Champions League winner Joshua Kimmich, who has been at the center of a high-profile row after refusing to take a Covid vaccine, has been ruled out until 2022.
Bayern Munich star Kimmich is arguably the best-known player to have made it publicly clear that they have not been vaccinated.
The Germany midfielder said he had “concerns about the lack of long-term studies” on Covid vaccines when he confirmed the news in October.
That has become part of an escalating row in Germany, with Bayern thought to be unimpressed and ready to dock Kimmich’s mammoth pay packet under rules in the country that do not guarantee wages to employees who miss work and are unvaccinated.
NEW: Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich will miss the rest of the year due to a lung problem. Kimmich tested Covid positive 2 weeks ago. The Germany intl hasn’t played since 6 Nov due to first being deemed a close contact (as unvaccinated) & then testing positive. His quotes follow below.
Kimmich: “I’m doing fine but due to slight infiltrations in the lung, I’m not able to be back in full training currently. So I’ll undergo rehab training & can hardly wait to be back completely in January.”
Germany boss Hansi Flick, who had to make do without Kimmich after he was one of several players deemed a close contact to a squad member who tested positive, has insisted that the 26-year-old is not a “Covid denier” or a conspiracy theorist – claims that are often leveled at the unjabbed.
Ex-Liverpool powerhouse Dietmar Hamann has said that it “cannot be that Kimmich continues to receive his salary”, and Bayer Leverkusen supremo Rudi Voller – a former World Cup winner with Die Mannschaft – recently warned that the unvaccinated are “indecent” and “must bear the consequences”.
Now some fans are worried for Kimmich’s long-term health after the Bundesliga champions announced that he is out with a lung problem just two weeks after testing positive for Covid.
Lung lesions ppl. Two words you do not want to see together. He will never fully recover. Hopefully he can play again.
Speaking after football returned to major leagues across Europe following widespread lockdowns in 2020, Dr Flaminia Ronca, a sports scientist at an International Olympic Committee research center in London, spoke about the tests that clubs would likely be carrying out on top stars.
“If there is a hint that there might still be some inflammation or an issue with the heart or lungs, they need further examination because the risk of myocarditis, blood clots or lung damage are the biggest worries,” Ronca told The Athletic.
“Endurance elite athletes are particularly susceptible to airways diseases, and some athletes have reported suffering a wheezing sensation after Covid-19 symptoms have subsided, and we need to investigate that.
“When monitoring, we would carry out a series of lung-function tests, ranging from simple spirometry up to a CT scan in the most severe cases.”
Ronca added that “anything is possible” in terms of the damage Covid could cause to the lungs of top athletes.
Shortly after Ronca spoke, French rugby club Stade Francais announced the cancelation of a pre-season friendly because some of their players developed lesions on their lungs after contracting Covid.
Supporters speculated that Kimmich may be facing a similar issue. His absence is also a major blow to Bayern, who have few obvious alternatives to fulfil his role in their team.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side qualified for the Champions League knockout stage in style on Wednesday, completing six wins out of six in the group stage by ousting Barcelona from the competition with a 3-0 home win.
The match was played in front of an empty Allianz Arena under Covid restrictions in place in Germany.
A top striker for Chelsea Women knocked a man to the ground after he ran onto the pitch in search of a selfie during a Women’s Champions League match.
Australia captain Sam Kerr, a Ballon d’Or contender this year and the US National Women’s Soccer League all-time top scorer, was playing for the Blues against Juventus in the Women’s Champions League when a male fan left his seat and stormed the Kingsmeadow pitch.
Showing the kind of instinct that led her to becoming the only female footballer to win the Golden Boot in three different leagues on three different continents, the 28-year-old stopped the encroacher from further disrupting play.
The young man in question’s main aim seemed to be grabbing a selfie with Kerr’s teammate, Magdalena Eriksson.
Amid booing from the crowd, he remained on the turf far longer than neccessary, causing fans to grow restless in a farcical interlude.
Videos of the altercation show supporters jeering at the man and swearing at him.
Kerr quickly lifted their spirits by shoulder-checking him to the ground to widespread approval, which also earned her praise from manager Emma Hayes despite the recent FA Cup final scorer confusingly getting booked by the referee.
“He could have waited until the end to have a photograph if he really wanted one. But jokes aside, we do have to think about player safety,” said Hayes.
Sam Kerr has dropped the shoulder, flooring a pitch invader during Chelsea's UCL match! pic.twitter.com/Z48HmRLNWm
“We’ve seen with the growth of the game, there is this sense of the players being more in demand.
“It should serve as a reminder to us all, in our stadiums and with our stewards, that we’ve got to put player protection first.”
Down Under, a Sydney Morning Herald reporter said that it was “hard to think of a way Sam Kerr could finish this week that would endear her to Australian fans even more, beyond what she’s achieved on the field”.
“This was the only way,” he added.
Commenting from the Gabba in Brisbane, where Australia are playing England in The Ashes first test, Aussie cricket legend Andrew Symonds was asked about the incident, which reminded sports fans of how he similarly took out a streaker in 2008 when facing India in a one day international.
“We’re obviously bred pretty tough here in Australia and don’t take backwards steps. Sammy obviously took things into her own hands when security couldn’t catch the bloke, so good for her,” said the former all-rounder.
“She’s an icon and obviously knows how to handle herself. I’d like to buy her a beer and chat about it.”
Andrew Symonds completely bodied a streaker and became a folk hero, what’s with this yellow card bullshit pic.twitter.com/q1WPFFtDRo
The goalless draw denied Chelsea qualification to the quarter-finals with a group game to spare and was the first time they had failed to score this season.
Despite the shut-out, Kerr is the second-top scorer in the competition courtesy of four goals in five appearances in the current campaign.
Chelsea remain three points clear of nearest rivals Juve and Wolfsburg. Hayes’ side are guaranteed to reach the knockout stage if they avoid defeat when they visit the German on 16 December.
Real Madrid have hailed a massive loan that will allow the club to automatically remove the pitch via an underground greenhouse as part of a revamp of their stadium costing almost $600 million.
The loan is for €225 million ($254 million) and comes as part of the €525 million ($594 million) renovation to Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium that the 13-times Champions League winners announced four years ago.
The agreement has a term of 27 years and a fixed interest rate of 1.53 per cent, partly paying for a retractable roof and, in what is likely to be one of the first of its kind, a removable pitch.
“These conditions are the best ever obtained for long-term financing in the sport industry,” claimed the club, which has faced high-profile recent financial challenges.
“The funding will be used for the construction of a large underground greenhouse which was not foreseen in the initial work due to its complexity and which was technologically resolved at a later date.
“This greenhouse will allow the automatic removal of the pitch and its preservation in optimal conditions and in perfect shape to be used when a football match is to be held.
“In this way, the number of events that can be held without impacting the grass will be maximized.”
Real Madrid finances an innovative underground greenhouse to store the Santiago Bernabeu's grass at a fixed rate of 1.53%.#RealMadrid
When the work is finished, the ground should see its capacity boosted to 85,000.
Amid player pay cuts during the pandemic, construction work began in 2020, with Los Blancos winning the resumed season’s Liga title that year at their Alfredo Di Stefano training ground.
Despite president Florentino Perez claiming his outfit are broke enough to need to be part of the failed European Super League, Madrid still reportedly tabled a $200 million-plus bid for France and Paris Saint-Germain prodigy Kylian Mbappe.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid side have now returned to the Bernabeu and currently lead the Spanish top flight by eight points.
Some of the stadium’s lower tiers are still visibly under renovation, and other remodeling work is yet to be finished.
On Twitter, fans gave the announcement a mixed reaction. “Xavi would do it for free, but whatever,” said one, referencing the new head coach at arch-rivals Barcelona, who are trying to revamp their own Camp Nou stadium.
“How about you finance [the] Mbappe announcement?” was one impatient suggestion.
It will not work right? You will always feel the gaps/lines in the field while playing on the pitch (seems to me).
Fifty-four suspected Ukrainian football hooligans have been in court in Portugal after police said stones, bottles and flares were thrown at them in wild scenes ahead of a Champions League clash involving Dynamo Kiev.
The incident occurred ahead of a decisive Champions League fixture for Benfica, who hosted rock-bottom side Dynamo in Group E on Wednesday.
Benfica’s 2-0 win saw the Primeira Liga team though to the knockout stage with group winners Bayern Munich, who beat Barcelona 3-0 in Germany to condemn the Liga giants to a Europa League Knockout Playoff.
In the hours leading up to kick-off, though, Kiev fans battled with rival supporters in the Alto dos Moinhos neighborhood of the Portuguese capital near the Estadio da Luz, in what officials believe was a pre-arranged meet-up.
Footage on social media appeared to show an explosive scene on the darkened main road, set to the sound of bottles smashing and mobs charging at each other while flares could be seen in the background.
Thirteen people and one officer were injured according to CNN Portugal, with 54 individuals – all believed to be part of the Dynamo faithful – reportedly arrested when the police showed up and ordered to appear before a court on Thursday morning.
Lisbon Metropolitan Police confirmed the confrontation in a statement. “From what was [already] verified, there were behaviors that indicate that the meeting between the different groups was previously arranged,” the authority said.
“Of the detainees, 13 had injuries that needed medical treatment, and there was also one police officer who was not seriously injured.
“At the time of the intervention, the police were the target of several stones, bottles and flares being thrown, making it necessary to resort to coercive means to stop the clashes.
“Faced with the escalation of clashes between supporters and the following confrontation with police action, in order to preserve the physical integrity of police officers and third parties, it was necessary to fire 17 shots into the air and proceed with the arrest of the main [suspects].”
This is not the first time that Kiev fans have made headlines for the wrong reasons.
In 2018, they allegedly attacked traveling Liverpool supporters in a bar who were in their city for the Champions League final, and were also photographed having taken a flag off one bloodied fan with their victim held upside down.
In August that year, they were also accused of attacking Ajax fans visiting the Ukrainian capital.
The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry has vowed “solidarity” with China and accused the US of leading a “smear campaign” after the White House confirmed a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
“Whether it’s ‘diplomatic boycott’ of #Beijing22, or depriving Iranian teams from accessing financial resources, everyone should denounce politicization of sport,” tweeted Iranian Foreign Ministry Saeed Khatibzadeh on Thursday.
“Looking forward to participation in the event, we express solidarity with China that is targeted by smear campaign.”
Whether it's 'diplomatic boycott' of #Beijing2022, or depriving Iranian teams from accessing financial resources, everyone should denounce politicization of sport. Looking forward to participate in the event, we express solidarity with China that is targeted by smear campaign. pic.twitter.com/mWGAru0CTF
— Saeed Khatibzadeh | سعید خطیبزاده (@SKhatibzadeh) December 9, 2021
Khatibzadeh shared an image of a tweet from US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in which she “applauded” Joe Biden’s decision not to send US diplomats to the Games in Beijing, which get under way in February.
Khatibzadeh also shared a Sky News article on UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to follow suit and boycott the Games. Canada also announced this week that it would do the same.
China has dismissed the boycotts as a “farce”, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin saying: “Sports has nothing to do with politics. It is they who have written, directed and performed this farce.
“As of now, numerous heads of state, leaders of government and royal family members have registered to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, and we welcome them.
“China is committed to making greater contributions to the international Olympic cause and will offer up a streamlined, safe and exciting Olympics to the world.”
The boycotts are ostensibly over China’s human rights record, although some – including figures in Russia – have accused the US and its allies of pursuing a political agenda against China.
