Bundesliga

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.

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.      

Real Madrid is reportedly set to open discussions with Borussia Dortmund about a potential summer transfer for superstar Erling Haaland.

ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez reported Friday that Manchester City is "best positioned" to land Haaland, but Los Blancos are still keen on trying to land both the Norwegian striker and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

Barcelona is also said to be involved in the pursuit of Haaland, whose camp has "made it clear" he'd prefer to leave Dortmund this summer and would like to finalize plans in the "next few weeks to avoid further drama," according to the ESPN report.

Haaland scored 41 goals in 41 matches across all competitions for the German club last season and has continued to shine throughout the 2021-22 term, tallying 16 goals and five assists in 14 Bundesliga appearances.

In January, the 21-year-old attacking sensation told Norwegian outlet Viaplay (h/t ESPN) that Dortmund had started to "press" him into making a decision about his future.

"That is what they want," he said. "It means things will happen now. They have started to put a lot of pressure on me, and I have to accept that ... so now is the time to get things started."

Real Madrid leads La Liga with 52 goals scored in 26 matches this season, which has helped the club build a six-point lead over Sevilla atop the table.

Adding Haaland or Mbappe, or potentially both, to the squad would make it even more difficult for their Spanish counterparts to keep pace in the coming years.

That would obviously come at quite a cost, though. In November, agent Volker Struth estimated to German outlet Sport Bild (h/t Marca) the total price to sign Haaland between the transfer fee and the striker's new contract will likely be in the €250-300 million range.

Given Haaland's status as one of the world's top strikers and the high-profile clubs involved in trying to sign him, transfer talks could stretch well into the summer as Dortmund tries to maximize its return.

But it sounds like both the player and the club would prefer to settle the situation well before the transfer window opens to avoid a summer of unrelenting speculation.

Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland could demand $41 million (£30 million) or more annually in the event he signs with a new club next summer, according to ESPN's Mark Ogden.

"ESPN has been told that senior figures from interested clubs have been made aware that Haaland expects a pay deal that would see him earn in excess of £500,000 a week," Ogden reported. "ESPN has contacted the Haaland camp for a response to the figures."

Because of a release clause in his deal with Dortmund, the Norwegian star may be available for a reasonable transfer fee. Ogden cited a figure of €75 million. By comparison, €150 million was thrown out as a possible price for Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane.

At $165 million, he has the second-highest valuation on Transfermarkt behind Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe.

But the transfer fee only accounts for a portion of the outlay that will be required to land Haaland. He can justifiably request a contract that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the world, and Ogden reported that a "significant payment" would be tacked onto the transfer and go toward Haaland's representatives.

Upon arriving from Red Bull Salzburg, the 21-year-old made a seamless transition to the Bundesliga. He has 49 goals in 49 league appearances for Dortmund, and he's already setting records in the Champions League.

Given his age, Haaland might be content to remain with Dortmund through the 2022-23 season. The club is one point behind Bayern Munich for the top spot in the Bundesliga, though its 4-0 loss to Ajax on Tuesday in the Champions League was a humbling result.

In general, winning a league title or achieving continental success could be difficult at Signal Iduna Park given the way Bayern cannibalizes the competition. That and the pay raise he can earn provide obvious reasons to look at all of his options next summer.

Manchester United reportedly still plans to make a major push to sign Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland next summer despite Tuesday's signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.

ESPN's Mark Ogden reported Wednesday the Ronaldo reunion "will not impact" the Red Devils' pursuit of Haaland, who can trigger a €75 million release clause in his contract after the 2021-22 season.

The Ronaldo situation came together quickly during the final stages of the transfer window. Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said Aug. 21 the five-time Ballon d'Or winner hadn't expressed interest in leaving the Italian club, but that changed over the following week and set the stage for his return to Old Trafford.

Ogden reported the agreement to bring back the 36-year-old Portuguese legend was "financed outside" United's planned transfer budget, but it still won't impact the future pursuit of Haaland.

The Red Devils are expected to face competition from several European giants, including Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, for the 21-year-old Norwegian sensation, per Ogden.

Haaland is coming off a tremendous season for Dortmund in which he recorded 37 goals and 10 assists across 36 appearances in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League. He's off to another fast start, tallying three goals and two assists in the first three domestic league matches this term.

The dynamic striker has been a coveted target for the last several transfer windows, but so far he's not been keen on trying to force his way out of Westfalenstadion.

"Well, I have a contract for a couple of fine years, so I am respectful towards my contract," Haaland told reporters in May.

He's under contract through June 2024, but the release clause next summer could make a transfer financially viable for many of Europe's biggest clubs.

Beating out the likes of Bayern, City, PSG and Real Madrid for Haaland would be a major statement for United as it looks to regain its status as an annual contender in Europe. It last won the Premier League in 2012-13 and the Champions League in 2007-08.

Ronaldo, who scored 33 goals between Serie A and the UCL last season, can provide a short-term boost in that quest, but Haaland is potential a long-term building block for United.

Bayern Munich left back Alphonso Davies wrote a letter to the six members of the Refugee Paralympic Team ahead of the 2021 Summer Paralympics, which begin Tuesday in Tokyo.

Davies, who was born in a refugee camp in Ghana before moving to Canada at a young age, labeled it a "note for the world's most courageous sports team" and said the athletes have the "power to inspire others:"

Davies is a global goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an agency dedicated to improving the lives of refugees around the world.

"My own experiences make me want to speak up for refugees, to share their stories and to help make a difference," the 20-year-old Bayern star said after accepting the role in March.

Here are the members of this year's Refugee Paralympic Team:

• Ibrahim Al Hussein (Syria)

• Parfait Hakizimana (Burundi)

• Alia Issa (Syria)

• Abbas Karimi (Afghanistan)

• Anas Al Khalifa (Syria)

• Shahrad Nasajpour (Iran)

Issa is the first woman to compete as a refugee in the Paralympic Games. She will try to secure a gold medal in the women's club throw.

"Sport has given me independence," Issa said in May. "I am now suddenly part of a new community, making new friends with similar goals."

Al Hussein and Nasajpour also competed at the 2016 Rio Paralympics under the banner of Independent Paralympic Athletes.

The Tokyo Games mark the first official appearance for a Refugee Paralympic Team, which is led by American Ileana Rodriguez, a refugee from Cuba who was chosen as the chef de mission for the squad after previously competing in the 2012 London Paralympics.

"All Paralympians have a story of struggle. But with refugees, you add another level of complexity to this," Rodriguez said in June, per sportanddev.org. "Seeing their attitude, and seeing how they portray their stories of hope, their courage, it is mind-blowing, even for an athlete like myself."

The Tokyo Paralympics are scheduled to run from Tuesday through Sept. 5, with more than 4,500 athletes expected to compete in more than 500 events.

Former Bayern Munich star Gerd Muller died Sunday at the age of 75, the club announced in a statement.

"Today is a sad, dark day for FC Bayern and all its fans," Bayern President Herbert Hainer said. "Gerd Muller was the greatest striker there’s ever been, and a fine person and character of world football. We're all united in deep mourning with his wife Uschi as well as his family. FC Bayern wouldn’t be the club we all love today without Gerd Müller. His name and memory will live on forever."

Muller appeared in 607 competitive matches for Bayern Munich from 1964-79, scoring 566 total goals. His 365 Bundesliga goals remains a record in the league, while he was the top scorer in Germany's top flight seven different times.

He set a Bundesliga record with 40 goals in a single season that stood until Robert Lewandowski scored 41 for Bayern Munich in 2020-21.

During his stretch with Bayern Munich, Muller led the club to four league titles, four DFB Cup trophies and three European Cups.

The striker also excelled for the West German national team, leading the squad to the 1974 World Cup title and 1972 European Championship. He scored 14 goals across his two appearances at the World Cup.

Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn discussed the superstar Sunday:

The news of Gerd Muller’s death deeply saddens us all. He’s one of the greatest legends in the history of FC Bayern, his achievements are unrivalled to this day and will forever be a part of the great history of FC Bayern and all of German football. As a player and a person, Gerd Müller stands for FC Bayern and its development into one of the biggest clubs in the world like no other. Gerd will forever be in our hearts.

Muller was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and made his last public appearance in 2013.