BANDUNG – Pelatih Persib Bandung, Robert Rene Alberts, merupakan salah satu sosok yang setuju Liga 1 2020 dilanjutkan di tengah pandemi virus corona. Robert pun memberi saran kepada PSSI jika nantinya Liga 1 2020 kembali dilanjutkan.
Juru taktik berpaspor Belanda itu berharap kompetisi dapat digulirkan pada Agustus 2020. Sebab, dengan kompetisi kembali digulirkan pada Agustus, klub-klub dapat leluasa mendatangkan pemain-pemain dari kompetisi Eropa.
(Pelatih Persib, Robert Rene Alberts, saat pimpin latihan Persib. Foto: Persib.co.id)
Sekadar informasi, biasanya pada Agustus, bursa transfer musim panas tengah dibuka di Eropa. Persib yang kerap mendatangkan pemain-pemain berpaspor Eropa pun bisa berselancar mendaratkan personel anyar dari Benua Biru.
Hanya saja, jika kompetisi digulirkan pada Agustus 2020, kapan kompetisi bakal kelar, mengingat Liga 1 2020 masih menyisakan 29 pekan? Robert menilai idealnya kompetisi diselesaikan pada April atau Mei 2020. Hal itu berarti, Liga 1 2020 bakal berubah nama menjadi 2020-2021, layaknya Liga Thailand.
“Artinya, kita bisa mengikuti gaya Eropa. Sebab itu bagus, karena bertepatan dengan bursa transfer, sehingga dapat menarik pemain untuk bermain di Indonesia. Buat kami, itu sangat bagus,” ujar Robert Alberts di channel YouTube pribadinya.
Selain itu dengan kompetisi dilangsungkan dalam jangka waktu panjang, Robert berharap PSSI bisa menyelipkan turnamen Piala Indonesia. Dalam pandangan Robert, turnamen Piala Indonesia tidak digarap PSSI secara baik. Ambil contoh dalam penyelenggaraan 2018, yang mana molor hingga satu tahun.
“Buat kami sangat bagus bila liga digelar dengan rentang waktu yang panjang. Kita juga bisa menyelipkan Piala Indonesia, sebuah turnamen penting. Selama beberapa tahun terakhir, turnamen ini tidak dikelola dengan baik,” lanjut Robert.
Sekadar informasi, pada Rabu 27 Mei 2020 sebanyak 18 petinggi klub Liga 1 2020 mengadakan rapat virtual dengan PSSI untuk membahas kelanjutan kompetisi. Sebanyak enam klub yakni Borneo FC, Arema FC, Persib Bandung, Bali United, Persikabo dan Persiraja setuju kompetisi dilanjutkan.
Sementara itu, sebanyak 11 klub lain yakni PSS Sleman, Persik Kediri, Persija Jakarta, Bhayangkara FC, Persela Lamongan, Persita Tangerang, Barito Putera, PSIS Semarang, PSM Makassar, Persebaya Surabaya dan Madura United meminta kompetisi dihentikan dan diganti format baru. Untuk Persipura Jayapura, mereka siap mengikuti apa pun keputusan yang diambil PSSI.
‘The heir to two players?’, is probably along the lines of your questioning, which, in fairness, is a valid point to make.
Both are Bayern Munich legends, with more trophies between them than is worth counting before giving up, and two of the finest players in their respective positions that both Germany and Europe have been fortunate to lay eyes on.
What’s key in that is that they do, in fact, play in two completely different positions. Like, totally different.
Ask Joshua Kimmich to play in either, though, and you’ll get a 9/10 performance without ever needing to drop a single concerning bead of sweat.
Now it’s key to point out that Lahm also did this with consummate ease. Even popping up on either full-back slots, all the while giving off the impression that it’d been drilled into him for every day of his life to date. He could play any position with almost arrogant ease, without ever looking out of place.
But so could Kimmich. Actually, so does Kimmich.
When Lahm retired from football he left behind a void in the Bayern side, Rafinha slotted into the right-back position. But while he rarely excelled into the astronomical heights set by his predecessor, he was still a reliable and safe option in that role.
Then there is Kimmich, who having been plucked from third division German football, has now propelled himself – in just over five short years – into the most complete footballer in Europe.
Having spent the majority of his Bayern career on the right hand side of a back four, hearing that he times his runs perfectly, surges up and down the touchline for 90 minutes, overlaps, crosses, can read danger and boasts tactical awareness…shouldn’t come as a major surprise. After all, he’s a right-back playing for one of the best sides on the continent.
But that he can do all the things Lahm was so magnificent at, while also turn into prime Bastian Schweinsteiger at the flip of a switch, demonstrates that we’re looking at a true gem here. Someone who could prove to be the heir to both players’ thrones in Bavaria.
Nine games into the current Bundesliga season and Kimmich had played four out of the first nine matches at right-back. He’d made that slot his own over the past few seasons and even then he was widely considered one of the best in world football in his position.
Throughout his time at the Allianz Arena, however, he’s been called upon to sit in a holding midfield role. Tactically the positions are incomparable, while the roles bestowed upon you in each role bear vast differences.
Yet, as ever, Kimmich has been unfazed by the task. Not even unfazed, to be truthful. He’s been a tranquility of magnificence.
Trying to find any flaw in his skillset is a challenge you wouldn’t bestow upon your worst enemy. You’d keel over and start weeping before you even got to his passing abilities.
He controls games from midfield in the way Lahm would do. Sometimes the German was so effective that you didn’t even know he was playing. Such was his grace in the centre of the park, the manner with with Bayern would tick over and recover the ball so effortlessly it seemed like they were forever on the attack.
But then in the manner of Schweinsteiger, who would grab the game by the scruff of the neck and bully the opposition, Kimmich has shown all the elements of that style too. He harasses and chases down possession, yet will charge with the ball and glide past opponents, crash a thunderous shot – or a glorious chip – goalwards or find a teammate with a defence splitting pass.
Right now we’re lucky enough to have Bundesliga football back on our screens. I implore you, next time Bayern are on, don’t give two hoots about anything else other than Kimmich. Watch him, study him and admire him.
Start analysing every facet of his game, eventually give up because there is too much to study, then go back to watching him, and then stop and think, ‘is there a single footballer in Europe right now who is more complete?’
Lautaro Martinez là mục tiêu số một của Barcelona trong kì CN 2020 | Alex Caparros/Getty Images
Giám đốc thể thao của Inter Milan mới đây đã ra giá 111 triệu euro, thách thức Barcelona chồng đủ thì mới chịu bán Lautaro Martinez.
Ông Piero Ausilio – GĐTT của đội bóng nước Ý khẳng định, Lautaro Martinez không phải để bán. Và nếu Barca muốn có chân sút của họ thì phải bỏ đủ số tiền giải phóng HĐ 111 triệu euro.
Trước đó Barca được cho là đã đạt thỏa thuận cá nhân và sẽ trả cho tiền đạo người Argentina mức lương 10 triệu/mùa để mời gọi anh này về đá cặp với Lionel Messi.
Tuy vậy, Barca đang gặp khó khi phía BLĐ của Inter một mực giữ người và không cho thấy sự nhân nhượng trong phi vụ này.
“Chỉ có một cách duy nhất để Lautaro rời Inter, đó là phải trả đủ giá trị giải phóng HĐ của cậu ấy.” Ông Ausilio nói với Sky Sports trụ sở Ý.
“Và ai cũng biết điều khoản đó giá bao nhiêu – không có việc gì phải giấu diếm, nó có thời hạn chót và những quy định cần phải được tuân thủ một cách chính xác.”
“Điều khoản đó sẽ hết hạn vào tháng Bảy nên không còn nhiều thời gian đâu. Đó là cách duy nhất để mang Lautaro rời Inter.”
Điều khoản giải phóng HĐ của Lautaro sẽ hết hạn vào ngày 15 tháng Bảy tới. Barca lại đang trong hoàn cảnh khó khăn về tài chính nên sẽ phải bán một loạt sao nếu muốn dồn tiền mua Lautaro Martinez.
PADA waktu virus pembunuh ini terus menular untuk meragut nyawa di merata pelosok dunia – hampir 350,000 orang sudah menjadi korban – Liverpool FC pula kembali bertatih bagi menghidupkan satu harapan yang suatu ketika diancam untuk turut disemadikan.
The Reds sudah kembali ke padang latihan mereka di Melwood minggu ini dalam menyempurnakan impian untuk ditabalkan juara Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL) selepas 30 tahun di sebalik gembar-gembur dan harapan musuh-musuh utamanya agar saingan musim ini dikuburkan saja tanpa juara.
COVID-19 sekalipun, nampaknya tidak mampu membunuh Liverpool kecuali sekadar ‘mengkuarantin’ mereka dan pasukan-pasukan lain buat beberapa ketika.
Hasil ihsan ‘Project Restart’ (projek bermula semula) yang diputuskan EPL dalam memastikan saingan musim 2019/20 ini tidak terbengkalai atau tergantung begitu saja, Liverpool kembali mengatur langkah ke arah satu detik unik dalam sejarah bola sepak Inggeris mahupun Eropah.
Menurut akhbar Liverpool Echo, satu kemarau panjang gelaran yang merentasi satu generasi lamanya, akan akhirnya berkesudahan dengan beralaskan hanya enam mata lagi daripada sembilan perlawanan yang masih berbaki, untuk nama kelab itu terukir di piala kejuaraan.
Sejumlah 27 kemenangan daripada 29 perlawanan jelas sudah meletakkan Jurgen Klopp dan anak buahnya di kedudukan ‘penjarakan sosial’ amat selesa – perbezaan 25 mata di tangga teratas yang bakal tercipta sebagai satu malapetaka andai kejuaraan dinafikan daripada mereka.
Kapten, Jordan Henderson, dan tonggak pertahanan, Virgil van Dijk, serta setiap anggota barisan cemerlang ini, bagaimanapun, harus mendepani prospek untuk menyempurnakan impian kejuaraan musim ini di stadium tanpa penonton dan gema dari tempat duduk The Kop.
Itu bukan di dalam kawalan mereka kecuali sekadar memastikan enam mata lagi kerana segala keriuhan dan kemeriahan dijulang sebagai juara boleh menyusul kemudian.
Seperti yang sudah kerap diuar-uarkan Klopp sendiri, matlamat itu – mengesahkan kejuaraan dalam sebarang keadaan – adalah satu-satunya perkara yang menjadi keutamaannya sambil meninggalkan perkara selebihnya sebagai kebimbangan orang lain sejak liga ‘dikuarantin’ dua bulan lamanya.
Peri penting buat Liverpool ketika ini ialah memastikan pemain-pemainnya tidak dijangkiti virus berasal dari Wuhan, China itu, kekal cergas dan sihat di samping menyediakan pasukan berada dalam kesiapsagaan untuk meraih ganjaran sebaik lampu hijau dinyalakan untuk baki liga bersambung semula – tanpa mengira bila pun waktunya, sama ada Jun atau Julai ini.
Lebih daripada mengatasi harapan pesaing-pesaing untuk melihat Liverpool tergelincir daripada landasan, pandemik COVID-19 ini dan segala gejala yang dibawanya serta segala kepayahan dan ketakutan terhadapnya, harus memberikan The Reds vaksin terbaik pada ketika saintis terbaik dunia masih terkial-kial untuk menghasilkannya.
Biarlah kalau musuh-musuh utama mahu terus mempersendakan mereka tapi tiada apa-apa, baik COVID-19 sekalipun, yang dilabel Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) sebagai musuh utama dunia ketika ini, akan mampu menguburkan Liverpool dan impian kejuaraannya.
LONDON – Dimitar Berbatov ikut memberikan pandangannya soal rumor masa depan Kai Havertz bersama Bayer Lerkusen. Berbatov menyarankan agar Havertz memikirkan matang-matang jika ingin meninggalkan Leverkusen dalam waktu dekat ini.
Sebagaimana diketahui sejak memulai debut bersama tim utama Leverkusen, Havertz memang langsung menunjukkan performa menjanjikan. Bahkan di musim 2019-2020, Havertz telah menyumbangkan 14 gol serta 8 assist dari 36 laga bersama Leverkusen.
Dalam beberapa bulan terakhir, Havertz sendiri dirumorkan masuk dalam daftar pemain incaran dua raksasa Liga Inggris, yakni Chelsea dan Liverpool. Ketertarikan Chelsea dan Liverpool pada Havertz memang cukup masuk akal.
Berbatov selaku mantan pemain Leverkusen pun lantas memberikan komentar soal rumor transfer Havertz tersebut. Pria berkebangsaan Bulgaria tersebut meminta agar Havertz berpikir matang-matang sebelum memutuskan hengkang dari Leverkusen.
“Ada banyak pembicaraan bahwa Liverpool, Chelsea, dan tim-tim lain tertarik kepada Kai Havertz, jadi sekarang ia perlu berhati-hati, jangan biarkan itu mengarah ke kepalanya dan tetap fokus pada permainannya,” jelas Berbatov, seperti disadur dari Talksport, Rabu (27/5/2020).
“Ia memiliki kualitas yang cukup dan jika ia melanjutkan jalannya, banyak tim akan tetap ada di sana, mereka tidak akan pergi. Semua mata tertuju pada Bundesliga saat ini dan ketika Anda mencetak gol dan memainkan sepak bola yang bagus, tidak mengherankan bahwa tim seperti Liverpool menginginkan Anda,” lanjutnya.
“Saya ingin melihat Havertz di Liga Inggris suatu saat nanti, tetapi tidak sekarang. Saya pikir itu agak terlalu dini baginya, saya ingin melihatnya bermain lebih banyak, mencetak lebih banyak gol dan mendapatkan lebih banyak kepercayaan diri dan kedewasaan,” tutup pria berusia 39 tahun itu.
Leicester City v Aston Villa – Premier League | James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images
Sometimes, you’ll do everything in your power to win. Even if that means you look a bit silly in the process.
This list is living proof that footballers actually are human, and some are just a little bit stranger than we imagined, to be honest.
A superstition can be the catalyst for a player’s incredible stretch of form, a team’s underdog run in a tournament, or a horrible statistic that links celebrity deaths to your name whenever you score (we’ll get to that).
Some might say that the decision to make this list 13 examples long is bad luck, but we here at 90min are hardcore, and don’t believe in any of that. Except on Sundays and Wednesdays…
Here’s 13 of the wildest superstitions floating around the footballing world.
Kolo Touré – Last Man Out
During his playing days, Kolo Touré insisted on being the last player on the pitch every time he played. This was a bit unusual, but okay… that was until he wouldn’t return to the pitch for Arsenal at half time of a match in 2009, because William Gallas was receiving treatment for an injury in the dressing room.
Touré wouldn’t return until Gallas did so, and Arsenal had to restart without their two centre-backs. To rub salt in the wounds, the Ivorian was booked when he did finally come back on, because he did so without the referee’s permission.
Chelsea’s Lucky Urinal
Unfortunately, this isn’t the last you’ll read of toilet-related superstitions in this list.
Chelsea legend and former captain John Terry revealed in 2016 that himself and Frank Lampard started a pre-match ritual in the dressing room that involved everyone queuing up to use the same urinal before Chelsea took to the pitch.
Terry explained that himself and Lampard began using one specific urinal of the three that were available in the Stamford Bridge changing room, after which they won the game. The following week, Ashley Cole joined the queue for this very urinal, which snowballed into the whole team doing so.
David Beckham’s Fridge Organisation
From ex-England captain to another, former Manchester United and Real Madrid wide man and celebrity icon David Beckham revealed in 2006 that he suffers with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
He explained at the time that he had to make sure that cabinets and fridges were neatly aligned, and would ensure that the items in his fridge were well organised, be it at home or in a hotel with the squad. If something didn’t fit neatly in the fridge, it would be stored elsewhere, to avoid messing it up.
When you consider how perfect his quiff has looked over the years, it makes complete sense.
Phil Jones’ Socks
For a man plagued by misfortune throughout most of his career so far, it seems a bit ridiculous to think that Phil Jones is superstitious.
In 2011, the Manchester United defender admitted that he had a ‘stupid’ pre-match ritual; Jones would decide which sock he puts on first on a matchday, depending on whether United were at home or away. If they were at home, and their name on the fixture list was on the left, then Jones would put his left sock on first. If they were away, he’d put his right sock on first.
Considering this was nine years ago, and looking at how Jones’ career has panned out since, I think we can assume that this one didn’t work.
Louis van Gaal and Numbers
Like a poor rip off of Triple H, van Gaal is the King of Quirks. From dropping to the floor, to forgetting players names, to doing photo shoots with topless women, he’s done it all.
An interesting one (of several) from his time at Manchester United was his decision to switch youth prospect James Wilson’s shirt number from 47 to 49. Usually after a breakthrough into the first team , a player’s shirt number would go down, not up. Not here.
Wilson revealed in 2014 that van Gaal ordered the change, because a striker should have the number nine in their shirt in some capacity, thus he strangely moved up by two numbers. Because that makes a lot of difference.
Jamie Vardy Having a Party
The secret behind Jamie Vardy’s title-winning form a few years ago was a bit outrageous.
He revealed in 2016 that during the season Leicester won the Premier League, he had picked up a pre-match ritual of drinking half a bottle of port every night before a match, followed by three cans of Red Bull on the day of the game.
Hardly the healthy diet that you’d expect from a footballer, but we can’t knock it.
Sergio Goycochea and His Toilet Habits
Goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea became a hero when his penalty saves sent Argentina to the World Cup final in 1990. In that tournament, he made a name for himself with outstanding performances in penalty shoot-outs throughout the knockout stages, but cites a strange superstition for his success.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2007, Goycochea revealed that he couldn’t leave the field to urinate in the World Cup quarter-final that year, so he did his business on the pitch before they got underway. Argentina won, so he continued to do his business on the pitch every time his side faced a penalty shoot-out.
Raymond Domenech’s Astrology
Euro 2008 was a tournament to forget for France, as they finished bottom of their group in a dismal effort. It was even worse, however, for the Scorpios within the French squad.
Then-manager Raymond Domenech was a big believer in star signs and astrology, and actually let it dictate his team selections. He famously left Robert Pires out of his French squads for a number of years while he was in charge, effectively ending his international career, because he was a Scorpio.
Domenech admitted that he didn’t trust Scorpios which is why himself and Pires clashed. He also made a number of other controversial decisions in his squad, excluding key members without explanation and handing inexperienced footballers game time instead.
Gary Lineker’s Weird Warm Ups
With 48 goals for his country, Gary Lineker remains England’s third-highest top goalscorer of all time, but the secret for maintaining such an impressive strike rate is a unique one.
Lineker would purposely not shoot during his pre-match warm ups, to avoid ‘wasting’ his goals before a match would kick off. We’d say this is ludicrous, but his 330 career goals suggests that there was method to the madness.
Mesut Ozil – Kit Man’s Nightmare
For the German playmaker, one knot simply isn’t enough. Ozil revealed in 2014 that instead of tying the laces on his football boots in normal fashion, he repeatedly ties them up with several knots.
He also noted that he must always put his right boot on first and step onto the pitch with his right foot. If he accidentally puts his left boot on first, he has to take it off and start again.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – No Sex Before Matches
This one starts far away from the pitch, in the bedroom – but it’s not what you might expect.
Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic abstains from sexual intercourse before football matches, as he prefers to save the passion for the pitch. Otherwise, he believes, he’ll have a poor game.
David James’ Toilet Ritual
There’s a somewhat alarming number of toilet-related rituals in this list, so you’ll be delighted to know that this is the last example.
Before a game, ex-Liverpool goalkeeper and England international David James would wait until nobody was around, before heading off to the urinals and spitting on the wall.
The Ramsey Curse
This one is genuinely a bit freaky…
Aaron Ramsey has been widely recognised as one of the most assured and competent midfielders in Europe, and occasionally has an eye for a goal. Fans have noticed in the last few years, however, that every time the Welshman scores a goal, a celebrity dies shortly after.
Notorious examples include Eric Bristow, Burt Reynolds and Paul Walker. Terrifying stat.
