DORTMUND: Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said images of fans celebrating in the streets inspired the hosts to continue their Euro 2024 run, saying the “special” scenes reminded him of the 2006 World Cup on home soil.
In 2006, hosts Germany defied low pre-tournament expectations to go all the way to the semifinals before losing to eventual champions Italy in extra-time in Dortmund.
The 2006 World Cup became known in Germany as the ‘summer fairytale’ for the tournament’s positive impact both on and off the pitch.
Speaking before Saturday’s last 16 match against Denmark at the same venue, Nagelsmann said the images “pushed” the hosts to “create more pictures and more videos” to rival the celebrations of 18 years ago.
“It’s special when we see the pictures and videos of the fans and how they celebrate in the cities.
“When we talk about 2006 it’s always about that, we don’t talk about the results, we don’t talk about the games — it’s always about the fan zones.
“At the moment I feel the same,” the coach said, adding “we’re not done yet.”
Three-time Euros winners Germany have struggled in recent tournaments, with group stage exits at the past two World Cups alongside a last-16 elimination at the hands of England at the Euros in 2021.
“We’ll try to continue winning the games to try to create new pictures and videos in the fan zones tomorrow and in the next weeks as well.”
Nagelsmann said the “giant expectations” did not bother him, saying he was “completely relaxed because the coaching team have worked and prepared well.”
“We’re extremely well prepared for things and will go to bed calmly this evening.
“I’ve got great trust in the team, I know what’s inside of them and what they are capable of delivering.”
“I think the lads will go into the game with a good feeling and will fulfil the giant expectations.”
Nagelsmann said he was looking forward to coaching at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion cauldron — which is usually the largest stadium in Germany but has a reduced capacity for Euro 2024.
The former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig coach said he was happy to be coaching at the stadium with the “very loud” home crowd behind him for the first time, saying “usually I’m with the away team.”
Sporting a new bleached-blonde haircut, heavily tattooed midfielder Robert Andrich said he was “looking forward” to the “special atmosphere,” saying it would “lift me up — and the team too.”
“(Hopefully) it puts the Danes under a bit of pressure.”
“We’re happy we won the group — now we’re in the last 16 and our run isn’t over yet, we’ve got a few more things ahead of us.”
‘Not done yet’: Nagelsmann wants 2006 repeat for Euros hosts Germany
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‘Not done yet’: Nagelsmann wants 2006 repeat for Euros hosts Germany
- Nagelsmann said the images “pushed” the hosts to “create more pictures and more videos” to rival the celebrations of 18 years ago
- “It’s special when we see the pictures and videos of the fans and how they celebrate in the cities”
Lyon dumped out of French cup by fifth-tier Bourgoin-Jallieu
- The hometown hero was Mehdi Moujetzky
BOURGOIN-JALLIEU, France: Seven-time French champions Lyon were sent crashing out of the French Cup when they were beaten 4-2 on penalties by fifth-tier Bourgoin-Jallieu in their last-32 tie on Wednesday.
The hometown hero was Mehdi Moujetzky, who scored both goals for Bourgoin-Jallieu in normal time as the game ended 2-2.
He put his side ahead after 20 minutes and scored his second in the 69th to level the scores after Nemanja Matic and Georges Mikautadze appeared to have put Lyon, who are sixth in Ligue 1, en route for the last 16.
Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso both missed penalties in the shoot-out to send Bourgoin-Jallieu through.
There was another upset when Ligue 2 side Troyes beat Ligue 1’s Rennes 1-0.
BBC’s Match of the Day unveils new hosts to replace Lineker
- Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman will share presenting duties on the iconic show
- Cates, Dalglish’s 49-year-old daughter, is part of Sky Sports’ presenting team and will continue in that job alongside her new Match of the Day role
LONDON: Match of the Day, the BBC’s flagship Premier League highlights program, has unveiled three new hosts to replace Gary Lineker, including the daughter of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish.
Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman will share presenting duties on the iconic show, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, when current host Lineker steps down at the end of this season.
Cates, Dalglish’s 49-year-old daughter, is part of Sky Sports’ presenting team and will continue in that job alongside her new Match of the Day role.
“Once I sit in that chair and the theme music starts, I just know that’s going to be a really incredible moment,” she said.
“I’ve worked with a lot of the pundits before and they’re all fantastic, so I’m just looking forward to getting started.”
Former Tottenham, Barcelona and England striker Lineker is the BBC’s highest-paid presenter, earning £1.35 million ($1.65 million) a year, and has been the face of Match of the Day for 26 years.
Lineker, 64, will remain on the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup next season and is also set to present shows during the 2026 World Cup.
In August 2016, Lineker made good on a promise to present Match of the Day in his underpants after his boyhood club Leicester won the Premier League.
But he was briefly taken off air by bosses in Match 2023 after comparing the language used to launch a British government asylum policy to the rhetoric of Nazi-era Germany on social media.
In solidarity with Lineker, a number of fellow presenters and pundits including Alan Shearer and Ian Wright refused to appear on the program.
An episode was reduced to 20 minutes and aired without its host, pundits and commentary before Lineker was reinstated just over a week later.
“Gary has done a phenomenal job at Match of the Day for the last 26 years, he’ll be missed greatly and we all still get to enjoy him on our screens across some of football’s greatest tournaments,” the BBC’s director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski said.
Match of the Day, which was first broadcast in 1964, averages around four million viewers each week during the Premier League season.
For decades, the show with the memorable theme tune was a Saturday night institution, but audiences have dropped significantly from its peak in the 1970s and 1980s.
Man City and Chelsea both draw in Premier League after late goals
- City conceded in the 82nd minute and again two minutes into stoppage time in a 2-2 draw
MANCHESTER: Manchester City showed more fallibility in squandering a two-goal lead to draw at Brentford in the Premier League on Tuesday as Chelsea's slump deepened despite a last-gasp equalizer.
City conceded in the 82nd minute and again two minutes into stoppage time in a 2-2 draw after Phil Foden scored twice for the struggling champions, who are battling to simply qualify for the Champions League this season.
Chelsea salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth thanks to Reece James' free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time but saw their winless run in the league extend to five games.
West Ham beat Fulham 3-2 for a first win under new manager Graham Potter.
First-place Liverpool were playing third-place Nottingham Forest in the late game.
Pressure builds on Dortmund boss Sahin after loss at Kiel
- Dortmund were heavily favored against their promoted opponents
- Kiel have now won two of their last three to boost their chances of avoiding a direct relegation
KIEL, Germany: Borussia Dortmund’s struggles in the league continued with a 4-2 loss at Holstein Kiel on Tuesday, raising the heat on under-fire coach Nuri Sahin.
Dortmund were heavily favored against their promoted opponents, who sit second-last in the table, but were overrun as Kiel scored three goals in 22 first-half minutes.
Shuto Machino, Phil Harres and Alexander Bernhardsson found the net to have Kiel up by three at half-time.
Dortmund’s Gio Reyna and Jamie Gittens scored in the second half but the visitors could not pull off an unlikely comeback, with Jann-Fiete Arp scoring Kiel’s fourth in stoppage time.
Kiel have now won two of their last three to boost their chances of avoiding a direct relegation.
With half the season played, Dortmund sit eighth, 14 points behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
Questions will continue to be asked of coach Sahin, who replaced Edin Terzic in the summer, despite the latter taking Dortmund to the Champions League final in June.
With want-away forward Donyell Malen joining Aston Villa just an hour before kick-off, Sahin handed teenage forward Julien Duranville a starting XI debut.
In cold, foggy conditions on Germany’s northern coast, Dortmund dominated possession for much of the first half-hour, but were unable to break through the dogged hosts.
With 27 minutes gone, Kiel forced Julian Brandt into an error near his own penalty box, Bernhardsson then found Machino who blasted in the opener.
Harres, a fourth-division player this time last season, doubled Kiel’s lead with a clever header on the counter shortly afterwards.
Kiel hit a third just before half-time, Bernhardsson tapping in a Harres cross to have Dortmund reeling.
Sahin made four attacking changes in the opening 15 minutes of the second half as Dortmund pursued an unlikely comeback.
But despite goals by Reyna and Gittens, the visitors were unable to find a third, with local boy Arp scoring in the dying moments to seal a famous Kiel win.
Later on Tuesday, champions Bayer Leverkusen can close the gap on league leaders Bayern Munich with a victory at home against fifth-placed Mainz.
Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus to undergo surgery for ACL injury
- “Gabby will undergo surgery in the coming days and will soon begin his recovery,” Arsenal said
- He is expected to miss the rest of the season
LONDON: Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus will undergo surgery for an ACL injury sustained in the team’s FA Cup loss to Manchester United on Sunday.
The Premier League club on Tuesday confirmed the Brazil international’s injury after completing scans of his left knee.
“Gabby will undergo surgery in the coming days and will soon begin his recovery and rehabilitation program,” Arsenal said in a team statement.
He is expected to miss the rest of the season, though no timetable was specified.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had earlier warned that the forward’s injury was “not looking good at all.”
Second-place Arsenal, which host Tottenham on Wednesday, are already without Bukayo Saka due to a hamstring injury.
The team are “actively looking in the market to improve the squad” during the January transfer window, Arteta added.
“It would be naive not to do that because it is always an opportunity to evolve the team and improve the squad, especially with the circumstances,” he said.
“So yes, we are looking and we are trying and let’s see what we are able to do.”
