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.

TAMPA, Fla. — Here’s a storyline no one saw coming: The New England Patriots’ defense led the way in an ugly 19-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night. That’s right, the defense.

Much maligned, and with good reason, the unit answered its critics on a penalty-flag-filled night that was anything but a good advertisement for quality NFL play.

The Patriots’ D might consider sending thank-you notes to inaccurate Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (how many wide-open receivers can you miss?) and erratic kicker Nick Folk (it wouldn’t be a surprise if the pink slip was waiting for him in his locker after the game).

Nonetheless, they’ll take the win because the defense was markedly better than the way the Patriots had played in the first four weeks of the season. It is a performance from which they can build as they look ahead to their next game, Oct. 15 at the New York Jets.

Still, if not for the D, the Patriots wouldn’t be a 3-2 team. While quarterback Tom Brady and the offense moved the ball and had control of the game, they never had control of the scoreboard because of an inability to finish drives. That’s where playing without tight end Rob Gronkowski (thigh) hurt them most.

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.