Felix Wienand was playing for Rot-Weiss Essen against Waldhof Mannheim in the German third division when the firecracker exploded "in his immediate vicinity" after being thrown from an area of the stands containing Mannheim fans, Essen said.
Luke McCowan's goal inside 30 seconds was irrelevant in the broader context of this tie. Stuttgart's 4-1 canter in Glasgow a week earlier ensured that. Still, a game that had the whiff of irrelevance for Celtic delivered unexpected cheer.
It was probably fitting that the first call from someone with genuine power should emanate from Germany, long one of soccer's moral centers. The time has definitely come, German soccer federation vice-president Oke Gottlich told the Hamburger Morgenpost, to seriously consider and discuss a boycott of the 2026 World Cup. What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?
Nearly 30 years have passed since a German footballer last won the Ballon d'Or, the sport's most prestigious individual prize. In 1996, Matthias Sammer was awarded the trophy on the heels of a European Championship victory for his country and just several months before he would go on to win the Champions League title with his club, Borussia Dortmund. Even before Sammer, German footballers had seen considerable Ballon d'Or success, particularly in the 1970s and early 80s.
It is hard to believe that a mere 16 months ago, as they celebrated an unprecedented, unbeaten domestic double-winning season with their awestruck fans at the BayArena, Bayer Leverkusen resembled the very picture of stability, health and continuity. It seemed as though Die Werkself were set to maintain their soaring productivity levels, with Xabi Alonso working his coaching magic and having rebuffed his former clubs, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, as they searched for new managers.
Nick Woltemade is making an argument for player of the tournament. The Stuttgart forward had another impressive performance with a goal and two assists, now reaching six goal contributions after two matches.
