Why Perez thought P8 was “the best we could get” at F1 Imola GP
Formula 1CategorySports

Why Perez thought P8 was “the best we could get” at F1 Imola GP

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Klopp kündigt “lange Pause” an – Richarlisons überraschende Huldigung
FC LiverpoolCategoryFußballCategoryJosep GuardiolaCategoryJürgen KloppCategoryPremier LeagueCategoryricharlisonCategorySports

Klopp kündigt “lange Pause” an – Richarlisons überraschende Huldigung

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Kendrick Lamar Went No. 1 on His Own. What Does That Mean for TDE?
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Kendrick Lamar Went No. 1 on His Own. What Does That Mean for TDE?

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Geraerts zeigt klare Kante bei Drexler und Baumgartl

May 20, 2024

Während sich Gerald Asamoah in Fürth tränenreich von Schalkes Fans verabschiedete, zeigte Karel Geraerts klare Kante bei Dominick Drexler und Timo Baumgartl. Beide haben keine Perspektive beim Trainer, der Verein müsse nun “Lösungen finden”.

Keine Perspektive bei S04: Dominick Drexler (li.) und Timo Baumgartl.

Keine Perspektive bei S04: Dominick Drexler (li.) und Timo Baumgartl.

IMAGO/Beautiful Sports

Mittlerweile hat Karel Geraerts unmissverständlich Klarheit geschaffen: Er bleibt Schalkes Trainer. Die Tagung des Familienrats steht zwar noch an, aber mit dem Vorstandsvorsitzenden Matthias Tillmann sowie den Kaderplanern Marc Wilmots und Ben Manga wurde alles hinlänglich besprochen. Die Quintessenz erläutert Geraerts so: “Ich habe gesagt, für welche Positionen ich Spieler brauche und auch konkrete Vorschläge gemacht.” Nun müsse “der Verein entscheiden, was finanziell möglich ist”.

Ein wieder einmal enttäuschender Auswärts-Auftritt in Fürth (0:2) hat erneut gezeigt, wie schwach dieser Kader besetzt ist. Der FC Schalke 04 hat es nicht geschafft, sein Vorhaben umzusetzen und sich anständig aus dieser verkorksten Saison zu verabschieden. Wenn das Spiel am Sonntag schon nicht herzerwärmend war, dann doch zumindest der tränenreiche Abschied von Gerald Asamoah.

Seine Stelle als Leiter der Lizenzspielerabteilung wird ersatzlos gestrichen, daher muss der 45-Jährige den Verein verlassen, zu dem er 1999 aus Hannover kam und eine Bindung einging, die sich schnell festigte. Der Publikumsliebling ließ sich nach dem Spiel in Fürth von den rund 5000 Schalke-Anhängern im Stadion feiern. Wo und wie es für den Ex-Profi, der gerade erfolgreich den Manager-Lehrgang beendet hat, künftig weitergeht, ist aktuell offen.

Bereits vor dem letzten Heimspiel gegen Hansa Rostock (2:1) waren Simon Terodde (Karriereende) und Danny Latza (offen) verabschiedet worden, auch die Trennung von Brandon Soppy (Leihende) steht bereits fest. Inzwischen sind weitere Personalfragen geklärt.

Younes darf auf Vertrag hoffen

Schalke 04 bietet Thomas Ouwejan, Steven van der Sloot, Blendi Idrizi und Cedric Brunner keine neuen Verträge an, das Arbeitspapier von Ersatztorwart Michael Langer wird “zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt” nicht verlängert. Eines in Aussicht gestellt bekommt Amin Younes. Der Ex-Nationalspieler soll mit den Königsblauen Mitte Juni in die Saisonvorbereitung starten und dann auch im Juli mit ins Trainingslager nach Mittersill reisen.

Podcast

Klopp, Streich – und auch Tuchel! Time to say goodbye!

Das große Abschiednehmen am Wochenende: Jürgen Klopp verlässt den FC Liverpool und kicker-Chefredakteur Jörg Jakob blickt zurück und voraus. Reporter Carsten Schröter-Lorenz berichtet von seinem letzten Interview mit Freiburg-Coach Christian Streich. Und auch Thomas Tuchel verabschiedet sich noch einmal – das sagt der Bayern-Trainer zum gescheiterten “Weiter-so-Versuch” in München. Außerdem: Eine WM in Brasilien, Weiser bleibt, Funkel geht.

18:13 Minuten

alle Folgen

Keine Perspektive unter Geraerts, der Veränderungen im Trainerteam andeutete, haben die suspendierten Routiniers Dominick Drexler und Timo Baumgartl. “Die Entscheidung, dass sie nicht wiederkommen, ist für mich klar”, betonte der Trainer nach der Partie in Fürth. Beide Spieler besitzen bis 2025 gültige Verträge, Geraerts zeigt aber klare Kante: “Der Verein muss Lösungen finden.” Schalke drohen harte Abfindungsverhandlungen.

Nachwuchstalent Taylan Bulut feierte derweil gegen Fürth am Sonntag sein Profidebüt, anschließend teilte der Verein mit, dass sich dadurch der Vertrag des 18-jährigen Abwehrspielers automatisch bis 2026 verlängert habe.

Toni Lieto

Why Perez thought P8 was “the best we could get” at F1 Imola GP

May 20, 2024
https://cdn-3.motorsport.com/images/amp/68yZQdQ0/s6/sergio-perez-red-bull-racing-r.jpg

The Mexican had failed to make the top 10 in qualifying, instead being knocked out in Q2 with a lap time 0.015s slower than Daniel Ricciardo’s on his RB.

Perez started the race on hard tyres in a bid to make the most of any timely safety car intervention, virtual or otherwise, which ultimately failed to materialise during an uninterrupted race.

But Perez did manage to outperform both RB cars and Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas, though finished only eighth, 55 seconds adrift of team-mate Verstappen, in what he called “just a very tough race”.

“We sort of knew that was the best we could get. We obviously knew the hard was going to be difficult initially, but we were hoping for a safety car at the right point, that potentially could put us back in the fight,” the Red Bull driver explained.

The best timing for a safety car for Perez would have been from lap 28, after all drivers leading him had pitted. But even then he was only fifth, some 15 seconds off leader Verstappen.

Perez wasn’t helped by a lock-up leading to an excursion in the Rivazza gravel trap on lap 17, which cost him about five seconds. “I also picked up some damage,” he added.

Furthermore, Perez suffered from being overtaken by Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and George Russell on their fresher tyres, while he was eking out his first stint on the hard compound. His pace never recovered – he was often lapping in the 1m21s early on but would never do so again until he pitted.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

“I wanted to lose as little time as possible [when being overtaken],” he explained. “Unfortunately, at the same time, you are at the end of your stint, temperatures are dropping, and the grip is just very miserable at that point.”

Red Bull had a tricky weekend in Imola despite Verstappen’s pole position and victory, with the team struggling to find the right set-up in free practice.

Perez said the lack of performance on the Italian track was “a bit circuit-specific” but warned that McLaren and Ferrari “have done a step forward” ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix this coming weekend.

“We expect a very strong McLaren, Ferrari, so it will be a strong challenge out there,” he concluded.

Additional reporting by Sam Hall

Klopp kündigt “lange Pause” an – Richarlisons überraschende Huldigung

May 20, 2024

Im großen Stil verlässt Jürgen Klopp den FC Liverpool. Dass ihm kaum einer glaubt, dass er womöglich nicht als Trainer zurückkehrt, versteht der 56-Jährige nicht. Eine überraschende Huldigung gab es aus dem Norden Londons.

Kein normaler Trainer - auch für Richarlison (re.) nicht: Jürgen Klopps Zeit in Liverpool endete am Sonntag.

Kein normaler Trainer – auch für Richarlison (re.) nicht: Jürgen Klopps Zeit in Liverpool endete am Sonntag.

imago images (2)

Es waren hochemotionale Momente an der Anfield Road, die Jürgen Klopp mit erstaunlich viel Fassung trug. Der scheidende LFC-Coach hatte den Fans am Stadion-Mikrofon verraten, dass er selbst dachte, es würde einen tränenreichen Abschied geben. Es durchströmten ihn aber erstmal nur Glücksgefühle – wegen seiner Zeit auf der Insel, der Leistung seines Teams im Saisonfinale und der Liebe, die ihm die Anhänger in den neun Jahren entgegenbrachten.

Während schon lange darüber diskutiert wird, wohin Klopp nun alles passen könnte, nahm der Stuttgarter sämtlichen Gerüchten einmal mehr Wind aus den Segeln. “Es wird eine lange Pause sein, das auf jeden Fall”, so Klopp, der anfügte: “Vielleicht war es das sogar komplett.” Nach England werde er sicherlich nicht zurückkehren, um ein anderes Team zu trainieren. “Wenn ich nochmal einen Job annehme, dann nicht hier um die Ecke.”

Dass es als selbstverständlich gelte, dass Klopp irgendwann einen neuen Trainer-Job antreten wird, kann der 56-Jährige nicht verstehen. “Ich weiß nicht genau, warum niemand glaubt, dass ich wahrscheinlich nicht wieder Trainer werde, aber ich verstehe es, weil es offensichtlich eine Droge zu sein scheint, weil jeder zurückkommt und jeder arbeitet, bis er 70 ist”, erklärte er auf der Pressekonferenz nach dem 2:0 gegen die Wolves.

Klopp habe “immer die Idee gehabt, dass ich das nicht so lange machen werde”. Gegenbeispiele gibt es auf der Insel zur Genüge, bis in den Februar 2024 hinein coachte beispielsweise Roy Hodgson noch Crystal Palace – mit 76 Jahren.

Klopps Eingeständnis: “Ich bin leer”

Das aber werde bei Klopp nicht funktionieren. “Ich muss alles geben, ich muss der Funke sein, ich muss die Energie sein, ich muss all diese Dinge sein und ich bin leer. Das war’s”, stellte Klopp klar, der nicht schon jetzt mögliche Zukunftsoptionen im Kopf auslote. “Man muss sich nur anschauen, welche Klubs offensichtlich verfügbar sind. Es wird Gelegenheiten geben, aber ich sitze nicht hier und denke: ‘Vielleicht nehme ich das in einem Jahr an’.”

Du bist einer der besten Manager, die ich je gesehen habe.

Richarlison über Klopp

Wie groß die Bewunderung auch innerhalb der Premier League für Liverpools Erfolgstrainer ist, verdeutlicht die überraschende Huldigung Richarlisons nach dem letzten Spieltag. In seiner Instagram-Story teilte der brasilianische Nationalstürmer in Diensten von Tottenham Hotspur ein Bild einer Umarmung von Klopp und ihm. Dazu schreibt er: “Trotz der Rivalität, die es nur auf dem Spielfeld gab, bist du einer der besten Manager, die ich je gesehen habe. Möge Gott deinen Weg segnen.”

Pep Guardiola kämpfte auf der Meister-Pressekonferenz beim Thema Klopp mit den Tränen und nannte den Deutschen eine “wichtige Person in meinem Leben”. Die Duelle mit Klopp werde der Katalane definitiv vermissen.

Kendrick Lamar Went No. 1 on His Own. What Does That Mean for TDE?

May 20, 2024

AP Images/Getty Images/Ringer illustration

Kendrick Lamar went to war with Drake and shot to the top of the Billboard charts … without Top Dawg Entertainment. As TDE turns 20, here’s what life looks like for the label after Kendrick.

It’s late evening on March 21 as I sit wide-eyed, waiting in anticipation to listen to Heavy, the fourth album from Top Dawg Entertainment’s R&B reserve SiR. Now, two decades after being founded, TDE remains one of the few modern rap labels that can still generate excitement surrounding artist releases, regardless of who it is. Think of the pure chaos and aggression that comes with the bass on ScHoolBoy Q’s “Ride Out” (from 2016’s Blank Face LP) as he paints the picture of cutthroat confrontation that comes with life as a Hoover Gangster Crip. Think of the foggy and damn near divine Crooklin and D. Sanders–produced instrumental on Isaiah Rashad’s SZA-featured “Stuck in the Mud,” off the vibe that is The Sun’s Tirade, where Rashad details his struggles with substance abuse. Or think of the dreamy soundscape where SZA softly sings of her failed relationships and insecurities on her 2017 album, Ctrl.

That is to say, when it was time to press play on Heavy, I was ready to hear SiR sashay through his latest romantic entanglements with dulcet vocals over airy instrumentals. But then I found out that verse dropped.

TDE’s former franchise player, co-founder of media company pgLang, and arguably best rapper alive Kendrick Lamar seized any and all attention in music and Twitter town hall conversation when he shook the earth’s tectonic plates with a guest spot on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” where he took aim at the other two members of hip-hop’s “Big Three,” fellow rap megastars Drake and J. Cole. On an album laced with subliminals directed toward the Champagne Papi, Kendrick’s verse opened the floodgates for what may be hip-hop’s last great beef. In one night, SiR’s underwhelming fourth project with TDE felt like it came and went.

Very few rappers today carry the gravitas to shift the paradigm with a single verse. Time and time again, Kendrick has proved capable of this, dating back to his now-iconic verse on Big Sean’s 2013 record “Control,” where he attempted to raise the bar of competition in the rap game. With “Like That” as the kickstarter, Kendrick both incited and won the Great War between him and Drake. For those questioning who’s the top emcee between the two rap heavyweights, Kendrick answered the question over the course of four diss tracks viciously dissecting Drake, from the eerie character study “Meet the Grahams” to the indisputable L.A. bop that is “Not Like Us.” The once “good kid” solidified his legacy as the best rapper of his generation with a decisive victory before Drake could even drop “The Heart Part 6.”

On “Push Ups,” Drake dragged Kendrick’s current relationship with TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith into their personal beef, taking shots at Top Dawg when attempting to belittle Kendrick’s pockets with, “Extortion baby, whole career you been shook up / ’Cause Top told you drop and give me 50 like some push-ups.” But where Drake may have been attempting to open a wound, the end result may have actually exposed how tight K.Dot and his former employers still are. Kendrick was quick to establish that there’s still love and respect for Top while refuting those claims on his first official full diss record, “Euphoria,” when he remarked, “Aye, Top Dawg, who the fuck they think they playin’ with? / Extortion my middle name as soon as you jump off of that plane, bitch.” This moment and the overwhelming support by TDE artists on social media was a reminder that Top Dawg Entertainment is a family, at least by outside appearances. Yet, when “Euphoria” was put on streaming, the copyright reading “Kendrick Lamar, under exclusive license to Interscope Records,” also a reminder that the relationship with TDE is strictly familial.


Even if extortion seems like an exaggeration, rumors were circulating of Kendrick leaving TDE well before he announced that 2022’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers would be his final project for the label. While breaking rap streaming records with “Euphoria”—and later, again, with “Not Like Us”—Kendrick made it clear that he no longer needs the same level of support of the label that signed him at 16 years old. The only label he answers to now is Interscope under a new direct licensing agreement, shedding his ties with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath imprint, too. (Kendrick originally signed a joint deal with Interscope and Aftermath ahead of the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city.) Publicly, Punch (President of TDE and manager of SZA) and Top treated Kendrick like their baby bird leaving the nest by giving Kendrick their blessing to leave TDE and focus on pgLang, but Kendrick’s 2022 departure from TDE marked the end of their 18-year transformation from mom-and-pop record label to a rap empire. How does one continue to grow their empire after losing the fulcrum that held everything together for all those years?

With Kendrick on the front lines winning a Pulitzer Prize and 17 Grammys while dropping undeniable rap classics bearing TDE’s name for all those years—alongside strong outings from his label siblings ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, SZA, and Isaiah Rashad—the TDE stamp on an artist’s release carries the same weight as a film with the A24 logo flashing at the start of its trailer. Whether that’s seeing Top Dawg sharing 2019 TDE signee Zacari’s single “Don’t Trip” like a Bat signal marking the young singer’s official arrival after he spent years leaving his vocal trail on a plethora of TDE songs. Or seeing newcomer Ray Vaughn on L.A. Leakers sporting a TDE chain under his yellow puffy as he raps his ass off about the night he met Top and Snoop Dogg. Or when “Top Dawg Entertainment” flashes in the opening credits of Doechii’s “Alter Ego” music video, which featured the Tampa-born artist taking viewers through the swamp waters of Florida in a visual that feels so foreign to the L.A.-centric label. When that TDE logo pops up, listeners expect a certain level of hip-hop excellence to follow, even if today’s TDE vastly differs from its earlier incarnation.

In a 2022 interview with Mic, Punch discusses how things have changed since the early days of TDE. The label used to have more synergy amongst its artists, whether that was ScHoolboy Q’s handwriting being included on Kendrick’s good kid album cover or Kendrick showing out on ScHoolboy’s quadruple-platinum single “Collard Greens” less than a year later. You would often see TDE move as a unit, like during their 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards cypher. Today, the extent of TDE synergy comes in the form of the occasional labelmate guest spot that feels less like artists intertwining styles and more like filling in an open 16 bars or hook on a song. Even Punch admits he is far less hands-on with the newer TDE artists. “With those first guys, I’m in there with them every single day, engineering. We started together and came up together. But a lot of the new artists now are coming into a situation that was already built. They have their own teams, and I just come in when they need,” he said.

Outside of Kendrick’s departure, there have been other signs of mild turbulence within the label. In the past, TDE’s current franchise cornerstone and undeniable megastar SZA has cried for help via Twitter—using words like “hostile” when describing her delayed album and occasionally contentious working relationship with Punch—although these statements would often get deleted at some point. Carson, California, rapper Reason seems like he’s been doing everything in his power to get kicked off the label ever since joining in 2018, whether that’s getting into an argument on a podcast with co-president of TDE and son of Top himself, Moosa, or rapping over Drake beats days after the Toronto rapper accused one of TDE’s presidents of extortion.

When comparing TDE to some of the most iconic rap labels of the past, it’s easy to imagine that losing their first superstar is officially where the decline starts. Death Row’s best days were behind them after Tupac Shakur died in 1996, and Bad Boy was never the same after the Notorious B.I.G.’s death the following year. But the untimely loss of those two greats doesn’t fully explain why those labels fell. At Death Row, Dr. Dre had already walked out the doors before Tupac’s murder, but ultimately, Suge Knight going to prison is what led to Interscope dropping the label. At Bad Boy, Mase appeared to be the one to fill the void Biggie left, going quadruple-platinum in 1997 with his debut album Harlem World, before stepping away from music in pursuit of a higher calling from religion. While this wasn’t the end of Bad Boy, it likely played a factor in Bad Boy being unable to pay back and fulfill the $50 million advance from Arista Records based on good faith earned by a lucrative 1997. Simply losing their breadwinner didn’t do those iconic labels in; a flawed infrastructure and unforeseen circumstances sank their respective ships.

In the midst of the current rap game, TDE is in rare air. Drake’s OVO Sound is at times more focused on propping up Drake and who Drake loves right now than building the genuine camaraderie (and roster of heatmakers) of a TDE, and while J. Cole’s Dreamville stable has a lot of promise, they haven’t touched the commercial success of TDE’s best. In this era, you may not even think of TDE’s journey or what going from independent to world-renowned means anymore; you’ve come to know TDE as an institution for dope Black music.

Now 20 years old, Top Dawg Entertainment doesn’t show signs of a sharp fall-off just yet. First and foremost, they have SZA, whose latest album, SOS, achieved meteoric commercial, critical, and Grammy success with songs like the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping, five-times-platinum single “Kill Bill.” TDE not only has a compilation album on the way celebrating their anniversary, but Black Hippy member and original TDE rapper Jay Rock also has his fourth album, Eastside Johnny*, on the horizon. ScHoolboy Q’s latest (and most critically acclaimed) album, Blue Lips, is a testament to TDE’s ability to churn out premium bodies of work. And even with Kendrick’s “Like That” verse overshadowing SiR’s Heavy, songs like “Only Human” reflect the singer’s growth as an artist leaning more into his vulnerability. However, the real test for TDE’s prolonged success comes in developing the roster’s future. How much time is needed to turn the Ray Vaughns, Doechiis, and (checks notes to see if he’s still signed) Reasons of the label into stars? And as Isaiah Rashad continues to grow creatively with each new release, one has to imagine he has greater potential working with Warner Records and a sober mind.

Those concerns, for now, feel like minor cracks in a well-oiled machine, with SZA’s superstardom being the engine that keeps it all running—although we hope that talk of her next album, the long-awaited Lana, getting a release sometime in the near future doesn’t have you losing sleep at night. For TDE to keep the empire standing, they must appease their queen. In a 2017 OTHERtone interview, Jimmy Iovine praised the way TDE built a buzz around SZA, leading to TDE’s joint deal for SZA with RCA being a 70-30 split in TDE’s favor. Yet still, SZA has spoken about issues with her situation. How much time is there until SZA’s deal with RCA is up, allowing her to fly out of the nest like Kendrick? And will TDE be prepared if that day comes sooner than expected?

At TDE’s peak—somewhere within that 2016-18 era—every single one of their artists dropped a project, and their franchise player Kendrick Lamar made pit stops on almost every single release, bolstering them up through Damn., culminating with Black Panther: The Album and The Championship Tour. What’s stopping TDE from restoring the feeling with a SZA-centered label renaissance, fueled by guest spots propelling her labelmates’ albums into another stratosphere with divine vocals alone? Top and Punch have proven time and time again that they know when it’s time to strike. And for SiR’s sake, let’s hope Kendrick gives TDE a heads-up next time he plans on starting a rap beef around the time of a TDE release.

Techniktrainer Weiss wechselt vom VfB zum FC Bayern

May 20, 2024

Dass Lilian Egloff, Florian Schock, Roberto Massimo, Genki Haraguchi und Mahmoud Dahoud vor der Partie gegen Borussia Mönchengladbach verabschiedet würden, war kein Geheimnis. Dass allerdings auch Nate Weiss den VfB Stuttgart verlässt, kam überraschend. Der Techniktrainer wechselt auf eigenen Wunsch zum FC Bayern.

Verlust im Trainerteam: Sebastian Hoeneß wird künftig auf Techniktrainer Nate Weiss verzichten müssen.

Verlust im Trainerteam: Sebastian Hoeneß wird künftig auf Techniktrainer Nate Weiss verzichten müssen.

IMAGO/Sportfoto Rudel

Der US-Amerikaner kam im Sommer 2021 vom 1. FC Nürnberg nach Stuttgart und war zunächst als Trainer im Nachwuchsleistungszentrum des Traditionsklubs tätig. Im Juli 2022 holte der damalige VfB-Trainer Pellegrino Matarazzo, der den 36-Jährige aus seiner Zeit beim Club kannte, den Techniktrainer zu den Profis. Dort kümmerte sich Weiss um die technischen Feinheiten des kickenden Personals. Ballan- und Ballmitnahme, Ballbeherrschung, Passspiel, Flanken, Abschlüsse. Alles, was mit dem Ball zu tun hatte, hatte auch mit dem Mann aus Übersee zu tun. Künftig wird Weiss sein Wissen und Können im Übergangsbereich des Campus beim FC Bayern vermitteln.

Außer beim seit Februar dieses Jahres ausgeliehenen Mahmoud Dahoud, der sich nicht gegen das Doppel-Sechs-Duo Atakan Karazor und Angelo Stiller durchsetzen konnte und zu Brighton Hove & Albion zurückkehren wird, ist noch offen, wohin es die anderen vier Verabschiedeten zieht. Egloff, der seit 2012 alle Jugendteams des VfB durchlaufen hat, als absolutes Toptalent galt, aber von wiederkehrendem Verletzungspech immer wieder aus der Bahn geworfen wurde, und Massimo, der seit Sommer 2018 das VfB-Trikot trug und dessen Entwicklung aber ebenfalls stagnierte, müssen in aller erster Linie aktuelle Blessuren auskurieren.

Haraguchi zu Düsseldorf?

Ersatzkeeper Schock, der die Nachwuchsteams von der U 16 bis zur U 21 für den VfB spielte, im September 2021 zu den Profis aufrückte, aber zu keinem Bundesligaspiel kam, zieht es in die 3. Liga. Haraguchi, der im Januar 2023 von Union Berlin als Hoffnungsträger für das Mittelfeld kam, aber unter Hoeneß in der Versenkung verschwand, wird einmal mehr mit Fortuna Düsseldorf in Verbindung gebracht.

Nach Jamie Leweling, der für rund fünf Millionen von Union Berlin bis 2028 fix unterschrieben hat und Nick Woltemade (Bremen, bis 2028), dürften in Kürze auch Yannick Keitel (Freiburg, bis 2027 plus Option) sowie Justin Diehl (Köln, bis 2028) vermeldet werden.

George Moissidis

Här är Tre Kronor bland VM:s allra sämsta lag

May 20, 2024
https://images.aftonbladet-cdn.se/v2/images/220574c2-47b3-4e0f-95bf-1efcb0590717?fit=crop&format=auto&h=405&q=50&w=945&s=297c1e2283dd68be6860cb54328db222cae919b6

Publicerad 12.22

OSTRAVA. Bäst i boxplay – men bland turneringens sämsta lag i powerplay.

Spelet i numerärt överläge är något som Tre Kronor måste vässa till inför avslutningen:  

– Vi har skickligheten i det här laget för att göra succé även i powerplay, säger assisterande förbundskapten Nicklas Rahm.

Följ ämnen

Tre Kronor var ledigt i går och hade en frivillig träning nu på morgonen inför eftermiddagens möte med Frankrike, nedsläpp 16.20. Vägen genom gruppspelet har så här långt varit ett svenskt segertåg, fem raka trepoängare och ett i många delar övertygande spel. I boxplay är Sverige exempelvis hundraprocentigt. 

Men powerplay har varit den lilla skönhetsfläcken så här långt i turneringen. 

Trots många skickliga spelare ligger Tre Kronor först på tionde plats i den ligan med under 16 procents utdelning. Lag som Danmark, Österrike och dagens motståndare Frankrike har varit vassare. 

Nicklas Rahm har en stor del i just powerplay och han är inte nöjd: 

– Vi har varit sådär hittills. I början jobbade vi mycket med ingångar och tekningar, vilket har blivit bättre. Men just trycket mot kassen och att vinna tillbaka andrapuckar har vi haft lite strul med och det ska vi prata om inför kvällens match, säger Rahm. 

Assisterande förbundskaptenen Nicklas Rahm
Foto: Maxim Thore / Bildbyrån

Kan bli aktuellt att byta ut spelare

Tre Kronor har bytt en del positioner i de befintliga uppställningarna, om det även kan bytas ut personer vill inte Rahm svara på:

– Det återstår att se i kväll, det är många som är sugna att spela PP, men vi kan inte låta dem räcka upp handen och alla får spela, utan vi får ta ut det. 

Lösningen tycker Rahm är att fler ta ansvar med pucken: 

– Att man litar på varandra. Att man har rollerna: vem som ska skjuta, när ska skottet komma och varifrån ska det komma, så att vi därifrån kan vinna lite andrapuckar. 

Att powerplay blir viktigt framöver fick Tre Kronor en påminnelse om för ett år sedan. Då blev det ett chockartat uttåg redan i kvartsfinalen mot Lettland.

– Hade PP funkat bra mot Lettland hade vi förmodligen vunnit den matchen, säger Rahm.

“Tragende Säule”: Skarlatidis verlängert bei Unterhaching

May 20, 2024

Simon Skarlatidis und die SpVgg Unterhaching haben sich auf die Verlängerung ihrer Zusammenarbeit verständigt. Der Mittelfeldspieler unterschrieb einen neuen Zweijahresvertrag.

Weiterhin für Unterhaching am Ball: Mittelfeld-Ass Simon Skarlatidis.

Weiterhin für Unterhaching am Ball: Mittelfeld-Ass Simon Skarlatidis.

IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner

Ende Juni wäre der Kontrakt des 32-jährigen Skarlatidis ausgelaufen. Über die Verlängerung um weitere zwei Jahre zeigen sich beide Seiten höchst zufrieden. “Wir freuen uns sehr, dass ‘Skarla’ weitere zwei Jahre in der Vorstadt bleibt. Mit seinem Tor in der Relegation gegen Cottbus hat er sich einen Platz in der Vereinshistorie gesichert und auch in dieser Saison war er wieder eine tragende Säule”, wird Markus Schwabl in der Pressemitteilung des Vereins zitiert. “Er passt vom Typ her überragend zum Verein und hat sich zu einem absoluten Publikumsliebling entwickelt”, so der Sportdirektor weiter.

Starker Vorbereiter

Skarlatidis selbst, der in der abgelaufenen Drittliga-Saison mit 36 Einsätzen nicht zuletzt als Vorbereiter seine Qualitäten unterstrich (zwei Tore, zwölf Assists, kicker-Note 3,12), ist nach dem letztjährigen Aufstieg auch unter Trainer Marc Unterberger zur festen Größe avanciert. Der flexible, aber vor allem in der Offensive eingesetzte Mittelfeldakteur freut sich auf seine vierte Saison im Trikot der Hachinger.

Der 1,74 Meter große Deutsch-Grieche, im Sommer 2021 vom 1. FC Kaiserslautern zur SpVgg gewechselt, kommentierte seine Vertragsverlängerung wie folgt:  “Ich freue mich, dass ich weiterhin ein Teil der Haching-Familie sein werde. Meine Familie und ich fühlen uns in der Vorstadt sehr wohl”, meinte Skarlatidis. “Ich wünsche mir für die Zukunft, weitere Erfolge mit dem Team und den Fans feiern zu können und möchte die Geschichte bei der Spielvereinigung weiterschreiben.”

Which F1 driver has led the world championship the longest? 

May 20, 2024
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While some drivers take the title long before the final round – recently Max Verstappen took both the 2022 and 2023 titles with several races left to go – others can sit at the top of the table but still never claim the crown. Valtteri Bottas is one of those unfortunate drivers, having led the championship for just 24 days in 2019 before the season was eventually won by Lewis Hamilton.  
 
However, some drivers have been able to retain the lead for a whole season and even longer. Although leading the championship for the longest is arguably the most impressive record a driver can hold, the most consecutive days led can also tell us much about a driver and the seasons they held the title.  
  
Here are the drivers who have consecutively led the championship chase for the most number of days. 

Top F1 drivers who have spent the most consecutive days leading the drivers’ championship  

Winter breaks have been taken into consideration for every driver’s leadership run, including if a driver lost their run on the first race of the season. This makes figures consistent with the drivers whose tallies have continued to accumulate from one season and into the next.

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 37  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 2562 
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 121  

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Michael Schumacher is the most successful Formula 1 driver when it comes to leading the drivers’ world championship. The German jointly holds the record for the most titles with seven alongside Lewis Hamilton and has the record for most consecutive drivers’ championships with five between 2000-04.  
  
Schumacher appears twice in the top 10 drivers to have led the title for the longest time consecutively, appearing in the top position with 896 days and third with 630 days. His longest period of heading the standings came between the 2000 USA Grand Prix and the 2003 Australian GP, and consisted of 37 races.   
  
The 2000 season was Schumacher’s third drivers’ championship victory and his first with Ferrari, after joining the team in 1996. After winning five of the first eight races of the year, he was struck by a bout of bad luck and had three consecutive DNFs at the French, Austrian and German GPs. But over the following six races he never finished lower than second, and at the 2000 United States GP Schumacher retook the lead in the drivers’ championship, before winning the last two races and taking the title at the Japanese GP. 
 
PLUS: Michael Schumacher’s top 10 F1 wins
  
Schumacher continued to top the drivers’ championship during the whole of 2001, winning nine races and taking five second places. He only had two retirements and one fourth place finish – at the San Marino, German and Italian GPs respectively.   
  
He took his fourth drivers’ championship at the Hungarian GP with four races left to go. Only 10 points were awarded for a victory then and Schumacher went into the event 37 points ahead of David Coulthard, who finished the race in third, giving the title to Schumacher. He also took the record for most career wins, after taking his 52nd at the Belgian GP, breaking Alain Prost’s record from 1993.  
  
In 2002, Schumacher took his fifth drivers’ championship and equalled Juan Manuel Fangio’s record. He scored 11 of Ferrari’s 15 wins that year and took the title with six races remaining, making it the record for the earliest point in a season that a driver has clinched the championship.   
  
His run of consecutive days holding the drivers’ championship came to an end during the 2003 Australian GP – the first race of the season – when Schumacher finished fourth. There was heavy rain on race day, but the track dried quickly, which resulted in abnormal tyre wear on both Ferraris. Later in the race Schumacher damaged the flow diverters on his car by driving over a kerb and was shown a black-and-orange flag, forcing him to return to the pits for repairs.   
  
The pitstop cost Schumacher a place on the podium, his first non-podium finish since the 2001 Italian GP. It was also the first time a Ferrari had not finished on the podium since the 1999 European GP and ended their 53 consecutive podium finishes.  
 
Read also: Top 10 Ferrari F1 drivers 

Max Verstappen – 735 days  

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 46  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 987
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 60 

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Max Verstappen has led the world drivers’ championship since the 2022 Spanish GP and is rapidly approaching the record that is held by Michael Schumacher. The Dutchman took the advantage in the 2022 championship six races into the season after winning four out of those races, taking the lead from Charles Leclerc.  
  
His run on leading the drivers’ championship came just months after Verstappen signed a five-year contract extension with Red Bull Racing to stay with the team until 2028. The now-three-time world champion won 15 races that season, which started with a heated battle between himself and Ferrari’s Leclerc.  
  
The tally broke his previous record of 13 race wins in a season that he shared with both Michael Schumacher in 2004 and Sebastian Vettel in 2013. He also scored 454 championship points, which broke Lewis Hamilton’s previous record of 413, set in 2019.  
  
Verstappen beat his own championship points record in 2023, when he continued his lead of the drivers’ championship. He scored 575 points and took 19 wins out of 23 races, also breaking his own record for most wins in one season.   
  
He has led the world drivers’ championship for a total of 987 days, putting him ninth of the drivers who have led the most days of all time, which will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. 

Michael Schumacher – 630 days  

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 27  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 2562  
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 121

Photo by: Lyndon McNeil

  Michael Schumacher is one of two drivers in this top 10 and appears twice in the top three. His second run came between the 2003 Canadian and 2005 Australian GPs, during his five consecutive drivers’ championships.   
  
In 2003 he won six out of 16 races and claimed the record for most drivers’ championships when he took the title for the sixth time, beating Juan Manuel Fangio’s 46-year record of five championships.  
 
New regulations and a new points system tightened the competition on the grid, with Schumacher facing a tight battle with McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen and Williams’s Juan Pablo Montoya. He needed just one point to take the crown at the final race, and scored that by finishing in eighth place (with points only being awarded to the top eight drivers at the time). 
  
Schumacher set a new record at the start of 2004, when he won 12 of the first 13 races in the mighty Ferrari F2004, with just one retirement due to a crash at the Monaco GP; while under a safety car, Schumacher and Montoya clashed in the tunnel, putting the Ferrari out. 
 
Schumacher won the next seven races and a second place at Spa secured his final F1 crown. After a retirement at the inaugural race of the 2005 Australian GP, his run of consecutively holding the drivers’ championship title came to an end.  

Ayrton Senna – 581 days  

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 24  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 1092 
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 49 

Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images

Three-time world champion Ayrton Senna had his longest run leading the world championship during his last two title challenges with McLaren. The lead began at the 1990 German GP following six podium finishes at the start of the season. After a previously tight battle with Alain Prost in 1989, the fight continued when the Frenchman moved to Ferrari.  
 
Read also: Top 10 F1 rivalries
  
The Brazilian’s run holding the points lead continued through the entirety of 1991, where he became the youngest three-time world champion at 31 years old – a record that was later beaten by Sebastian Vettel in 2012 at the age of 25.  
  
Senna took seven wins in 1991 and a further five podiums, with his main competitor Nigel Mansell scoring five wins for Williams. His championship lead came to an end during the first race of the 1992 season during the South African GP, where he finished third, giving Mansell the lead as Williams-Renault finally surpassed McLaren-Honda. 
 
PLUS: How Senna won his greatest title 

Alberto Ascari – 574 days  

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 15  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 574 
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 15  

Photo by: Motorsport Images

 Alberto Ascari only had one spell at the top of the world drivers’ championship but, after holding the lead from the 1952 Belgian GP and throughout 1953, he makes this list. Having come close to the 1951 crown, the Ferrari driver won six out of the seven grands prix in 1952, when the world championship switched to F2 regulations. The sole race he didn’t win was the only one he didn’t compete in – the season-opening Swiss GP – as he was participating in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, which also counted for points that season. 
  
The Italian won the first three races at the start of 1953 (excluding the Indy 500) and claimed another two later in the year to secure his second consecutive drivers’ championship.   
  
His time at the top came to an end with the completion of the season, after a dispute over his salary saw the Italian leave Ferrari for Lancia. Ascari entered just four races out of nine in 1954 but retired from each race as Lancia struggled to get its revolutionary D50 race ready. 
 
Read also: The rise and fall of Ferrari’s first great champion

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 33  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 959 
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 52  

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso held onto the drivers’ championship lead for 540 days between the 2005 Malaysian GP and the 2006 Chinese GP. The Spaniard has also spent 959 days total at the top of the standings, putting him 10th overall.  
  
After finishing third at the opening race of the 2005 season in Australia, Alonso took pole at the Malaysian GP and dominated the race, which started his longest run as drivers’ standings leader. Regulation changes in 2005 meant that teams were not allowed to change tyres during a race and engines had to be used for two races before they could be changed. This resulted in an intense duel between Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen at McLaren, but the Renault ultimately proved more reliable. 
 
PLUS: Fast failures – F1s quickest runner-up
  
His championship win in 2005 made the Spaniard the record-holder for the youngest drivers’ champion, at 24 years and 57 days old. This record was later beaten by Lewis Hamilton in 2008 when he was 23 years and 300 days old and then by Sebastian Vettel in 2010 at 23 years and 133 days old.  
  
Alonso stayed with Renault for the 2006 season and won six out of the first nine races. Trouble was brewing for Alonso and Renault though, as the FIA imposed a ban on the team’s mass damper device after the French GP, helping Ferrari and Michael Schumacher close the gap. The pair were in a heated fight for the title in 2006, which Alonso had been leading until the 15th race of the season – Italian GP at Monza – where an engine failure resulted in retirement, his second of the year.  
  
A win by Schumacher put the German back at the top of the championship. Both drivers were tied on points going into the penultimate race at Suzuka, which was won by Alonso and saw Schumacher retire due to engine failure. The Spaniard needed just one point to take his second drivers’ championship at the season finale and, with a race victory, he became the youngest double world champion.  

Lewis Hamilton – 546 days 

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 25  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 2436 
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 126 

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Despite Lewis Hamilton being second on the list of total number of days leading the drivers’ championship, he ‘only’ consecutively held the lead for 546 days. This run began at the 2014 Singapore GP, taking the lead from team-mate Nico Rosberg with five races left that year. Hamilton won 11 races out of 19, with Rosberg winning another five for Mercedes.   
  
The British driver dominated the 2015 season, finishing on the podium 17 times and securing 10 wins. The Mercedes drivers were once again locked into a fierce battle for the drivers’ championship, which came to a head at the United States GP where Rosberg slid off the track, resulting in Hamilton taking the lead and in turn securing his third drivers’ title.   
  
Hamilton’s consecutive run as drivers’ championship leader came to an end after the Brit came second to his team-mate Nico Rosberg at the 2016 season opener – the Australian GP.  

Juan Manuel Fangio – 532 days 

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 10  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 1673 
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 34  

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Juan Manuel Fangio is one of the most successful Formula 1 drivers when it comes to total days leading the drivers’ championship, sitting in fourth place with 1673 days. The Argentinian began his longest consecutive run holding the title at the 1956 German GP – the penultimate race of the season – where he took the championship lead from Ferrari team-mate Peter Collins.   
  
In 1956, he took three victories and two further second places. During the season finale in Italy, Collins had a chance of the crown but, with 15 laps remaining, he handed his car to Fangio after a steering-arm failure on his team leader’s D50. This resulted in the pair sharing the six points for second place, handing Fangio his fourth world title.  
  
Fangio held the lead for the full 1957 season after winning four races and taking two second places in the final two races, which secured him his last championship victory.  
  
His championship run came to an end at the start of 1958 with the Argentinian GP, as he was unable to put his Maserati on the podium.   

Niki Lauda – 518 days  

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 24  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 1029 
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 42  

Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images

Niki Lauda held the lead of the world championship between the 1975 Belgian GP and the 1976 United States GP, during his time with Ferrari. He also has the seventh-most days leading the drivers’ championship, with 1029.  
  
After a slow start in 1975, Lauda’s first win of the year came at the Monaco GP and was the first of five that season, as well as three other podium finishes.  
 
Read also: Niki Lauda’s greatest F1 races
  
The Austrian took his first drivers’ championship title at that year’s 1975 Italian GP – the penultimate race of the year – after beating competition from Emerson Fittipaldi at McLaren. Alongside his team-mate Clay Regazzoni, the pair were able to secure Ferrari their first constructors’ championship in 11 years.   
  
Lauda got off to a strong start in 1976 with four wins out of the first seven races and took podium finishes at the other races before a retirement at the French GP due to an engine failure.   
  
However, the German GP at the Nurburgring would prove to be one that almost cost the Austrian not only his career, but his life.  
  
The Nurburgring was notoriously dangerous at the time, and Lauda had urged the other drivers to boycott the race due to lack of safety resources, but the majority voted for the GP to go ahead.  
  
On the second lap, Lauda swerved off the track, hitting an embankment that caused his Ferrari to burst into flames and he was then hit Brett Lunger’s Surtees. The Austrian was trapped inside his car before he was pulled out by Wolf-Williams driver Arturo Merzario.   
  
Lauda was wearing a modified helmet that did not fit him properly, exposing his face to the fire, which resulted in severe burns to his head and hands. Despite the accident he missed just two races before making his return to F1 at the Italian Grand Prix, where he raced with bandages over his burns.   
  
The Austrian finished fourth on his return but, after coming eighth in Canada and third in the US, he famously withdrew from the appallingly wet Japanese GP finale, losing the title to James Hunt by a single point. 

=10 Juan Manuel Fangio – 490 days 

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 10  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 1673 
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 34  
 
Juan Manuel Fangio makes a second appearance on the top 10 with a run between the 1954 Argentinian GP and the 1955 Monaco GP.  
 
The win at the first race in 1954 started his run of leading the world championship and was the first of four victories in his home GP. Fangio claimed six out of eight races in the 1954 championship despite starting with Maserati and moving to Mercedes following two wins in the 250F. 
 
The Mercedes-Benz team entered mid-season with the W196 and, despite the streamlined version of the car being known as difficult to drive, Fangio still claimed the win at the French GP on its debut, though he failed to do well at Silverstone the following race. Mercedes then introduced an open-wheel version of the car at the German GP, and Fangio managed to win the following three races. 
 
It was not an easy victory in Monza for Fangio as he fought with the Ferrari of reigning world champion Alberto Ascari and Stirling Moss in a private Maserati. He looked vulnerable until Ascari faced engine problems and Moss’s oil tank split, resulting in Fangio taking the victory. 

PLUS: Stirling Moss’s top 10 greatest drives

His six wins and a further third place secured Fangio his second drivers’ championship after originally taking the title in 1951 with Alfa Romeo. Fangio lost his driver’s championship-leading streak at the 1955 Monaco after initially leading the race before being forced to retire with transmission trouble. His retirement left Fangio with just a single point for the fastest lap and dropped him down into second in the drivers’ championship behind Maurice Trintignant by one and a third points.  
 
Despite losing the consecutive run in the leadership during this race, he later went on to claim his third drivers’ championship and his second consecutive title. 

=10.  Sebastian Vettel – 490  

Number of consecutive races leading drivers’ championship: 20  
Total days leading the drivers’ championship: 1267 
Total number of races leading the drivers’ championship: 63 
 

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Sebastian Vettel equalled Juan Manuel Fangio’s consecutive drivers’ leadership with a run of 490 days. The German’s run began at the 2010 season finale in Abu Dhabi when he started the race in third place in the drivers’ championship behind leader Fernando Alonso and Vettel’s Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber.
 
Vettel qualified at the front of the grid and managed to retain his lead throughout the majority of the race – briefly losing the lead after a pitstop before regaining the position again on lap 40. When crossing the line, Vettel became the youngest F1 world champion and started his consecutive run in the lead. 

Read also: Sebastian Vettel’s top 10 F1 wins
  
He continued his leading streak with Red Bull during the entire 2011 season, taking 11 wins and a further six podiums during the 19-race year, resulting in his second consecutive drivers’ championship victory.  
 
Read also: How Vettel’s 2011 campaign ranks in Formula 1 history

Vettel’s consecutive driver’s championship run came to an end at the 2012 Australian GP, after being unable to catch the McLaren of Jenson Button. After qualifying in sixth, he was able to jump to third by the end of lap 11, following a retirement from Michael Schumacher. Due to a safety car pitstop, he was able to claim second place and managed to hold off the other McLaren of Lewis Hamilton to retain the position. 
 
Despite losing his championship run to Button during the opening race of the 2012 season, Vettel was still able to take the championship victory at the Brazilian GP finale by finishing sixth.  

F1 drivers with the highest total days leading the championship

Alongside consecutively leading the championship race for the highest number of days, many of the top 10 drivers have also secured their place in the total number of days holding the points lead.   
  
Here’s the top 10 drivers with the highest total days leading the championship:   

Driver   

Total days    

Total races   

Michael Schumacher    

2562  

121   

Lewis Hamilton   

2436  

126   

Alain Prost   

1708  

79   

Juan Manuel Fangio   

1673  

34   

Sebastian Vettel   

1267  

63   

Ayrton Senna  

1092  

49  

Niki Lauda  

1029  

42  

Jim Clark  

1016  

22  

Max Verstappen  

987 

60  

Fernando Alonso  

959  

52  

“Familiär eine besondere Bindung”: VfB holt Werder-Stürmer Woltemade

May 20, 2024

Nun ist der Deal auch offiziell über die Bühne: Nick Woltemade verlässt Werder Bremen und wechselt zu Champions-League-Teilnehmer und Vizemeister VfB Stuttgart. Dort peilt der Stürmer den nächsten Karriereschritt an, ist aber auch großer Konkurrenz ausgesetzt.

Er verlässt Bremen gen Schwaben: Nick Woltemade.

Er verlässt Bremen gen Schwaben: Nick Woltemade.

imago images

Er war vor dem 4:1 gegen Bochum einer von drei Profis, die bei Werder Bremen offiziell verabschiedet wurden. Nun steht der neue Arbeitgeber von Nick Woltemade auch offiziell fest: Wie erwartet, zieht es den Angreifer zu Champions-League-Teilnehmer VfB Stuttgart, wo der 22-Jährige einen Vertrag bis 30. Juni 2028 unterzeichnete.

“Nick hat in der vergangenen Saison seine Qualitäten unter Beweis gestellt und sich in der Bundesliga etabliert”, wird VfB-Sportdirektor Fabian Wohlgemuth zitiert: “Er ist ein wuchtiger und gleichzeitig spielstarker Stürmer, dessen Weg wir sehr aufmerksam verfolgt haben. Wir sind davon überzeugt, dass Nick seine positive Entwicklung bei uns fortsetzt und ein wertvoller Faktor in unserem Offensivspiel wird.”

Woltemade ist gebürtiger Bremer, nahm nach insgesamt zwölf Jahren bei Werder aber vor der Saison 2022/23 den Umweg über eine Leihe bei der SV Elversberg in der 3. Liga (31 Einsätze, zehn Tore, neun Assists), um anschließend so richtig in der Bundesliga anzukommen. 30 seiner insgesamt 41 Einsätze im deutschen Oberhaus machte Woltemade in der gerade abgelaufenen Saison (kicker-Notenschnitt 3,71).

Woltemade sieht “spannende Herausforderung”

Auf seine ersten Bundesligatore musste Woltemade lange warten, ehe ihm Anfang Mai gegen Borussia Mönchengladbach beim 2:2 direkt seine ersten und bis dato einzigen beiden Treffer in der deutschen Beletage gelangen.

“Ich empfinde von der ersten Kontaktaufnahme an pure Freude auf den VfB und bin sehr glücklich, dass ich ab Sommer Teil der Mannschaft bin”, sagt Woltemade in einem ersten VfB-Statement: “Ich habe familiär eine besondere Bindung zum VfB und bin hochmotiviert, nun selbst dort spielen zu dürfen, wo ich in den Ferien als kleiner Junge oft beim Training begeistert zugeschaut habe. Ich freue mich sehr auf die spannende Herausforderung mit meinen neuen Mannschaftskollegen.”

Wohl auch unabhängig davon, ob der VfB Stuttgart mit Serhou Guirassy (28 Tore, fünf Assists) und Deniz Undav (18 Tore, zehn Assists) seine herausragenden Stürmer der Saison 2023/24 halten kann, wird sich Woltemade großer Konkurrenz in Schwaben erwehren müssen. Einen Plan wird Trainer Sebastian Hoeneß aber für den deutschen U-21-Nationalspieler (sechs Einsätze, ein Tor) haben.