Dortmund, Frankfurt clinch Champions League qualification on final day of Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt qualified for the Champions League on the last day of the Bundesliga season on Saturday, leaving Freiburg to be content reaching the Europa League.
Dortmund clinched fourth place and the last for Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win at home over already-relegated Holstein Kiel, which had a player sent off after less than 10 minutes played.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Liverpool submit improved €134m transfer offer for Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz
Liverpool have submitted an improved offer of €134million (£113m) to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. The bid for the coveted Germany international is comprised of a €118.7m (£100m) upfront fee with a further €15.4m (£13m) in add-ons. Liverpool have no intention to bid as high as the reported €150m (£126.4m) asking price for the playmaker. Advertisement Leverkusen are not keen to allow Wirtz to approach the final year of his contract, which runs through until 2027. The Athletic reported last week that Liverpool had submitted an offer worth up to €130m (£109m) for the 22-year-old. The proposed figure was a top-end amount, comprised of a guaranteed fee and potential add-ons. Wirtz has emerged as a key target for Liverpool this summer and the playmaker is keen on a move to Anfield. The Athletic reported on May 23 that Bayern Munich, who had also targeted Wirtz, were informed he favoured a move to Liverpool. The Merseyside club later entered talks with Leverkusen to sign the attacking midfielder. Wirtz has already visited the north west of England to look for houses to live in, should the transfer proceed. Wirtz played a key role as Leverkusen secured their maiden Bundesliga title with an unbeaten domestic season in 2023-24. He registered 18 goals and 20 assists in that campaign and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season. Wirtz scored 16 goals and set up 15 in the most recent campaign, as Leverkusen recorded a second-placed finish. Since making his first-team debut for Leverkusen in the 2019-20 season, Wirtz has recorded 122 goals contributions (57G, 65A) in 197 matches. He has also earned 29 caps for Germany. Communication had already been opened between Liverpool and Leverkusen this summer after the newly-crowned Premier League champions activated wing-back Jeremie Frimpong's release clause, which is in the region of €35million (£29.6m;$39.3m). The Dutch 24-year-old agreed a five-year contract and The Athletic reported on May 17 he was set to undergo a medical. Additional reporting from Sebastian Stafford-Bloor. ()
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kasey McAteer scores as Republic of Ireland and Senegal play out draw in Dublin
Kasey McAteer scored his first international goal for the Republic of Ireland as they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Senegal in Dublin. The Irish delivered a performance full of industry in their first-ever encounter with the Senegalese at the Aviva Stadium. Advertisement Leicester's McAteer and Ipswich's Jack Taylor made their first starts for Ireland with head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson looking at his options ahead of the beginning of the World Cup qualifying campaign in September. Republic of Ireland's Robbie Brady (right) and Senegal's Abdallah Sima battle for the ball (Evan Treacy/PA) Senegal, ranked 19th by FIFA, some 41 places higher than the Republic, named an experimental side with only two starters remaining from their recent World Cup qualifying win over Togo. The west African side started brightly, controlling possession in the early stages and keeping the pressure on Ireland with two corners. However, Ireland grew in stature throughout the first half and opened the scoring through McAteer in the 21st minute when Senegal failed to clear a corner. Advertisement Ryan Manning crossed and Nathan Collins headed it on to McAteer. His initial header was wonderfully saved by Yehvann Diouf, but the forward kept his composure to control the rebound and fire it home. The Irish stayed on the front foot for the rest of the half, showing good energy as they moved the ball quickly between defence and attack, seeming to rattle the Senegalese, who were defending a 20-match unbeaten run. Antoine Mendy had the visitors' best chance of the half, but he screwed his shot from the edge of the box high and wide. Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, recently signed by Brentford from Liverpool, had virtually nothing to do before the break. Advertisement The second half started in similar positive fashion for Ireland and Southampton's Will Smallbone should have doubled their lead but shot straight at the keeper. Ryan Manning attempted to fire in the rebound but it was brilliantly blocked by Mendy. With the game opening up, Senegal almost equalised moments later when Kelleher got the faintest of touches onto Krepin Diatta's header which crashed against the crossbar. After the hour mark, both sides made a series of changes, with Senegal introducing promising 21-year-old Lamine Camara, who has already played in the Champions League for Monaco, and Crystal Palace's FA Cup winner Ismaila Sarr. Camara almost made an immediate impact when his shot was deflected onto a post before being scrambled away by Kelleher. Republic of Ireland's Will Smallbone (centre) attempts a shot towards goal during the international friendly (Evan Treacy/PA) The threat from Senegal grew as the game wore on. However Ismail Jakob's ambitious effort to score from outside the box sailed high over the bar. Advertisement The Irish invited pressure by defending deeper late in the second half. McAteer, who had run tirelessly throughout, was replaced in the 80th minute as was Smallbone as the Republic turned towards fresh legs. However, Senegal's pressure told when substitute Sarr poked home in the 82nd minute shortly after Kelleher had saved with his feet. Senegal had a free-kick on the edge of the box deep in injury time as tempers flared between the two teams, but Camara failed to get it over the defending wall. The match did not have the feel of a friendly as both Ireland and Senegal went for the win, but ultimately both will be satisfied with the draw.
Fox Sports
4 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Tottenham fires Postecoglou despite winning Europa League to end trophy drought
Associated Press Leading Tottenham to its first trophy in 17 years didn't prevent Ange Postecoglou from getting fired. The Australian coach was denied the chance to take Tottenham into the Champions League in the wake of winning the Europa League after the London club's leadership decided a change was necessary. 'It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts," Tottenham said on Friday in a statement, "and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. 'This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude." Ultimately, it wasn't the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao — a win that ended Spurs' trophy drought dating to 2008 — that decided Postecoglou's fate. Instead, it was a 17th-place finish in the Premier League — Tottenham's lowest since the competition was founded in 1992 — that was regarded as the most important in the final analysis. Tottenham lost 22 of its 38 games and ended the campaign just one position above the relegation places. 'We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward,' Tottenham said, "not the easy decision.' Among the managers linked in the British media with replacing Postecoglou was Brentford's Thomas Frank. Postecoglou was hired by Tottenham from Scottish champion Celtic in June 2023, arriving with an attack-minded and entertaining style of football. It made for some high-scoring wins — but also some reckless and sloppy losses. Spurs averaged 3.47 goals per game under Postecoglou in the Premier League (246 in 76 games), the highest goals per game ratio of any manager to take charge of 50+ games in league history, according to statistician Opta. Tottenham made a stunning start in the Australian's first season, winning eight of its first 10 games in the league and drawing the other two, but faded in the second half of the season to narrowly miss out on a Champions League place by finishing fifth. This past season, the poor league results continued, even if the campaign was saved by winning the Europa League and thereby qualifying for the lucrative Champions League. That fulfilled Postecoglou's promise that he 'always' delivers silverware in his second season at a club. Postecoglou released a statement through his agency, CAA Base, saying winning a trophy with Tottenham will stay with him forever. 'When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham, my overriding emotion is one of pride," he said. "The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. 'That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream.' The Europa League trophy made Postecoglou only the third Spurs coach to taste European success, provoking an outpouring of affection from a previously split fanbase. He even produced a mic-drop moment during the victory parade in front of an estimated 220,000 people, when he declared 'season three is better than season two.' But Spurs chairman Daniel Levy thought differently and dismissed the man who delivered him a much-craved trophy. Postecoglou said the foundations laid at the club mean it 'should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success.' He thanked his players, his staff and the supporters, and finished his statement by saying: 'We are forever connected. Audere est Facere. (Tottenham's Latin motto, To dare is to do).' ___ AP soccer: recommended in this topic
