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
A masked fan unplugged a VAR monitor during a German second division match on Sunday in an audacious act of sabotage that left the referee looking at a blank screen when he was called to review a potential penalty.
The bizarre incident unfolded during the Bundesliga 2 clash between Preussen Muenster and visiting Hertha Berlin, when referee Felix Bickel was summoned to the pitchside monitor only to discover that someone had yanked out the power plug.
According to Muenster’s website, a masked supporter had infiltrated the interior and unplugged the VAR monitor, sabotaging the review process. German media reported that at the same time, home fans displayed a banner reading “Pull the plug on VAR”.
With Bickel unable to view the replay, VAR official Katrin Rafalski in Cologne was forced to make the decision remotely, ruling that the challenge was indeed a foul, prompting Bickel to award the penalty, which Hertha duly converted.
The Berlin side eventually won the match 2–1 with a stoppage-time goal.
Muenster later said the incident appeared to have been a planned action and that the club would do everything in its power to identify those responsible.
-Reuters
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German football powerhouse Borussia Dortmund has officially launched the BVB International Academy Ghana, marking the club’s first international academy on the African continent.
The academy, which will commence operations in Accra in February 2026, is based at Achimota School and has been established in partnership with Accra Shooting Stars FC. It is designed to provide structured football development for boys and girls aged 6 to 18.
In a statement announcing the project, Dortmund described the initiative as a major milestone for youth football development in Ghana and part of the club’s expanding global academy network.
Young players enrolled at the academy will be trained under Borussia Dortmund’s internationally recognised methodology, which emphasises discipline, leadership, education, nutrition and holistic personal development, while remaining aligned with Ghana’s vibrant football culture.
Benedikt Scholz, Director of Internationalisation and Commercial Partnerships and Managing Director of the BVB Football Academy, said the launch reflects the Bundesliga side’s longstanding relationship with Ghana, forged through former players such as Otto Addo and Ibrahim Tanko.
He described the academy as a “strong statement” of intent and noted that the club’s objective is to build sustainable youth development structures in close cooperation with local partners.
Academy Director Teddy Hiadzi explained that the project is inclusive by design, offering pathways for both recreational and elite players.
“Every child’s football journey is different,” Hiadzi said, adding that the academy’s priority is to provide quality coaching, clear developmental structures and a safe environment for growth on and off the pitch.
Former Dortmund midfielder and Black Stars legend Ibrahim Tanko has been appointed ambassador of the BVB International Academy Ghana. He described the academy as a special opportunity for young Ghanaian talents, noting that the country’s passion for football makes it an ideal environment to instil the mindset and discipline required to succeed at the highest level.
The BVB International Academy Ghana will operate as an official member of Dortmund’s global International Academy network, which already includes academies across Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean. Enrolment for the first intake is underway, with information sessions and football camps scheduled in collaboration with local schools.
The launch further strengthens Dortmund’s footprint in Africa and underscores Ghana’s growing reputation as a hub for structured youth football development on the continent.
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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
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