News in brief: Schick alongside Nedved, Cech and Co.

Patrik Schick has been voted the Czech Player of the Year for the first time. The 26-year-old Werkself striker accepted the award in Prague on Sunday night 29 May. He follows on from Tomas Soucek (West Ham United) and is now alongside legends including Pavel Nedved, Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky who have all won the trophy.

The 26-year-old forward scored five goals for his national team in the European Championships include one with a spectacular 50-yard shot against Scotland. In the Bundesliga, Schick scored 24 times in 27 goals last season. Immediately after the end of the season, the 6 foot 3 striker signed a two-year extension to his contract at the Werkself to 2027. You can call that a perfect start to the summer. Gratulujeme a přejeme další úspěchy, Patrik!

Bundesliga resolutions

The management of the professional clubs from the Bundesliga and the second division met in Wiesbaden today (Monday). The following resolutions were agreed at the DFL Members Assembly: Five substitutions will continue to be permitted in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. In future that will continue to mean there will be three opportunities per team to make a substitution plus at half-time. This rule has applied in the past two seasons as well as in 2019/20 after the resumption matches in May 2020. The resolution by the assembly means the rule is included indefinitely in the DFL regulations.

licensing regulations: sustainability criteria adopted

The Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are the first big professional football league to adopt compulsory sustainability guidelines in their licensing regulations. A multistage model for implementation is envisaged. In addition, three minimum criteria were again initially agreed: 'Club management and organisation', 'environment and resources' plus 'stakeholder groups'. In future, the clubs will have to demonstrate a sustainability strategy and an environmental strategy. The fulfilment of the first minimum criteria is compulsory in the licensing regulations the 2023/24 season.

changes to match postponements and Transfer window

The rule on match postponements has also been amended: The postponement of a match due to illness or injury can only be applied for in the coming season of 2022/23 if, at the time the application is made, at least 25 first team players (including at least 22 outfield players and three goalkeepers – each with professional status) are on the club's list of eligible players for the relevant fixture.

Another decision relates to the summer transfer window for next season beginning on 1 July 2022: This has been extended by one day including Thursday, 1 September 2022. The transfer window has been harmonised with the transfer period of other top European leagues in order to avoid clubs having a competitive edge.

Also agreed: The Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) is adopted as an additional competition in the league statutes of the DFL. Details of the resolutions can be found at dfl.de. 

the Kicker rankings

The editorial staff at the Kicker sports journal come together twice a year to discuss and decide the rankings in German football. The crucial factor is "the performances produced in the assessment timescale" – in this case the first half of 2022. The results for the positions of goalkeeper and central defence were announced today (Monday).

Tah top marks as central defender

The central players in the back line include three Leverkusen players in the rankings of a total of 15 players. Jonathan Tah is in fourth place and has earned the classification of ''National class'. The reasons given are: "He leads the way at Bayer 04 Leverkusen as a defender and leader – particularly in the league where he had the top marks of all central defenders in the Rückrunde (2.83)." That does beg the question of why Nico Schlotterbeck (SC Freiburg), Willi Orban and Josko Gvardiol (both RB Leipzig) finished higher...

Edmond Tapsoba is in ninth place. "The Leverkusen player has improved strongly after a less than average Hinrunde. After the Africa Cup of Nations… He did have slight adjustment problems but then quickly achieved an impressive consistency that in the closing stages were reminiscent of his excellent start at Bayer." Piero Hincapie has also completed that phase after coming to Leverkusen from Argentina in the summer of 2021. In his second half-season, he impressed the editorial board to secure fourteenth place. "At such a young age, the 20-year-old is incredibly calm, cool and also reliable with the exception of the game at Hoffenheim. The Leverkusen player is also a first choice for Ecuador at the World Cup."

Hradecky only ninth

He led the second best team in the Rückrunde – level with the side from Leipzig – onto the pitch as captain. He only had to pick the ball out of the net 19 times in the second half of the season in the Bundesliga – in second place in the category – and in the number of saves, according to Kicker, Lukas Hradecky (71.6 %) was only just behind Manuel Riemann (71.7 %), Marvin Schwäbe (72 %) and Mark Flekken (72.7 %). Against that background it is surprising that the Werkself keeper is ninth in the rankings. The explanation: "His highlight match went unrewarded in the end: The Finnish international saved Leverkusen from a heavy defeat in the Europa League at Atalanta. As a brave keeper, the consistent 32-year-old continues to take risks defending space and in the air – and that increases the risk of looking bad from time to time." The top three in this position saw Kevin Trapp finish ahead of Manuel Neuer and Yann Sommer.

13 years ago today

Bayer 04 supporters are not keen to remember this day: 30 May 2009 was the date of the DFB Cup final between the Werkself and Werder Bremen at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. After a goalless first half, Mesut Özil was set up by Diego to score the only goal of the game for Werder Bremen on 58 minutes and thereby frustrate Leverkusen dreams of a second DFB Cup success.