logo
Mbappe ‘not bitter' about PSG's Champions League triumph

Mbappe ‘not bitter' about PSG's Champions League triumph

Arab News9 hours ago

STUTTGART, Germany: France captain Kylian Mbappe said Saturday he is not bitter Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League the year after his departure for Real Madrid.
For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport
'I didn't leave too soon; my story with PSG was over. I am not bitter; I had reached the end of the road,' Mbappe said in a press conference ahead of Sunday's Nations League third place match against Germany in Stuttgart.
PSG crushed Inter Milan 5-0 to win the Champions League in Munich last Saturday, the first time the club has won the competition.
'I tried everything, and it was destiny that meant it had to happen without me,' said Mbappe.
'PSG winning the Champions League without me doesn't affect me. I was happy, I think they deserved it.
'They've had so many years where they struggled. I've been there too; I've played in every Champions League stage in Paris except for the victory.
'They're the best team in Europe.
'I don't remember seeing a team win 5-0 in a major final.'
Mbappe has repeated his desire to win Europe's biggest club competition, but the closest the Paris-born forward got with his boyhood club was losing the final in 2020 to Bayern Munich.
The 26-year-old moved to Madrid in the summer of 2024 hoping to lift the Champions League, but the Spanish giants crashed out in the quarter-finals of the competition to Arsenal in April.
Real failed to win a trophy in the 2024-25 season, their first campaign without silverware in four years.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gauff fights back to beat Sabalenka to French Open crown
Gauff fights back to beat Sabalenka to French Open crown

Arab News

time3 hours ago

  • Arab News

Gauff fights back to beat Sabalenka to French Open crown

PARIS: Coco Gauff battled back from a set down to beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a Grand Slam final for the second time with a dramatic victory in the French Open showpiece on Saturday. The second-ranked American dug deep to claim a 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4 victory and her second major title after also defeating Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open. The 21-year-old more than made amends for her emotional 2022 final loss to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros, outlasting Sabalenka over two hours and 38 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. It was a second straight Grand Slam final loss for Sabalenka after her defeat by Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January. Gauff was rock solid after falling a set down, while Sabalenka made 70 unforced errors in windy conditions in a match which followed a very similar pattern to Gauff's victory at Flushing Meadows two years ago. Belarusian Sabalenka was aiming to become the only current women's player to win three of the four Grand Slam events after her US Open triumph last year and back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2023 and 2024. But Gauff instead moved 6-5 ahead in their head-to-head record, proving the more consistent player in the first women's Slam final between the world's top two since Caroline Wozniacki beat Simona Halep in Melbourne in 2018.

Reports: Bayern agree deal with Leverkusen to take Tah to Club World Cup
Reports: Bayern agree deal with Leverkusen to take Tah to Club World Cup

Arab News

time4 hours ago

  • Arab News

Reports: Bayern agree deal with Leverkusen to take Tah to Club World Cup

MUNICH: Bayern Munich have reportedly agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen to take Germany defender Jonathan Tah to the Club World Cup. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Kicker magazine and other media outlets reported Saturday that Bayern, which had announced Tah's signing 'without a transfer fee' on May 29, have agreed to pay Leverkusen up to 4 million euros ($4.6 million) for the player to take a full part in the Club World Cup starting in the United States on June 14. Tah's contract with Leverkusen ran to the end of June, meaning he could only join Bayern on a free transfer from July 1 – unless the clubs came to an agreement beforehand. There was little goodwill between the clubs after Bayern's failed attempt to sign Tah – Leverkusen's captain – last season, when Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro lashed out against Bayern's Max Eberl. Bayern's public pursuit of Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz this season further inflamed tensions between the rival clubs. Any agreement to let Tah join Bayern before his Leverkusen contract ends would suggest pragmatism has won out at Leverkusen. Real Madrid set the precedent by paying a reported fee of up to 10 million euros ($11.4 million) to get England right back Trent Alexander-Arnold out of his Liverpool contract one month before it was due to expire, so he could play at the Club World Cup, rather than waiting to sign him with a transfer fee. Bayern will also need to reach agreement with Hoffenheim if they want to take Tom Bischof to the tournament. Leverkusen face a summer of rebuilding following Xabi Alonso's departure as coach, Tah and wing back Jeremie Frimpong 's departures for Bayern and Liverpool, respectively, and Wirtz's expected transfer to Liverpool. Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka suggested Friday he would be open to a switch amid reported interest from AC Milan, a change from his previous position. Leverkusen hired former Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag to replace the Real Madrid-bound Alonso, while they have also signed highly rated teenager Ibrahim Maza from second-division club Hertha Berlin, and 21-year-old defender Tim Oermann from relegated Bochum before promptly loaning him to Austrian champion Sturm Graz. They also loaned promising midfielder Francis Onyeka to Bochum for next season in the second division.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store