Sports

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has been crowned Germany’s Footballer of the Year for 2021.

The Pole lands the award for a second successive season following a record-breaking Bundesliga campaign with Bayern; becoming the first player to retain the accolade since Michael Ballack in 2003.

Lewandowski scored a staggering 41 league goals – surpassing Gerd Muller s record tally of 40 from 1971-72 – as Hansi Flick’s side secured a ninth straight title.

The 32-year-old was the runaway winner of the award, receiving 356 of the 563 votes cast in a poll conducted by journalists from sports magazine Kicker – 315 more than his nearest challenger Thomas Muller.

I know what a great honour this is, he told the club s official website.

It s …

Ajax head coach Alfred Schreuder has lamented everything is about money , as winger Antony reportedly nears a move to Manchester United.

The Brazil international looks to be on the brink of moving to United, with the clubs reportedly close to agreeing a fee rumoured to be worth £85million (€100.1m).

United manager Erik ten Hag worked with him during his time as Ajax head coach, and the wide-man has been open in his desire to reunite with his former boss.

Antony went public about wanting the move in an interview with journalist Fabrizio Romano, saying: I m not asking Ajax to release me.

I m asking Ajax to sell me with the highest bid ever for Eredivisie player. I ve been insisting on this theme since February so that the club could rebuild the team…

Tottenham say the findings of their initial investigation into alleged racial abuse aimed at Antonio Rudiger are inconclusive as the club calls in lip-readers to assess CCTV footage.

Rudiger told Chelsea club captain Cesar Azpilicueta that he was subjected to racist chants during their 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

The Germany international was allegedly targeted shortly after Spurs Son Heung-min had been sent off for kicking out at his opponent.

Referee Anthony Taylor called for an announcement to be made over the stadium s public address system to warn fans against making abusive chants.

In a statement issued on Monday, Spurs said: We are able to track every fan via the cameras and have spent many hours reviewing CCTV footage. We have…

PSV have confirmed the loan signing of Toni Lato from LaLiga club Valencia following Angelino s return to Manchester City.

Angelino s move back to City was confirmed on Wednesday, with the full-back returning to Manchester a year after leaving the Premier League champions.

The 22-year-old made 43 appearances across all competitions for PSV last season, scoring one goal.

And the Eredivisie club have moved quickly to draft in Angelino s replacement, securing the 21-year-old Lato on a season-long deal.

¡Buenos días !

— PSV (@PSV)

It was our main priority to fill the void left by the departures of Aziz Behich and Angelino , head coach Mark van Bommel told PSV s official site.

Lato is a young, promising player with a high…

Real Madrid have high hopes for Marco Asensio / Image via talkingbaws.com

Los Blancos kicked of their competitive season with a in the UEFA Super Cup clash on Tuesday night, which was a perfect introduction and a huge morale boost for the team ahead of the new campaign.

It was a close call with Real Madrid struggling to stomp their ground against Rojiblancos without five of their first-team members – Keylor Navas, Pepe, Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The match, however, provided further proof of the batch of bright talents Real Madrid boast in their ranks with the Canteranos – Kiko Casilla, Lucas Vazquez and most notably Marco Asensio – all doing enough to earn their stripes and repay the trust coach Zinedine Zidane has invested in them.

Market: Luton Town win

Odds: 13/10 @

Looking to extend on what has been a real purple patch on home soil, Luton will welcome QPR to an empty Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night.

Starting with the hosts, while Luton might have found themselves enduring a mini blip over the festive period, the Hatters have managed to bounce back in an eye-catching fashion. Booking their spot in the fourth-round of this year s FA Cup after picking up a 1-0 win against Reading at Kenilworth Road, the Whites were also last seen out on Championship duties when signing off 2020 with a 2-1 victory against Bristol City. Shocking many across England s second-tier this season and within striking distance of finding a route into the top-half of the table, Nathan Jones men have also gained a re…

Lionel Messi has joined Paris Saint-Germain training and was given a warm welcome by superstar team-mate Kylian Mbappe.

Messi this week completed his stunning free transfer to PSG having left Barcelona.

The deal was completed on Tuesday, before the six-time Ballon d Or winner faced the media on Wednesday. On Thursday, he was able to link up with his new team-mates.

On their official Instagram page, PSG posted a short video clip to their story showing Messi going through running drills.

Meanwhile, Mbappe – whose contract talks are now the club s chief focus – posted pictures of an embrace with the 34-year-old great.

Welcome to Paris, Léo.

— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe)

Welcome to Paris, Leo, he wrote, adding a further caption…

Tottenham defender William Gallas admits he may be forced to leave White Hart Lane at the end of the season.

Spurs now boast five quality centre-backs and boss Andre Villas-Boas has said that at least one of them will leave next summer.

With Michael Dawson getting back into first team reckoning and Steven Caulker showing a lot of promise since returning from Swansea, William Gallas looks likely to be sacrificed.

The veteran defender, who has a contract until the end of the season, says he doesn’t know what the future holds for him.

“I don’t know what will happen about my contract — I don’t even think about it,” Gallas in Daily Mirror.

“Will I still be here next season? I don’t know.”

William Gallas arrived at White Hart…

FC Barcelona are attempting to lure Toulouse defender Aymen Abdennour to the Camp Nou after inviting the Tunisia international to be their guest for the second leg of the club s UEFA Champions League last-16 tie with Italian giants AC Milan on 12 March, .

Abdennour, 23, has been watched by Barcelona scouts on several occasions this season, with the 23-year-old seen as a potential long-term replacement for Carles Puyol.

With that said, the Tunisia international, whose under contract at the Stadium Municipal de Toulouse until June 2016, is flattered by the Catalans interest in him, and rightfully so.

Barcelona are a top team, but the invitation does not mean that I will sign for them, said Abdennour.

It is no secret that I have been watched …

Danny Simpson has penned a new three-year deal with Leicester City, .

The defender has become the eighth member of Claudio Ranieri’s squad to pen a new deal at the King Power Stadium this season, having helped them clinch a surprise Premier League title triumph last season, and the second this week after winger Marc Albrighton commited his future to the East Midlands club.

Simpson moved to Leicester from Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 2014 and has so far racked up fifty-two appearances for the club in all competitions.

His last outing came as the Foxes secured their first win of the season at the weekend, securing a 2-1 home victory over Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.

They currently sit ninth in the table and can be backed at a price of…