logo
Florian Wirtz named Bundesliga player of the season

Florian Wirtz named Bundesliga player of the season

Business Upturn29-05-2025

Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz has been named as Bundesliga Player of the season for his wonderful performance throught the season. By Ravi Kumar Jha Published on May 29, 2025, 19:18 IST Last updated May 29, 2025, 19:20 IST
Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz has been named as Bundesliga Player of the season for his wonderful performance throught the season. The forward is expected to leave the club this summer as the talks with Liverpool is ongoing. The forward is valued more than €100 million and Liverpool are ready to make a bid. However, there are also reports that Real Madrid are also looking for his signature and wants to jump in between
Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz has been officially crowned the Bundesliga Player of the Season following a sensational 2024/25 campaign. The 21-year-old forward played a crucial role in Leverkusen's remarkable run, showcasing creativity, consistency, and maturity beyond his years.
Wirtz's dazzling performances, which included numerous goals and assists, helped Xabi Alonso's side challenge Germany's elite and maintain their competitive edge throughout the season. His ability to dictate play in the final third and unlock defences made him one of the most feared attackers in the league.
With his stock soaring, Wirtz is now the subject of intense transfer speculation. Liverpool are reportedly in advanced talks to bring the German international to Anfield, with the Reds preparing a bid exceeding €100 million. The Merseyside club sees Wirtz as a long-term solution to bolster their attacking midfield options.
Ravi kumar jha is an undergraduate student in Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Mass Communication. A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication and he also has a genuine interest in sports. Ravi is currently working as a journalist at Businessupturn.com

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

What If ... the U.S. Wasn't Robbed in the 2002 World Cup?
What If ... the U.S. Wasn't Robbed in the 2002 World Cup?

Fox Sports

time2 hours ago

  • Fox Sports

What If ... the U.S. Wasn't Robbed in the 2002 World Cup?

The United States men's national team could have made the 2002 FIFA World Cup final — in fact, they should have. And yet, they didn't. Why? An obvious handball that wasn't called in the quarterfinal against Germany. The rest is history. But WHAT IF we could rewrite history? After being eliminated in the Round of 16 in 1994 and not making it out of the group stage in 1998, the U.S. was primed for a run in 2002. They were able to finish as runners-up in their group, most notably defeating Portugal 3-2 and drawing with group winner South Korea. In the Round of 16, they faced Mexico for the first time at a World Cup — and recorded a 2-0 victory behind goals from Brian McBride and Landon Donovan. Next, it was on to the quarterfinal against powerhouse Germany. Michael Ballack got the Germans out to an early 1-0 lead in the 39th minute, but the Americans responded with several attacking plays to start the second half. But in the 50th minute, everything changed. _____ Off a U.S. corner kick by Donovan, a German player attempted to head the ball away from goal— only to have it find a wide-open Gregg Berhalter, who took a shot at goal from just a few yards out. German keeper Oliver Kahn was able to barely save the shot, but the ball would bounce off the arm of midfielder Torsten Frings who was defending the post. Immediately, U.S. players began clamoring for a handball, and when the replay was shown — it was clear as day. However, referee Hugh Dallas didn't call it. And with VAR not yet in existence, the call was irreversible. Had it been called, the U.S. would have been awarded a penalty kick, and Frings would have been given a red card. As mentioned, the U.S. were dominating the first 10 minutes of the half, and surely would have taken advantage of the 10-man German side. But WHAT IF the handball was called? Would the U.S. have lifted its first-ever World Cup trophy? Would soccer in the United States be viewed in a different light today? Let's dive in. _____ If the handball had been called, the best-case scenario would have resulted in Claudio Reyna scoring the game-tying penalty— and Germany would have had to fend off a momentum-driven American attack with just 10 men. So many of the legendary Americans could have subsequently scored the game-winning goal— with Donovan, McBride, Reyna, Cobi Jones, Eddie Pope, and several others headlining the squad. Had they advanced, they would have faced South Korea in the semifinal, whom they had drawn with in the group stage. A win against the co-hosts would pit the U.S. against Brazil, and the U.S. would have made its first men's World Cup final ever. While the Brazilian squad was filled with superstars like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo— the exposure from such a massive stage could have changed the landscape of American soccer for the next two decades— regardless of the result. _____ Few can forget the dominant fashion in which the USWNT won the World Cup in 1991 and 1999. This sort of success undoubtedly influenced young American girls watching the tournament, leading to the likes of Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach— and current stars like Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman, and Naomi Girma. Such an emphasis on women's soccer in the United States has led to them winning four of the nine World Cups ever held. So what would a win over Germany in 2002 have resulted in for the men? Just imagine all the young boys who would have participated in soccer during the early 2000s instead of the usual suspects— Pop Warner football, little league baseball, and AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball. For perspective, in a study done by the National Federation of State High Schools in 2022, there were 374,773 participants in girls soccer for that school year— the third-highest of all sports. On the boy's side? Soccer participants ranked fifth, behind football, track & field, basketball, and baseball. _____ No U.S. coach has coached or won more matches in the team's history than Bruce Arena, with 148 and 81 respectively. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2010, but what would his career have looked like if he had taken down Germany in that 2002 World Cup quarterfinal? Arena had already won two MLS titles with D.C. United in 1996 and 1997 before spearheading the 2002 national team past the Round of 16 for the first time ever. Considering that two Arena's successors – Bob Bradley and Gregg Berhalter – were able to coach abroad, it's not unreasonable to think he could have done so as well. Had he taken a potential offer in Europe, that could have also changed the team's fortunes at the 2006 World Cup. The U.S. did not make it out of the group stage in 2006, finishing last in their group and ultimately leading to Arena's exit three weeks after the tournament. He'd go on to win three more MLS titles with the Galaxy in 2011, 2012 and 2014 and was again hired by the national team in 2016. In his second stint, the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup— the first time that had happened since 1986. One can't help but wonder how all of this would have changed if the handball was called in 2002. _____ It's incredible to think about how a win over Germany would have changed the landscape of the MLS and American youth academies. Such an upset could have sparked massive national interest in soccer, leading to unprecedented investment in the U.S. youth soccer system. With never-before-seen pressure from both public and corporate entities, we could have seen high-level sponsorship in the MLS and a complete overhaul of youth academies— which has often been faulted for its pay-to-play model. The next five to ten years could have allowed for a network of talent aggregation modeled after the European youth system, emphasizing technical development and scouting in underserved communities. In turn, it's possible that an entire generation of world-class players would have emerged— with players like Christian Pulisic appearing in much greater numbers. Just imagine what the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cup results would have looked like for the U.S. had this occurred after 2002. It's totally in the realm of possibilities that the U.S. would be a consistent soccer powerhouse had this foundation been set. _____ Possibly the biggest question of all that arises from this hypothetical exercise, is just how much bigger soccer would be in this country had the U.S. taken down Germany with the correct call. It's hard to imagine that Landon Donovan wouldn't have become even more of an icon than he already is, and that he would have inspired several people to become fans of the sport. While it's hard to say that this single result would have propelled soccer as the top sport among Americans, there's little doubt that the millions of potential viewers a final or semifinal match would have generated would have changed the trajectory of the sport. For perspective, 26.7 million people watched the USWNT take down Japan in the 2015 World Cup final. The 2022 men's final between France and Argentina had over 25 million viewers. Just imagine a world in which the four-and five-star high school basketball and football recruits that colleges fight over grew up playing soccer instead. We'll never know. More Sports History "WHAT IFs?": What if ... Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe never got injured in 2001? What if ... the 49ers drafted Aaron Rodgers instead of Alex Smith in the 2005 NFL Draft? Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from United States Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic

Nyara Sabally's ‘last-minute' EuroBasket decision has Liberty silver linings
Nyara Sabally's ‘last-minute' EuroBasket decision has Liberty silver linings

New York Post

time3 hours ago

  • New York Post

Nyara Sabally's ‘last-minute' EuroBasket decision has Liberty silver linings

We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Text with Madeline Kenney as she follows the Liberty — she's sharing behind-the-scenes info and insights with Sports+ subscribers. SIGN UP NOW Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich went to breakfast Wednesday morning before Fiebich boarded an international flight. Sabally had every intention at the beginning of the season to join her Liberty teammate on that plane and play for the German national team at EuroBasket, which starts Wednesday. But after dealing with a nagging knee issue for 2 ½ weeks, Sabally made the difficult decision to sit out the international tournament. 'It was a pretty last-minute decision,' Sabally said Thursday. 'I kind of just waited until the last minute to be completely sure. After my knee kind of got worse and the [platelet-rich plasma] injection, I kind of knew it probably would be the best idea to kind of stay here.'

BioNTech buys mRNA, courtroom rival CureVac in all-stock deal
BioNTech buys mRNA, courtroom rival CureVac in all-stock deal

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

BioNTech buys mRNA, courtroom rival CureVac in all-stock deal

This story was originally published on BioPharma Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily BioPharma Dive newsletter. COVID vaccine maker BioNTech is buying rival CureVac, announcing Thursday an all-stock deal weeks before the two companies were due to face off in a German court over potentially billions of dollars worth of royalties related to intellectual property on messenger RNA drugs. Per deal terms, each CureVac share will be exchanged for about $5.46 worth of BioNTech's U.S.-listed shares, valuing the company at $1.25 billion. Upon the deal's close, CureVac shareholders will own between 4% and 6% of BioNTech. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, BioNTech and CureVac were among the companies racing to develop the first coronavirus vaccines. BioNTech, however, partnered with Pfizer and won approval of the first COVID-19 shot, while CureVac's program never made it to market. The two companies have since been embroiled in patent litigation. CureVac was a leading candidate to develop the first COVID-19 vaccine, launching rumors, later denied, that the U.S. government might even buy the company or its research. But while BioNTech and fellow mRNA drugmaker Moderna succeeded in making vaccines that saved millions of lives and earned billions of dollars in revenue, CureVac fell short. Its initial project wasn't effective enough at preventing sickness, prompting it to scrap development. A year later, CureVac sued BioNTech, claiming it infringed four patents. CureVac has since changed course, selling off most rights to influenza and COVID-19 vaccines to partner GSK and focusing on cancer instead. But its legal spat with BioNTech has lingered. The European Patent Office had upheld two CureVac patents, and a trial in a Dusseldorf regional court was set on July 1 to determine if BioNTech had infringed on them. A separate trial in the U.S. was scheduled to begin Sept. 8 in Virginia. Some Wall Street analysts, as a result, speculated that BioNTech's primary purpose is buying CureVac is to sidestep the risk of a loss in court. A single-digit percentage royalty awarded to CureVac could've cost BioNTech as much as $3 billion, Evercore ISI analyst Umer Raffat wrote in a note to clients. 'It seems to us that [BioNTech] assessed the cost of a cash settlement as substantially greater than the cost of buying [CureVac] outright,' Raffat wrote. The deal could also help BioNTech further its oncology ambitions. Like CureVac, BioNTech has made cancer research a top priority. It's invested in a variety of programs, from cell therapies to mRNA vaccines and a coveted type of bispecific antibody. Some are in advanced testing. CureVac's cancer vaccines are in earlier phases of development. A brain cancer shot has delivered early clinical data, while a lung cancer immunotherapy was cleared in April for human testing. The deal should help CureVac because of 'the early stage of the oncology pipeline and the need for a development partner to effectively compete in personalized cancer vaccines – which [BioNTech] is well positioned to execute,' wrote Leerink Partners analyst Mani Foroohar. Raffat, of Evercore ISI, however, wrote that the deal ascribes 'very little value' to CureVac's pipeline. Recommended Reading Recursion to acquire two Canadian drug discovery startups Sign in to access your portfolio

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