Some of the national team players would like to see Oliver Baumann start in goal against Ecuador tomorrow, and thus make his World Cup debut as a 'reward' and a show of appreciation for him. The topic has been discussed in the dressing room in recent hours. It remains to be seen whether Julian Nagelsmann and Manuel Neuer will make it happen [@SkySportDE]
These are ticket prices for the Round of 32 World Cup game in Santa Clara on July 1.
That's around a third of a billion dollars in seat revenue alone for one game that isn't even close to the finals.
We live in an incomprehensibly wealthy society!
Ilkay Gündogan defends Leroy Sané against criticism in his @derspiegel column:
"Leroy and I spent a lot of time together. So I can say that I know him well. And that's why it affects me when I see how critically he's often viewed in Germany. Even after the 7-1 win against Curaçao, some consider him the loser of the match. Some are even demanding that Julian Nagelsmann drops him from the starting lineup.
I think people don't understand Leroy. And I think they're doing him an injustice. Leroy is a polarizing figure. I understand that. But as a player, it's incredibly difficult to deal with mentally. Leroy often feels like people are just waiting for him to make a mistake. I notice that he isn't always as mentally free as he needs to be for his style of play. He's a player who needs room to make mistakes. Only then can he truly flourish. But if he's constantly worried that the first mistake will immediately trigger criticism, how can Leroy perform consistently? We all need to do more to support him
The problem with modern football is that fans often don't watch the entire 90 minutes anymore. Everything boils down to the highlights. As an attacking player like Leroy, you need goals and assists. Otherwise, you're quickly considered a failure. As teammates, however, we see things completely differently. Take another close look at the game against Curaçao. See how Leroy sprinted back 60 meters to support Joshua Kimmich in defense. That's what his teammates really pay attention to. Is he helping me? Is he there when we need him? Does his run create space for his teammates?
Ultimately, Leroy, as an attacking player, must also be judged on goals and assists. That's the nature of the business. Everyone has to accept that. But we footballers also evaluate a player's work ethic for the team. And that was certainly there against Curaçao
Leroy has a problem: he gets too easily discouraged by mistakes on the pitch. He's a very emotional player. I often tell him he needs to work on that. But I hope that people will take a closer look at what Leroy Sané is really like. In my opinion, he can no longer be considered a controversial figure"
A Guatemalan journalist told Manuel Neuer that there are many Germany fans in Hispanic countries and that they're happy when Germany does well..
Neuer: "It's very special for us when other nations support us. For us it's important to have fans from all over the world, not just from Germany. It's so special to have support from Hispanic people as well"
@CampusVid2 I will never forget, I think it was his UYL debut, with that beautiful freekick and a last minute solo for the winner, followed by an immediate cramp.
This is yet another reminder that the coach responsible for Ibrahim Maza's age group at the DFB went from U15 to U17 over the course of three years without nominating him a single time, despite the fact that his talent was obvious. The same coach also failed to recognize the potential of Kenan Yıldız and Can Uzun within the same age group and did the same to them, and there are other questionable stories.
Despite that track record, Marc Meister remains in a key position within the DFB and is currently responsible for the U15s, where some of his selections for the first two matches of this age group have once again raised serious questions.
At what point do the media start holding him and the @DFB accountable and demanding consequences for years of failure in one of the most important positions in German youth football?
A coach who completely overlooked players such as Ibrahim Maza, Kenan Yıldız, and Can Uzun should not continue to have a decisive say in identifying and developing Germany's next generation of talent. The cost of these mistakes is simply too high for German football.
@sportschau@sportstudio@kicker@SkySport@ManuThiele@Transfermarkt
https://t.co/5v5iCXrn89
Konrad Laimer currently earns around €9m gross per year at FC Bayern. With the new deal, his salary could rise up to €12m/year. Following months of negotiations, an agreement is now close [@kessler_philipp]
Konrad Laimer is on the verge of extending his contract at FC Bayern. The financial differences have been resolved, and a broad agreement has been reached. It is said within Bayern that the expected agreement is economically sound for the club. An announcement could take place soon [@georg_holzner, @kicker]