Latest news with #MikelJauregizar
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Bilbao star Jauregizar denies Malaysia links fake rumours
ATHLETIC Bilbao's rising midfielder Mikel Jauregizar has shot down persistent rumours linking him to the Malaysian national team, calling the speculation 'complete rubbish'. The 20-year-old Spanish player told Marca newspaper that claims about his supposed Malaysian heritage are entirely fabricated, despite widespread social media buzz suggesting he could represent Harimau Malaya. 'It's all made up. Malaysian connection? Impossible - that's total nonsense. I won't be playing for Malaysia,' Jauregizar stated firmly in the report. The rumours gained traction after a local sports journalist's video went viral, claiming the Bilbao youngster had Malaysian roots that could make him eligible for naturalisation. 'My friends showed me this video from some Malaysian journalist who invented this story about my background,' he explained. 'People just create these wild stories out of nothing.' The midfielder, who prefers staying away from media attention, admitted the false claims still reached him through social platforms. 'I'm not keen on interviews, but somehow all this fake news finds its way to us players,' he said. According to New Straits Times, this marks the second time in recent weeks that European players have had to debunk Malaysian heritage claims. Dutch striker Ferdy Druijf previously dismissed similar rumours, telling ESPN Netherlands that random Instagram accounts had spread false information about his grandmother's supposed Malaysian background. 'It's mental how these stories spread,' Druijf had said. 'Even got more Instagram followers from it, which is quite mad really.' Malaysian football fans, eager for naturalised talent, have been quick to share these unverified claims across social media platforms, creating viral moments that eventually reach the players themselves.
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Athletic Bilbao star Jauregizar denies Malaysia link, calls it 'a lie'
KUALA LUMPUR: Athletic Bilbao midfielder Mikel Jauregizar has rubbished talk of representing Harimau Malaya, branding the rumour "a lie". In an interview with Spanish daily Marca, the 20-year-old made it crystal clear he has no links to Malaysia, despite growing speculation online. "People just make things up. A link to Malaysia? Impossible, that's a lie. I will not be playing for Malaysia," said Jauregizar. Claims that the young Spaniard had Malaysian heritage recently caught fire on social media, fuelling hopes among local fans of a potential naturalised star. A video by a local journalist suggesting such ties went viral and even found its way to Jauregizar through friends. "My friends sent me a video of a journalist from over there who made up that I had some Malaysian background," he said. "I'm not going to play for Malaysia. People invent all sorts of things." Asked about his online habits, Jauregizar admitted he's active on social media but prefers to stay out of the spotlight. "I don't really like being in front of the camera answering questions. But everything that gets published eventually reaches us." Jauregizar is the second European-based player in recent weeks to shoot down claims of Malaysian roots. Dutch striker Ferdy Druijf also dismissed suggestions he had Malaysian blood via his grandmother. Speaking to ESPN Netherlands, the former AZ Alkmaar forward — now playing in Slovakia — said the rumour began on a random Instagram account. "Yes, it's actually kind of crazy, I have to be honest. An Instagram account suddenly appeared with that rumour about Malaysian roots," said Druijf. "I didn't do anything about it, but everyone started spreading it. I even got more followers on Instagram and realised what was going on. It's a crazy reason. "My parents don't even know much about it. So yeah, maybe it would only be revealed if I did a DNA test or something."
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
🚨Official: Athletic tie down one of their brightest prospects
🚨Official: Athletic tie down one of their brightest prospects Mikel Jauregizar extends his link with Athletic until 2031 and does so without a termination clause. Friday of good news at Athletic with the renewal of one of the main architects of the team's return to the Champions League. Jauregizar has committed to the San Mamés club until 2031 and does so without signing a termination clause. Advertisement This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 Michael Regan - 2025 Getty Images
CNN
09-05-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur seek to salvage tough domestic seasons in Europa League final
Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur continued to live in their own parallel worlds as both English teams reached the Europa League final on Thursday. The pair will meet in Bilbao, Spain, on May 21 in the hope of salvaging their seasons, with both suffering staggeringly bad form in the Premier league. Tottenham currently sits 16th in the table having lost 19 times this season, while Manchester United is in 15th having won just four league games since the turn of the year. Europe, then, has provided sanctuary for the otherwise beleaguered clubs and offers both a chance to lift the Champions League trophy next year – the winner of the Europa League qualifies for the continent's top club competition. The Athletic's Tottenham correspondent Jay Harris joins World Sport's Don Riddell to discuss their Europa League semifinal victory, as well as what we can expect from their final against Manchester United. Along with the prestige of playing in the Champions League, participating in next year's tournament will also provide both clubs with a big financial boost and help attract the world's best players to help bolster their squads. It's a prize, then, that neither can afford to miss out on. In truth, both teams breezed into the final having each won their semifinal first legs last week, meaning the return fixtures on Thursday were relatively routine. Manchester United, which held a 3-0 lead, did initially go behind at Old Trafford through Mikel Jauregizar's wonderful strike but recovered well to win 4-1 on the night, courtesy of goals from Casemiro, Rasmus Højlund and a brace from the impressive Mason Mount. 'It's a different competition and the opponents are different, the physicality I think is important. We are more comfortable in this kind of game,' Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim told reporters after the game, trying to explain why his team's form is so much better in the Europa League. 'I do think the games are completely different … when we arrived at the beginning in our club, I think it was more the physicality and the speed of the game, so we were more comfortable to play in the Europa League.' Meanwhile, Tottenham traveled to the Arctic Circle to play Norweigan side Bodø/Glimt, looking to protect its 3-1 first-leg lead. It dealt with the unusual surroundings well on Thursday to win 2-0 on the night, with goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro ensuring safe passage to the final. For Spurs, there is the added pressure of winning the club's first trophy since 2008 and first continental silverware since the 1983-84 season. The north London club has struggled to shake off the reputation of being 'nearly good enough' over the last decade and has another chance to right that wrong in the final. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will also want to back up his claim that he always wins a trophy in the second season after joining a new club. 'It's exciting. It's brilliant. We know, irrespective of which club you're at, you don't get these opportunities too often, so you want to make the most of them,' Postecoglou said to reporters after Thursday's win. 'We've a couple of weeks to prepare for it, it should be a great game, and obviously, it gives our supporters some hope now that we can do something special this year.' Before this tournament kicked off, many had predicted both teams would have made the final given their superiority over most of the other teams in Europe's second tier competition. But given how unfathomably poor their league forms have been, it's quite incredible that teams positioned so low in the Premier League table are competing in a European final. The hope, for both sets of players, is that victory in Bilbao can be the ultimate distraction from their misgivings in the league, and give their respective fans something to cheer about in an otherwise chastening season.
CNN
09-05-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur seek to salvage tough domestic seasons in Europa League final
Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur continued to live in their own parallel worlds as both English teams reached the Europa League final on Thursday. The pair will meet in Bilbao, Spain, on May 21 in the hope of salvaging their seasons, with both suffering staggeringly bad form in the Premier league. Tottenham currently sits 16th in the table having lost 19 times this season, while Manchester United is in 15th having won just four league games since the turn of the year. Europe, then, has provided sanctuary for the otherwise beleaguered clubs and offers both a chance to lift the Champions League trophy next year – the winner of the Europa League qualifies for the continent's top club competition. The Athletic's Tottenham correspondent Jay Harris joins World Sport's Don Riddell to discuss their Europa League semifinal victory, as well as what we can expect from their final against Manchester United. Along with the prestige of playing in the Champions League, participating in next year's tournament will also provide both clubs with a big financial boost and help attract the world's best players to help bolster their squads. It's a prize, then, that neither can afford to miss out on. In truth, both teams breezed into the final having each won their semifinal first legs last week, meaning the return fixtures on Thursday were relatively routine. Manchester United, which held a 3-0 lead, did initially go behind at Old Trafford through Mikel Jauregizar's wonderful strike but recovered well to win 4-1 on the night, courtesy of goals from Casemiro, Rasmus Højlund and a brace from the impressive Mason Mount. 'It's a different competition and the opponents are different, the physicality I think is important. We are more comfortable in this kind of game,' Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim told reporters after the game, trying to explain why his team's form is so much better in the Europa League. 'I do think the games are completely different … when we arrived at the beginning in our club, I think it was more the physicality and the speed of the game, so we were more comfortable to play in the Europa League.' Meanwhile, Tottenham traveled to the Arctic Circle to play Norweigan side Bodø/Glimt, looking to protect its 3-1 first-leg lead. It dealt with the unusual surroundings well on Thursday to win 2-0 on the night, with goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro ensuring safe passage to the final. For Spurs, there is the added pressure of winning the club's first trophy since 2008 and first continental silverware since the 1983-84 season. The north London club has struggled to shake off the reputation of being 'nearly good enough' over the last decade and has another chance to right that wrong in the final. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will also want to back up his claim that he always wins a trophy in the second season after joining a new club. 'It's exciting. It's brilliant. We know, irrespective of which club you're at, you don't get these opportunities too often, so you want to make the most of them,' Postecoglou said to reporters after Thursday's win. 'We've a couple of weeks to prepare for it, it should be a great game, and obviously, it gives our supporters some hope now that we can do something special this year.' Before this tournament kicked off, many had predicted both teams would have made the final given their superiority over most of the other teams in Europe's second tier competition. But given how unfathomably poor their league forms have been, it's quite incredible that teams positioned so low in the Premier League table are competing in a European final. The hope, for both sets of players, is that victory in Bilbao can be the ultimate distraction from their misgivings in the league, and give their respective fans something to cheer about in an otherwise chastening season.
