News in brief: Celtic clash to be shown free in Germany

Gerardo Seoane and his team are away at Celtic for Matchday 2 of Europa League Group G on Thursday 30 September, and the game will be broadcast on free TV in Germany. RTL’s coverage begins at 20:15 CEST ahead of the 21:00 kick-off.

Leverkusen fans can also follow the game in Scotland with the Werkself Radio from half an hour before kick-off through the new Bayer 04 app or on bayer04.de.

Celtic draw and fall further behind

While the Werkself warmed up for their midweek clash by beating Mainz 1-0 at home, our Scottish opponents had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their league. Ange Postecoglou’s team had taken the lead against Dundee United through Liel Abada in the 16th minute before the visitors levelled the game only two minutes later at Celtic Park.

It means the Hoops have ten points to their name after seven games in the league, which is their worst start to a campaign since 1998/99. They are already six points behind Glasgow rivals Rangers. The Bhoys also lost their opening Europa League game 4-3 away at Real Betis.

HRADECKY NAMED IN TEAMS OF THE WEEK

Leverkusen head to Scotland with wind in their sails after picking up their fifth win in the last six games by beating Mainz at the weekend. It also saw three Werkself players named in various Teams of the Week. Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and Jeremie Frimpong made the cut with kicker, while goalscorer Florian Wirtz and Hradecky were selected by Bild. The ARD-Sportschau also picked the teenager, who has yet another milestone to his name since the Mainz game.

WIRTZ CLAIMS NEXT RECORD

It’s another entry into the record books for up-and-coming Wirtz after he notched up his tenth Bundesliga goal in the Mainz game. At 18 years and 145 days, it makes the Germany international the youngest player ever to reach double figures in the Bundesliga. He takes the record off Lukas Podolski. The 2014 World Cup winner was 18 years and 353 days when he reached that total for FC Köln in 2004.

Bayer 04 youth product Kai Havertz takes sixth place on that list. He was 19 years and 139 days when he got his tenth Bundesliga goal on 28 October 2018.

SAM ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Long-time Werkself player Sidney Sam announced his retirement on Monday. “Now is the time to end my playing career, which had so many highs and lows,” the right winger stated on his Instagram page. He made most of his professional appearances for the Werkself, featuring 92 times in the Bundesliga (24 goals, 18 assists).

Sam was most recently with Turkish club Antalyaspor, having previously played for the likes of Schalke, Hamburg and Bochum.

The former Leverkusen man recently completed a degree in sports management from the University of St. Gallen. “The next stage in my life starts now,” Sam said. We wish him all the best with that.

EU Commission speaks out against World Cup reform

The discussion about possible changes to the frequency of the World Cup from every four to two years – initiated by FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger – has now reached politics. EU Commission vice-president Margaritas Schinas said: “I share the doubts of the national football associations in Europe about the possibility of a World Cup taking place every two years. Europe is the epicentre of football in the world, and we have a duty to preserve a model that respects the interests of the fans, the welfare of the players and the general logic of the global sporting calendar, not just commercial interests.”

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s deputy was therefore siding with UEFA and also the German FA (DFB), who had already spoken out clearly against Wenger’s proposal.

In an addendum to a cross-party resolution on EU sports policy to be voted on at the end of October, the European Parliament is also to document its rejection of FIFA’s plans. According to the current draft, this also includes MEPs’ demands to international sports organisations to “respect the established time intervals of international competitions, especially the European Championship and the World Cup”.