Retired F1 Champ Vettel to Help Lead New German Team in Ellison's SailGP

FILED - 26 July 2019, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hockenheim: Sebastian Vettel of Germany's Scuderia Ferrari team stands in his pit box after the second free practice session during Formula 1 German Grand Prix. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa
FILED - 26 July 2019, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hockenheim: Sebastian Vettel of Germany's Scuderia Ferrari team stands in his pit box after the second free practice session during Formula 1 German Grand Prix. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa
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Retired F1 Champ Vettel to Help Lead New German Team in Ellison's SailGP

FILED - 26 July 2019, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hockenheim: Sebastian Vettel of Germany's Scuderia Ferrari team stands in his pit box after the second free practice session during Formula 1 German Grand Prix. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa
FILED - 26 July 2019, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hockenheim: Sebastian Vettel of Germany's Scuderia Ferrari team stands in his pit box after the second free practice session during Formula 1 German Grand Prix. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa

Retired four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel and double Olympic sailing bronze medalist Erik Heil will help lead the new Germany SailGP Team in tech tycoon Larry Ellison's global league.

Vettel will be a co-investor alongside team owner Thomas Reidel and both will take an active role in the management and performance of the team. Heil will steer the team's 50-foot foiling catamaran.

Germany becomes the 10th team in SailGP, which begins its fourth season on June 16-17 with the Rolex United States Sail Grand Prix at Navy Pier in Chicago.

“I see a lot of potential as SailGP starts its fourth season and for the first time with a German team,” Vettel said. “Parallels between sailors and Formula 1 have long existed. The boats are fascinating and the speeds on the water are incredibly high. The races are exciting and I am happy to be close to them with a motivated group of young sailors. In addition, the series not only uses wind power but also strives to set new standards in sustainability in sports.”

According to The Associated Press, Tom Slingsby, skipper of three-time defending SailGP champion Team Australia, said having Vettel join the league as an investor "is an amazing thing for our sport. He probably wasn't a sailor, he probably didn't know anything about the sport of sailing a couple of years ago. SailGP was a start-up three years ago and the fact that we're now getting some of the biggest sportsmen in the world is unbelievable and I think it's a sign of where SailGP is going."

Riedel's communications company provides the on-site wireless communications and TV production infrastructure for the league as a technology supplier.

“As a company, we have always been able to not only understand formats but evolve them through technology and innovation. I see great potential in all directions with the Germany SailGP Team: sports, business and media," Riedel said.



Egypt Forward Omar Marmoush Lighting up the Bundesliga

Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush celebrates his 1-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern Munich in Frankfurt, western Germany on October 6, 2024. (AFP)
Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush celebrates his 1-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern Munich in Frankfurt, western Germany on October 6, 2024. (AFP)
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Egypt Forward Omar Marmoush Lighting up the Bundesliga

Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush celebrates his 1-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern Munich in Frankfurt, western Germany on October 6, 2024. (AFP)
Frankfurt's Egyptian forward #07 Omar Marmoush celebrates his 1-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern Munich in Frankfurt, western Germany on October 6, 2024. (AFP)

Egypt forward Omar Marmoush is the man of the moment in the Bundesliga after a blistering start to the season for Eintracht Frankfurt.

Marmoush denied Bayern Munich a win in a thrilling game Sunday with a stoppage-time equalizer that made it 3-3. It was his second goal of the game. He also set up the other for Hugo Ekitiké, when he ran clear of Dayot Upamecano on a counterattack.

"Marmoush is a player who’s only going to get better with time," Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said. "What he did for Ekitiké’s goal is not normal. To push past Upa with strength, no one did that before for the whole season.

"And then to make the right decision at the end, the quality in his strike, and the speed. Sometimes he looks quite relaxed, then when he gets going, he’s really fast."

Marmoush has been stealing the attention from Bayern star Harry Kane, who failed to score Sunday and has five goals from six Bundesliga games this season.

Marmoush, who has now scored in five games straight, has eight, while he has also set up another six for his Frankfurt teammates.

"We’re like a family," he said. "You see that on the field, when we’re celebrating, the ones who didn’t play (join), we celebrate as a team."

Marmoush appears to have made a jump in performance since last season, when he scored 12 goals and set up nine in his 29 Bundesliga appearances.

Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller said he had made a "little deal" before the season with Marmoush, but wouldn’t reveal what it is.

"I told him that a second year with us would do him good because he’s on the way up and hasn’t reached the end," Toppmöller said. "And you can see that in this fantastic season."

The 25-year-old Marmoush is the latest in a long line of forwards who have excelled at Frankfurt, after Randal Kolo Muani, Sébastien Haller, Luka Jović and Jay-Jay Okocha.

Marmoush has had to be patient, working his way through at Wolfsburg, St. Pauli and Stuttgart after joining the former from Cairo-based Wadi Degla SC in 2017.

It’s only since he joined Frankfurt in 2023 that the tireless attacker has added goals to his repertoire.

On Sunday, he combined well with Ekitiké, while Éric Junior Dina Ebimbe headed the ball into his path for Marmoush's second goal.

"When I came last season, we took time to play together and to know what he likes on the pitch, what I like also, and I think in time we just created a connection," Ekitiké said. "Today he had two goals, one assist, So, yeah, he helped the team a lot."

Marmoush’s transformation into a goal-getter is good news for Egypt, which struggled for them without the injured Mohamed Salah at the African Cup of Nations in January.

Marmoush only scored one as the seven-time champion lost on penalties to Congo in the round of 16.

Next up for Frankfurt is a visit to defending champion Bayer Leverkusen after the international break.