Sports

Tuchel grapples with Bayern’s inefficiency as Man City show no remorse

Published

1 year ago

12/04/2023

By Oliver Trust

BERLIN, April 11 (Xinhua) — Taking on Europe’s presumed best side after only 15 days in charge might be one of the biggest challenges for a coach.

When signing his contract with Bayern Munich until 2024 about two weeks ago, Thomas Tuchel likely considered what was next in the Champions League quarterfinals.

The 49-year-old’s fourth game at the helm took the former Paris and Chelsea manager back to England, where he achieved his greatest success to date by leading Chelsea to win the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City and their Spanish star coach Pep Guardiola.

This time, Tuchel was less fortunate despite devising a sophisticated tactical approach for what he called “a high-speed line-up.”

Hoping to repeat his success from two years ago, Julian Nagelsmann’s predecessor chose a surprising starting eleven, leaving club icon Thomas Muller on the bench and selecting speedy players Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, and Jamal Musiala.

Several former Bayern coaches struggled when attempting to sideline Muller, failing to provide a convincing game plan and suffering from poor communication.

While Bayern lost the first leg against the Sky Blues 3-0, Tuchel promoted Muller to one of his assistants, as the 33-year-old regularly joined the coach’s side to discuss the game’s progress.

Media reports mentioned that Bayern’s players respected the concise and incisive instructions provided by the coach.

Losing the first game after eight consecutive wins in the Champions League probably doesn’t diminish the impact Bayern’s new coach has made in a short period.

Being eliminated in the German Cup on home soil against underdog SC Freiburg might increase the pressure Tuchel faces in the second leg against City on April 19.

This Tuesday’s match proved that Bayern under Tuchel can pose a threat to Guardiola, who is trying to win the Champions League for the third time after 2009 and 2011 when he guided Barcelona to victory twice. For over 70 minutes, the Bavarians competed on equal footing. However, Bayern is lacking efficiency and a powerful forward since Robert Lewandowski left for Barcelona in 2022.

While Tuchel can hardly be blamed for the void, it’s more so Bayern’s club leaders’ transfer policy causing a quality gap that is likely hindering their chances to reach the semifinals. The painful 3-0 defeat doesn’t seem to leave much room for optimism.

Bayern and Tuchel might do better to focus on the domestic league campaign and their future squad.

Five days apparently weren’t enough for Tuchel to unleash his new team’s potential, but the Bayern coach isn’t giving up and is hoping for a miracle.

Source(s): Xinhua

Sports

The table tennis star Dheema, first Maldivian athlete to qualify for Olympics

Published

16 hours ago

18/05/2024

The table tennis star, Fathimath Dheema Ali, who will be partaking in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, has received a warm welcome upon returning to Male’ City. Dheema showcased her exemplary skills amidst stiff competition from the finest table tennis players in South Asia and emerged victorious in the South Asia Regional Olympic Qualifications. Her triumph signifies a momentous milestone for the Maldives in the realm of international sports.

Upon arrival back to the Maldives, the Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu and senior officials of the ministry along with the President of Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC) Mohamed Abdul Sattar and key figures from the Table Tennis Association of the Maldives extended their heartfelt and warm welcomes to Dheema. The minister organised a special ceremony held in the Youth Centre, commemorating the groundbreaking achievement of Dheema.

Speaking at the ceremony, President of the table Tennis Association Ali Rasheed rejoiced, stating that Dheema’s historic performance marked a significant milestone in the history of the Maldives. Highlighting that this remarkable victory was a result of 10 years of her unwavering commitment and dedication, Ali affirmed that the administration and countries in which she received training played a pivotal role for her success. On this stance, he expressed heartfelt gratitude towards all who were engaged in assisting to ensure this significant opportunity was secured.

While Dheema successfully qualified for the Olympic Games, previously Maldivian athletes competed in the games in invitational (tripartite) opportunities provided. As such, Maldivian athletes have been actively participating and competing in athletics, badminton and swimming since 1988.

Source(s): PsmNews

Sports

Minister announces survey for 20-year sports development plan

Published

3 days ago

15/05/2024

Minister of Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu has announced a special survey for the Maldives’ 20-year sports development plan.

The draft plan was developed in February and focuses on cultivating top athletes by training coaches in schools, hosting major tournaments in the Maldives, and expanding sports associations’ activities in the atolls.

At a press conference, Minister Rafiu highlighted ongoing collaboration with sports associations. He said that detailed work on the long-term policy is available on the ministry’s website. He also said that the survey is a critical part of the process and spans 22 pages and requires time for completion by each association.

Additionally, Minister Rafiu mentioned agreements with Malaysia for training athletes and administrators. He also said that discussions about the plan have taken place with France, and talks are ongoing with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Source(s): PsmNews

Sports

Mbappe announces PSG departure at end of season

Published

1 week ago

11/05/2024

MARSEILLE, May 10 (Xinhua) — Kylian Mbappe confirmed on Friday that he will leave French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, without revealing his next destination.

But according to multiple media reports, he will join the La Liga powerhouses Real Madrid after the season ends.

“I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks,” Mbappe said in a video posted on social media.

“I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.”

The French international joined PSG on loan from Monaco in 2017 and officially signed with the capital-based side after the season ended for a transfer fee of 180 million euros.

During his seven years with the team, Mbappe helped the club claim six league titles and three French Cup victories, making 306 appearances and scoring 255 goals, becoming the top scorer in the team’s history.

“It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honor to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world,” said the 26-year-old.

“It allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions,” he added.

“It’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that… but I think I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”

PSG have already secured the Ligue 1 title of this season and reached the French Cup final, where they will compete for the championship against Lyon on May 25th.

However, in the Champions League where the team most aspired to make a mark, they suffered another disappointing exit as they were eliminated in the semifinals after being defeated in both legs by Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

Source(s): Xinhua