Lewandowski Confirms He Wants to Leave Bayern Munich this Summer

Robert Lewandowski netted his 35th Bundesliga goal of the season for Bayern Munich on Saturday RONNY HARTMANN AFP
Robert Lewandowski netted his 35th Bundesliga goal of the season for Bayern Munich on Saturday RONNY HARTMANN AFP
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Lewandowski Confirms He Wants to Leave Bayern Munich this Summer

Robert Lewandowski netted his 35th Bundesliga goal of the season for Bayern Munich on Saturday RONNY HARTMANN AFP
Robert Lewandowski netted his 35th Bundesliga goal of the season for Bayern Munich on Saturday RONNY HARTMANN AFP

Robert Lewandowski confirmed Saturday that he wants to leave Bayern Munich this summer amid reports Barcelona are ready to offer the 33-year-old star striker a three-year contract.

Lewandowki banged in his 35th league goal this campaign in a 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg on the last weekend of the Bundesliga season, then dropped a bombshell, said AFP.

"It could well be my last game for Bayern. I can't say 100 percent, but it could be. We have to find the best solution for the club and me," he told streaming service Viaplay.

Lewandowski confirmed to Sky that he has told Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic he will not extend his contract, which expires in 2023 and "that when an offer comes, we have to think about it".

"I have a year left, but we have to find the best solution for both sides," the Polish striker added.

The back-to-back winner of FIFA's best male player award has won every title available since joining Bayern in 2014, including eight Bundesliga trophies for a total of ten having won two with ex-club Dortmund. He also lifted the Champions League in 2020.

In Wolfsburg, Lewandowski scored a crisp header from a Thomas Mueller after defender Josip Stanisic gave Bayern an early lead.

Wolfsburg clawed their way back as Danish forward Jonas Wind scored, then veteran striker Max Kruse levelled for the hosts.

Elswhere, Erling Haaland signed off his final appearance for second-placed Borussia Dortmund in a 2-1 home win over Hertha Berlin.

The Norwegian star is set to complete a long-awaited move to Manchester City for next season.

Haaland equalized from the penalty spot in the second half to cancel out Ishak Belfodil's early goal for Hertha at Signal Iduna Park.

Dortmund's 17-year-old striker Youssoufa Moukoko came off the bench and grabbed the winner, just seconds after replacing Axel Witsel.

Haaland applauded home fans after the final whistle while Dortmund also said goodbye to sports director Michael Zorc.

The defeat pushed Hertha into 16th, which means a two-legged relegation play-off against the team which finishes third in the second division, currently Hamburg.

"The boys are totally exhausted and worked up," said Hertha sports director Fredi Bobic.

"They must now have the belief to pull it together in these two games."

- Endo rescues Stuttgart -
There were dramatic scenes in Stuttgart where Japan midfielder Wataru Endo scored a stoppage-time winner to seal a 2-1 win over Cologne.

The win saw Stuttgart claw their way to 15th and guaranteed survival next season.

Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic made amends for having a first-half penalty saved by heading in the resulting corner 26 seconds later.

Cologne equalized when veteran French striker Anthony Modeste headed in his 20th goal of the season until Endo struck.

Stuttgart fans stormed the pitch at the final whistle to kick off the celebrations.

"It feels good, but I have a sore head from all the shouting and celebrating," said head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo.

"It was a great moment. I'm so happy for the boys. You never forget a moment like today."

Cologne finish seventh to qualify for the Europa Conference League.

Union Berlin will play in the Europa League next season after finishing fifth after Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi netted twice to seal a 3-2 win.

Union raced into a 2-0 lead as Grischa Proemel gave the hosts an early lead before Awoniyi converted a penalty.

Bochum roared back as Simon Zoller headed in a goal, then Eduard Loewen levelled before Awoniyi grabbed a late winner.

Freiburg finished sixth and punched their Europa League ticket despite losing 2-1 at Bayer Leverkusen, whose Argentinian defender Exequiel Palacios scored the winner seven minutes into stoppage time.

Arminia Bielefeld joined Greuther Fuerth in being relegated from Germany's top flight despite a 1-1 draw at RB Leipzig, who finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League.

Germany midfielder Jonas Hofmann scored twice as Borussia Moenchengladbach thrashed Hoffenheim 5-1.

Brazil defender Tutu and Colombia striker Rafael Borre hit the net as Eintracht Frankfurt tuned up for Wednesday's Europa League final against Rangers with a 2-2 draw at Mainz.



Brazil's Botafogo Fires Carlo Ancelotti's Son from Coaching Position after Frustrating Season

FILE - Coach Davide Ancelotti of Brazil's Botafogo instructs his players during a Copa Libertadores round of sixteen second leg soccer match against Ecuador's Liga Deportiva Universitaria at Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium in Quito, Ecuador, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, File)
FILE - Coach Davide Ancelotti of Brazil's Botafogo instructs his players during a Copa Libertadores round of sixteen second leg soccer match against Ecuador's Liga Deportiva Universitaria at Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium in Quito, Ecuador, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, File)
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Brazil's Botafogo Fires Carlo Ancelotti's Son from Coaching Position after Frustrating Season

FILE - Coach Davide Ancelotti of Brazil's Botafogo instructs his players during a Copa Libertadores round of sixteen second leg soccer match against Ecuador's Liga Deportiva Universitaria at Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium in Quito, Ecuador, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, File)
FILE - Coach Davide Ancelotti of Brazil's Botafogo instructs his players during a Copa Libertadores round of sixteen second leg soccer match against Ecuador's Liga Deportiva Universitaria at Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium in Quito, Ecuador, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, File)

Brazilian club Botafogo fired the son of Brazil's national team coach Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday just five months after he had signed as its manager in his first full-time coaching job.

The 36-year-old Davide Ancelotti was let go after Botafogo failed to defend its Copa Libertadores and Brazilian league titles.

The Rio de Janeiro club finished the Brazilian league in sixth place, 16 points behind champions Flamengo, and was knocked out by Ecuador's Liga de Quito in the round of 16 of the latest Copa Libertadores, The Associated Press said.

Botafogo said in a statement the decision was made after meetings earlier in the day. It did not announce any successor for the job.

Davide Ancelotti joined the club after Botafogo owner John Textor fired Renato Paiva following the team’s round-of-16 elimination at the Club World Cup in July.

The Italian has worked for more than a decade alongside his father in different roles at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid. He is also part of Ancelotti’s staff at Brazil.


Ecuadorian Police Say Soccer Player Mario Pineida Has Been Shot Dead in an Apparent Attack

(FILES) Ecuador's defender Mario Pineida (C) vies for the ball with Colombia's midfielder Edwin Cardona (L) during their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match in Quito, on March 28, 2017. (Photo by Juan CEVALLOS / AFP)
(FILES) Ecuador's defender Mario Pineida (C) vies for the ball with Colombia's midfielder Edwin Cardona (L) during their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match in Quito, on March 28, 2017. (Photo by Juan CEVALLOS / AFP)
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Ecuadorian Police Say Soccer Player Mario Pineida Has Been Shot Dead in an Apparent Attack

(FILES) Ecuador's defender Mario Pineida (C) vies for the ball with Colombia's midfielder Edwin Cardona (L) during their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match in Quito, on March 28, 2017. (Photo by Juan CEVALLOS / AFP)
(FILES) Ecuador's defender Mario Pineida (C) vies for the ball with Colombia's midfielder Edwin Cardona (L) during their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match in Quito, on March 28, 2017. (Photo by Juan CEVALLOS / AFP)

Ecuadorian police said on Wednesday that Mario Pineida, a 33-year-old Barcelona de Guayaquil defender and former national team player, was shot dead in an apparent attack as violence escalates in the Andean nation.

Another person who police did not identify was also killed in the incident, and a third was wounded, the Associated Press said.

Ecuador's Interior Ministry confirmed Pineida's death without providing details. Barcelona de Guayaquil said in a statement its fans are saddened by Pineida's death.

Pineida played eight games for Ecuador but was not involved in the team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. His last game for Ecuador was at the 2021 Copa América, as a late substitute in a group-stage game against Brazil. He also went to the 2017 edition.

Pineida started his professional career at Independiente del Valle, where he played from 2010 to 2015. He then moved to the club of the coastal city of Guayaquil in 2016 and won two league titles there. The defender also had a brief spell at Brazil’s Fluminense in 2022.

Ecuadorian media reported the incident took place in the region of Samanes in the north end of Guayaquil, which lies 265 kilometers (165 miles) southwest of the capital Quito.

Ecuador is expected to have its most violent year on record with more than 9,000 homicides, according to the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organized Crime. That figure was at 7,063 violent deaths last year and a then-record 8,248 in 2023.

President Daniel Noboa has pledged to fight criminal organizations that have expanded their operations in Ecuadorian territory in connection with international drug cartels.

In November, a 16-year-old footballer of Independiente del Valle died from a stray bullet, also in Guayaquil. Two months earlier, Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yépez, both players of Exapromo Costa, and Jonathan González, of 22 de Junio died from gunshot wounds.


Saudi National Team Coach: We Aim to Conclude Our Participation in the Best Possible Manner

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
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Saudi National Team Coach: We Aim to Conclude Our Participation in the Best Possible Manner

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA

Saudi national team head coach Hervé Renard affirmed during a pre-match press conference ahead of the team’s encounter with the UAE that the squad aims to conclude its participation in the tournament in the best possible manner. He noted that reaching this stage was not the desired objective, but focus and readiness remain essential requirements.

Renard explained that preparations for the match against Jordan were solid and that statistics reflected the Saudi team’s superiority in terms of possession and presence in the opponent’s half, as well as prior understanding of the opponent’s strategy, SPA reported.

However, he said that failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities prevented goals, while Jordan’s team succeeded in converting its chances.

He stated that exiting the semifinals is a difficult challenge for everyone, emphasizing the need to maintain professionalism and prepare well to secure victory in tomorrow’s match. He noted that the team delivered strong performances in previous matches, but effectiveness in front of goal remains a decisive factor that must be further developed in the next phase.

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions, emphasizing that preparation for the World Cup requires higher readiness and a more competitive level to present the image expected on the global stage.

Saudi national team player Abdulrahman Al-Aboud said the ambition had been to win the title, but that was not achieved, noting the players’ readiness to compete for third place against the UAE national team.