2nd league, Karlsruhe: Second division soccer team Karlsruher SC is overwhelmed by a violent corona wave. 16 professionals, four coaches and four people from the functional team tested positive on Thursday, so the club would like to have the league game against SV Sandhausen on Sunday (1.30 p.m. / Sky) rescheduled. The KSC announced on Thursday evening that a corresponding application would be received by the German Football League (DFL) on Friday morning. All those involved with symptoms are doing well under the circumstances, the vaccination rate is 100 percent. As a precaution, another PCR test will be carried out on Friday for all people who tested negative.
The outbreak had already been feared on Wednesday, one day after the acclaimed entry into the DFB Cup quarter-finals. As a precaution, training on Thursday was canceled due to “several infections in the team environment”. On Tuesday, the second division tenth in the cup at third division 1860 Munich prevailed 1-0 in the round of 16 and thus reached the round of the last eight for the first time in 25 years.
Soccer, Spain: FC Barcelona has parted ways with French professional Ousmane Dembélé with immediate effect. “It is obvious that the player does not want to stay at Barcelona and is not committed to Barça’s future project,” said the Catalans’ director of football Mateu Alemany in a video published on the club’s website on Thursday. That’s why Dembélé and his advisors were told “that he has to leave immediately because we want dedicated players and we hope that a transfer will be possible before January 31,” Alemany continued. Barça have been in talks with the former Dortmund striker and his agent since July 2021. “We made various offers, trying to find a way for the player to continue with us. And these offers were systematically rejected by his agents,” said Alemany.
Coach Xavi Hernández had warned the day before that Dembélé would have to extend his contract, which expires on June 30th. Otherwise he will no longer play for the Spanish club. “Either he extends it or we solve the case with the player leaving. We have no choice, nothing else,” said the coach before the Catalans’ round of 16 match at Athletic Bilbao on Thursday. Dembélé is no longer available for this game. Spanish media wrote that Dembélé had repeatedly assured the coach that he wanted to stay at Barça.
Soccer, Duisburg: In the investigation into an alleged racist insult against an Osnabrück football player in the third division game in Duisburg, the police believe that the allegations have not been confirmed. The state protection of the Duisburg criminal police has provisionally concluded the investigation into a spectator at the game of MSV against VfL in December. The police announced on Thursday. Multiple media like that New Ruhr Newspaper had previously reported about it. The message said: “It was possible to clarify that the 55-year-old suspect shouted, ‘You monkey can’t shoot a corner either’ and presumably meant the player Florian Kleinhansl and not Aaron Opoku.”
In addition, according to the police, the investigations have not confirmed the suspicion that monkey sounds were imitated in the stands. State security had previously evaluated video recordings and heard players, referees, spectators and folders, the message said. The file has now been handed over to the public prosecutor. There it was initially only said that the documents had been received. A spokeswoman announced on request that the case would be examined and then publicly commented.
Football, England: Ralf Rangnick has calmly reacted to Cristiano Ronaldo’s irritation after being substituted in Manchester United’s 3-1 win at Brentford in the English Premier League. “I said: I understand that you are ambitious and want to score. But in a few years, when you are head coach yourself, hopefully you will make the same decision as I did after 75 minutes,” said Rangnick (63). Ronaldo (36) was taken off the field when the score was 2-0 on Wednesday and was visibly upset. Rangnick emphasized that he made the decision in the interests of the team and wanted to strengthen the defense. The coach pointed out that United had lost a 2-0 lead against Aston Villa a few days earlier. “I didn’t expect him to hug me,” Rangnick said.
