Officials of the German football club Bayern Munich defended its striker, Michael Oliseh, after he sparked controversy this week due to an interview he gave after a match, during which he was satisfied with very brief answers, most of which did not exceed a few words.
Max Eberl, a member of the Bayern Munich Board of Directors for Sports Affairs, said during a press conference on Saturday: “Michael Oliseh is a person who wants to play football, but what happens outside the field is not one of his strengths. It gets a lot of attention in the media, but on other platforms he is equally praised for his behavior. The most important thing for us is for him to show his abilities on the field.”
“And children and teenagers can probably relate to that more than we can,” he added.
Following the great victory over Bodo Glimt 5-0 in the Champions League last Thursday, Oliseh received the “Man of the Match” award and appeared in an interview with the “DAZN” network.
When asked how he felt after scoring a wonderful goal, Oliseh replied: “I don’t know.” Then the reporter asked him how such moments happen, and the French player replied: “I shoot the ball, and then it goes into the goal or it doesn’t.”
After several more short answers, the reporter ended the interview, which lasted only one minute. A number of journalists then accused Oliseh of lacking respect and behaving condescendingly.
On the other hand, coach Vincent Kompany believes that everyone can benefit from such moments that spread widely through social media.
"No sponsor or journalist" is harmed by Oliseh's style, Kompany said, adding: "Everyone enjoys it."
Talented Swede Oliver Solberg took the lead on the first day of the Chilean Rally, Friday, riding a Toyota, ahead of his teammate and British World Championship leader Elfyn Evans.
Frenchman Adrian Fourmeaux, driving a Hyundai, continued his brilliance after the Paraguay Rally at the end of August, which he finished third, occupying the same position after six special stages on dirt and muddy roads, due to the rain that fell on the country of the Andes Mountains.
Solberg and Evans confirmed to reporters that they were satisfied with the rainy conditions, as the Swede particularly feared a dry track in favor of nine-time world champion Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, his colleague at Toyota.
The Frenchman completely lost his chances of winning a tenth world title after he finished the stage fourth, 20 seconds away from Solberg.
In addition to Evans and Solberg, there is another candidate for the title in 2026, Finnish Sami Payari, also at the wheel of a Toyota, after he finished the stage in five on Friday, admitting that he felt less comfortable because of the mud.
Until Sunday, ten cars from three companies (five Toyota, three Hyundai, and two Ford Puma) will compete on Chilean soil, in the 12th stage of the World Championship.
The rally includes 16 special stages over a distance of 311 km, amid weather conditions expected to be volatile.
The 2026 title, two or three rallies away from the end (depending on whether the final stage is held in Saudi Arabia or not), will come down to Evans (216 points) and Payari (196 points), winner of three rallies in a row (Estonia, Finland, and Paraguay).
Solberg, temporarily third, with 175 points, is also still in the chase.
Enzo Maresca, coach of the English football team Manchester City, said that Enzo Fernandez transferred the mentality of victories to the team, which quickly impressed his teammates.
The British news agency, PA Media, reported that it had been less than two weeks since Fernandes joined Manchester City from Chelsea in a deal worth 125 million pounds ($169.18 million), which was a record deal in Britain, but the Argentine player’s influence inside the locker room was immediate.
“You can see how his teammates talk about him when it comes to the winning mentality,” Maresca said.
He added: “Players who have previously won and know how to achieve victories, it is important that they be part of our team.”
He continued: “He works hard every day, and he is polite. "It works well, and that's what we need."
He knows Marisca Fernandez well, having trained him when he was Chelsea's technical director for a season and a half.
The Manchester City coach has witnessed the development of the midfielder's performance, and now sees him as a much greater attacking threat.
The Italian coach said: “He is improving a lot.” Maybe during the last two years with us, he became a more attacking midfielder. “Before, he played in a slightly deeper position.”
He added: “He is amazing around the penalty area in terms of scoring and making goals, and he is also improving a lot in terms of leadership.”
Fernandes participated in his first match with Manchester City in the match in which they won against Coventry in the last round, after Marisca suddenly pushed him into the starting lineup instead of the bench, after Nico O’Reilly suffered an injury during the warm-up period.
The player also participated in the victory over Porto in the Champions League in midweek, and may maintain his place in the starting lineup during the summit match against Manchester United, scheduled to be held tomorrow, Sunday, at Old Trafford.
