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.
Legendary striker Pele’s daughters have updated fans and shared photos from hospital after their father was admitted again in Sao Paulo following tumor surgery.
The three-time World Cup winner with Brazil returned to his country’s leading Albert Einstein hospital this week.
In September, he had a tumor removed during a 30-day spell at the institution that treated Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro when he was stabbed on the 2018 campaign trail.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by four doctors, the Santos legend is in a stable condition, will continue treatment on the tumor and should be discharged in days.
Brazilian soccer legend Pele hospitalized to undergo treatment for a colon tumor. Sao Paulo's Hospital Albert Einstein says he is in stable condition and should be discharged in the next few days
O Hospital Albert Einstein, em São Paulo, confirma que Pelé está internado na unidade para dar sequência ao tratamento de um tumor no cólon. O câncer foi identificado em setembro deste ano, quando o ex-jogador passou 30 dias internado. pic.twitter.com/GAY3GNcDZ5
Pele’s daughters provided updates to his millions of fans worldwide, with Kely Nascimento telling her “insta family” that her social networks were “booming again” while posting a bedside selfie of the legend.
Nascimento added that her sister, Kely, was “petting him there for me”.
“I appreciate all the affection we’ve received from all of you. This photo was taken 10 minutes ago [at the hospital] where my father finished a procedure that had been scheduled for months,” she added.
“In two or three days, he will return home to enjoy Christmas,” Kely revealed, claiming: “This wasn’t a surprise. It was already scheduled and is part of the treatment.”
Flavia uploaded the same snap and wrote: “My people, be calm.
“[This is] the last visit of the year to Einstein, maintaining the treatment with control exams and chemo.
“Thanks to this wonderful team, my father just evolves. Thank you very much for the affection, everyone, but daddy is great.”
Pele is yet to personally address his latest medical developments with his following of more than 7.7 million on Instagram.
The 81-year-old’s most recent post on Instagram was a photo of himself and Germany icon Franz Beckenbauer, who the all-time great played with at New York Cosmos during the late 1970s.
Three weeks ago, Pele posted a photo with a raised fist and said he wanted to let fans know he felt “fine”.
“I feel better every day,” Pele said. “I don’t think even the mask for my protection can hide my happiness. Thank you very much to all of you who send me good energy daily.”
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.
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).
Mooted plans by the UK government to introduce requirements for fans at large events to provide a vaccine passport or proof of their Covid status have received a mixed response.
Boris Johnson’s government is under increasing pressure after a widespread loss of public confidence following its unconvincing response to allegations that senior officials held a Christmas party at the height of lockdown in 2020.
Amid the escalating controversy, the British prime minister made the predictably unpopular move on Wednesday to announce that pandemic measures would be tightened – leading to accusations of hypocrisy from critics.
Now a new report has claimed that new rules could be brought in within 48 hours requiring supporters attending Premier League matches to show contentious vaccine passports or prove they have recently tested negative.
| BREAKING: Premier League football clubs are ready to demand fans show vaccine passports to enter stadiums, starting from this weekend
I disagreed with them entirely but my experience of vaccine passports is just that you queue up for gigs/football as normal and somebody comes down the queue and you show them your phone/a bit of paper and they just glance at it
When the concept was initially raised, there were fears that a ‘two-tier’ society would be created between the vaccinated and those who have not had a jab.
Fans who are unable to produce their vaccination certification upon request at matches have been reminded to carry it until now.
They will now reportedly be turned away from games as part of planned spot checks, although the logistics behind carrying those out effectively among vast crowds is questionable.
“Spoke with some stewards at Manchester United yesterday evening,” claimed one reader.
“They say they don’t want to enforce Covid passes even if the Premier League insists due to potential law-breaking under discrimination laws and also for practicality reasons.”
PM Boris Johnson says England will move to plan B of covid restrictions: – WFH guidance from Monday – Masks in theatres and cinemas from Friday – Vaccine passports for nightclubs and sports stadiums in a week
Another sarcastically responded to the report: “Wow. It’s almost like they have decided this thing spreads in crowds.
“If we’d have known that two years ago, we could have acted quickly and saved a lot of lives.”
The new legislation will apply to major events and stadiums holding more than 10,000 people, according to The Times.
Unseated indoor events of more than 500 people and unseated outdoor events of more than 4,000 people will also be affected.
Spoke with some stewards at Manchester United yesterday evening. They say they don’t want to enforce covid passes even if the premier league insists, due to potential law breaking under discrimination laws and also practicality reasons.
Wow. It’s almost like they have decided this thing spreads in crowds. If we’d have known that 2 years ago we could have acted quickly and saved a lot of lives
Top-flight clubs are said to have initially suspected the move would require all fans to have taken a vaccine, although Johnson has said that a negative lateral flow test will be adequate.
Johnson has reportedly hinted that more restrictions could be placed on unvaccinated people.
That could affect players being selected for matches, with Premier League sides Manchester United and Brighton reputedly falling behind other teams in terms of vaccinated players.
League bosses said in October that 81 percent of players had received one jab, with more than two-thirds fully vaccinated.
