Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has been appointed to lead the German national team with the aim of reviving football in the country to its former glory. He is returning to the coaching bench after a two-year break following his departure from Liverpool due to a feeling of lack of energy.
Germany, once a powerful football nation, is experiencing a decline after winning the 2014 World Cup. The German Football Association (DFB) sees Klopp as a coach with the experience to bring the fading giants back to the top. Although German media hopes that the 59-year-old Klopp will form a team in the 'heavy metal' style, similar to his best Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund sides, his primary task is more fundamental.
During his first press conference at Liverpool in 2015, Klopp stated: 'If anyone wants to help LFC, they need to go from skeptic to believer.' Now that the four-time world champions are once again in decline, Klopp's first mission is to restore the country's lost self-confidence.
Klopp's unusual story is often presented as a myth. Born in Stuttgart, he spent most of his playing career in the second division of Mainz. The former defender recalled his playing days: 'I had the talent for the fifth division, and the mind for the Bundesliga. The result was a career in the second division.'
At the age of 33, Klopp took over Mainz, avoided relegation, and promoted the team to the top division for the first time. In 2008, he joined Dortmund, the 1997 Champions League winners, who were going through difficult times. Dortmund was on the verge of bankruptcy, at one point owing two million euros to rivals Bayern for salary payments, and finished 13th the year before Klopp arrived. Klopp led Dortmund to two consecutive Bundesliga titles and to the 2013 Champions League final, where they lost to Bayern.
After a short break, Klopp moved to Liverpool in 2015. At Anfield, he faced a similar task to that in Dortmund: revitalizing a fallen football colossus, albeit on a global scale. At his first press conference, Klopp displayed his usual sense of humor and self-awareness, calling himself an 'ordinary guy' in contrast to the 'special' José Mourinho. By acting as an antithesis to Mourinho, Klopp showed the qualities of an ordinary person that won the affection of fans far beyond Merseyside.
Klopp diagnosed Liverpool's problems not only in the lack of talent but also in the lack of belief. After nine years, having won all available trophies, including the Premier League and the Champions League, his phrase about 'going from skeptic to believer' became synonymous with the club's transformation. He left the club in 2024.
After Liverpool, interest in Klopp's services came from Real Madrid and England. However, over time, even with what seemed like a comfortable role overseeing Red Bull's football operations, doubts arose about his return to coaching. In an AFP interview in January, Klopp hinted that he had concluded his coaching career: 'I don't expect to change my mind, but I don't know... It might seem arrogant, but I know I can coach a football team. But I don't need to do it until my last day.'
Even as the probability of returning to the daily routine of club football decreased, working in Germany always seemed the most likely reason for his return. However, another failure at the World Cup, elimination in the Round of 32 by Paraguay, paved the way for Klopp's return. Germany's problems are numerous, but, like at Anfield, the main ailment is the problem of faith. The reputation earned by Germans as a confident team that performs best under the bright lights has almost disappeared. Germany's situation was clearly demonstrated in the penalty shootout against Paraguay. After Manuel Neuer saved Paraguay's fifth attempt, captain Joshua Kimmich urged the hesitant players to take the sixth kick. This was far from a team known for its mental resilience, which had won its last six penalty shootouts in major tournaments. Defender Jonathan Tah, who had never taken a penalty in senior football, took a shot that sailed over the goal. Germany lost a World Cup penalty shootout for the first time, demonstrating the scale of the task facing Klopp and his team.
Lando Norris, a British driver for the McLaren team, secured pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix following the qualifying session at the Hungaroring circuit near Budapest. He managed to overtake Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, achieving his first pole of the season with a flawless lap recorded in the final seconds of qualifying.
The 26-year-old Briton set the fastest lap time of one minute and 17.207 seconds. This result allowed him to surpass Hamilton's attempt to set an unprecedented tenth pole on this track by only 0.012 seconds. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari finished third in qualifying ahead of Sunday's race in Budapest.
World champion Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes finished fourth, trailing by 0.260 seconds. He was overtaken by Oscar Piastri of McLaren and four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.
Norris expressed his delight, stating: 'I am very happy to be back on top.' He noted the difficulty of the session and the high speed of the Ferrari drivers, adding that improvements helped the team: 'It was tough throughout the weekend, but we were fast, and our upgrades helped – it feels great to be on pole, especially at this track.'
Hamilton, aged 41, approached the potential status of the oldest pole sitter since Mario Andretti at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix. For Norris, this was his second pole in Budapest and his seventeenth in his career, the last of which was in Las Vegas in November.
Hamilton congratulated Norris, remarking: 'I think we worked well all weekend and were consistent in qualifying, but going out first wasn't the right decision. Furthermore, the grip just wasn't there for Charles and me at the end. We were the fastest, but ultimately it slipped away from us.'
Leclerc explained his position due to changes in wind: 'There were quite a few wind changes today, and I didn't expect that. Everything was a bit chaotic.'
The session began under hot conditions with a track temperature of 52°C. Valtteri Bottas led the start in his Cadillac, followed by rivals from Williams and Aston Martin in updated 'B-spec' cars. Ferrari ran both cars on medium tyres, and Hamilton quickly set the pace with 1:18.730, overtaking Leclerc, whose lap was discarded for exceeding track limits.
The remaining participants used soft tyres. Norris was ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli, with Hamilton behind them. Meanwhile, Aston Martin was pleased as Alonso finished 16th and qualified for Q2 for the first time this year.
Both Cadillacs, both Williams cars, Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin, and Oliver Berman from Haas were eliminated from the race. Alex Albon of Williams called the situation 'terrible', questioning the frequent balance changes of the cars.
Alonso, using worn soft tyres, was the first to enter Q2 but was half a second slower than Hajar, who had previously declared his car 'undrivable' during FP3. In front of Hamilton on soft tyres, Antonelli posted 1:17.931, much to his dissatisfaction.
Unexpectedly, Alonso climbed to 10th place, and then, after a pit stop, moved to first place, but was overtaken by Norris, while Leclerc passed him in the final seconds of the lap.
Liam Lawson from Racing Bulls, two Alpine cars, Gabriel Bortoleto from Audi, and Esteban Ocon from Haas, who finished 16th, were also eliminated from the race. The battle for the top 10 began, where Hamilton initially took provisional first place with a lap of 1:17.219, overtaking Norris by a tenth of a second, as well as Leclerc and Antonelli after their initial fast runs.
Hamilton and Leclerc went out for a second run but could not improve their positions. Verstappen then caused his Red Bull to spin at Turn 13, triggering yellow flags that affected several following cars, although Norris's McLaren remained untouched.
The head coach of the South African national team, Disari Ellis of Banyana Banyana, warned her players not to underestimate Tanzania as South Africa prepares to apply for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title restoration in Morocco.
South Africa will begin its Group B against Tanzania on Monday, followed by matches against Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso. Ellis understands that a successful start could be decisive in a tournament where the stakes go beyond continental greatness.
The four teams that reach the semi-finals will automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil, making every point in the group stage invaluable. Banyana is determined to return to the top of African football after winning its first continental title in 2022.
According to Ellis, ambitions start with how the team handles what she expects to be another tough confrontation against Tanzania. The coach stated: 'Obviously, we start with Tanzania, and we have always had tense games against them, so we are not going to underestimate them; if you underestimate a team, you risk it, and the next thing you know, it's a chase for the game.'
She believes the first match will determine the course of Banyana's campaign, as they aim for another deep run on the continent. 'So it is important to start well and set the tone for the rest of the tournament, and after that, we can focus on the main goal, which is qualifying for the World Cup, and then we will see what happens.'
Ellis has maintained an experienced core squad, which has become one of Africa's most stable teams in recent years, while also including six players participating in the WAFCON tournament for the first time, continuing to work on the team's future. She believes that the combination of experience and youth allows South Africa to be well-prepared for the expectations accompanying the representation of one of the continent's leading nations.
The coach noted: 'Pressure is a privilege; once you are in this team, there is pressure, but the team usually handles it well, and the experience we gained being here and doing this before will be very helpful, especially for the six players who are participating in the WAFCON tournament for the first time.'
Despite Banyana heading back to Morocco with the hopes of the entire nation, Ellis emphasizes that before thinking about winning another continental trophy or securing a spot in the World Cup, South Africa must first overcome Tanzania and build a foundation for a successful campaign. For Banyana, returning to the biggest prize in Africa starts with playing the first 90 minutes correctly.
The coach of Bafana Bafana, Hugo Bruus, expressed deep sorrow over the death of midfielder Jayden Adams, who was buried in Stellenbosch on Saturday. Bruus paid an emotional tribute to the young player during his funeral.
Bruus believes that South African football has lost a player with enormous potential. He joined the family, friends, teammates, and members of the football community to say goodbye to the 25-year-old midfielder. His death caused mourning across the country just weeks after he helped Bafana Bafana reach the FIFA World Cup playoffs for the first time.
The Belgian coach, who included Adams in the World Cup squad, stated that he never doubted the choice of this midfielder for the biggest football stage. Bruus noted: 'We did not hesitate to take him to the World Cup, and he helped us a lot.' Adams was one of Bafana's standout performers in the tournament, completing an impressive rise that began at Stellenbosch FC, then moved to Mamelodi Sundowns, where he won the CAF Champions League and several domestic trophies.
Bruus felt that the talented midfielder had only just begun to realize his potential. He emphasized: 'He was a player with huge potential, and, as I said (he passed away) too early and too soon we lost him because he was far from his limits. He was going to become much better and become a very big and great player for South Africa, and it is a shame that he is no more.'
SAFA President Danny Jordan was also present at the funeral. He used the opportunity to reflect on the number of young South African footballers whose lives ended tragically. Jordan mentioned: 'We have lost not only Jayden, but we have also lost Jayden Oswin's friend (Andrees), who was 19 years old, and we have also lost Heath Leremy at 22, and many other players under 25.'
Jordan called on South African football to pay more attention to the well-being of players, stating that the demands on footballers go beyond the pitch. He noted: 'What South African football must do is understand the pressure these players are under, not only from coaching demands but also from problems outside of football. We must provide a structure, similar to what we created for Banyane, which includes psychologists.'
These tributes reflected the sense of loss felt throughout the football community. Adams is remembered not only as one of South Africa's brightest midfield talents but also as a young man whose career and life were cut short before reaching his full potential.
