Latest news with #ConfederationsCup
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Germany team director calls for better performance against France
Germany's sports director Rudi Voeller signs autographs during a training session at the Adi-Dassler-Stadion, ahead of the UEFA Nations League semifinal soccer match against Portugal. Federico Gambarini/dpa Men's national team sporting director Rudi Völler has called for an improved performance when Germany take on France in the Nations League match for third place on Sunday. "We definitely have to go one better," Völler told broadcasters ARD late Thursday. Advertisement Hosts Germany lost 2-1 against Portugal in their semi-final on Wednesday and now face Les Bleus who fell 5-4 against title holders Spain. "Of course we were all dissatisfied and disappointed. You always have to give 100%," Völler said. "We did much, much better in the last few games, even against top opponents. We have to do it differently on Sunday." This was Germany's first defeat since last summer's Euro 2024 on home soil. They were hoping to win a first title since the 2017 Confederations Cup. "Maybe we were a bit spoiled by the last few successful and good games we've played. At the very highest level, if you do a few per cent less, then it's not enough," Völler said. Advertisement Coach Julian Nagelsmann stressed that he expects his players to give everything against France to end the tournament on a positive note - especially ahead of the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in September. "We have no tolerance for conceding anything. It's less about third place. We have to take advantage of the game. If we play a top game and finish fourth, I can live with that more than if we play a shitty game and finish third," he said. The Nations League meeting will be Germany's 35th game against France. Overall, the Germans have a negative record, with 15 defeats, eight draws and 11 wins. But Germany have won the last two encounters. They took a 2-1 victory in 2023 under interim coach Völler before Nagelsmann led the team to a 2-0 triumph in a friendly ahead of Euro 2024.
Qatar Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Ronaldo ends Germany curse to send Portugal into Nations League final
dpa Munich Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner after Francisco Conceicao emulated his father as Portugal ended their long curse against hosts Germany with a 2-1 comeback victory on Wednesday for a place in the Nations League final. Man of the Match Conceicao with a superb curling shot in the 63rd and Ronaldo's tap-in five minutes later reversed Germany's 48th minute lead from a header by Liverpool target Florian Wirtz. It was the 137th national team goal for the 40-year-old Ronaldo in his 220th cap, both figures being world records. Portuguese delight Portugal previously last beat Germany 25 years ago at Euro 2000 - 3-0 from a hat-trick by Conceicao's father, Sergio Conceicao. They then lost five times in a row against them, with Ronaldo featuring in all of them. Winners of the inaugural Nations League in 2019, Portugal advanced into Sunday's final in the same Munich arena which will be a contest for a second title because they will face either 2021 winners France or 2023 champions Spain. 'Conceding wasn't easy but we showed a lot of character,' midfielder Bernardo Silva told streaming portal DAZN, adding 'hopefully to win' the final but warning that 'France and Spain have a lot of quality.' Looking at Ronaldo, he praised 'his ambition to keep going. We are happy to have him with us.' Coach Roberto Martinez hailed his team's 'tactical flexibility' as he said: 'I never felt Germany had control. It is one of the games where you feel really proud as a coach.' German revival stalls Germany, who lacked in many aspects, will play for third place in Stuttgart on Sunday as their dream of a first title since the 2017 Confederations Cup ended with a first defeat since the Euro 2024 quarter-finals against eventual champions Spain. 'We were not good enough over 90 minutes to win this game. 'We didn't have enough courage and weren't clean enough. A lot more would have been possible,' said captain Joshua Kimmich, who earned his 100th cap. 'We have to learn our lessons and try to win on Sunday,' Kimmich said. Coach Julian Nagelsmann said: 'We weren't as ruthless as in previous games. We were not active after scoring, lost many balls.' TerStegen returns, Vitinha starts on subs' bench Marc-Andre ter Stegen returned between the Germany posts from a severe knee injury and in-form VfB Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade started after being called up for the first time from a depleted squad missing the likes of Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Antonio Rüdiger. Portugal midfielder Vitinha was benched five days after his heroics in the same stadium in Paris Saint-Germain's 5-0 Champions League final triumph over Inter Milan, while his PSG team-mates Nuno Mendes and Joao Neves started. Portugal's strong start, Germany try to hit back The match started a few minutes late because a hailstorm had delayed the warm-up, and although the hosts threatened early from Leon Goretzka it was Portugal who had the brighter start with high pressing. Ronaldo failed to hit the ball properly after a determined run from Pedro Neto down the left as Ter Stegen easily gathered, and Neto blazed over shortly afterwards. Germany grew into the game, and now Portugal keeper Diogo Costa needed big saves to deny first Woltemade in the 19th and Goretzka two minutes later. Portugal almost pounced seconds after the restart when Ronaldo just failed to connect with Mendes' sharp cross from the left at the far post. Wirtz scores but Portugal hit back Wirtz had been no major factor but in the 48th got the ball, passed it to Kimmich, ran into the penalty area and headed the captain's chipped ball into the far right corner for 1-0. Bruno Fernandes curled wide as Portugal sought a response and also brought fresh blood including Vitinha and Conceicao. Ronaldo headed over and had a free-kick blocked but Portugal were level in the 63rd when Conceicao cut inside from the right and sensationally curled into the far bottom corner. Germany were rattled and Portugal were ahead five minutes later when Ronaldo had no problems finishing off another low cross from Mendes. German substitute Karim Adeyemi hit the outside post but Portugal remained the more dangerous side. Ter Stegen saved superbly from Diogo Jota and Conceicao, and again from Jota seconds before the final whistle.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rummenigge rules out more signings for Club World Cup
Bayern Munich have already secured the signing of Jonathan Tah from June, but Bayer Leverkusen now demand a €5 million transfer fee for his availability in the Club World Cup. Meanwhile, Bayern's supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has now ruled out more signings for the summer tournament. "Bayern Munich will not purchase any additional players for the Club World Cup," said Rummenigge in an interview with Sport BILD. However, the 69-year-old is looking forward to the competition staged in the US. Advertisement According to Rummenigge, abolishing the Confederations Cup for the new format of the club competition gives a 'proper reward' to clubs instead of releasing their players for national teams for the competition hosted a year before the World Cup. Rummenigge also emphasized the enormous marketing potential in the United States, in addition to the sporting and financial advantages of the Club World Cup. "We will try to use it to make FC Bayern better known and more popular in America, and to establish ourselves in terms of sponsorship and merchandising," Rummenigge said. Bayern will approximately gain €30 million for entering the competition. There will also be over €100 million in the line as prize money for the champions.
DW
5 days ago
- Sport
- DW
Cristiano Ronaldo overshadows Kimmich on captain's night – DW – 06/05/2025
The evening started with a weather warning: a stubborn storm was approaching, delaying the start to the game and perhaps also delaying the goals. This was supposed to be Joshua Kimmich's night. Not only did the Germany captain make his 100th appearance with the national team. He also assisted the first goal of the match and did so at his home stadium, Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich made his 100th appearence with the team Image: Wunderl/Beautiful Sports/IMAGO But opponents Portugal had other plans and ended up stealing the show with a 2-1 away win to reach the Nations League final, putting another dent to Germany's hopes of resurgence. 100th game but not at 100% "We need to understand that if we are not at 100%, it's difficult against any opponent," said Kimmich after the match, referring to Germany missing key players such as Jamal Musiala and Antonio Rüdiger due to injuries. After a cagey first half, it was Kimmich who provided a lobbed pass to Florian Wirtz to score Germany's first goal in the 48th minute. "Even after we went 1-0 up, it didn't appear to me like we wanted to reach the final," said Kimmich "We need to be honest with ourselves, we were not active enough on the ball and also without it. We didn't bring the energy on the pitch and therefore we deserved to lose," he added. Despite the defeat, Kimmich believes the team is "more consolidated than we were a year and a half ago" and he is more than familiar with the current situation. Kimmich began his international career back in 2016, just two years after Germany's World Cup triumph in Brazil. While he lifted the now-defunct Confederations Cup in 2017 with the national team, Germany have experienced multiple disappointing tournaments ever since. The 30-year-old Is the 14th player to reach 100 caps with Germany men's national team. But he's the only German player with over 100 appearances who has not won a World Cup. "I've experienced many highs and lows with the Germany national team," had said Kimmich earlier in the week. "Of course, you always have the goal of winning a title in mind. We go into every tournament, especially as Germany, to compete for the title," said Kimmich. But Kimmich and Germany will have to wait longer to end their trophy drought. Dueling captains While this had been the captain's 100th match wearing the Germany shirt, Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's captain, eclipsed the German's milestone by playing his 220th game for his nation. Cristiano Ronaldo was met with a roaring stadium Image: Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO "Congratulations to Kimmich. He's played 100 games, it's a landmark, it's amazing," said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez after the match. "But when you're talking about a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, he's got over double that. It's difficult to put into words," said Martinez In fact, it was the 40-year-old who would put an end to a drought. Ronaldo had lost all five of his previous meetings against Germany but it was the Portuguese captain who would score the winning goal in the 68th minute, just 5 minutes after Francisco Conceicao had tied the match with a stunning curling shot. Francisco Conceicao scored his team's first goal of the match Image: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/IMAGO Ronaldo is used to being in the spotlight. As soon as his name was announced, the stadium exploded in cheers and jeers. Naturally the cheers came from the away supporters and jeers from the home fans. But it's the jeers where Ronaldo appears to thrive in the most. Ronaldo had missed a few chances earlier in the game, sparking boos and whistles from the home crowd. The loud sounds turned into silence once he scored, turning the game around. His goal against Germany was his 137th for Portugal, a record-most in international football. "It's human, when you win, the next day you have less hunger. But that's not the case with Cristiano," said Martinez. The striker played almost the whole match and was only substituted in the 90th minute to receive the applause of the away crowd as he leads his country to another Nations League final. With Ronaldo off the pitch, Germany desperately pushed for a last-minute equalizer with a counter-attack. But it was Kimmich who missed a crucial pass bringing the home crowd to a sigh. The special night which was meant to honor the Germany captain turned into another night of praise for Cristiano Ronaldo. Edited by: Zac Crellin
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Germany lose vs. Portugal in Nations League semifinal
The evening started with a weather warning: a stubborn storm was approaching, delaying the start to the game and perhaps also delaying the goals. This was supposed to be Joshua Kimmich's night. Not only did the Germany captain make his 100th appearance with the national team. He also assisted the first goal of the match and did so at his home stadium, Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. But opponents Portugal had other plans and ended up stealing the show with a 2-1 away win to reach the Nations League final, putting another dent to Germany's hopes of resurgence. "We need to understand that if we are not at 100 percent, it's difficult against any opponent," said Kimmich after the match, referring to Germany missing key players such as Jamal Musiala and Antonio Rüdiger due to injuries. After a cagey first half, it was Kimmich who provided a lobbed pass to Florian Wirtz to score Germany's first goal in the 48th minute. "Even after we went 1-0 up, it didn't appear to me like we wanted to reach the final," said Kimmich Captain Joshua Kimmich and teammates pulled no punches after Germany's defeat against Portugal in the Nations League semifinal. 🇩🇪🇵🇹#GERPOR #NationsLeague — DW Sports (@dw_sports) June 4, 2025 "We need to be honest with ourselves, we were not active enough on the ball and also without it. We didn't bring the energy on the pitch and therefore we deserved to lose," he added. Despite the defeat, Kimmich believes the team is "more consolidated than we were a year and a half ago" and he is more than familiar with the current situation. Kimmich began his international career back in 2016, just two years after Germany's World Cup triumph in Brazil. While he lifted the now-defunct Confederations Cup in 2017 with the national team, Germany have experienced multiple disappointing tournaments ever since. The 30-year-old Is the 14th player to reach 100 caps with Germany men's national team. But he's the only German player with over 100 appearances who has not won a World Cup. "I've experienced many highs and lows with the Germany national team," had said Kimmich earlier in the week. "Of course, you always have the goal of winning a title in mind. We go into every tournament, especially as Germany, to compete for the title," said Kimmich. But Kimmich and Germany will have to wait longer to end their trophy drought. While this had been the captain's 100th match wearing the Germany shirt, Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's captain, eclipsed the German's milestone by playing his 220th game for his nation. "Congratulations to Kimmich. He's played 100 games, it's a landmark, it's amazing," said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez after the match. "But when you're talking about a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, he's got over double that. It's difficult to put into words," said Martinez In fact, it was the 40-year-old who would put an end to a drought. Ronaldo had lost all five of his previous meetings against Germany but it was the Portuguese captain who would score the winning goal in the 68th minute, just 5 minutes after Francisco Conceicao had tied the match with a stunning curling shot. Ronaldo is used to being in the spotlight. As soon as his name was announced, the stadium exploded in cheers and jeers. Naturally the cheers came from the away supporters and jeers from the home fans. But it's the jeers where Ronaldo appears to thrive in the most. Ronaldo had missed a few chances earlier in the game, sparking boos and whistles from the home crowd. The loud sounds turned into silence once he scored, turning the game around. His goal against Germany was his 137th for Portugal, a record-most in international football. "It's human, when you win, the next day you have less hunger. But that's not the case with Cristiano," said Martinez. The striker played almost the whole match and was only substituted in the 90th minute to receive the applause of the away crowd as he leads his country to another Nations League final. Cristiano Ronaldo leading the celebrations after Portugal beat Germany to reach the final. #GERPOR #NationsLeague — Hecko Flores (@hecko90) June 4, 2025 With Ronaldo off the pitch, Germany desperately pushed for a last-minute equalizer with a counter-attack. But it was Kimmich who missed a crucial pass bringing the home crowd to a sigh. The special night which was meant to honor the Germany captain turned into another night of praise for Cristiano Ronaldo. Edited by: Zac Crellin
