Monaco signs veteran goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecky from Bayer Leverkusen
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Toronto Star
10 hours ago
- Toronto Star
‘I leave defenders behind for breakfast': Leverkusen signs young Dutch winger Ernest Poku
LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Bayer Leverkusen signed speedy young winger Ernest Poku from AZ Alkmaar on Tuesday to strengthen its Dutch connection under new coach Erik ten Hag. Poku can play on both wings and his pace attracted attention in the Europa League last season. Born in Germany, he reached the semifinals of the European under-21 championship with the Netherlands.
Winnipeg Free Press
10 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘I leave defenders behind for breakfast': Leverkusen signs young Dutch winger Ernest Poku
LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Bayer Leverkusen signed speedy young winger Ernest Poku from AZ Alkmaar on Tuesday to strengthen its Dutch connection under new coach Erik ten Hag. Poku can play on both wings and his pace attracted attention in the Europa League last season. Born in Germany, he reached the semifinals of the European under-21 championship with the Netherlands. The 21-year-old arrives on a five-year contract. Leverkusen announced his signing on social media with an image of the character Lightning McQueen from the movie 'Cars' and a compilation of clips of Poku dribbling past defenders. 'I leave defenders behind for breakfast,' Poku said in the video. 'Faster than fast. Quicker than quick. I am Ernest Poku.' He's already played four games in the 2025-26 season, scoring one goal and setting up two more, thanks to Alkmaar's involvement in Europa Conference League qualifying and the start of the Dutch league last week. Ahead of Ten Hag's first competitive game as Leverkusen coach in the German Cup on Friday, Poku joins Dutch goalkeeper Mark Flekken as a new signing. The club has also brought in American forward Malik Tillman from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. It's part of a broader rebuild after coach Xabi Alonso left for Real Madrid and players from Leverkusen's title-winning 2023-24 season left, including Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Granit Xhaka. The scale of the changes led striker Patrik Schick to say last month that he didn't expect Leverkusen to be able to fight for the Bundesliga title without significant signings. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP soccer:
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
Organizers of 2026 FIFA World Cup start search for 65,000 tournament volunteers
Published Aug 11, 2025 • 1 minute read FILE - The trophy is displayed on the pitch ahead of the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Dec. 18, 2022. Photo by Martin Meissner / AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Organizers are looking for volunteers to help staff the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account With 48 teams and 104 games across 16 venues in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. at the expanded soccer showcase, plenty of hands are needed. Organizers expect to use some 65,000 volunteers, including 6,000 in Canada, making the 2026 competition FIFA's largest-ever volunteer program. Organizer says volunteers will provide support across 23 functional areas at official and non-official sites such as stadiums, training sites, airports, hotels and more. 'Volunteers are the heart, soul and smile of FIFA tournaments,' FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement. 'They get to show off their local pride, gain a behind-the-scenes view of the tournament and make memories and friendships that can last a lifetime, while supporting a historic event. We hope interested individuals will join us as we welcome the world to North America in 2026.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Monday marked the launch of the program, with applications now open online through FIFA's volunteer portal. Volunteers whose applications are successful will be invited to attend tryouts, which are expected to begin in October, with training to follow in March Volunteers need to be 18 or older at the time of application, be able to commit to eight shifts between June 11 and July 19, 2026, speak English (with French and Spanish also 'desirable' in Canada and Mexico, respectively, with other languages a plus) and pass a background check, among other requirements. While you can choose which host city you want to volunteer in, FIFA does not help with travel or accommodation. The role is unpaid, although local transportation costs in the host city may be covered. Toronto and Vancouver are the tournament's Canadian host cities, with six games scheduled for Toronto's BMO Field and seven at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium. Celebrity World Columnists Ontario Sunshine Girls
