Armen Bedakian

1d ago

Action Images / John Sibley Livepic

Bayern Munich announced Friday the club has hired former manager Jupp Heynckes to replace the recently sacked Carlo Ancelotti, with the 72-year-old taking over on an interim basis until the end of the season.

The Bavarian outfit fired Ancelotti after a 3-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, after which Heynckes emerged as a leading candidate. He now returns to work on the touchline of the Allianz Arena, where he’ll be joined by assistants Peter Hermann and Hermann Gerland, both of whom took on roles elsewhere after Heynckes’ last stint at the club ended.

“There’s a great mutual trust between Jupp Heynckes and FC Bayern,” club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a statement. “That showed itself again in the conversations that Uli Hoeness, Hasan Salihamidzic, and I have had with him. We’re very thankful to Jupp that he’s accepted the offer of head coach. He’s the ideal man for FC Bayern at this moment in time.”

Salihamidzic added: “Jupp Heynckes is a master of people management and tactics. We’re convinced he’s exactly the right man to get the team back on track and achieve our aims.”

It’s the fourth time Heynckes has occupied the role of head coach at the Bavarian outfit, and his second stint as interim manager. He first took over at Bayern for the 1987-88 season, and departed in 1992, before returning to take over for the sacked Jurgen Klinsmann in the 2008-09 season.

He then replaced Louis van Gaal for the 2011-12 season, and stayed for the 2012-13 campaign, one that saw him guide Bayern to a clean sweep of titles in the Champions League, Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and DFL-Supercup. In total, Heynckes has three domestic titles with Bayern over eight seasons at the club.

Between 2011 and 2013, and over the course of 109 matches at the helm, Heynckes’ Bayern teams managed to recorded 83 victories, losing just 14 times and drawing 12 times. They combined to score 270 goals and conceded only 53, according to Squawka.

With those numbers and titles in mind, Heynckes had nothing left to prove to fans of Bayern, or to his peers, among whom he now stands as the eldest in Europe’s top five leagues. But in the end, he said Bayern is a special circumstance.

Gianluca Nesci

6d ago

Reuters / Alberto Lingria

theScore’s Gianluca Nesci takes a deep dive into the ratings from the newly released FIFA 18 video game.

F | MF | D | GK | FUT Icons

With his combination of size, shot-stopping ability, and celebrated technique with his feet, Manuel Neuer rightly retains his position as the top-rated goalkeeper after yet another stellar year between the sticks at Bayern Munich.

His main competitor for the title of world’s best custodian is, once again, David De Gea. The pliable Spaniard is arguably a better pure shot-stopper than Neuer, and is in prime position to overtake the German should he encounter any struggles this season.

Gianluigi Buffon continues to defy conventional wisdom, in both real life and video game form; now 39 years old, the iconic Italian is actually rated higher than he was in last year’s edition of the video game franchise – he stood at 88 overall in FIFA 17 – and continues to showcase that age really is just a number.

Elsewhere, Stephane Ruffier, one of the world’s most underrated goalkeepers, makes a deserved appearance in the top 10, while Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who, like his compatriot Neuer, excels with the ball at his feet, gets a deserved boost from last year’s edition to crack the list.

More FIFA 18 ratings analysis:

F | MF | D | GK | FUT Icons

A familiar face could soon be roaming the touchline at the Allianz Arena after Jupp Heynckes confirmed talks to rejoin Bayern Munich on a temporary basis.

After Bayern opted to part ways with Carlo Ancelotti following the club’s 3-0 loss in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain, Heynckes emerged as a favourite to succeed the Italian manager and take charge of the defending Bundesliga champion for the fourth time.

Heynckes confirmed talks with Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, president Uli Hoeness, and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic are ongoing, but said he’s eager to assess the situation at the club before committing himself.

“Nothing is cut and dried yet,” Heynckes told German outlet Rheinische Post, as translated by Stefan Buczko of ESPN FC. “I first have to analyse the whole situation. After all, four-and-a-half years have passed since I left Bayern and football has continued to change.”

It’s believed that Bayern officials have asked to assume the role until the summer as the club presumably searches for a replacement without being forced into rushing its decision considering the limited options available at this time of year.

The 72-year-old last managed the Bavarian outfit in 2013 when he helped Bayern win the treble before retiring.

Heynckes previously managed Bayern from 1987-91 during a spell that saw him hoist the Bundesliga title twice. He returned on an interim basis in 2009 after Jurgen Klinsmann was fired, and was hired once again two years later to replace Louis van Gaal.

His last stint was Heynckes’ most successful as the former Borussia Monchengladbach forward helped Bayern win the league title, the DFB-Pokal, and the Champions League.

Gareth Bale’s a major doubt for Real Madrid’s pair of Champions League clashes against former club Tottenham, according to the Guardian’s Stuart James.

The Welshman’s fresh calf injury, which will reportedly require up to a month of rehabilitation, is yet another setback for a player who’s struggled to stay healthy since his move to the Spanish capital in 2013. Various other muscle injuries to his hamstring and ankle have cost him dozens of matches in the royal white kit.

Bale looked like his old self in last week’s 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, launching a vicious volley past goalkeeper Roman Burki to kick-start the scoring.

The calf issue forced him off in the 85th minute, and he was ruled out of Wales’ final two World Cup qualifiers after missing Madrid’s weekend victory over Espanyol.

Related: Who’s whistling now? Bale silences detractors with masterful display

Madrid will host Spurs on Oct. 17 before travelling to Wembley on Nov. 1. If Bale needs more than four weeks to recover from the injury, he’ll likely be sidelined for both contests.

Bale’s yet to face the north London side in a competitive fixture since his big-money switch to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Isco stands to fill in as Bale’s replacement in Zinedine Zidane’s lineup, slotting behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as a free-roaming No. 10. The same combination worked well as Madrid claimed its second consecutive Champions League title last season.