Sports

Hummels Sends Dortmund Into Champions League Final

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2 years ago

May 8, 2024

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Matt Hummels was the hero on the night as his 50th-minute header sent Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League final with a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, giving the Germans a 2-0 win on aggregate.

Dortmund will face either fellow German side Bayern Munich or 14-time champions Real Madrid in the final at Wembley on June 1.

Hummels struck five minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes and PSG were unable to muster a response, the home side all out of luck as they hit the woodwork four times in total.

Dortmund, who sit fifth in the German Bundesliga, were never expected to go so far and will be underdogs in the June 1 showpiece regardless of whether they face their old rivals Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, who meet on Wednesday.

It will be their first final since 2013 when, remarkably, the match was also played at Wembley and Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund team lost to Bayern.

Hummels played in that final and here, 11 years later, he was the hero as Dortmund built on the advantage given to them by Niclas Fuellkrug’s goal in the first leg.

The story of this semi-final, however, is just as much about PSG’s failure in another crunch knockout tie in the competition.

They have still never won the trophy despite all the money invested by their Qatari owners since the 2011 takeover, and there will be no dream send-off for Mbappe.

He will leave when his contract expires after this season and had been hoping to play his last game for the club in the June 1 final.

Instead PSG will be left to reflect on how they failed to get their hands on the biggest trophy of all during Mbappe’s seven years at his hometown team.

PSG’s last two semi-final appearances both came during the pandemic, meaning this was the first time they had hosted a match at this stage of a European competition with fans in 29 years, since losing to AC Milan in 1995.

They were favourites to reach their first Champions League final since 2020, despite their defeat in Dortmund six days earlier.

– Woodwork to rescue –

Luis Enrique’s team had won 2-0 at home against the same opponents in the group stage and were safe in the knowledge that a repeat of that performance would be enough.

The PSG coach made one major selection decision, dropping Bradley Barcola and bringing in Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos. That meant moving Mbappe out of a central position and onto the left wing.

Dortmund would have been bracing themselves for an onslaught from kick-off, but that did not transpire.

Mbappe took only seven minutes to produce his first attempt, yet his volley was easily saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

The hosts had most of the possession but struggled to get Mbappe into the game, with the France captain often looking isolated on the wing.

In fact it was Dortmund who had the best chance of the first half, when Karim Adeyemi led a counterattack before seeing his shot saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

It felt as though the hosts needed to change something or risk going out with a whimper.

They should have been ahead two minutes after the restart, when Ramos touched on a ball driven into the box by Mbappe, but Warren Zaire-Emery somehow contrived to hit the post from close range.

That was to prove crucial as Dortmund struck moments later.

PSG cheaply conceded a corner, and Julian Brandt’s resulting delivery from the Dortmund right was headed in by Hummels.

Ramos swept a shot over from a Vitinha pass on the hour mark before Nuno Mendes became the second PSG player to strike the right-hand post, this time with a powerful shot from outside the box.

It was starting to look as if it would really not be PSG’s night, and Luis Enrique realised he had to act as he sent on Barcola and Marco Asensio for Ramos and Fabian Ruiz, moving Mbappe through the middle.

Dortmund responded by withdrawing Jadon Sancho and sending on an extra defender in the hulking Niklas Suele.

They withstood everything PSG threw at them but were also helped by the frame of the goal, with Kobel turning Mbappe’s shot onto the bar on 86 minutes and Vitinha then rattling the bar too.

Sports

Mo Salah takes over from Osimhen as the highest paid player in Turkish league

Published

2 hours ago

August 7, 2026

Austin Ojomah

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Egyptian sensation Mohamed Salah has reportedly become the highest-paid footballer in the Turkish Super Lig following his move to Trabzonspor, with his weekly salary surpassing that of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.

According to salary data published by Capology, the former Liverpool star is earning £342,500 per week after signing a two-year contract with the Turkish club, making him the league’s top earner.

Salah’s reported wages place him ahead of Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen, who previously occupied the top spot with an estimated weekly salary of £307,795.

Former Chelsea and France midfielder N’Golo Kante, now with Fenerbahce, ranks third on the list, taking home £225,716 every week.

The Super Lig’s growing financial strength is further reflected in the salaries of several other international stars who now ply their trade in Turkey.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson, who recently joined the Turkish top flight, reportedly earns £225,716 per week, matching Kante’s salary.

Former Bayern Munich and Germany winger Leroy Sane is also among the league’s highest earners, with reported weekly wages of £184,677.

Three other high-profile players Mason Greenwood, Milan Skriniar, and Marco Asensio are each said to receive £164,157 per week.

Brazilian attacking midfielder Anderson Talisca reportedly earns £153,980 weekly, while Belgian international Leandro Trossard takes home £133,460.

Rounding off the list are Nathan Ake and Matteo Guendouzi, who are each reported to earn £123,118 every week.

Salah’s arrival is widely seen as another major statement of intent by the Turkish Super Lig, which has increasingly attracted established European stars through lucrative contracts and ambitious transfer deals.

Sports

English FA withdraws support for Infantino – Reports

Published

4 hours ago

August 7, 2026

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The English Football Association has withdrawn its support for under-fire FIFA president Gianni Infantino after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, according to reports on Thursday.

The BBC and Sky said the FA has sent a letter underlining its refusal to back Infantino, who wanted to sell a 20 percent stake in the World Cup to private equity investors through his FIFA Forward Enterprise.

The plan sparked a cascade of criticism for Infantino and was rejected by European body UEFA and two other continental confederations, forcing him to scrap the scheme last week.

Amid growing calls for his resignation, the 56-year-old received the backing of senior FIFA directors at an emergency meeting in Morocco on Wednesday.

But UEFA turned the heat back up on Infantino on Thursday when it said it would maintain its plan to boycott the men’s and women’s World Cups in protest at his “shabby” plot.

UEFA said in a statement that FIFA’s support of Infantino “changed nothing”.

According to British media, the English FA has joined the chorus of disapproval by refusing to support his bid for re-election as FIFA president next year.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who now works for FIFA, and ex-Portugal star Luis Figo are among the leading names from the football world to condemn Infantino’s plan.

As Infantino clings to his role, global players’ union, FIFPRO on Thursday condemned FIFA and its president for their “abuse of power”.

FIFA had said during Wednesday’s meeting that “mistakes” were “acknowledged”.

World football’s governing body insisted it was “not the intention” for the FIFA Council and member associations to “feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently”.

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Newcastle Appoints Matthias Jaissle As New Head Coach

Published

1 day ago

August 6, 2026

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Newcastle United have confirmed the appointment of Matthias Jaissle as the club’s new head coach following the departure of Eddie Howe.

The Genius Media Nigeria reports that the English Premier League club announced the appointment on Wednesday, with the 38-year-old German taking over at St. James’ Park after a successful spell with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli.

Although Jaissle has built an impressive coaching résumé in recent years, he is yet to manage a club in one of Europe’s top-flight leagues.

Reacting to his appointment, Jaissle expressed delight at joining Newcastle, describing the opportunity as one of the biggest moments of his coaching career.

“It is an incredible honour to become head coach of Newcastle United.

“This is one of the biggest clubs in European football, with a unique history, identity and supporter base, and I am excited to experience that passion and connection first-hand.

“When Newcastle United comes your way, you take notice. The ambition of the club, the vision for the future and the opportunity ahead made this an incredibly compelling place to be. I have followed the club’s journey closely in recent years and the progress that has been made is clear for everyone to see,” he said.

Jaissle’s playing career ended prematurely at the age of 25 after he suffered an injury.

He moved into coaching and got his first managerial opportunity with Austrian club Liefering, where he guided the team to a second-place finish in the second division, matching the club’s best-ever league performance.

In 2021, he was appointed head coach of Red Bull Salzburg and enjoyed immediate success, leading the Austrian giants to back-to-back league titles as well as lifting the Austrian Cup.

He later joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in 2023, where he further enhanced his reputation by leading the club to consecutive AFC Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026.

Jaissle takes charge of a Newcastle side looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2025/26 campaign.

His predecessor, Eddie Howe, transformed the Magpies during his five-year spell at the club after replacing Steve Bruce in November 2021.

Howe guided Newcastle back into the UEFA Champions League in 2023 before securing qualification again in 2025.

His biggest achievement came in March 2025 when Newcastle defeated Liverpool in the League Cup final to win their first major trophy since 1969.

Despite his earlier successes, Howe came under increasing pressure last season as Newcastle struggled in the Premier League.

The uncertainty surrounding striker Alexander Isak’s prolonged transfer to Liverpool affected the team’s campaign, with the Magpies finishing 12th after suffering 17 defeats in 38 league matches.

Newcastle also reached the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 but were convincingly beaten 8-3 on aggregate by Barcelona.

The club has since lost more key players during the summer transfer window, with midfielder Sandro Tonali joining Tottenham Hotspur and England international Anthony Gordon completing a move to Barcelona.

Jaissle will now be expected to rebuild the squad and restore Newcastle’s challenge for European qualification and domestic honours.