Bundesliga

Harry Kane is officially a member of Bayern Munich after his transfer from Tottenham was finalized.

The Reds posted a video on social media formally welcoming the 30-year-old to the club.

Kane posted a video of his own on the social-media platform, saying thank you and goodbye to Tottenham fans after spending 14 years with the club.

Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian reported Thursday that Tottenham accepted a bid of around $110 million from Bayern for Kane.

There was some initial skepticism Kane would agree to the transfer. Sky Sports News reported it was "increasingly likely" he would stay with Spurs.

Bayern does present Kane with an opportunity to win at a level he hasn't been able to thus far. The club has won a total of 33 Bundesliga titles, including 11 straight dating back to the 2012-13 season.

The Bavarians have also made it to the knockout stage in the Champions League in each of the past four seasons, including their victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2019-20 final.

Spurs have finished outside the top three in the Premier League standings 11 times in 14 seasons since 2009-10. Their best result with Kane was a runner-up finish in 2016-17.

Kane could make his debut as soon as today as Bayern take on RB Leipzig on Saturday at Allianz Arena in the DFL-Super Cup final. A win would give Kane his first trophy at club level.

Harry Kane is one step closer to finally earning his first trophy.

The superstar striker has reportedly agreed to a four-year deal with Bayern Munich, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein, after Tottenham agreed to accept a €100 million ($110 million) transfer fee to sell Kane to the Bavarian giants earlier on Thursday.

Kane will still need to undergo a medical before the transfer can be completed.

The move made sense for the English striker on a few levels.

For one, he'll now have Champions League football this season with Bayern. Had he stayed with Tottenham he would have missed out on European football entirely this season after the club finished eighth in the Premier League during the 2022-23 campaign.

But the 30-year-old Kane also never won any silverware with Spurs or the English national team. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, have won 11 straight Bundesliga titles and have won the Champions League twice since Kane made his senior debut for Tottenham in Aug. 2011.

So Kane gets his best shot at ending his trophy drought, while Bayern Munich finally fill the Robert Lewandowski-sized hole they never addressed last season after the Polish forward departed for Barcelona one year ago.

In Kane, Bayern gets a clinical goal-scorer who scored 30 goals in Premier League play last season, the second time he's hit that mark and the sixth time he exceeded 20 scores.

But he's also fantastic in hold-up play and is an excellent playmaker, with 26 assists across his past three Premier League campaigns. Tottenham's star winger, Son Heung-min, regularly benefitted from Kane's vision and deft through balls.

Now, Bayern's explosive collection of wide players—Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala are all available to play out wide, a stunning collection of attacking talent—should thrive while flanking Kane. The perpetual German champions are about to become a whole lot scarier for the rest of the Bundesliga.

Sadio Mané reportedly hit Bayern Munich teammate Leroy Sané after the club's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.

According to Sky Germany (via Sky Sports), the two had to be separated in the Bayern dressing room. Sané was left with a bleeding lip from the altercation.

Bayern Munich has yet to comment on the matter.

This adds to what has been a rocky season for Mané with the German giant.

The 31-year-old made a bright start, scoring in the DFL-Supercup and then finding the net three times in Bayern's first three Bundesliga fixtures. His form has tailed off dramatically of late, though. His last club goal came in a 6-2 victor over Mainz on Oct. 29.

The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein and Thom Harris wrote Tuesday that the reported argument between Mané and former manager Julian Nagelsmann was "widely overblown" but stated "Mané could have had more TLC from Nagelsmann."

They contrasted his situation now with his time at Liverpool, where Jürgen Klopp provided "constant encouragement and empathy" along with his demands.

The general turmoil at Bayern probably hasn't helped. The extremely high standards at the club every year mean a bad run of form is cause for crisis.

Bayern Munich trailed Borussia Dortmund by just one point for first place in the Bundesliga, but officials still saw fit to make a managerial change.

While the Bavarians are top of the league again, Thomas Tuchel's arrival hasn't remedied everything. A Champions League exit is all but certain now, and the club lost Tuchel's second match in charge to Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals.

It was also reported in late March that Sané was unhappy, raising questions over his long-term future.

Tuchel has been in the job for only a few weeks, and he already has had to put out a number of fires.

Bayern Munich are going to have to dig deep the next time they hit the field if they hope to advance in the UEFA Champions League.

After falling 3-0 to Manchester City on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at Etihad Stadium, the Bavarians are going to have to put together a near-perfect game in the second leg on April 19.

Tuesday's match was highlighted by numerous defensive mistakes by Bayern Munich, which began early with Rodri scoring his first-ever Champions League goal in the 27th minute to put Manchester City up 1-0 entering halftime.

Things got out of hand for the Bavarians after allowing a goal to Bernardo Silva in the 70th minute and another to Erling Haaland in the 76th minute, which put the game out of reach for Thomas Tuchel's squad.

It's not easy for any defense to contain a Manchester City offense that includes Haaland, Rodrigo, Silva and Julián Álvarez, among others, but Bayern Munich's defense was particularly poor on Tuesday, and it caught the ire of fans after the loss:

With Manchester City entering the second leg holding a 3-0 advantage over Bayern Munich, the Bavarians would have to score four goals in order to advance to the next round on aggregate—provided Man City doesn't add more goals in the second leg.

At this point, it's unrealistic to think this Bayern Munich squad can take down a well-oiled Manchester City team. However, it's not impossible, and the Bavarians have a lot to clean up before the two sides meet again later this month.

Bayern Munich reportedly made a shocking change at manager on Thursday, firing Julian Nagelsmann and hiring former Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, according to footy reporter Fabrizio Romano.

Bayern finds itself one point behind Borussia Dortmund with 25 matches played. The Bavarian giants are at risk of seeing a 10-year title streak ended this season.

The two sides will square up for a crucial clash on Saturday, April 1, after the international break. That lapse in action will presumably give Tuchel the opportunity to get acquainted with some of his players and begin implementing his routines before arguably the most important match of the Bundesliga season.

Nagelsmann, 35, led Bayern to a pair of German Supercup titles and a Bundesliga title last season. The Bavarian giants remain in the running for a Champions League title this season as well, though a brutal quarterfinal matchup with Premier League powerhouse Manchester City looms.

No need to mince words—replacing Nagelsmann is a stunning, and borderline bizarre, move:

Tuchel, 49, has led some of the biggest clubs in Europe, though his tenures haven't lasted long, with his time at Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea all ending within two seasons.

He did win two Ligue 1 titles with PSG, however, and a Champions League title with Chelsea. His tactical prowess has rarely been debated, though his ability to navigate the politics of working with ownership and sporting directors, and his management style within the locker room has been called into question given his short stays at his recent destinations.

At Bayern Munich, the expectation is simple: Win, win and win some more. The Bavarians have grown accustomed to dominating the Bundesliga over the past decade, and Tuchel is seemingly being brought in to provide the group with a jolt as Dortmund threaten the title streak.

Giovanni Reyna was essentially a non-factor for the United States Men's National Team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and it appears his lack of playing time had to do with his effort in training sessions leading up to the tournament.

Sources told The Athletic's Paul Tenorio and Sam Stejskal that Reyna "showed an alarming lack of effort in training" before the USMNT's World Cup opener against Wales on Nov. 21. Further, Reyna's lack of intensity during a scrimmage against Al Gharafa SC on Nov. 17 "caused significant frustration within the team."

During the United States' scrimmage against the Qatari club, Reyna reportedly was "walking around" while he was on the field. His performance was so poor that it was unclear if he was trying to avoid injury or if he was upset about not being named a starter for the opener against Wales.

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter never subbed in Reyna for the team's match against Wales, a 1-1 draw. After not being put into the game, Reyna threw his shin guards, according to The Athletic, and his lack of effort in training continued heading into the team's second group-stage match against England.

With his effort continuing to be a problem, DeAndre Yedlin and Aaron Long were among the veterans that spoke to Reyna, per The Athletic. Members of the coaching staff also spoke with Reyna before he apologized to the team.

Berhalter, without naming the player, appeared to discuss the situation regarding Reyna last week, saying that the issue was so bad that the team nearly booked him a flight back to the United States:

"In this last World Cup, we had a player that was clearly not meeting expectations on and off the field. One of 26 players, so it stood out. As a staff, we sat together for hours deliberating what we were going to do with this player. We were ready to book a plane ticket home, that's how extreme it was. And what it came down to was, we're going to have one more conversation with him, and part of the conversation was how we're going to behave from here out. There aren't going to be any more infractions.

"But the other thing we said to him was, you're going to have to apologize to the group, but it's going to have to say why you're apologizing. It's going to have to go deeper than just, 'Guys, I'm sorry.' And I prepped the leadership group with this. I said, 'OK, this guy is going to apologize to you as a group, to the whole team.' And what was fantastic in this whole thing is that after he apologized, they stood up one by one and said, 'Listen, it hasn't been good enough. You haven't been meeting our expectations of a teammate and we want to see change.' They really took ownership of that process. And from that day on, there were no issues with this player.

"As a coach, the way you can deal with things most appropriately is going back to your values. Because it's difficult to send a player home. It was going to be a massive controversy. You would have been reading about it for five days straight. But we were prepared to do it, because he wasn't meeting the standards of the group, and the group was prepared to do it as well."

Reyna was subbed in during matches against England and the team's round of 16 match against the Netherlands. He did not play in the USMNT's final group-stage match against Iran. When he was on the field, he wasn't much of a factor for the Americans.

It's important to note that Reyna is just 20 years old and still has plenty of maturing to do. He will likely continue to be part of the USMNT moving forward, and fans will undoubtedly be looking for him to step up during the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Reyna plays his club soccer for Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. In 10 matches this season, he has made three starts and tallied two goals.

The NFL and the German Bundesliga announced Thursday they have widened their partnership.

The move comes after the NFL scheduled its first regular-season game in Germany. The Seattle Seahawks will face off with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 13.

"Our first regular season game in Germany this fall also presents an opportunity to work with and learn from some of the most successful sports leagues around the world," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, per Reuters. "The Bundesliga has long been regarded as the leading league in Germany and one of the finest throughout Europe.

"We look forward to collaborating with the DFL in a process that we believe will be mutually beneficial."

The NFL has been staging games in London and Mexico City for years as part of its International Series.

The league announced in February it was expanding the series to Germany for the next four years. The Seahawks and Buccaneers will play at Allianz Arena, home to Bayern Munich, in November. The venue will host another game within the four-year period, and Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt will stage the other two.

Although the NFL hasn't hit a point of market saturation in the United States, there's only so much more the league can do to expand its reach at home. The International Series gives the NFL a way to widen its foothold abroad.

Not only will that pad the league's already substantial bank account, it might also widen the talent pool available to teams. The NBA has shown the way forward in that regard.

The Bundesliga, meanwhile, has been trying to break into the U.S. market for years.

Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn described the United States as "a very interesting soccer market" when speaking with Sports Business Journal's Tyler Everett in July.

"It’s growing, more and more young people are playing soccer and we already have a cooperation with FC Dallas," he said. "... I’m very surprised when I look at the valuations of the clubs in MLS, they’re very high valuations. I think it’s working, I think the football industry can develop."

Reuters cited "production, broadcast and programming, digital innovation and marketing" as the areas in which the NFL and Bundesliga will work together. For now, it's still a little unclear what the partnership will mean in tangible terms.

Robert Lewandowski is saying goodbye to Bayern Munich and hello to Barcelona as the two clubs have reached a deal for his transfer, according to ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

Lewandowski is expected to be announced as Barcelona's newest player over the weekend, ESPN added. The agreement is worth $45 million and an additional $5 million in potential add-ons.

The Polish striker revealed his intent to leave Bayern Munich in May, saying that he didn't want to play for the club anymore and that he believed a transfer was the "best solution." The Blaugrana have been linked to him since then and were intent on striking a deal.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta also confirmed earlier this month that his club made an offer for Lewandowski. The Athletic's Dermot Corrigan reported that the offer was worth $40 million, so Barca had to up their offer to land him.

"We absolutely respect Bayern," Laporta said, per The Athletic's Luke Bosher. "You know we have made an offer for the player and that we are waiting for a response, and we believe it will be positive."

Lewandowski has spent the last eight seasons of his career with the Bavarians, helping the club win the Bundesliga title in each of those seasons and a UEFA Champions League title in 2020.

The 33-year-old has tallied 344 goals and 72 assists in 375 matches across all competitions in his tenure with Bayern Munich. He was named the Best FIFA Men's Player in each of the past two seasons and has been named Polish Footballer of the Year 10 times.

Before joining Bayern Munich, Lewandowski played for Lech Poznan of the Polish Ekstraklasa from 2008-10 and Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund from 2010-14.

Lewandowski is only the latest star to join Barcelona this summer, joining Raphinha, who came over in a transfer from Leeds United. The Blaugrana also signed Ousmane Dembele to an extension through 2024.

Barcelona finished the 2021-22 season second in La Liga behind Real Madrid. However, the club did not advance past the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

Adding Lewandowski and Raphinha should give Barcelona a boost in 2022-23 and help the club produce its best finish since 2018-19.

Borussia Dortmund announced Friday that manager Marco Rose was fired after just one season with the German club.

Dortmund finished second in the Bundesliga with a 22-3-9 record. The 69 points were eight short of champions Bayern Munich (77). Dortmund also failed to advance beyond the UEFA Champions League group stage and was eliminated in the DFB-Pokal's Round of 16.

Rose explained he was confident in the direction of the club despite the trophy-less term.

"Despite a difficult season ... I was convinced of our path," Rose said. "During our conversation, the impression matured in me that 100 percent conviction of all those responsible was no longer present. In the end, we decided together to end the cooperation."

The 45-year-old former Bundesliga defender was chosen by Dortmund in February 2021 to take over for the 2021-22 season. He filled the void left by Lucien Favre, who was sacked midway through the previous campaign. 

Being unable to keep pace with Bayern at the domestic level and the quick elimination from the Champions League were likely the main reasons for his short tenure. The DFB-Pokal upset loss to second-division side FC St. Pauli didn't help his cause, either.

Meanwhile, the BVB are facing an important summer with superstar forward Erling Haaland set to leave the club for Premier League giants Manchester City.

The 21-year-old sensation will leave a massive void in the attack after scoring 86 goals in 89 matches across all competitions for Dortmund over the past three seasons.

It creates a busy first summer in charge for new sporting director Sebastian Kehl, a longtime Dortmund defensive midfielder who's now tasked with finding a new manager and trying to replace one of the best attacking players in the world.

Dortmund stated it will "hold talks about the composition of the future coaching staff in the coming days."

Borussia Dortmund announced Gio Reyna will miss the rest of the 2021-22 season due to muscle and tendon injury, via ESPN.

The forward was emotional after being subbed off just two minutes into Friday's match against Stuttgart.

The 19-year-old appeared in just 13 matches for his club across all competitions during an injury-filled season, including six starts in the Bundesliga. He had two goals in league play, both coming in August.

Reyna initially suffered a hamstring injury representing the United States during the first World Cup qualifying match against El Salvador on September 2. He didn't feature in another match for club or country until Feb. 6.

The continued setbacks especially hurt the United States men's national team, losing a key attacking player for much of the qualifying cycle. He didn't appear again for the squad until his three substitute appearances during the final window in March.

Another injury creates significant question marks about his role with the team heading into the World Cup in November. Even with plenty of time for a recovery, it will be difficult to trust a player who has topped 45 minutes in a match just once since September.

The Americans will be in a group with England, Iran and one of Ukraine, Scotland or Wales.

Reyna will also be left with question marks at the club level after effectively a lost season at Borussia Dortmund. The club currently sits second in the Bundesliga with 60 points in 29 matches, although there could be significant changes in the next transfer window with Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham among those likely to draw interest from top clubs.

There is still a bright future for Reyna, who was listed by ESPN as one of the top young players in the world coming into the year, but he must find a way to stay healthy.