Sports
Klopp defends Wirtz: ‘Once-in-a-century talent’
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann and former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp both defended Florian Wirtz’s underwhelming start to Premier League life.
Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in a then-club record £116 million ($154m) deal in the summer.
Since moving to Anfield, Wirtz has struggled to command games in the same way he did at Leverkusen, where he starred during an unbeaten Bundesliga-winning season under Xabi Alonso.
The German midfielder was dropped to the bench by Arne Slot for Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea before the international break.
Despite his difficult start to life at Anfield, Wirtz has remained a mainstay in Nagelsmann’s Germany squad and scored a stunning free-kick in the win over Northern Ireland in September, as well as full 90 minutes in the 4-0 win over Luxembourg.
Nagelsmann told Sport 1: “Even though he hasn’t scored any goals, he is still the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League.
“It’s not his fault if his team-mates don’t convert them, and the statistics don’t even tell the whole story.
“Wirtz needs to get used to the league. I saw him playing with total freedom. He knows what he’s capable of and how things work.
“He hasn’t always had it easy — he’ll have to work hard now too.”
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Klopp, who managed Liverpool between 2015 and 2024, also leapt to Wirtz’s defence.
Liverpool headed into the international break off the back of three consecutive defeats — to Crystal Palace and Chelsea in the Premier League and to Galatasaray in the Champions League.
Klopp believes it is those defeats that have amplified the scrutiny on Wirtz and that everything will work out in the end.
He told n-tv: “His quality is so outstanding, the discussions are a bit exaggerated.
“Liverpool just lost three games in a row, which is unusual.
“But that’s also normal in life and that’s why such things are discussed there.
“[Wirtz is] a once-in-a-century talent, and at some point he’ll show that in every game again — just as he did at Leverkusen.”
Liverpool resume Premier League action against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, in a game Wirtz will be desperate to prove Nagelsmann and Klopp right and light up the Premier League stage.
The Copa Libertadores trophy won by Flamengo on Saturday was damaged during the team’s title celebrations.
Flamengo beat Palmeiras 1-0 in the final in Lima, Peru, to become the first Brazilian club to lift the prestigious cup four times.
Flamengo players and staff had a victory parade on the streets of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday afternoon, with an estimated 500,000 people joining in the celebrations.
Players and staff took turns to lift the cup during the parade and images showed that the top part of the trophy, which consists of a figurine of a footballer ready to kick a ball, was wrapped in what appeared to be masking tape.
– Flamengo lift Copa Libertadores, but Brazil’s players look exhausted
The figurine had earlier been broken.
Flamengo will be hoping to wrap up the Brazilian league title on Wednesday when they take on Ceara in front of their own fans in Rio’s Maracana stadium.
They are five points clear of Palmeiras at the top of the standings with two games remaining.
Former England cricketer Moeen Ali has announced his return to the Pakistan Super League (PSL), saying he was excited to be part of the league’s “new era”.
After the 10th edition of the PSL earlier this year, the league is set for an expansion to eight teams, with the addition of two new franchises.
Meanwhile, Moeen, who has previously featured in the marquee league when he represented former champions Multan Sultans in the 2020 and 2021 editions, expressed his eagerness to rejoin the league.
Moeen stated that the PSL, since its advent in 2016, has “earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket”, featuring close competition and talented players.
“I’m really excited to be joining HBL PSL in its New Era. The league has earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket, with high-quality competition and world-class talent across every team,” Moeen wrote on Instagram.
The 38-year-old, who represented England in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is during his illustrious career, was also a part of the Three Lions squad that made its historic tour of Pakistan in 2022 to play a three-match Test series. Besides that, Moeen has made several visits to the country.
Reflecting on his previous experiences in Pakistan, Moeen said that he enjoyed playing in the country and specifically praised the enthusiastic crowd, which he said pushes players to give their best on the field.
“Playing in Pakistan is always incredible; quality of cricket is outstanding and the passion and intensity from the crowd push you to bring your best,” he continued.
“I’m looking forward to being part of it all and creating some great memories along the way. Ready for another special experience Insha’Allah!”
His announcement comes just days after former South African captain Faf du Plessis pulled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to play in the upcoming PSL season.
In a post on Instagram on November 29, the renowned cricketer said that he would not put his name in the IPL auction this year.
“It’s a big decision, and one that comes with a lot of gratitude when I look back,” he wrote in his post.
The receiver has been plagued by injuries, but Sunday night against the Broncos, he gave Washington something to talk about other than a seventh straight loss.
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