Bayern Munich clinched the Bundesliga title in record time by beating Hertha BSC 3-1 on Tuesday thanks to goals from Toni Kroos, Mario Goetze and Franck Ribery with seven games left in the campaign.
Last season’s treble winners claimed their 23rd Bundesliga crown with a 10th straight away victory, stretching their winning streak to a staggering 19 consecutive league games and their unbeaten run to 52 league matches — all Bundesliga records.
“I am satisfied that we did it,” Spanish coach Pep Guardiola, in his first season in charge, told reporters. “A game earlier or later does not matter. Congratulations to everyone at the club.”
Photo: AFP
“Now we will go out to dinner and celebrate,” added Guardiola, who managed to avoid the traditional on-pitch beer shower from his players. “We will enjoy the free time we have here.”
The Spaniard, who won 14 out of 19 titles in four years at Barcelona, has added the Bundesliga crown to the European Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles Bayern won earlier this season.
They have an unassailable 25-point lead over second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who were runners-up last term, with 21 points to play for in Guardiola’s first season in charge.
Photo: AFP
“First of all the praise belongs to the coach and the team,” Bayern sports director Matthias Sammer told reporters as Guardiola celebrated with his players on the pitch. “After the success of last season we continued to be very focused and we managed to win the league even earlier than last year. We have a concentration and a momentum right now which is unusual.”
Among those not present at the stadium to celebrate Bayern’s triumph was Uli Hoeness, the club’s former player, long-time manager and president, who was found guilty of tax evasion and sentenced to prison earlier this month.
Germany coach Joachim Loew was in the stands and heaped praise on the team that provides the national side’s backbone.
“To win the title that early is an amazing performance,” Loew told reporters. “Pep Guardiola developed the team even further. His mark can be seen in their dominance and their possession.”
It did not take long for Bayern to show they meant business in front of a sell-out 76,000 Olympiastadion crowd, with Kroos slotting in a deflected clearance in the sixth minute and Goetze heading home Bastian Schweinsteiger’s cross in the 14th.
Adrian Ramos pulled one back for the hosts with a well-taken penalty in the 66th minute to inject some life into the second half as Bayern took their foot off the gas, but Frenchman Ribery, who had come on as a substitute, completed a dazzling move after a silky run and pass from Goetze when he chipped the ball over goalkeeper Thomas Kraft to wrap up the points and the title.
Bayern’s success was their 24th league title because they were also champions once — in the 1931-1932 season — before the Bundesliga was created in 1963.
Borussia Dortmund could do nothing to prevent Tuesday’s celebrations in the capital after drawing 0-0 in their Ruhr valley derby at home to Schalke 04.
Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp was quick to congratulate archrivals Bayern.
“It is very impressive how Bayern did it,” Klopp told reporters. “You have to take off your hat to them. They were so consistent in their strong performances and they were hungry.”
VfL Wolfsburg moved up to fifth with a 3-1 win at mid-table Werder Bremen as Junior Malanda, Ivan Perisic and Germany under-21 attacking midfielder Maximilian Arnold, who is still only 19, found the net for the visitors.
Centerback Sebastian Proedl netted a consolation for Bremen.
Bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig breathed some life into their survival fight with a shock 3-1 win at home to seventh-placed FSV Mainz 05 as Congolese-born captain Dominick Kumbela scored twice.
The result keeps things tight at the foot of the table with just four points separating the bottom five teams.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and