Mainz extend contract of understudy keeper
Robin Zentner is playing a big part in Mainz's Champions League push this season. Meanwhile, reserve goalkeeper Daniel Batz extends his contract at the club until 2026. The 34-year-old is yet to feature this term.
Advertisement
"He's an absolute role model both humanly and athletically," said Mainz's sporting director Niko Bungert about the former 1. FC Saarbrücken shot-stopper. 'He gives 100 percent in every training session. We are happy that he will be joining us for another year.'
"I am happy to continue to be part of the 05 family," reflected Batz after penning a new deal at the club. 'There have been ups and downs, but we've always mastered everything together. Mainz 05 is a family-oriented club with very close ties to its city; everyone gives a lot to one another.'
Batz deputized for the absence of Zentner in four Bundesliga matches last term. Thanks to a remarkable season under Bo Henriksen, Mainz will most likely feature in European competition next season.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
PSG begin French title defence as Pogba returns home and Paris FC step up
Paris Saint-Germain will be hoping a severely curtailed summer break does not come back to bite them as the Ligue 1 season begins this weekend, headlined by the newly-crowned European champions and featuring the return to France of Paul Pogba. It is just the second time that the French top flight has boasted the Champions League winners among its ranks, with PSG's success against Inter Milan in May following Marseille's triumph in 1993. Luis Enrique's team added the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday as they came from two goals down against Tottenham before winning on penalties. The nature of that success was made all the more remarkable given they had just a week's pre-season training under their belts, and no friendly matches. That is after they went all the way to the Club World Cup final in the United States, their 3-0 defeat against Chelsea on July 13 bringing the curtain down on a marathon 65-game season. That did not take the shine off their achievement in winning the Champions League, but those exertions risk having an impact on Luis Enrique's players further down the line. "What we did last season had been the objective for all PSG supporters, for the whole club, and for everyone who played for the club," PSG's coach said this week. "Now we want to keep on making history, and that means winning consecutive Champions Leagues, so that is our objective. That is the dream." Put another way, continued European success is the priority over winning a 12th domestic title in 14 years. PSG are nevertheless overwhelming favourites to do that as they attack the season having added goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier from Lille to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Ukrainian centre-back Illia Zabarnyi from Bournemouth. - Lyon back from brink - French football has been mired in crisis due to difficulties finding a domestic broadcast partner willing to offer the kind of money needed to help teams beyond PSG compete with their European counterparts. At the end of last season, the French league pulled the plug on a cut-price deal with streaming platform DAZN. Instead it has launched its own platform, a bold step which may succeed in the long run but for now means clubs have no guaranteed television income. Seven-time champions Lyon's woes almost led to them being relegated -- they were initially demoted to Ligue 2 by French football's financial watchdog before successfully appealing that punishment. However, they were told they would have to cut their wage bill and transfer budget for this campaign and the future still looks uncertain -- key players such as Rayan Cherki, Alexandre Lacazette and goalkeeper Lucas Perri have all departed. Marseille and Monaco completed the podium in Ligue 1 last season and surely have the best chance of challenging PSG this time. Monaco have signed Pogba on a two-year deal, giving the 2018 World Cup winner a chance to revive a career that has been stalled by injury and an 18-month doping ban. - Capital derby returns - Pogba is now 32 and has hardly played in three years, but Monaco are hopeful he can help them make a real push at the top of the table. "The next step for us is to have a team that is mentally stronger, that really believes it can go far in the Champions League and challenge Paris," said Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro. Pogba has never previously played in France having left Le Havre for Manchester United as a teenager. Fellow 2018 World Cup winner Olivier Giroud, meanwhile, has returned to Ligue 1 aged 38 to join Lille. It remains to be seen what impact he might have, and whether Paris FC can feature prominently following promotion. They have big ambitions after a takeover last year by the Arnaults, one of the world's wealthiest families. It is the first time since 1990 that two Parisian teams have featured in the top flight, and the rivalry between them will be stoked by the fact Paris FC will play home games at the Stade Jean-Bouin -- a stone's throw from PSG's Parc des Princes. Paris FC have already invested significant sums in the transfer market but will probably have to wait before seriously challenging their neighbours. "Everyone is eagerly looking forward to the derbies, but we know very well that the gulf between us is huge. They are on another planet," said Paris FC president Pierre Ferracci. as/pi


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
2025-26 Premier League top 4 odds: Will there be a surprise Champions League entrant?
In a strange way, the most exciting aspect of last season's Premier League was the race for Champions League football. The destination of the title and which teams would be relegated became abundantly clear too early to be truly compelling. The Champions League qualification situation became even more intriguing once it was clear the top five would all secure a place. Advertisement Ultimately, Newcastle won the race for fifth and joined Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea in the top five. Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest only just missed out, with Brighton not far behind. The reigning champions, Liverpool, are 2/13 to finish in the top four. It seems as close to a certainty as one could find in football. They won the league at a canter during Arne Slot's first season in charge and they've strengthened over the summer, most notably adding Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz. The latter, in particular, should surely be enough to prevent the side going from champions to dropping out of the top four altogether. Arsenal are at odds of 2/11, unsurprising after three successive seasons finishing in second place. The most significant new addition is Viktor Gyökeres, the striker the supporters have been crying out for in the belief it could be the difference between yet another silver medal and actually winning the top prize. There is a feeling that Arsenal are only getting better, so it would be hard to envision them dropping out of the Champions League places. Manchester City finished third last term, a disaster by their impeccably high standards, but there was a point in the season when even a top-four berth seemed unlikely. They rallied and reached the FA Cup final too, but Pep Guardiola would undoubtedly see the campaign as a failure. Still, the club has not missed out on Champions League qualification since 2010 and there is a reason Betfair is offering odds of 2/9 for City to finish in the top four. Betfair have Chelsea at 8/15 to finish in the top four, something they only just managed under Enzo Maresca last season, securing Champions League football on the final day. Optimism abounds, though, especially after an unlikely Club World Cup triumph that few would have predicted before the tournament began. Estêvão's arrival from Palmeiras is a major boon for the Stamford Bridge faithful as the Brazilian starlet looks to impress ahead of the World Cup next summer. Newcastle were the beneficiaries of that additional Champions League place last season, fifth position being good enough to see Eddie Howe's team qualify for Europe's elite club competition. They are 7/2 to go one better and finish in the top four in 2025-26. The big blow is the Alexander Isak situation, given it now seems unlikely the star man will play for Newcastle again. Anthony Elanga's arrival from Nottingham Forest will be a major bonus on the wing, though, as Howe looks to juggle domestic and European competition. Advertisement Perhaps more of a surprise at 7/2 are Manchester United, off the back of a season in which Ruben Amorim's side finished 15th and lost the worst European final in living memory to Tottenham Hotspur. United have looked brighter in pre-season and are boosted by the arrival of attacking talent in the form of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško. This new look front three will surely help United bounce back from a season in which they struggled to score goals for large periods. There is a suggestion that United's spending is not over yet: They could do with a goalkeeper and central midfielder as they look to recapture the glory days of yore. One blessing in disguise could be a lack of European football, given how badly Amorim's players struggled with two games a week last campaign. Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are both 9/2 to end up in the top four. Villa enjoyed a Champions League run last season under Unai Emery and looked like qualifying again for large portions of the campaign. Their biggest signing of the summer is Evann Guessand from Nice, brought in to bolster the forward line. Villa's resurgence under Emery has been one of the great success stories of recent years and they have every chance of qualifying for the Champions League once more. Spurs are the unknown quantity this term. They qualified for the Champions League by winning the dismal Europa League final, but sensibly still decided that the league form was too poor to continue with Ange Postecoglou at the helm. He has been replaced by Thomas Frank after his years of fine work at Brentford. The fixture congestion is not ideal. Nor is the knee injury that will sideline James Maddison indefinitely. Spurs need to recruit, having seemingly missed out on the signature of target Morgan Gibbs-White. Finishing in the top four would be a remarkable achievement for Frank, especially considering Spurs ended last season one place above the relegation zone. Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Liam Delap: Richard Pelham / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Premier League top four odds: Latest Premier League top 4 odds 25/26 season
The 2025/26 Premier League season will once again provide great intrigue in the battle for the top four places in the standings. As with any season, the race for the top four will provide an intriguing backstory to the season, with this competition having become one of the most intriguing facets of each season. With top four guaranteeing Champions League football for next season, it is as valuable as winning a trophy for many teams, with the race having become more open in recent seasons as new clubs have broken up the previous dominance of the big six. Clubs such as Aston Villa and Newcastle United have featured in the Champions League in recent season, helped by the fact that the Premier League earned an extra Champions League place last season based on Uefa co-efficient ranking, allowing the league's top five clubs to qualify. But ahead of 2025/26, the top four will be the dream target for most of those sides not involved in the battle for the league title. And this page will detail the latest Premier League top four odds for the 2025/26 season. We use the best odds from Premier League betting sites to offer readers optimum value on wagering on the new campaign. Readers will find the best value Premier League top 4 odds on this page, with live odds that will update regularly throughout the season – so make sure to bookmark this page to stay up to date with the best prices. All top 4 Premier League odds come from our recommended betting sites, all of which are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Premier League Top Four Odds Find the latest Premier League Top four odds here. Since 2001, the top four clubs in the Premier League have been able to qualify for next season's Champions League, with previous years only allowing three teams. Before 1998/99, only the winner of the domestic league qualified for Europe's top competition. That means that the race for the top four has been very important since the early 2000s, and while oringally that race was dominated by sides like Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, in recent years teams including Aston Villa, Newcastle, Spurs and even Everton have been able to qualify, with the balance of power having shifted notably in recent years, In 2025/26, Villa and Newcastle are set to challenge again, with Brighton and Nottingham Forest perhaps putting up a fight for the top four as they did last season. The usual title-challenging suspects will likely occupy the top two or three places at least, with Chelsea hoping to sustain more of a challenge and Spurs and Manchester United hoping to improve from unprecedented seasons last term. Season Premier League Top Four Clubs 2024/2025 Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea 2023/2024 Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa 2022/2023 Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United 2021/2022 Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur 2020/2021 Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea Premier League Top Four Odds Explained Customers will find the best Premier League top four odds using the best football betting sites online for Premier League betting. Our recommended betting sites are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, ensuring that users have a safe and fair betting experience. Check back to find the latest top four Premier League odds as prices shift depending on transfers, form, injuries and more. There are always offers for free bets provided by betting sites for wagering on the Premier League top four race too, so be sure to check regularly in order to take advantage of these bonuses online. Responsible Gambling Bettors should always practice responsible gambling. When using gambling sites be aware that sports betting can be addictive. Please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you're using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, betting apps, or any other gambling medium. Always remain within a budget and never exceed it. Never chase your can lose a bet even if they know a lot about the Premier League. Remain in control of your time and betting. Bettors can use responsible gambling tools provided by betting sites such as deposit limits, loss limits and self-exclusion among others. Healthcare providers and charities are also available if needed: NHS Help GambleAware Gamblers Anonymous We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.