Sports
Jude Bellingham Crowned Bundesliga Player Of The Year
Jude Bellingham, the talented teenage midfielder of Dortmund, has been named the Bundesliga player of the season.
This accolade comes just two days after the disappointment of witnessing his team lose the German title in their final match against their top rival, Bayern Munich.
Despite trailing behind, Dortmund managed to secure a point by playing a 2-2 draw against Mainz.
The 19-year-old English international received the highest number of votes in a ‘Team of the Season’ poll. However, he was unable to participate in the last match of the season due to a late knee injury.
Throughout the season, Bellingham featured in 31 out of 34 games, starting in 30 of them. He accumulated a remarkable total of 2,693 league minutes, more than any other player in the club, and showcased his skills by scoring eight goals and providing four assists.
He was quoted as saying on the Bundesliga site “Every year or half year that I’ve played at the club, my responsibility in the team has increased.
“I came to the club as a talented lad, but I have added elements to my game that have taken it to the next level.”
“I have to continue to be everywhere on the pitch and try my best to contribute going forwards and backwards and try and control games, try to dominate the midfield.
“I want my teammates to see that I’m always doing everything I can to make sure we win. If we lose a game, I’m the worst person.”
Jude Bellingham, who joined Dortmund at the age of 17 from Birmingham City in the English Championship for a transfer fee of 29 million euros ($32 million), played a prominent role in England’s midfield during the previous year’s World Cup.
There have been strong speculations linking Bellingham with a potential move to Real Madrid or Manchester City in the upcoming summer transfer window.
In October, when Bellingham led his team out onto the field in Cologne, he became the youngest captain in a match since the Bundesliga began keeping records in 1995.
His coach, Edin Terzic, affectionately referred to Bellingham as “the oldest 19-year-old in the world,” acknowledging the maturity and skill that the young midfielder possesses.
Based on Bundesliga statistics, throughout the season, Bellingham displayed exceptional work rate and determination.
He covered a total distance of 322 kilometers, surpassing all his teammates, and emerged as the league leader in winning 482 duels.
Bellingham’s outstanding performances did not go unnoticed, as he was one of the four Dortmund players to be included in the team of the season which was made through a vote that involved fans, clubs, and experts.
The Bundesliga team of the season has been announced, featuring the standout performers from the league. The selected players are:
Goalkeeper:
Gregor Kobel – Borussia Dortmund
Defenders:
Jeremie Frimpong – Bayer Leverkusen
Matthijs de Ligt – Bayern Munich Nico
Schlotterbeck – Borussia Dortmund Alphonso
Davies – Bayern Munich
Midfielders:
Julian Brandt – Borussia Dortmund
Jude Bellingham – Borussia Dortmund
Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich
Forwards:
Moussa Diaby – Bayer Leverkusen
Randal Kolo Muani – Eintracht Frankfurt
Niclas Fuellkrug – Werder Bremen
Tottenham Hotspur will be without star forward Son Heung-min for their crucial Europa League quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt, manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed on Wednesday.
The South Korean international has been nursing a foot injury in recent weeks and did not travel with the squad to Germany.
Son also missed Spurs’ 4-2 Premier League defeat at Wolverhampton on Saturday.
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“Sonny didn’t travel in the end, he’s the only one that misses out,” Postecoglou told reporters ahead of Thursday’s clash at the Waldstadion.
“He’s been battling with his foot problem for a few weeks now and managed to play through it. He trained the last few days, he tried to train yesterday and it wasn’t right, so we made the decision to leave him at home to allow him to recuperate.”
Son has been a key figure in Spurs’ European campaign this season, registering three goals and an assist across nine Europa League appearances.
The tie remains finely balanced after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in London, where Pedro Porro’s equalizer cancelled out Hugo Ekitike’s early goal for Frankfurt.
A win on Thursday would secure a place in the semi-finals.
Postecoglou, whose side has struggled in domestic competition and sits 15th in the Premier League, dismissed concerns over mounting pressure on his position.
“If you don’t think I’m a good coach, that’s not going to change because of what happens tomorrow,” he said. “We’ve got a great opportunity tomorrow, and I’m not going to let that slip by without fighting tooth and nail.”
On the opposite bench, Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmoeller expects Spurs to be fully focused on the Europa League, brushing aside suggestions that their poor league form could offer his team an advantage.
“Their latest league setback plays absolutely no role because their only focus is the Europa League,” Toppmoeller said.
Despite Frankfurt sitting third in the Bundesliga, he refused to label his side as favourites. “It doesn’t matter whether any team is the favourite or not.”
Frankfurt will also be without their captain and first-choice goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, who remains sidelined through injury. Brazilian shot-stopper Kaua Santos is expected to continue in goal.
With the tie poised on a knife-edge, Toppmoeller remained unfazed by the possibility of the match going to penalties — a scenario often discussed when English and German sides meet in European competition.
“I have absolutely no fear of a shootout, because I have total confidence in the boys. And if it comes to penalties, we’ll win on penalties,” he said.
Gabonese football has been thrown into mourning following the death of international striker Aaron Boupendza, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 28.
The player reportedly fell from the 11th floor of a building in China, where he was plying his trade with Zhejiang FC.
The tragic news was confirmed by the Gabonese Football Federation (Fegafoot) in an official statement shared on X.
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“The Gabonese international died following a fall from the 11th floor of his building in China, where he was playing for Zhejiang FC,” the statement read.
“Aged 28, Boupendza leaves us with the memory of a great striker who left his mark on the CAN (Africa Cup of Nations) in Cameroon,” it added.
Boupendza, known for his sharp attacking instincts, was a key part of Gabon’s national team at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Panthers reached the knockout stage before being eliminated by Burkina Faso in the round of 16.
In the wake of his death, Fegafoot extended its sympathies, stating: “Fegafoot and the entire Gabonese football family offer their sincere condolences to his biological family.”
Gabon’s president-elect Brice Oligui Nguema also joined in paying tribute to the striker, writing on X: “It is with immense sadness that I learn of the tragic death of Aaron Boupendza, a talented centre-forward who brought honour to Gabonese football.”
Meanwhile, local media outlet Gabon 24 reported that an investigation has been opened to determine the exact cause of the incident, noting that “the exact circumstances of this tragedy are still unclear.”
Boupendza was born in Moanda and began his professional journey with French club Bordeaux in 2016, spending much of his early career on loan across France.
His breakthrough came in Turkey with Hatayspor, where he finished as top scorer in the 2020–21 Super Lig season.
The striker’s career saw him lift the Qatar FA Cup with Al Arabi, before further stints with Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia, FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer, and Romania’s Rapid Bucharest.
He had only joined Zhejiang FC in January of this year.
The communication materials for the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged the Gateway Games, have been unveiled.
Biztellers reports that the materials include the Games’ logo, theme song, and mascot.
The three were unveiled at a colourful ceremony at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta. The Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele stood in for the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
The logo is mainly in Ogun State theme colours of lemon green and yellow. The unveiling of the logo was immediately followed by that of the Theme Song of the Festival.
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It is titled ‘E’kaabo’ a Yoruba word for ‘Welcome’ as Ogun State prepares to welcome thousands of athletes, officials, tourists and VIPs when the 22nd National Sports Festival comes alive on May 16. The Theme Song was composed by Dr Bayo Adepetun.
The jam-packed hall roared in excitement when the festival’s mascot was eventually unveiled.
Named ‘Omo Ogun’, the animated version strolled on the stage and saluted the audience before getting down the stage to greet the dignitaries.
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