logo
Klopp 'decisive' in move to Leipzig, says Bakayoko

Klopp 'decisive' in move to Leipzig, says Bakayoko

France 24a day ago
With links to Premier League sides Everton and Nottingham Forest as well as Borussia Dortmund, the in-demand Bakayoko, 22, signed with Leipzig in July.
The winger was one of several young additions to Leipzig's squad in the first transfer window under Klopp, who took over as Red Bull's global head of football in January.
In an interview with AFP and other media on Tuesday, Bakayoko revealed Klopp's role in recruitment and said his chat with the former Liverpool coach was the "decision point" for the move.
"When I had the talk with Jurgen Klopp, for me I thought 'OK, I have to go'.
"That was the trigger point for me to say: OK.
"(Klopp said) we are here to make you better. We need you. And that's what I want.
"So it was a perfect match."
Red Bull own RB Leipzig as well as clubs in Austria, the United States, Brazil and Japan and hold minority stakes in Paris FC and Leeds United.
The winger said teammate Xavi Simons, who has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, was not distracted by the transfer speculation as the pre-season preparations have continued.
"When you're good, that's what happens. (Rumours) are just a part of it.
"Xavi is really professional. He doesn't look like a player that's been linked to other clubs."
A PSV youth product, Bakayoko has played 18 times for Belgium, scoring once.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Marseille's Rabiot, Rowe up for sale after 'extremely violent' bust-up: club president
Marseille's Rabiot, Rowe up for sale after 'extremely violent' bust-up: club president

France 24

time6 hours ago

  • France 24

Marseille's Rabiot, Rowe up for sale after 'extremely violent' bust-up: club president

"What happened was extremely serious and extremely violent, something I've never encountered before," Longoria told AFP in an interview. "We had to take a decision because what happened went way beyond what is acceptable in a football club, as it would be in any organisation." The incident happened following Friday's 1-0 defeat away to Rennes in their opening match of the French Ligue 1 season, a game which Marseille lost to a stoppage-time goal after playing for an hour with an extra man. Marseille had called the players' behaviour "unacceptable" in a brief club statement published on Tuesday. "I wasn't in the dressing room but the staff who were told me it was incredible, violent, aggressive and went beyond any limits," added 39-year-old Spaniard Longoria, who has been Marseille president since 2021. The incident is a huge setback for the 1993 Champions League winners, who finished second in Ligue 1 last season to qualify for Europe's elite club competition. They came into this campaign with ambitions of pushing champions Paris Saint-Germain under Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi, but have now been plunged into a full-blown crisis. "Roberto De Zerbi has been coaching for 13 years, (sporting director) Medhi Benatia has been in top-level football for 22 years. I started out in professional football 20 years ago," Longoria added. "I think we all have enough experience to say we have never seen anything like it in a dressing room... Even in the worst punch-ups there are rules. Not in this case." England Under-21 international winger Rowe spent last season on loan at OM from Norwich City and that deal was turned into a permanent transfer in the summer. The 30-year-old Rabiot, who has 53 caps for France, joined Marseille at the beginning of last season as a free agent after leaving Juventus. He had an outstanding first campaign at the Velodrome but Marseille have not succeeded in persuading the former PSG midfielder to extend a contract which will expire at the end of this season. However, Longoria insisted that the decision to put Rabiot up for sale was in no way related to his contractual situation. "The decision was very clear. It protects the club as an institution and it protects our season going forward. It is not negotiable for me to be president of a club where there are no rules," Longoria added. "Honestly as a club we are the victims in this situation. A fight like this is unheard of in the world of football." Marseille's second game of the Ligue 1 season will be at home to newly-promoted Paris FC on Saturday.

Brazilian goalkeeper Fabio claims world record for most games
Brazilian goalkeeper Fabio claims world record for most games

France 24

time14 hours ago

  • France 24

Brazilian goalkeeper Fabio claims world record for most games

The 44-year-old on Saturday equalled the landmark held by former England stopper Peter Shilton and Fabio has now gone one better following a 2-0 win over Colombia's America de Cali at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. Fluminense and Brazilian media say Fabio now stands alone in football history, although neither FIFA nor regional body CONMEBOL has declared it a record. "Sometimes we don't realize the importance of such a significant achievement as breaking this record, which has stood for many years," Fabio, who has spent his entire career in Brazil, said following his clean sheet in the Copa Sudamericana last 16 second leg. The home fans chanted, "Fabio is the best goalkeeper in Brazil," and he received a commemorative plaque to mark the achievement. "No one plays so many matches without a level of professionalism like his," said Fluminense coach Renato Gaucho. "He'll undoubtedly continue to play for a long time. "It will be difficult for another player to surpass his record." Fabio won the Copa Libertadores with Fluminense in 2023 and was part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the Club World Cup in the United States this summer. He made 976 appearances for Cruzeiro between 2005 and 2022, after playing 30 times for Uniao Bandeirante and another 150 games for Vasco da Gama. His record outing against America de Cali was his 235th match for Fluminense. Fabio began his career in 1997, the year that Shilton retired.

Kylian Mbappé leads Real Madrid to La Liga season opener win against Osasuna
Kylian Mbappé leads Real Madrid to La Liga season opener win against Osasuna

France 24

time16 hours ago

  • France 24

Kylian Mbappé leads Real Madrid to La Liga season opener win against Osasuna

Marseille have placed Adrien Rabiot on the transfer list for "unacceptable behaviour". The French midfielder was reportedly involved in a spat with teammate Jonathan Rowe following last week's defeat at Rennes. Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr reached the Saudi Super Cup final after beating Al-Ittihad, despite playing with 10 men for 65 minutes. In tennis, the US Open kicked off with mixed doubles. Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud advanced to the semi-finals after securing back-to-back wins, despite Swiatek being less than 24 hours removed from winning the Cincinnati Open.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store