Spanish coach Xabi Alonso, Chelsea coach, defended Cole Palmer's commitment to the English national football team, known as the "Three Lions", after German coach Thomas Tuchel said that the London club striker missed many opportunities to represent his country's national team.
Palmer had withdrawn from England's squad for the recent Nations League matches against Spain, Croatia and the Czech Republic due to injury.
This was not the first time that Palmer apologized for not joining the national team since Tuchel took over as coach of the Three Lions.
Tuchel seemed annoyed with Palmer, whose exclusion from England's World Cup squad earlier this year sparked widespread controversy. He said: "I can only judge him by what he offers with the national team, but he misses too many opportunities."
Alonso was quick to defend Palmer, who is considered one of the key players in Chelsea, after scoring four goals in seven matches this season so far.
When asked on Friday whether the 24-year-old player was fully committed to the national team, Alonso told reporters: “He is committed, but he needs to be fully physically ready to play.”
He added: “When he is fully fit, he will enjoy the minutes he gets, and we need him in that state with the club and the national team.”
Palmer is expected to participate when Chelsea returns to the league competitions by facing Bournemouth at home, on Saturday.
“He trained last week and felt better,” Alonso said. We didn't want to rush, because we had plenty of time. But the most important thing for Cole is to be in his best physical condition, to enjoy his game, and to feel fine.”
He continued: “When he was not like that, as happened in the Brentford match, you could see that he was suffering. “For the next stage (of the season), we have a good feeling about him.”
Alonso needs Palmer at his best more than Tuchel needs him, after Chelsea's results declined before the international break.
The Blues are in tenth place after failing to achieve any wins during their last three league matches, with two losses to Arsenal and Brentford and a draw with Hull City.
“We need to keep improving,” Alonso said. This is part of the process. “We learn new things, but we have to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.”
Borussia Dortmund, led by its Croatian coach Niko Kovac, faces its guest Werder Bremen, with the ambition of maintaining the lead with a full mark, while the giant Bayern Munich, which is two points behind, is waiting for it when it visits Augsburg in the fifth round of the German Football League.
Kovac has defied his critics so far this season, after he led Dortmund to their best start to a Bundesliga season in more than a decade.
Many considered the former Bayern Munich coach an unconvincing option when he joined Dortmund in January 2025, but the Croatian’s strict style, which prioritizes safety, made the club dream of its first “league” title since 2012.
Dortmund leads the team standings with 12 points from 4 consecutive victories, two points ahead of Bayern.
Before hosting Bremen on Friday, Kovac expressed his happiness to be in the lead, and said on Wednesday: “We still have a very long way to go before achieving the goal that one or two people may have in their heads, but we are enjoying this moment.”
Club officials appear to be equally convinced, with Dortmund CEO Carsten Kramer confirming this week that the club intends to extend Kovac's contract.
Kramer told Agence France-Presse via its sports branch, CEED Agency: “The appreciation for Niko Kovac is very high,” adding that signing a new contract is “only a matter of time.”
This optimism is very different from the atmosphere of Kovac's arrival to Dortmund last year, which raised surprise among many fans.
Many saw Kovac, who will turn 55 next Thursday, as a not-so-brilliant option after a disappointing period at the helm of Wolfsburg and a turbulent period at Bayern Munich.
Kovac clashed with big stars because of his defensive style and his reputation as a strictly disciplined coach, despite winning the domestic “league” and “cup” double with Bayern in 2019.
These same qualities made Kovac shine in Dortmund, and transformed a team that was once fragile into one of the strongest defensive systems in the “Bundesliga.”
Kovac eventually led the team to qualify for the Champions League in 2025 by finishing in second place behind Bayern last season, despite losing 4 of its first 6 matches in the “Bundesliga”.
The Croatian built this success on his usual approach based on strict assertiveness, with an emphasis on defensive stability, discipline and physical fitness.
According to the German newspaper Kicker, Kovac's motto is "KISS", an abbreviation for "Keep it simple, you idiot."
“Nico got into the players’ heads, gave them clear instructions, and created a performance culture,” Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken told Kicker.
He added: “For a long time people said we lacked stability, but Nico gave it to us. “We are now more physically solid and our injuries are less.”
Criticism continued to haunt Kovac's playing style in a club whose modern identity was shaped by the "heavy metal ball" established by Jurgen Klopp.
Striker Julian Brandt, who later moved to the Dutch “Ajax”, told the newspaper “Bild” last December: “Honestly, it is not my favorite way to play.”
Dortmund's leadership remains convinced that Kovac's back-to-basics approach is what the club and team need.
Ricken added: “We know that there is an emotional connection to attacking football here in Dortmund, but we cannot provide fireworks in every match. When you play 50 games a season, the not-so-pretty victories become just as important as the others.
Hardly anyone now disputes that Kovac's approach has achieved results.
Dortmund have conceded only 1.02 goals on average since Kovac took charge, which is the lowest rate for any coach since Klopp.
Many are wondering, in the midst of the best start to the season in 11 years, whether Kovac can become the first coach since Klopp to lead Dortmund to the “League” title.
The coach himself maintains his realism, and said: “We have to continue to work hard, continue to believe and remain positive.”
For its part, the Bavarian giant is a heavy guest on Augsburg to continue chasing Dortmund.
On the other hand, the home team will try to pull off a surprise against the defending champion, to strengthen its place in fourth place, which it occupies with 7 points from two wins, a draw and a defeat.
Historically, the balance in the “League” is tilted in favor of the Bavaria giant, which is supervised by Belgian Vincent Kompany, after it achieved 23 victories compared to 5 defeats against its host.
The round will also witness a clash between Mainz VI and Bayer Leverkusen VI, and Leipzig will host Eintracht Frankfurt.
Spanish Mikel Arteta, coach of Arsenal, said that the English Premier League is still the best in the world, despite the crisis surrounding Manchester City after he was convicted of some charges.
Arteta, who worked as an assistant to his compatriot Pep Guardiola for three years, spoke for the first time after an independent committee concluded that his former club violated more than 100 of the competition’s financial regulations.
The British News Agency reported that Manchester City filed an appeal against the decision, with Italian Enzo Maresca, the team's current coach, insisting that the club's success has not been negatively affected, calling on Arteta to respect the measures being taken at the present time.
In response to a question about the ruling that shocked the world of football, Arteta said: “I completely understand the question, but it is important to respect the procedures, of course, as well as the timetables, because the ongoing process has not yet been decided with the filing of the appeal.”
Arteta added: “My position, which I believe is the club’s position as well, is not to comment on this until the matter is completely resolved.”
The Spanish coach was asked if the English Premier League was still the best in the world, Arteta said: “Yes, 100 percent.”
