🎥 Incredible scenes, Sané welcomed like royalty on arrival
Leroy Sané landed in Istanbul just after midnight. His impending move to Galatasaray drew thousands of fans to the airport, even at that hour. His reception was akin to that of a head of state or a national hero.
The flight route was tracked on the official Youtube channel. Over a million Gala fans followed the broadcast. At its peak, there were even over two million followers.
One could already guess what would happen a little later at the airport in Istanbul.
Leroy Sané, as a star player for FC Bayern and the German national team, has experienced a lot, but even the 29-year-old probably did not expect such a reception.
"There were many offers. But Galatasaray as a whole really impressed me. I was very impressed by the atmosphere, the size of the club, how much they wanted me, how much interest they showed in me. That's why I'm at Galatasaray," Sané said at the airport: "I'm very grateful to the fans. It means a lot to me that they came here at this hour. I'm really looking forward to my first game in front of these fans. I thank President Dursun Özbek, Coach Okan Buruk, and Abdullah Kavukcu for their trust." Galatasaray had previously announced the impending transfer.
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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
📸 LUKAS BARTH-TUTTAS - AFP or licensors
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21 Wins, 21 Years Later: The intentional safety and the Bill Bowl
SetNumber: X69649 TK1 Twenty-one years ago, the New England Patriots completed the most dominant streak in the history of the NFL, finishing with 21 wins in a row across two seasons. Since it was such a dominant run, we have decided to take a look back at each one of the games. Advertisement This is the third in the series, so expect a ton more to come, and make sure to follow along on YouTube for the accompanying videos for each game as well. Today, let's take a look at Wins No. 5 and 6. Win No. 5: Patriots 30, Broncos 26 2003 Week 9 | Nov. 3, 2003, 9 p.m. ET | Invesco Field at Mile High Setting the scene: As the calendar flipped to November, the 6-2 Patriots headed west for a prime time tangle with the 5-3 Denver Broncos. Tom Brady and copmany had struggled against their AFC West foe, losing to them in each of the two previous seasons. Mile High also was the site of Brady's first career interception two years prior (he ended up throwing four picks that day) in a 31-20 loss. Advertisement After starting that season 4-0, Denver lost three of four heading into this contest following injuries to starting quarterback Jake Plummer and backup Steve Beuerlein. Third-string passer Danny Kanell, who spent 2001 out of football and 2002 in the Arena Football League, would get his second straight start that night. It would also be his last in the NFL. Despite the revolving door at quarterback, the Broncos had plenty of big names within their ranks. Head coach Mike Shanahan had won two Super Bowls, and his offenses would continue to give Bill Belichick fits for the next two decades. Offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak would also find success as a head coach. The offense, meanwhile, was built around star running back Clinton Portis, tight end Shannon Sharpe in his final season, and wide receivers Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie. Receiver Ed McCaffrey, father of now-49er Christian, also played on that team but was inactive for this game. On a cold night in Denver with linebacker Al Wilson wired for sound, the Broncos were favored by two points. Game breakdown: Early in this one, Brady's Denver struggles continued. On New England's first possession, he fumbled a snap, and the Broncos recovered. Clinton Portis would capitalize a few plays later with a 15-yard touchdown run. On the next drive, Brady then threw a ball into traffic that was intercepted by Kenoy Kennedy. Thanks to Jason Elam missing a 44-yard field goal, however, Denver's lead remained 7-0. Advertisement It took one play on the next drive for Brady to tie the score. He unloaded on a deep play-action pass to Deion Branch, going over the top of the Denver defense for a 66-yard TD. The teams would trade field goals early in the second quarter before Danny Kanell led a 72-yard, 14-play touchdown drive that took over half the quarter. Without Richard Seymour and with rookie Dan Klecko asked to start at nose tackle — the 40th different starter the Patriots had in 2003 — Shanahan was able to dial up the play-action passing game to slowly move the ball down the field. A trio of Patriots penalties would also help the Broncos get to the 1-yard line with half a minute left in the half, where Kanell would find Mike Anderson in the flat for a touchdown to go up 17-10. The Patriots would finish the half with nine penalties. Thanks to a Bethel Johnson kick return, the Patriots were able to get back within four before the break. He took a kickoff 63 yards to the Denver 36, and Brady found Kevin Faulk for an 8-yard gain to set up Adam Vinatieri for a 46-yard field goal that split the uprights with 1 second left on the clock. In the third quarter, Brady put the Pats on top for the first time with a play-action bootleg pass to Daniel Graham in the end zone. The lead did not last long, though. After a Lonie Paxton penalty forced the Patriots to re-punt following their next possession, future Patriot Deltha O'Neal took advantage of a short kick and took it 57 yards to the house to put Denver ahead 24-20 heading into the final period. Advertisement New England added a field goal on the next possession, and the Patriots remained down by a single point when the Broncos took over midway through the fourth quarter. This would set up the game's final sequence and one of the iconic Bill Belichick decisions. Up by one, Denver began to run out the clock. Behind Clinton Portis, the Broncos advanced inside the New England 40 as the clock ticked under four minutes remaining. Faced with a 3rd-and-4 from the New England 35 with 3:21 remaining, Rodney Harrison broke up a pass intended for Shannon Sharpe. With kicker Jason Elam injured, Denver opted to punt, and Micah Knorr managed to pin the Patriots on their 1-yard line with 3:06 remaining. While the situation seemed set up for another Tom Brady comeback, three straight incompletions took just 15 seconds off the clock and left the Patriots backed up in their own end zone; a Daniel Graham drop on second down was particularly costly. Belichick appeared to have two options: he could decide to go for it on fourth down, but picking up 10 yards would be difficult and not converting would put Denver a single yard away from sealing the game, or he could punt, even though there was a high risk the punt could be blocked with Ken Walter standing deep in his own end zone. Returner Deltha O'Neal had already scored a touchdown as well, and another would seal the game for Denver. Even a modest return could put the Broncos in range to add a field goal, extending the lead to four and forcing the Patriots to score a touchdown instead of a field goal on the ensuing drive. Instead, Belichick looked behind door No. 3. As announcer Al Michaels astutely pointed out, the Patriots could take an intentional safety. While giving the Broncos a pair of free points would increase the deficit to three, meaning a field goal on the next Patriots possession would merely tie the game instead of taking the lead, it would allow New England to kick from the 20 with no chance for a block. Advertisement Belichick instructed Lonie Paxton to snap it over the punter's head and out of the end zone, and Walter then booted the free kick behind a confused O'Neal forcing the Broncos to start the next possession from their own 15-yard line. The decision combined with Denver's misjudgement totally flipped field position, and after forcing a three-and-out, the Patriots regained possession at their own 42. That meant Brady had to drive the offense just 30 yards to set up a game-tying field goal attempt by Adam Vinatieri. Vinatieri would not be needed. 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He had the long touchdown to Branch, a 48-yard completion to David Givens to set up a field goal, another one to Branch for 30 yards to open the second half, and passes of 21 and 20 yards to Givens and Christian Fauria on the fourth quarter field goal drive. Add in three chunk plays on the game-winning drive and no sacks despite constant pressure, and it's easy to see why he won AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Another thing that caught our eye was Bill Belichick breaking out his red hoodie. At this point in his career, it seemed to be a good omen. Elsewhere in sports: The most noteworthy occurrence in the world of sports that week was not in football. On the previous Wednesday, LeBron James made his NBA debut. With a game-high 25 points at Sacramento, he immediately came on to the scene. The night before the Patriots beat the Broncos, Brett Favre led the Packers to a win in Minnesota despite a broken thumb in his throwing hand. With a splint on his right thumb, he tossed three touchdowns and also threw a block for running back Ahman Green as the Packers got back to .500 and pulled within two games of the Vikings. Win No. 6: Patriots 12, Cowboys 0 2003 Week 11 | Nov. 16, 2003, 8:30 pm. ET | Gillette Stadium Advertisement Setting the scene: This was not Bill Parcells' first return to Foxboro, of course; he had left the Patriots to become head coach of the hated Jets in 1997. However, this was the first matchup between him and Bill Belichick since his former assistant resigned as Parcells' successor with the Jets and came to New England via trade. Parcells and Belichick were 2-2 head-to-head going into this game, with Belichick winning the lone playoff matchup between the two back in 1994. All four of those games had come with Belichick coaching the Browns and Parcells coaching the Patriots. This felt like a real test of the up-and-coming head coach for Patriots fans. 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The most recent title winners from England, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Japan, Major League Soccer (the U.S. and Canada) and a few others are absent. That's quite a lot of big/good teams missing. Of the six main continental club competitions from around the globe, only half of the reigning champions will be present. Paris Saint-Germain from Europe, Botafogo (South America) and semi-pro side Auckland City from Oceania are all there, but the most recent winners from Africa (Pyramids), Asia (Al Ahli) and North/Central America (Cruz Azul) will not. There is a logic to waving through the European, South American and Asian champions from the qualifying period (the continental winners each year from 2021 to 2024), but the problem is things move very fast in football. Rewarding a team in 2025 for what they did three or four years before isn't necessarily going to produce great results. Take Urawa Red Diamonds. 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New York Times
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That switch, along with training with the first team on several occasions this term, means he has not been tested at first-team level. He is valued as one of the most complete 'keepers at Madrid's academy but can still improve his aerial game, despite being 6ft 3in. Advertisement He could be loaned out or sold with Madrid retaining some control over his future — as they have done with many academy players — to develop more next season. Fortea is probably the best-known of the academy youngsters as he was the first player to break that pact with Atletico when he crossed the divide in 2023. Now 18, he has attracted interest from other clubs but renewed his deal with Madrid until 2029 as they see a lot of potential, even if he has only appeared for Madrid's 'C' team and the under-19s. Fortea is gifted technically, but training-ground sources think he can still develop physically. They want to go step-by-step with him and not elevate him immediately to the first team — that is still the long-term vision, with new Castilla coach Alvaro Arbeloa, a former right-back, expected to play a key role next campaign. Trent Alexander-Arnold will start the tournament in this position after his €10million (£8.5m; $11.6m) switch from Liverpool, which is likely to limit Fortea's options. With Dean Huijsen and Asencio available as a centre-back pairing and Rudiger expected to be available for the most important games of the tournament, provided Madrid reach the latter stages, there was little urgency to fill gaps in this position. That is why Alonso has called up the 20-year-old Ramon as his only academy centre-back. Alonso coached him in the 2018-19 season, when he was in charge of Madrid's under-14s, and Ramon could fit in well with the coach's combination play. 🔙 Jacobo Ramón with Xabi Alonso back in 2019. 🤍 — Real Madrid Fabrica (@FabricaMadrid) January 27, 2025 But Jacobo lacks speed and has yet to improve in that aspect of his game. Barring an exceptional situation, such as an injury crisis, he is not expected to play regularly for the first team — despite appearing in five games this season and scoring his first senior goal in May. He could be given minutes with Castilla or go out on loan. Advertisement After failing to reach an agreement with Benfica to sign Alvaro Carreras before the Club World Cup, Alonso's only fit senior left-back is Fran Garcia. He has bolstered that position with the 19-year-old Youssef Enriquez, better known as 'Yusi', and Aguado, 18. The former has already been called up to Morocco's senior team — in March 2024, although he did not play — and is being watched by La Liga clubs who see him as a potential surprise package if he plays in the tournament. Yusi is a converted winger and is unsurprisingly strong in attack with an eye for goal. He is seen as a player who uses his speed well in defence but still has to improve playing in a back four. Club sources say he is very mature for his age. Aguado is different. At Madrid, they consider him to be one of the academy players with the best chance of making it to the first team at some point. He can play at centre-back and left-back, is confident in his passing and reads the game well, according to those behind the scenes. He still has a lot of development left, but could do that at Castilla next year if he does not leave. The left-backs are likely to be the academy players with the best chance of playing in the U.S., given the lack of alternatives in that position, with Mendy and backup option Camavinga injured. Madrid and Real Valladolid reached an agreement to end Martin's loan a few weeks early so that he could go to the Club World Cup. Though the 21-year-old midfielder's loan team suffered relegation, members of the player's camp have pointed out that the same thing happened to Federico Valverde when he was on loan at Deportivo La Coruna in 2017-18. That spell proved formative for the Uruguayan and they think the same could be true of Martin's time at Valladolid. His profile perhaps does not fit Alonso's system, given he is a more defensive player and Aurelien Tchouameni is a strong first-team option in that position, although those at the club appreciate his work ethic and attitude. At 6ft 2in, Chema is seen as a different kind of midfielder. Training-ground sources see some similarities with Manchester City's Rodri in his balance and the key role he plays from deep midfield. He is seen as a more natural fit for Alonso's system and is another player who was coached by the new boss when he was in charge of the under-14s. Advertisement Unfortunately, Chema faces competition in midfield and needs playing time and confidence to develop his game. Garcia scored 25 times for Castilla this season, setting a record for the most goals in a single season of the reformed Spanish third tier. The 21-year-old striker works hard and has been praised for his movement. He has appeared six times for Madrid's first team and in February, he scored his first senior goal, a late winner against Leganes, to send Ancelotti's team through to the Copa del Rey semi-finals. But Garcia is only seen as a substitute striker in the same way as Alvaro Morata and Joselu in recent years. Madrid sources see him as a useful player but teams, including Alaves, Getafe and Brighton & Hove Albion, are monitoring his progress. His case is similar to fellow 21-year-old Munoz, who also excelled at Castilla this term with 11 goals and seven assists. A winger rather than a striker, he is valued for his speed and is seen as having enough potential to play for a La Liga side next year — although for now, he is expected to be a reserve option for Alonso. Both were called on by the first team several times at the end of the season and proved their worth, particularly in a 2-0 win on the penultimate day of the season at Sevilla. (Top photos: Xabi Alonso oversees training, Yusi in action for Castilla last season; Getty Images)
