The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar is entering its hot phase. What news is there about the early end of the German national team? How are the other teams doing? What happens off the pitch at the controversial desert tournament?
The most important news is here in the LIVE ticker sport.de.
Streich criticizes TV experts
England star thrown out after coach Zoff?
Vogts criticizes the “lack of friction” in the DFB team
Spanish staff quake continues
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+++ December 9th, 2022, 2:41 p.m .: Sterling back in England training +++
England national soccer player Raheem Sterling is back in Qatar after leaving home at short notice and trained with the team again for the first time on Friday.
The 28-year-old was one of 25 players that Gareth Southgate gathered for the last session before the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday (8:00 p.m. CET/ZDF and MagentaTV) against France.
Declan Rice (recently ailing) and Callum Wilson (recently ailing) also attended training at Al-Wakra south of Doha. The Three Lions go into the game against the defending champions in Al-Khour as slight underdogs.
There was a burglary at Sterling last weekend, which is why the professional traveled home at short notice and missed the round of 16. Now he’s back in time for the game against France.
+++ December 9th, 2022, 1:50 p.m .: Morocco relies on great support +++
Morocco firmly believes in the first semi-finals of an African team at a World Cup. “Portugal is the favourite. But we were also the underdog against Spain. We want and can make history,” said coach Walid Regragui before his nation’s first World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday (4 p.m. CET/ZDF and MagentaTV).
The Moroccans are only the fourth African country to reach the last eight of a World Cup and have enjoyed strong fan support in Qatar throughout the tournament. “We feel the positive vibe, also in the social networks. An entire continent and large parts of the Arab world suit us, that’s fantastic,” said Regragui, who described the resulting pressure as “positive”.
After the strenuous round of 16 against Spain (0-0 aet, 3-0 on penalties), some players were “struck and ill”, but the French-born coach does not want to be deterred from his big dream: “Portugal have fewer weaknesses than others teams. But so did Spain, Belgium and Croatia. We have to be optimistic and we can do it.”
+++ December 9th, 2022, 1:22 p.m .: Portugal coach defends CR7: “Leave him alone” +++
Portugal coach Fernando Santos has resolutely defended his captain Cristiano Ronaldo after the turmoil of the past few days. “Leave him alone, he doesn’t deserve it after everything he’s done for Portuguese football,” said the 68-year-old, referring to reports on Ronaldo’s alleged departure threat.
“He never told me he was going to leave the team,” Santos said after the federation denied the rumors on Thursday. “We have to stop with this polemic,” he demanded ahead of the World Cup quarterfinals against Morocco on Saturday. Santos left open whether CR7 will return to the starting XI.
In the round of 16 against Switzerland (6-1), Ronaldo did not start a major tournament for the first time since 2008. According to Santos, he informed the superstar of his decision at noon on the day of the game. “Of course I explained everything to him. Cristiano wasn’t happy,” said the coach.
+++ December 9th, 2022, 1:03 p.m .: “Completely wrong”: Streich criticizes TV experts +++
Coach Christian Streich from SC Freiburg, second in the Bundesliga, has clearly criticized the appearance of some TV experts in the wake of the German national team’s elimination at the World Cup in Qatar.
Some of the statements were “completely wrong,” said the 57-year-old to “SWR” after the start of training with the Breisgauers.
Streich was particularly bothered by the fact that the criticism came from people who “a few years ago kicked the ball themselves and were upset about the criticism from those who were sitting there. And now they’re sitting there themselves and sometimes chatting things up you think to yourself: This can’t be true”.
In the future he will switch off immediately after the games, then he will not have to look at “any unqualified comments”.
+++ December 9th, 2022, 11:21 am: Lloris reveals: Mbappé ignores the “talk” +++
France’s captain Hugo Lloris sees the athletically outstanding Kylian Mbappé mentally in the best possible condition.
“Kylian is preparing excellently. He ignores all the talk around him. He doesn’t need it. He’s completely focused on his goals,” said 35-year-old Lloris at the press conference in Al-Rajjan on Friday.
Mbappé is considered a key player for the quarter-finals against England on Saturday (8 p.m. / ZDF and MagentaTV). “He looks very happy. This is how he has looked since the tournament started,” added the goalkeeper.
Lloris has been playing for English top club Tottenham Hotspur since 2012 and knows the opponents at the Three Lions from league operations. “England’s professionals are well known. Set pieces are one of their strengths, they have great players and strong shooters,” said Lloris.
+++ December 9th, 2022, 10:40 a.m .: England star thrown out after coach Zoff? +++
Officially due to “personal reasons”, Ben White left England’s World Cup camp after the group stage. According to the “Daily Star”, there is more behind the departure of the defender from Arsenal.
Accordingly, White is said to have fallen out with assistant coach Steve Holland in front of the assembled team.
National coach Gareth Southgate’s assistant was said to have disapproved of White’s lack of preparation for the opposition.
The 25-year-old hadn’t played a single minute in Qatar before he was kicked out. Southgate’s White was not used against Iran (6-2) and the USA (0-0). He officially missed the British duel with Wales (3-0) due to illness.
+++ December 9th, 2022, 8:54 a.m .: Trippier strengthens England coach Southgate +++
England international Kieran Trippier made a plea for head coach Gareth Southgate just ahead of the World Cup quarter-finals against holders France.
“Gareth has another two years on his contract. We all love Gareth, he’s a fantastic coach,” the 32-year-old told English newspapers. “We’re behind Gareth 100 percent, 100 percent,” added the full-back. England will meet the world champions in Al-Khour on Saturday (8 p.m. / ZDF and MagentaTV).
Southgate and the FA put the future aside during the tournament. His record in major tournaments has been good so far: The Three Lions reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the final of the 2021 European Championship, which they lost to Italy on penalties at Wembley Stadium.
Before the World Cup, the 52-year-old ex-professional had come under criticism after a weak year and six Nations League games without a win. In Qatar, however, England have been in command so far and easily reached the round of the last eight.
+++ December 9th, 2022, 7:51 a.m .: Vogts complains about “lack of friction” in the DFB team +++
According to the former national coach Berti Vogts, the lack of friction in the German Football Association is the reason for the national team’s sporting crisis.
“There has been too much harmony in the DFB in recent years. That has led to a standstill in many places,” wrote Vogts in the “Rheinische Post”. He therefore hopes that former national player Matthias Sammer will support the DFB again in the future as a critical spirit.
Vogts judged that there was no one in the association who would also talk about unpleasant things. “That’s certainly something that Oliver Bierhoff has to be accused of. I often pointed it out to him, but criticism was not welcome in his environment,” explained the 75-year-old. Now DFB Vice President Hans-Joachim Watzke must “re-establish a healthy culture of debate in the DFB” with Sammer.
Vogts believes that national coach Hansi Flick is allowed to stay in office. The head coach must now have “the full confidence of the DFB” to “put our football back on the road to success”.
+++ December 9th, 2022, 7:42 a.m .: Ex-DFB boss criticizes the “One Love” bandage +++
Former DFB President Fritz Keller sees the discussions about the “One Love” bandage as one of the main reasons for Germany’s elimination from the preliminary round at the World Cup in Qatar.
Politicians and other DFB officials had “persuaded the team to take action, to wear the One Love bandage and then to show this gesture with their mouth closed as a substitute,” said Keller in an interview with the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten “, adding: “The team disagreed, the captain and the team council were pushed to do it. Then there are discussions in the team about things that have nothing to do with the sport – you can’t do that.”
The people involved lacked consistency. “If you’ve leaned so far out of the window, you have to do it, not to lose face.” According to Keller, Germany now has the international role of “know-it-all”. The whole thing will also create diplomatic pressure. “Some people kowtow and others symbolically oppose it. You can’t convince the world of our values like that,” emphasized Keller.
+++ December 8th, 2022: 7:53 p.m .: Spanish staff quake continues +++
The disappointing performance of the Spanish national team at the World Cup in Qatar led to another change in personnel: after the departure of national coach Luis Enrique, sports director Jose Francisco Molina will also hand over the sporting management of the team in January. This was announced by the Spanish association on Thursday evening.
Molina, who took office in the summer of 2018, will not renew his expiring contract. His successor will be former Spain international Albert Luque.
This, in cooperation with new coach Luis de la Fuente, should lead Spain back to a title.
+++ December 8th, 2022, 4:47 p.m .: FC Bayern star with urgent warning +++
Dayot Upamecano looks ahead to the World Cup Quarterfinals against England with great respect.
“We know the players, they are world-class players who know how the ball is played. We have to be well prepared,” warned the 24-year-old Frenchman before the game in Al-Khour.
Upamecano, who has been playing for Bayern Munich since 2021, is likely to meet England’s star striker Harry Kane several times in the Al-Bait Stadium.
“The pressure is the same as in the group stage,” said Youssouf Fofana (AS Monaco). “We’re still having fun.” England have “a great team with outstanding players”.
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