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☆ Bayer Leverkusen: German club equals 59-year-old record as unbeaten season continues
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —German team Bayer Leverkusen extended its miraculous unbeaten run to 48 games on Sunday after thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the Bundesliga. The win means that Leverkusen has now equaled the record for the longest unbeaten run across all top-level matches since the introduction of European competition, according to UEFA. Leverkusen will have the chance to break the record on Thursday when it plays Roma in the second leg of its Europa League semifinal. The all-time mark of 62 games unbeaten was set by Scottish club Celtic from 1915-1917, however, those matches were all in the domestic league. The next game is important for us, the second leg of the Europa League semifinal: a chance to reach the final.

Persons: Granit Xhaka, Patrik Schick, Exequiel Palacios, Jeremie Frimpong, Victor Okoh Boniface –, Roma, ”, Xabi Alonso, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Alonso, ” Alonso, “ Organizations: CNN, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bundesliga, Leverkusen, Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank, UEFA, Benfica, Europa League, Celtic, Bayern, Spain, VfL Bochum, FC Kaiserslautern, Roma, “ Locations: Scottish, AFP, Augsburg

☆ Bayer Leverkusen: Record 44-game unbeaten run brings to an end 31 years of hurt and ridicule
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

However, if you were a fan of German soccer club Bayer Leverkusen, little changed for you over those 31 years – there was just a lot of disappointment. Since winning the German Cup in 1993, Leverkusen relentlessly explored increasingly agonizing ways of spurning chances to win trophies. The current season has already reaped rewards in the form of the Bundesliga title, with potential domestic and European competition success transforming this into a season for the ages. Everybody was on the pitch this evening, everybody was crying.”After years being the butt of the joke, Leverkusen fans could finally spin the narrative. Leverkusen fans celebrated en masse on the pitch after winning the German league title.

Persons: ’, David Letterman ’, Xabi, Alonso, Mike Hewitt, ”, Schwarzroten, ‘ You’ll, Olaf Schmidt –, –, midfifelder, Jeremie Frimpong, Xabi Alonso, Lars Baron, Florian Wirtz’s wizardry, Deutscher Meister ’, ” Schmidt, ‘, Schmidt, Andreas Rentz, ” Uwe Schewiola Organizations: CNN, Chicago Bulls, NBA, The Bulls, Bayer Leverkusen, Basque, Bundesliga, Europa League, West Ham United, Getty, Real Madrid, ’, Olaf Schmidt – Leverkusen, CNN Sport, Bayern, Spain, Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Bayer, Werder Bremen, Black, Reds, FC Kaiserslautern Locations: German, Europe, Real, London, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Germany, England, Spain, Italy, Tolosa, West Ham

☆ Xabi Alonso becomes Europe’s most wanted coach as Bayer Leverkusen runs away with Bundesliga
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Xabi Alonso was appointed the club’s head coach in October 2022, with Leverkusen languishing near the bottom of the German table. Prior to being appointed Leverkusen’s manager, Alonso had coached Real Madrid’s Under-14 team and Real Sociedad’s B team. We have seen in the past what else can happen,” Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tag told Dazn after the victory over Köln. There are 10 games remaining in the Bundesliga season and Leverkusen is the strong favorite to win its first ever league title. And with Leverkusen in semifinals of the domestic cup and the round-of-16 stage of the Europa League, Alonso could cap off a memorable second season in first-team management with a hat-trick of trophies.

Persons: ’, Michael Ballack, Oliver Neuville, Dimitar Berbatov, Zé Roberto, Zidane’s, Xabi Alonso, Alonso, Ina Fassbender, –, Jeremie Frimpong, Grimaldo –, Grimaldo, Frimpong, John Muller, “, ”, Jonathan Tag, Köln, Wolfgang Rattay, Thomas Tuchel’s Organizations: CNN, Bayer Leverkusen, Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund, Champions League, Real Madrid, Leverkusen, Spain, Bayern Munich, English Premier League, Köln, Getty, Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Merseyside, League, Spanish national team, Real Madrid’s, Real, Benfica, The, Bayern, Europa League Locations: Liverpool, AFP, Istanbul, Leverkusen, Europe

☆ Xavi signs contract extension with Barcelona until 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Sept 22 (Reuters) - Coach Xavi Hernandez has extended his contract with Barcelona until 2025 with an option for a further year, the LaLiga club said on Friday. The 43-year-old manager arrived at Barcelona on a three-year deal following the departure of Dutchman Ronald Koeman at the end of 2021. Former Spain international Xavi has coached Barca in 96 games, with 61 wins, 16 draws and 19 losses. Barca academy product Xavi spent 17 years as a player with the Catalan side, winning 25 trophies - including eight LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues - in 767 appearances. Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xavi Hernandez, Dutchman Ronald Koeman, Xavi, Janina Nuno Rios, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Barcelona, Spain, Barca, Spanish, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Barca, Mexico City

☆ Bellingham fever fuels Real Madrid hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Soccer Football - Real Madrid present new signing Jude Bellingham - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - June 15, 2023 Real Madrid's new signing Jude Bellingham during the presentation REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura/File PhotoMADRID, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Real Madrid are banking on the arrival of England midfielder Jude Bellingham to regain the LaLiga title from Barcelona andchallenge seriously for a record-extending 15th European Cup. Bellingham has made an instant impact in the dressing room with his coach and team mates delighted by his performances in pre-season matches. For now, however, Real are lacking a top-level striker to replace Benzema and coach Carlo Ancelotti is relying on the versatile Bellingham, changing the system he used in his former spells at Real Madrid when they won the Champions League in 2014 and 2022. "Bellingham is a complete midfielder and different from the others we have," the Italian told reporters during Real's pre-season trip to the U.S."He is a fantastic player. Real Madrid start their bid for a record-extending 36th Spanish title on Saturday at Athletic Bilbao.

Persons: Jude Bellingham, Violeta Santos Moura, Ballon, Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Joselu, Kylian Mbappe, Paris St Germain, Carlo Ancelotti, Ancelotti, Vinicius Jr, Vinicius, Fernando Kallas, Ed Osmond Organizations: Soccer Football, Real Madrid, Santiago Bernabeu, Borussia Dortmund, Spain, Espanyol, France, Paris St, Benzema, Champions League, Real's, Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Thomson Locations: Santiago, Madrid, Spain, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bellingham

☆ Morning Bid: Markets shake off surprise US credit downgrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A money changer counts U.S. dollar banknotes at a currency exchange office in Ankara, Turkey November 11, 2021. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan/File PhotoA look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Brigid RileyFitch delivered the markets a doozy of a surprise with an unexpected downgrade of the U.S. government's credit rating, by one notch to AA+ from AAA, citing concerns over governance and U.S. debt. Japan's Nikkei (.N225) suffered a 1.8% drop, but that's after hovering near post-Bubble highs for most of the past two months. Chinese markets also took a big hit, led by a 2% drop for Hong Kong's Hang Seng. But again, these are markets that had been supported by now-waning hopes for big-bang economic stimulus from Beijing.

Persons: Cagla, Brigid Riley Fitch, Biden, Brigid Riley, Kevin Buckland, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, AAA, Treasury, NASDAQ, Japan's Nikkei, Swiss PMI, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, U.S, Beijing, China's, Swiss, Spain

☆ Manchester City's Rodri named Champions League Player of the Season
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 11 (Reuters) - Manchester City midfielder Rodri was named the Champions League's Player of the Season by UEFA on Sunday after a stellar 2022-23 campaign. Rodri appeared in all but one of City's Champions League matches, scoring twice. Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was named the Champions League's Young Player of the Season, capping a remarkable campaign for the 22-year-old Georgian. Kvaratskhelia won the league title with Napoli and also claimed Serie A's Player of the Season award earlier this month. Team of the season:Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)Defenders: Kyle Walker (Man City), Ruben Dias (Man City), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Federico Dimarco (Inter)Midfielders: John Stones (Man City), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Rodri (Man City)Forwards: Bernardo Silva (Man City), Erling Haaland (Man City), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rodri, Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kvaratskhelia, Thibaut Courtois, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior, Tommy Lund, Toby Davis Organizations: Manchester City, UEFA, Spain international, City, Inter Milan, City's Champions League, Napoli, Inter, Midfielders, Real, Thomson Locations: Saturday's, Real Madrid, Man, Gdansk

☆ Busquets to leave Barcelona at end of season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Getafe - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - January 22, 2023 FC Barcelona's Sergio Busquets holds the Spanish Super Cup trophy aloft before the match... Read moreMay 10 (Reuters) - Barcelona defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets will leave the club at the end of this season after spending 18 years with the Catalan outfit, the team said on Wednesday. Busquets, 34, began his youth career at Barcelona in 2005 before making his first-team debut in 2008. He helped Barcelona win eight LaLiga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, three Champions League trophies and three Club World Cups. He could add another league title to his achievements this season, with Barcelona leading the points table by 13 points with five games remaining. A report on Spanish TV show El Chiringuito de Jugones said that Busquets has accepted an offer by Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal along with Lionel Messi.

☆ Mourinho dismisses PSG talk ahead of Europa League semi-final
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - Europa League - AS Roma Press Conference - Rome, Italy - May 10, 2023 AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho during the press conference. Despite talk of potentially take over the Ligue 1 club from Christophe Galtier in the 2023-24 season, Mourinho reaffirmed his loyalty to Roma, where he is currently under contract until 2024. "If they called, they didn’t find me," Mourinho told Sky Sport Italia on Wednesday before the pre-match news conference. During the news conference, Mourinho expressed admiration for the former Spain international, showering him with praise. Despite Roma reaching the semi-finals of a prominent European competition for the third consecutive season, Mourinho dismisses the notion that it puts pressure on the team.

☆ Real Madrid beat 10-man Chelsea 2-0 as Benzema strikes again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Soccer Football - Champions League - Quarter Finals - First Leg - Real Madrid v Chelsea - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - April 12, 2023 Real Madrid's Karim Benzema celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS/Albert GeaMADRID, April 12 (Reuters) - European champions Real Madrid beat 10-man Chelsea 2-0 in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg courtesy of a tap-in by Karim Benzema and a powerful strike by substitute Marco Asensio in the Spanish capital on Wednesday. Benzema, the scourge of Chelsea at the same stage of the competition last season, converted from point blank range in the 21st minute when Kepa Arrizabalaga saved from Vinicius Junior but could only touch the ball in the direction of the Frenchman. Chelsea went close to scoring in the first half through Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling but they were thwarted by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois playing against his former club. The win at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium puts the 14-time European champions in the driver's seat ahead of the second leg at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge on April 18. Writing by William Schomberg in London Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ghana name uncapped pair who have impressed in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Kamal Sowah’s form for Club Brugge in the Champions League has won him a World Cup call-up for Ghana after the uncapped striker was on Monday included in the country’s squad for Qatar. The 22-year-old was a surprise selection as coach Otto Addo named his 26-man squad for the tournament, where the Black Stars face Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay in Group H.Sowah has impressed as the Belgian club reached the last 16 of the Champions League, knocking out Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen in the process. There was also a first call up for midfielder Salis Abdul Samed, 22, who has been a regular for Racing Lens this season as they have moved to second in the French Ligue 1 standings. The squad will be captained by Dede Ayew, who was part of the team that reached the quarter-finals in South Africa in 2010 – only the third time an African nation has reached the last eight of a World Cup. Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

“I didn’t want to hide anymore and I wanted to show everyone who Josh Cavallo the person is. It’s just absolutely phenomenal that it’s had that impact.”"To see that we're heading to a country (Qatar) that's criminalizing people like myself ... It's quite concerning," says Cavallo of the 2022 World Cup. CNN has reached out to Qatar’s World Cup organizers for comment on Cavallo’s comments, but did not get a response. Earlier this year, former England international David Beckham become one of the most high-profile ambassadors for the World Cup in Qatar.

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