Bundesliga
German media slam, Messi’s Ballon d’Or win
German media fumed at the decision to award Lionel Messi his seventh Ballon d’Or, describing the verdict as a ‘scandal’ that ‘cheated’ Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski.
The Polish striker was the runaway favourite to win the prestigious golden ball, awarded by France Football to the best player in the world in a calendar year, in 2020, only for the prize to be cancelled amid the pandemic.
Lewandowski, 33, finished second this time around after scoring 38 goals in 30 league games for Bayern in 2021, in addition to winning the Bundesliga, but it was not enough.
Fast forward 12 months and Messi, who won his first major title with Argentina by lifting the Copa America, was recognised with his seventh Ballon d’Or, leaving Lewandowski still without one.
‘This can not be true,’ German newspaper Bild wrote on Tuesday. ‘It is a scandalous choice.’
Germany legend Lothar Matthaus, who himself won the Ballon d’Or back in 1990, said that he ‘doesn’t understand the world anymore’ after ‘extraordinary’ Lewandowski, who came second, was snubbed for the top prize.
‘To be honest, after this decision I don’t understand the world anymore,’ Matthaus told Sky Sports Germany.
‘With all due respect to Lionel Messi and all the other great nominated players. Nobody deserves it like Lewandowski. France Football didn’t award the prize last year, and if only because of all the titles that Robert has won with Bayern 2020, he is unrivalled not only in the last two years.
‘But even if you only take 2021 into account, he was better than the rest. He broke Gerd Müller’s record of the century, is again top of the top scorers list in every competition, and has surpassed everyone nationally and internationally this year as well.’
Lewandowski was crowned the Best FIFA Men’s Player last year following a sensational 2019-20 season in which he scored a combined total of 47 goals for club and country.
The 33-year-old’s goals propelled Bayern to a famous treble, as the Bavarian giants won the Champions League, the German Cup and an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title.
Lewandowski then added another Bundesliga title last season – his seventh in a row – plundering 48 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions and breaking the late Muller’s record for most goals in a single Bundesliga season with 41, but it was not enough to win France Football’s biggest prize.
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos and club legend Iker Casillas joined in on the criticism of Messi’s latest Ballon d’Or win, with the German midfielder claiming ‘it’s absolutely not deserved’.
Kroos, speaking on his podcast, was fiercely critical of the decision to name Messi as the victor before also revealing who he voted for in his top three.
Speaking on his podcast, Kroos said: ‘It’s absolutely not deserved. There is no doubt that Messi, with Cristiano, has been the player of the last decade, but this year there should’ve been others ahead of him.’
His Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema was in his top three along with Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho.
Casillas also added that the Paris Saint-Germain star should not have won the top prize.
The Spaniard said: ‘It is increasingly difficult for me to believe in football awards. Messi is one of the best but you have to know who is the most outstanding player after the season. It’s not that hard.’
Even after winning the award Messi himself acknowledged that Lewandowski had been wrongly denied a Ballon d’Or.
The Argentine said: ‘You deserve your Ballon d’Or. Last year everyone agreed that you were the winner.
‘I think France Football should give you your Ballon d’Or. You have to have it in your house.’
Lewandowski, who was seen sitting next to Messi during the ceremony in Paris, was magnanimous in defeat as he applauded his Argentine rival.
His wife, Anna, showed what she thought of the decision on Instagram, writing: My love, for me you are the best! I am always proud of you! I love you to the moon and back!’
With his latest success, Messi added to his 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019 trophies. He played down any talk of retirement in his victory speech.
‘It is incredible to be here again,’ said Messi in Paris on Monday night.
‘Two years ago, I said that it was my last years, and that I didn’t know what was going to happen, and now I am here again.
‘After that they began to ask me when I was going to retire and today I am in Paris. I am very happy and very excited, eager to continue fighting for new challenges.
‘I don’t know how much I have left, but I hope it’s a lot, because I love this. Other times I won this award and I always had the feeling that something was missing.
‘I felt gutted about something, and this year I was able to achieve the dream that I wanted so much after having fought and having gone through many falls.
‘This award is largely because of what we (Argentina) did in the Copa America.’
-Daily Mail
Bayer Leverkusen kept pace with Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich by beating Hoffenheim 3-1 on Sunday with goals from Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick and Jeremie Frimpong.
Leverkusen finished with 10 players after Álex Grimaldo’s sending off with half an hour to play. New signings Emiliano Buendía and Mario Hermoso made their debuts as Xabi Alonso’s team stayed six points behind Bayern two weeks before the top two clash in Leverkusen.
Bayern defeated Holstein Kiel on Saturday.
Boniface scored with his first shot at goal since his proposed move to Saudi team Al-Nassr collapsed. The Nigeria forward started for his first game since early November after recovering from a thigh injury, and he scored in the 15th minute with a shot that Hoffenheim ’keeper Luca Philipp should arguably have stopped.
Frimpong made it 2-0 four minutes later after Aleix García sent the Dutch wing back through.
Then Robin Braun became the first referee to announce a VAR call to fans in a Bundesliga game when a penalty he awarded to Nathan Tella for a foul by Hoffenheim defender David Jurasek was taken back — video replays showed the Leverkusen attacker was coming from an offside position before he was fouled.
Leverkusen’s match was among five in the 20th round trialling the NFL-style announcements, a change league officials hope will make the much-maligned VAR system more popular among fans.
Buendía went on for the injured Tella to make his Bundesliga debut before the break, and Schick went on for Boniface after it.
Buendía surged through the Hoffenheim defence only to see his shot saved by Philipp, but Schick was there to tuck away the rebound for 3-0 in the 51st. It was the Czech forward’s 14th league goal of the season.
Then Grimaldo was shown red in the 61st when Hoffenheim substitute Gift Orban went on for the visitors. Orban pulled a goal back a minute later.
Buendía made way for Hermoso to compensate for Grimaldo’s sending off. Though tempers flared at times, Leverkusen’s 10 men contained the visitors for the rest of the game.
Third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt drew with Wolfsburg 1-1 in the early game.
-AFP
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said Victor Boniface will remain at the Bundesliga club, after the Nigerian striker was left out of their Champions League clash with Sparta Prague amid rumours of a move to Saudi Arabia.
Boniface returned from injury on Saturday but was on the bench for Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig after German media reports linked him with a transfer to Saudi club Al-Nassr.
He was then left out of training ahead of Leverkusen’s 2-0 Champions League win over Czech side Sparta Prague on Wednesday.
“He will train again tomorrow. I believe he is staying with us,” Alonso told reporters after that win.
“So I have to say that I am satisfied, I am happy. He is comfortable here, so I don’t believe that this is a big stress for him.”
The 24-year-old has scored eight goals in 15 games in all competitions. Last season, he netted 14 goals in 23 league appearances to finish as their top scorer and played a pivotal role in securing Leverkusen’s first Bundesliga title.
Boniface staying at Leverkusen could open the doors for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran to join Al-Nassr instead.
The Colombian forward is also a reported target for the Saudi club, who are looking to bolster a frontline that already features Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.
-Reuters
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Bundesliga
Leverkusen sidelines Boniface at training session over transfer issues with Ronaldo’s club
Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface was left out of training on Tuesday as German media reports linked the striker with a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, with manager Xabi Alonso saying negotiations for the player’s transfer were ongoing.
If the transfer materialises, Boniface will be a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 24-year-old Boniface returned from injury on Saturday but was on the bench for Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
Before his injury in November, he had scored eight goals in 15 games in all competitions. Last season, he netted 14 goals in 23 league appearances to finish as their top scorer and played a pivotal role in securing Leverkusen’s first Bundesliga title.
“The situation with (Boniface) does exist. Negotiations are ongoing with the club, so we have to wait. Our preparation for the match remains the same,” Alonso told reporters ahead of the Champions League clash against Sparta Prague on Wednesday.
“We prepared (for the game) without Boni, of course. We still have to wait a little longer to see (how the situation unfolds),” the Spanish coach added.
“After Jeanu (Belocian) and Martin (Terrier) injuries we already said that we need to be active in the transfer window. Three days remain and we are so close (to a decision).
“I am and I will be happy with the squad (regardless). Until now, all players feel that they are ready and they are an important part of the team.”
Defender Belocian suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the start of the year and winger Terrier sustained an Achilles tendon rupture last week.
Leverkusen, eighth in the Champions League standings on 13 points, have already booked at least a knockout stage playoff spot while Sparta Prague, with four points from seven games, have been eliminated.
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The league title will be icing on Soname’s birthday cake on Sunday
As major global sporting events beckon, Morocco’s monarch launches the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed rail project
Nigeria Premier League attains a crescendo this weekend
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL1 week ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- OBITUARY4 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- U-17 AFCON1 week ago
Morocco crowned CAF U-17 AFCON champions after dramatic penalty shootout win over Mali
- U-20 FOOTBALL6 days ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- feature4 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu