A media report said, today (Tuesday), that the Munich City Council expressed its dissatisfaction with the holding of the German national football team’s match against Serbia in the European Nations League in conjunction with the activities of the “Oktoberfest” festival.
The German Football Association chose Munich to host the match scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) several months ago, but the city administration is concerned, with the police forces already busy securing the largest beer festival in the world, in addition to the disturbing reputation that Serbian fans enjoy regarding riots.
A city council spokeswoman told the Abend Zeitung newspaper: “We would have considered postponing the match a logical thing.” This would have relieved the pressure, because Oktoberfest drains a lot of resources.” However, it is now too late to change the date of the match or move it.
Bayern Munich matches often witness a full crowd attendance during the “Oktoberfest” period, while the Munich police deal with the situation with a greater degree of satisfaction, after the Serbia match was classified in the “medium risk” category in terms of the possibility of violence occurring among the fans.
Police spokesman Damien Kania said: “The situation arising from the match is something we can handle. We are prepared and have sufficient police personnel to ensure security. “We are used to such operations.”
The city of Munich witnessed minor riots involving Serbian fans during the European Nations Cup 2024, and a number of police officers were injured at the time.
Therefore, this time the Serbian Football Federation was not able to sell tickets for the match, but some Serbian fans may be able to enter the stadium in other ways.
Kania added: “In light of the fan ban imposed by UEFA, we do not expect large groups of fans coming from Serbia to attend.”
The Partizan Belgrade basketball team will meet Bayern Munich just one day after the two teams' match.
Partizan fans have caused problems in Munich in the past, so the police plan to deploy about 150 members to secure this match, which is classified as “high risk.”
Novak Djokovic said that he feels comfortable with his body's response before the start of the "China Open Tennis Tournament", with the Serbian, who has won 24 major championship titles, seeking to regain his momentum in a tournament in which he achieved great successes, after concerns related to his fitness recently.
Djokovic (39 years old) will return to the court for the first time since his surprise defeat in the first round of the US Open to Mariano Navone late last month, when he suffered from shoulder and back problems and vomited in the middle of the match.
The world number 11 will try to overcome these problems when he faces Portuguese Nuno Borges in the first round in Beijing on Wednesday. Djokovic, a six-time China Open champion, told reporters on Monday: “Yes; “I feel fine so far.” He added: “We will see... It is clear that it is completely different when you play an official match compared to a group or training sessions, but things are going well so far.” He continued: “I was looking forward to coming to China, as is always the case. My record on Chinese soil speaks for itself. Knowing this gives me a feeling of confidence that I really need. Overall, things are going very well so far with my body, how I feel and my performance.”
The former world number one player is a huge attraction in Beijing, where he won the title in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. He holds a perfect record of 29 victories and has never lost in the ATP 500 tournament. His quest to achieve his 25th Grand Slam title and set the record for the number of wins remains one of the few main goals remaining for Djokovic, who has become more selective about his tournament schedule in recent years. The Serbian continued: “At this stage of my career, it is really about the tournaments that I enjoy playing in, and in which I have achieved success in the past, and in which I feel a positive reception from the fans.” He continued: “My record of results on Chinese soil is amazing. I haven't played here for 11 years. “I was trying to reconcile this with my schedule in recent years, but it turned out to be such that I only played in Shanghai.” He added: “Beijing was on the priority list this year.”
Aymeric Laporte reviewed his distinguished international career after Spain won the FIFA World Cup this year in 2026, revealing at the same time his decision to change his sporting allegiance from France 5 years ago.
The defender of the Spanish club Athletic Bilbao stressed that his pride in representing the “Matador” team goes beyond just winning titles, pointing to deep personal ties that shaped his path with the football club.
Laporte reflects on his international journey with the Spanish national team after winning the 2026 World Cup, highlighting the reasons for his switch from representing France, after he officially decided to represent the Spanish national team instead of the “Roosters” national team in May 2021.
Laporte's statements come after he proved himself an indispensable element in the Spanish national team's defense line throughout its triumphant journey towards the world title.
The former English Manchester City defender stressed that his loyalty to Spain stems from close family roots and his personal identity, and not from the pursuit of winning championships.
Speaking to the channel of former Spanish player Mario Suarez, who currently works as a sports analyst for ESPN, on his YouTube account, Laporte said: “Winning the World Cup, the European Nations Cup, and the European Nations League, even if none of that had been achieved, I would have felt the same amount of pride. My wife, family, and children are from here, and I truly feel a sense of belonging to Spain.”
Speaking about the naturalization process, which faltered at the beginning before it was eventually completed successfully, Laporte added: “It was a long process; There was an initial attempt a year and a half or two ago that was not successful for several reasons.”
He continued: “Then we talked again, and the (Spanish Football Federation) officials explained to me that they really wanted to rely on me. We both agreed that it was a unique opportunity that could not be missed.”
It is noteworthy that Laporte's decision to change his allegiance came after the faltering of his potential international career with the French national team under the leadership of coach Didier Deschamps, despite the fact that he had previously carried the captaincy with the "Roosters" national team in several youth age groups.
Speaking about that turning point, Laporte revealed: “I was born in the city of Agen and lived there until I was 15 years old before moving to Bilbao. “My whole family comes from France, where patriotism runs very deep.”
He explained: “Although I considered France my first homeland, certain situations, such as my story with the national team, push one to reconsider matters.”
Laporte pointed out at the conclusion of his statements: “I was embraced by Athletic Club Bilbao, and there I achieved the greatest amount of development. Given that the French national team coach did not include me in his calculations at all, I made the decision to change my sporting allegiance.”
