly became an important member of the first team after he made his debut under Louis van Gaal in 2009-10.…
Monaco have appointed Philippe Clement as their new head coach, two days after sacking Niko Kovac.
Clement joins the Ligue 1 outfit from Belgian side Club Brugge, where he had been in charge since 2019.
He guided them to the Belgian Pro League title in both of his two full seasons at the helm, while he also claimed the Belgian Super Cup in 2021.
Former Bayern Munich coach Kovac succeeded Robert Moreno in July 2020 on a three-year deal and finished third in his only full campaign in charge.
However, Monaco lost to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League qualifying play-off stages in August and sit sixth in Ligue 1 after 19 matches.
They won three of their final four league games of 2021, but confirmed on Saturday that Kovac had been relieved o…
Cesc Fabregas is looking forward to working with Italy coach Antonio Conte when he takes over at Stamford Bridge – but first he wants to dump him out of Euro 2016 with Spain.
Italy and Spain meet on Monday in a last-16 match that is a repeat of the Euro 2012 final and the Chelsea midfielder is looking forward to the challenge.
It s always tough against Italy. They are competitive and have a lot of experience. They have what it takes to win a tournament, Fabregas told Gazetta World.
It will be tough to beat them as matches against the Azzurri are always 50-50, aside from the final in 2012 [which Spain won 4-0].
[That final] It’s the best 90 minutes we’ve put together. We enjoyed ourselves and that doesn t usually happen in a final.
Mikel Arteta has challenged Emile Smith Rowe to demonstrate hunger and consistency to regain his place in Arsenal s starting line-up.
The playmaker enjoyed a successful 2021-22 season with the Gunners, scoring 10 goals and providing two assists in 33 Premier League appearances.
Bukayo Saka (11 goals, seven assists) was the only Arsenal player to be directly involved in more goals than Smith Rowe, whose impressive performances saw him break into Gareth Southgate s England squad.
However, a combination of injuries and illness has seen the 22-year-old lose his place in Arsenal s team. Indeed, he has only appeared twice from the bench during the Gunners bright start to the Premier League season.
Speaking ahead of his side s clash with Fulham at the Emirates S…
Real Madrid fans should show more respect towards star forward Cristiano Ronaldo for what he has achieved with the club, according to Kaka.
Ronaldo, 31, joined the La Liga outfit from Manchester United in 2009 and has gone on to score over 350 goals in seven seasons in the Spanish capital, winning a La Liga and Champions League in that time.
However, the Portugal international has been jeered by sections of the Madrid supporter base this season, along with several of his team-mates.
And Kaka, who played alongside Ronaldo for four years between 2009 and 2013, believes Ronaldo deserves more respect from the fans.
Cristiano is a great player, I am not just talking about his quality, but in terms of what he has contributed to Madrid, the Orlando City mid…
Tottenham s appointment of Ange Postecoglou is part of a golden era for Australian football, according to James Johnson.
Postecoglou was handed a four-year deal at Spurs on Tuesday, leaving Scottish champions Celtic after two successful years which culminated in a domestic treble.
Football Australia CEO Johnson believes Tottenham fans are wrong to hold concerns over Postecoglou – who has been hired to replace Antonio Conte – even if the 57-year-old was not one of the biggest names available.
Johnson feels Postecoglou s track record speaks for itself and is certain he will succeed in the Premier League in an era of rapid progress for figures connected with Australian football.
Australian football is in a golden era right now, Johnson said to Stats Per…
Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire at the age of 24 after being diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition.
The Zambia captain fell ill while on a flight to join up with his national side during the recent international break and spent a period of time in hospital in Mali.
After undergoing further tests, it was discovered Mwepu s illness was down to a heart condition, which can worsen over time and be exacerbated by playing sport.
Brighton confirmed on Monday that Mwepu has called time on his career, as he would have an extremely high risk of suffering a cardiac arrest should he continue playing.
In a statement on the club s official website, Mwepu said he intends to stay involved in football in some capacity.
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In this footballing climate, what are Bayern Munich and where do they sit in its pecking order?
From Barcelona, to Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus in recent years, the financial and footballing disparity between Europe s elite and the rest has warped perception. Lifting the league trophy at the end of the season no longer provides safety for a head coach.
Even then, Bayern are an extreme example. In the six years since Pep Guardiola left for Manchester City, they have gone through six head coaches, despite winning the Bundesliga in every season over that same period.
Bayern have been global standard-bearers for nearly four decades. Where other clubs and leagues have had lull periods away from the very highest levels of European football, they have consistently…
Bayern Munich are interested in signing Julian Alvarez from Manchester City in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that Bundesliga champions Bayern have voiced an interest in the Argentina international striker, but City are not willing to sell him.
City, who won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League last season, have reportedly “laughed off suggestions they could be willing to part ways” with Alvarez. The striker, who won the 2022 Qatar World Cup with Argentina, is behind Erling Haaland in the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium.
Alvarez made 13 starts and 18 substitute appearances in the Premier League for City last season. The 23-year-old scored nine goals in those games. The striker also made four starts and s…
Prior to the home game against Watford, Mauricio Pochettino had pointed to a dinner invite from his Tottenham players as an indication of their continued support.
The offer was less about attending his last supper and instead a sign they remained strong as a unit, determined to turn around a campaign that had started unravelling rapidly prior to the international break, according to the defiant Spurs boss.
Against the Hornets, there was certainly no sign of a lack of effort from the team. The problem was more to do with the lack of a cutting edge, culminating in a 1-1 draw that stops the rot but offers little in the way of long-term optimism.
The fixture list had seemingly served up an appetising offer for Spurs to move on quickly from back-to-back defeats ear…