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.



Arsenal Blows 2-goal Lead at Wolves to Boost Man City's Premier League Title Chances

Soccer Football - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - February 18, 2026  Wolverhampton Wanderers' Tom Edozie celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Soccer Football - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - February 18, 2026 Wolverhampton Wanderers' Tom Edozie celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates REUTERS/Chris Radburn
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Arsenal Blows 2-goal Lead at Wolves to Boost Man City's Premier League Title Chances

Soccer Football - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - February 18, 2026  Wolverhampton Wanderers' Tom Edozie celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Soccer Football - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain - February 18, 2026 Wolverhampton Wanderers' Tom Edozie celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates REUTERS/Chris Radburn

Arsenal blew a two-goal lead at last-place Wolves on Wednesday to give a huge boost to Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title.

The league leader was held to a surprise 2-2 draw at Molineux, having led 2-0 in the second half.

Teenage debutant Tom Edozie scored in the fourth minute of added time to complete Wolves' comeback.

“There was a big difference in how we played in the first half and the second half. We dropped our standards and we got punished for it,” Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka told the BBC.

The draw means Arsenal has dropped points in back-to-back games and leaves it just five ahead of second-place City, having played a game more.

With the top two still to play each other at City's Etihad Stadium, the title race is too close to call.

“(It's) time to focus on ourselves, improve our standards and improve our performances and it is in our control,” Saka said.

Arsenal has led the way for the majority of the season and one bookmaker paid out on Mikel Arteta's team winning the title after it opened up a nine-point lead earlier this month.

But Wednesday's result was the latest sign that it is feeling the pressure, having finished runner-up in each of the last three seasons. It has won just two of its last seven league games.

Having blown a lead against Brentford last week, it was even worse at a Wolves team that has won just one game all season.

Victory looked all but secured after Saka gave Arsenal the lead with a header in the fifth minute and Piero Hincapie ran through to blast in the second in the 56th.

But Wolves' fightback began with Hugo Bueno's curling shot into the top corner in the 61st.

The 19-year-old Edozie was sent on as a substitute in the 84th and his effort earned the home team only its 10th point of a campaign that looks certain to end in relegation.

While it did little for Wolves' chances of survival, it may have had a major impact at the top of the standings.

“Incredibly disappointed that we gave two points away,” Arteta said. "I think we need to fault ourselves and give credit to Wolves. But what we did in the second half was nowhere near our standards that we have to play in order to win a game in the Premier League.

“When you don’t perform you can get punished, and we got punished and we have to accept the hits because that can happen when you are on top."

Arsenal plays Tottenham on Sunday. Its lead could be cut to two points before it kicks off if City wins against Newcastle on Saturday.


Sinner Sees off Popyrin to Reach Doha Quarters

 Italy's Jannik Sinner greets the fans after defeating Australia's Alexei Popyrin in their men's singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner greets the fans after defeating Australia's Alexei Popyrin in their men's singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
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Sinner Sees off Popyrin to Reach Doha Quarters

 Italy's Jannik Sinner greets the fans after defeating Australia's Alexei Popyrin in their men's singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner greets the fans after defeating Australia's Alexei Popyrin in their men's singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2026. (AFP)

Jannik Sinner powered past Alexei Popyrin in straight sets on Wednesday to reach the last eight of the Qatar Open and edge closer to a possible final meeting with Carlos Alcaraz.

The Italian, playing his first tournament since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals last month, eased to a 6-3, 7-5 second-round win in Doha.

Sinner will play Jakub Mensik in Thursday's quarter-finals.

Australian world number 53 Popyrin battled gamely but failed to create a break-point opportunity against his clinical opponent.

Sinner dropped just three points on serve in an excellent first set which he took courtesy of a break in the sixth game.

Popyrin fought hard in the second but could not force a tie-break as Sinner broke to grab a 6-5 lead before confidently serving it out.

World number one Alcaraz takes on Frenchman Valentin Royer in his second-round match later.


Ukraine's Officials to Boycott Paralympics over Russian Flag Decision

Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics - Skeleton - Interview with Ukraine Youth and Sports minister Matvii Bidnyi - N H Hotel, Milan, Italy - February 12, 2026 Ukraine Youth and Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi speaks after the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Games. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs
Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics - Skeleton - Interview with Ukraine Youth and Sports minister Matvii Bidnyi - N H Hotel, Milan, Italy - February 12, 2026 Ukraine Youth and Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi speaks after the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Games. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs
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Ukraine's Officials to Boycott Paralympics over Russian Flag Decision

Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics - Skeleton - Interview with Ukraine Youth and Sports minister Matvii Bidnyi - N H Hotel, Milan, Italy - February 12, 2026 Ukraine Youth and Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi speaks after the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Games. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs
Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics - Skeleton - Interview with Ukraine Youth and Sports minister Matvii Bidnyi - N H Hotel, Milan, Italy - February 12, 2026 Ukraine Youth and Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi speaks after the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Games. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs

Ukrainian officials will boycott the Paralympic Winter Games, Kyiv said Wednesday, after the International Paralympic Committee allowed Russian athletes to compete under their national flag.

Ukraine also urged other countries to shun next month's Opening Ceremony in Verona on March 6, in part of a growing standoff between Kyiv and international sporting federations four years after Russia invaded.

Six Russians and four Belarusians will be allowed to take part under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina Paralympics rather than as neutral athletes, the Games' governing body confirmed to AFP on Tuesday.

Russia has been mostly banned from international sport since Moscow invaded Ukraine. The IPC's decision triggered fury in Ukraine.

Ukraine's sports minister Matviy Bidny called the decision "outrageous", and accused Russia and Belarus of turning "sport into a tool of war, lies, and contempt."

"Ukrainian public officials will not attend the Paralympic Games. We will not be present at the opening ceremony," he said on social media.

"We will not take part in any other official Paralympic events," he added.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said he had instructed Kyiv's ambassadors to urge other countries to also shun the opening ceremony.

"Allowing the flags of aggressor states to be raised at the Paralympic Games while Russia's war against Ukraine rages on is wrong -- morally and politically," Sybiga said on social media.

The EU's sports commissioner Glenn Micallef said he would also skip the opening ceremony.

- Kyiv demands apology -

The IPC's decision comes amid already heightened tensions between Ukraine and the International Olympic Committee, overseeing the Winter Olympics currently underway.

The IOC banned Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych for refusing to ditch a helmet depicting victims of the war with Russia.

Ukraine was further angered that the woman chosen to carry the "Ukraine" name card and lead its team out during the Opening Ceremony of the Games was revealed to be Russian.

Media reports called the woman an anti-Kremlin Russian woman living in Milan for years.

"Picking a Russian person to carry the nameplate is despicable," Kyiv's foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said at a briefing in response to a question by AFP.

He called it a "severe violation of the Olympic Charter" and demanded an apology.

And Kyiv also riled earlier this month at FIFA boss Gianni Infantino saying he believed it was time to reinstate Russia in international football.

- 'War, lies and contempt' -

Valeriy Sushkevych, president of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee told AFP on Tuesday that Kyiv's athletes would not boycott the Paralympics.

Ukraine traditionally performs strongly at the Winter Paralympics, coming second in the medals table four years ago in Beijing.

"If we do not go, it would mean allowing Putin to claim a victory over Ukrainian Paralympians and over Ukraine by excluding us from the Games," said the 71-year-old in an interview.

"That will not happen!"

Russia was awarded two slots in alpine skiing, two in cross-country skiing and two in snowboarding. The four Belarusian slots are all in cross-country skiing.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said earlier those athletes would be "treated like (those from) any other country".

The IPC unexpectedly lifted its suspension on Russian and Belarusian athletes at the organisation's general assembly in September.