TRANSFER TALK: CRITICISM ADDS WEIGHT TO NICO SCHLOTTERBECK 'S LOOMING DORTMUND EXIT
Nico Schlotterbeck publicly blasted his Dortmund teammates for "playing carelessly" after their 2-2 draw, escalating concerns about the team's mentality and the defender's own uncertain future.
Borussia Dortmund needs to calm things down after Nico Schlotterbeck publicly criticised his teammates before their Sunday game against Freiburg.
Schlotterbeck didn't hold back, blasting substitutes Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi for losing every ball and other teammates for playing carelessly in their disappointing 2-2 draw with Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League.
This performance raised questions about the team's mentality. Schlotterbeck mentioned that players were playing their own game and not finishing the match properly.
Finishing the match comes down to quality. It’s just not good enough when you don’t finish the match and then allow a throw-in that isn’t cleared, making it 2-2, Schlotterbeck said.
Sporting director Sebastian Kehl and coach Niko Kovac also spoke harshly to the team, but Schlotterbeck’s words carry extra weight because there are questions about his future with the club.
League leader Bayern Munich plays Mainz on Sunday. It doesn't look good for Mainz, who are currently last in the standings. They haven't won a Bundesliga game since September and lost again last weekend under interim coach Benjamin Hoffmann. Bayern has been on fire, winning all but one game.
Leipzig, Bayern’s closest competitor, plays Union Berlin on Friday. The home fans are likely to protest due to the visitors' connection to an energy drink company.
Bayer Leverkusen will host Cologne on Saturday for the Rhine derby.
Bayern star Harry Kane, who subbed in and scored a hat trick against Stuttgart last weekend, will want to add to his 17 goals in 13 league games.
Bayern’s new favourite, Lennart Karl, 17, scored a great goal in their 3-1 Champions League win against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.
Leipzig’s Yan Diomande scored a hat trick in their 6-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, becoming the second youngest player ever to do this in the Bundesliga at 19 years old. Only Walter Bechtold, who was 18 when he scored a hat trick for Frankfurt in 1965, was younger.
Leverkusen forward Patrik Schick may miss the derby due to an ankle injury he got during the 2-2 draw against Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Dortmund also has injury problems, with Waldemar Anton and Aaron Anselmino both injured in the draw against Bodø/Glimt.
Bayern, however, had good news. Alphonso Davies played against Sporting after being out for nine months with a serious knee injury.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
