Sports

Coach who faked vaccination pass takes charge at Dresden

AFP

Markus Anfang, who was banned from football for using fake documents to falsely claim he was vaccinated against Covid, said Friday he is grateful for the chance to coach German third-tier side Dynamo Dresden.

Seven months after he quit as head coach of Werder Bremen in the midst of the scandal, Anfang has signed a two-year deal with Dresden, who have just been relegated from Germany’s second division.

“I am very grateful for this opportunity,” the 47-year-old told a press conference in Dresden.

“I have to live with the fact that I made a mistake.

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“I did not live up to my function as a role model.

“I have disappointed and lied to many people.”

He resigned from Bremen last November after it emerged he and his assistant coach Florian Junge, who also joins him at Dresden, used forged certificates to avoid quarantine as contact cases.

A district court in Bremen fined Anfang 36,000 euros ($38,169) last February, but he escaped having a criminal record.

In January, Anfang had also been fined 20,000 euros and banned by the German Football Association (DFB) for one year, back dated to last November, but suspended from 10 June (Friday).

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“I brought it on myself,” he said.

“I can’t expect everyone to forgive me.”

He also explained that he is afraid to be vaccinated against Covid due to the risk of possible side effects on his heart.

“Nobody can take away the fear of it that I have due to events in my family,” he said.

His father suffered a heart attack during a football match in 2019 and Anfang was present as medics fought to save his life.

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Anfang has previously suffered from an inflammation of the heart but insists he has nothing against others being vaccinated.

Dynamo sports director Ralf Becker, who worked alongside Anfang at second-division club Holstein Kiel from 2016-18, said confidence in the new head coach’s qualities outweighed any reservations.

“For us, it was crucial that he openly and honestly admitted his past misconduct and sincerely regretted it,” Becker explained.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Markus has taken responsibility for his.”

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Sports

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha lead Barça to a 4-1 aggregate victory over Benfica

Young talent Lamine Yamal and Brazilian forward Raphinha secured Barcelona’s spot in the Champions League quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over Benfica (4-1 on aggregate) on Tuesday at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc.

Raphinha (11’) opened the scoring for Barça after a brilliant assist from Yamal. However, Benfica’s Nicolás Otamendi (13’) quickly leveled the match with a header from a corner kick. Yamal restored the lead (27’) with a stunning goal, and Raphinha sealed the victory (42’) just before halftime.

Determined to avoid any surprises, Barcelona started aggressively, with early attempts from Yamal and Lewandowskisignaling their intent to dominate. All goals came in the first half, securing a convincing win and a place in the next round.

Sports

Manchester United knocked out of FA Cup after penalty shootout loss to Fulham

Another disappointment for Manchester United: the defending FA Cup champions were eliminated in this edition’s round of 16, losing in a penalty shootout (4-3 after a 1-1 draw) to Fulham on Sunday at Old Trafford.

Swede Victor Lindelof and Dutchman Joshua Zirkzee were the ‘Red Devils’ who missed their shots against goalkeeper Bernd Leno, sending the ‘Cottagers’ to the penultimate round of the oldest football competition.

The elimination is a heavy blow for a United team that is currently struggling in the Premier League, where they sit in a lowly 14th place.

Now, the Europa League, where they will face Real Sociedad in the first leg of the round of 16 next week, appears to be their only chance to lift a trophy this season. Last year, the FA Cup, in which United triumphed in the final against their neighbors Manchester City, was the competition that saved their campaign. The previous season, they had reached the final, finishing as runners-up.

Sports

The prince is back: Neymar’s homecoming to Santos draws thousands of fans

Neymar was greeted by thousands of fans at his childhood club, Santos, on Friday, with a concert at the local stadium and a sign that read, “The Prince is Back.”

The Brazilian star’s private jet landed in São Paulo from Saudi Arabia in the morning, but Neymar requested a few hours of rest before being flown to Santos by helicopter.

The 32-year-old forward is expected to sign a short-term contract with Santos as he aims to regain his standing in Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Posters saying “The Prince is Back” were being sold for 10 reais (about $1.50) around the 20,000-seat Vila Belmiro Stadium, located on the outskirts of São Paulo.