Sydney FC in talks with Bayern great Thomas Muller
Berlin
Australian club Sydney FC are in talks with Bayern Munich great Thomas Müller, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Wednesday.
Müller, who left Bayern this summer after the Club World Cup, has been heavily linked to a move to the MLS in the United States.
However, according to the report, the player and his representatives have been in talks with Sydney FC 'for several weeks' about a switch to the A-League, and the club believes there is still a chance of convincing him.
Sources with knowledge of the negotiations said that the 2014 World Cup champion had been impressed with the pitch made to him by Sydney FC. A move would see Müller play again alongside former Bayern team-mate Douglas Costa.
The report added that Müller's answer is expected 'within the next week or so, with the club recently informed that they are one of the final two options he is considering.' Broadcaster Sky reported on Tuesday that one of the options in the US for Müller is Los Angeles FC, while FC Cincinnati said last month that they had offered Müller a deal.
The Sydney Morning Herald said that Sydney FC declined to comment, while Müller's management was also contacted for comment.
Müller has yet to officially confirm whether he will continue playing football.
The veteran midfielder is currently on holiday and is expected to sign a contract with his new club next week, Sky said.
Müller left Bayern after 25 years of service as his contract expired this summer and he wasn't given a new deal. His last game for his boyhood club was the 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup quarter-finals.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
6 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Maertens makes golden start at swimming worlds
DPA Singapore Germany's Lukas Maertens added a world title to his 2024 Olympic gold when he triumphed in the 400-metres freestyle in Singapore on Sunday. It was the 23-year-old's first world championship gold. He touched the wall in 3 minutes 42.35 seconds, securing victory ahead of second-placed Samuel Short from Australia. Bronze went to South Korea's Kim Woo Min. 'I am very proud, very happy. It was not a given that I would pull this off. Sam Short is also in excellent form,' Maertens told reporters. 'This was the one title I was still missing. Now I have it. A lot of pressure has been lifted.' The swimming events in the pool at the World Aquatics Championships began on Sunday and run until next Sunday. Germany previously found success in the open water swimming events in Singapore, with Florian Wellbrock sealing three individual golds and helping Germany to mixed relay success. Maertens' impressive form this year was already evident in April when he broke Paul Biedermann's 16-year-old world record in the 400m freestyle with 3:39.96. He had previously only managed bronze and silver in the 400m at world championships. Maertens is also considered a top contender for gold in the 800m freestyle despite health problems in the run-up to Singapore. In the women's 400m freestyle, Canadian Summer McIntosh reigned supreme, putting China's Li Bingjie and US great Katie Ledecky in her wake. A time of 3:56.26 brought her a fifth world championship gold but first in this event, where she took silver at last year's Paris Olympics. In the 4x100m freestyle relays, Australia were unbeatable. The men set a world championship record of 3:08.97 with Flynn Southam, Kai James Taylor, Maximillian Guiliani and Kyle Chambers leaving Italy to settle for second and the US third. The Australian quartet of Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Milla Jansen and Olivia Wunsch also won women's gold. The US took silver and the Netherlands bronze. There were reports of sickness in some camps earlier this week including the US team. Monday's highlights include men's 100m breaststroke, women's 100m butterfly, men's 50m fly and women's 200m medley.
Qatar Tribune
7 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Dogged England beat Spain 3-1 on penalties to retain women's Euro title
dpa Basel, Switzerland Chloe Kelly scored the winning kick yet again as England fought back for a third straight game to retain the women's European football Championship with a penalty shoot-out victory over world champions Spain. Kelly scored the crucial spot-kick on Sunday as the Lionesses prevailed 3-1 in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw. She also netted the winning goal in the Euro final three years ago against Germany. 'I am so proud of this team. So grateful to wear this badge. So proud to be English,' Kelly told the BBC, having also scored the extra-time winner over Italy in the semi, albeit on the rebound after her penalty was saved. 'I was cool, I was composed. I knew I was going to hit the back of the net. I don't miss penalties twice,' she smiled. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved two Spanish penalties in Basel, including from world player of the year and of the tournament Aitana Bonmatí. 'We have got English blood in us, we never say die,' the keeper said. In a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final in Sydney won 1-0 by the Spanish, La Roja again dominated possession but England would not let go of their trophy as they became the first England side across the sexes to win a major tournament abroad. The last team to defend a women's Euro crown was Germany in 2013. England coach Sarina Wiegman, a former Netherlands boss, was already the first coach to reach five major tournament finals in a row. She is now the first to win three straight Euros after the Lionesses came back again having also been behind in the quarters and semis. 'I can't believe it. The word 'team' really describes who we are,' Wiegman said. 'I am so proud of them. It's incredible.' Heart trumps possession Mariona Caldentey nodded in after 25 minutes to put Spain on the way in normal time but an equally good header from Alessia Russo - previously short of goals - pulled England level on 57. Spain came close in extra-time at the end of the most watched women's Euro tournament ever, but England would not be denied. England brought back Jess Carter in central defence for Esme Morgan while Lauren James was fit to play after ankle trouble - but looked off the pace and was replaced by Kelly on 40 minutes. Wiegman had resisted the temptation to start Michelle Agyemang or Kelly despite their heroics in the comeback wins over Sweden and Italy in the previous two rounds. Spain made two changes from the extra-time victory over Germany, with Athenea replacing Clàudia Pina on the wing and defender Laia Aleixandri coming back from suspension for Maria Mendez. England had a couple of early chances while Mariona went close at the other end in an open first half in Basel. She did not have to wait too long though as her bullet header from Ona Batlle's cross after a neat move put Spain in front. Classy Spain had the better of the opening exchanges of the second half too, but then the Lionesses levelled out of nowhere. Kelly's cross was superbly headed home by Russo, who was given too much room by the Spanish defence. She nodded it back the way it came for her second goal of the tournament. The game stayed open and Kelly's shot was just pushed past the post. England teenager Agyemang - the young player of the tournament - was then introduced for Russo, with former world player of the year Alexia Putellas replaced by Pina for Spain. It was the third straight game for England to go at least 120 minutes and the second in a row for Spain. Salma Paralluelo went close for a dominant Spain in the extra period - but penalties were needed. England triumphed as their heart trumped Spain's possession-based approach. The Spanish had wanted to move on from 2023, where the aftermath of their World Cup final win was dominated by the kiss scandal involving then-Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales rather than their victory. 'I'm in shock. We've given it our all,' Bonmatí said. 'I must apologize for my mistake in the penalties and congratulate our opponents. We were superior in terms of play, but that's not everything, you have to score.'
Qatar Tribune
7 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Piastri stretches lead after passing Norris in delayed Belgian GP
DPA Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) Oscar Piastri reasserted his authority in the Formula One world championship by quickly overtaking polesitter Lando Norris to win the weather-delayed Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. The McLaren driver passed his team-mate on the first racing lap after the race began under a safety car and was largely untroubled from there as he extended his lead in the driver's standings to 16 points. 'I knew Lap 1 (after the safety car) would probably be my best chance of winning the race. I got a good exit out of Turn 1, lifted as little as I dared and yeah, we had it mostly under control,' Piastri said after his eighth F1 win and sixth of the season. Briton Norris had won the previous two races to close in on Australian Piastri at the halfway stage of the season. But he now heads to Hungary next Sunday with plenty to ponder after his second place - especially as Piastri won his first race in Budapest last season. Norris remarked: 'Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Oscar deserved it, I'll review my things but still happy for the team, another 1-2 and our first 1-2 here for many, many years.' Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was a distant third. Team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who won here with Mercedes last year but had a Friday and Saturday to forget this time, roared through to seventh having started from the back with a new power unit. Titleholder Max Verstappen, in his first full race under a new Red Bull chief, finished fourth. George Russell of Mercedes, who crossed the line first in Spa last year but was disqualified due to his car being underweight, was fifth on this occasion and Williams' Alex Albon came home sixth. Heavy rain at Spa The race was delayed by an hour and 20 minutes due to visibility being affected by heavy rain - a feature of Spa despite its calendar spot in the European high summer. Four-time world champion Verstappen moaned that officials were being too cautious by postponing the race following the formation lap - but other teams and drivers said a delay made sense. The weather improved and the race, with a full 44 laps, began behind the safety car for four laps. There was still spray but clear skies as all cars started on intermediate tyres. Norris kept the lead for just half a lap after the rolling start as team-mate Piastri pounced, with the overtaken Briton complaining of a possible battery issue. Piastri then sped away and even the switch to dry tyres failed to derail his dominance. Norris went with hard tyres while Piastri took on mediums as McLaren hedged their bets and in the end neither needed to pit again. Norris was quicker than Piastri after the stop, but ran out of road. Verstappen had won Saturday's sprint race having quickly overtaken polesitter Piastri. It was Verstappen's first race since his Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was sacked after 20 years and replaced with Laurent Mekies. But he could not force glory on Sunday, with the drying track giving the Dutchman no chance of threatening the leaders. The track in the Ardennes Forest is a favourite of the drivers and a reason it has stayed on the calendar, along with Verstappen fans in Belgium and the neighbouring Netherlands, which is losing its race from 2027. But most drivers are not a fan of the rain, especially the spray which made it hard to see. But at least it did not turn into the farce of 2021 when three laps were held and only one counted for half points.
