Tom Brady, the American Football (NFL) star, gave up his minority stake in Birmingham City FC, the leader of the English second-tier Football League (Championship), after becoming a partner in the club 3 years ago.
Birmingham City Football Club said in a statement published on its website: “Birmingham City Football Club extends its sincere gratitude to Tom Brady for his unwavering commitment and support to the club over the past three years.”
Brady, who is considered the greatest player in the history of the American Football League and won the Super Bowl 7 times, surprised everyone in August 2023 by announcing the acquisition of a minority stake in the club, along with the new owner, the American company Shelby Companies Limited, which is a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management.
Birmingham added: “It was great to have someone with Tom Brady’s experience and passion associated with the club.”
The 49-year-old star gave up his share at a time when Birmingham leads the overall standings of teams.
Brady, who retired from playing in 2023 after a career that lasted 23 seasons, includes winning the Super Bowl 7 times during his stints as a quarterback with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Former German tennis star Boris Becker toned down his criticism of his compatriot Alexander Zverev, currently ranked number one in the world, denying the existence of a power struggle between them, and stressing that he is one of his biggest fans.
Becker said, during the “Becker Petkovic” podcast, which he presents jointly with former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic, that Zverev sometimes acts too spontaneously during press interviews, explaining: “Sometimes he is too frank, sometimes too direct, and sometimes he should slow down a little.” But he did not do so in this case, which gave yellow journalism rich material.”
Becker, who is 58 years old, compared the behavior of Zverev, who is 29 years old, to the behavior of his children, some of whom are close to his age, saying that they also “say things spontaneously in a moment of anger, so I tell them to think a little about what you are saying.”
He added that his children sometimes come back to him after a week and say: “Maybe I did not express myself appropriately, or I chose the wrong words,” indicating that he does not see a problem with that.
Becker described himself as Zverev's "biggest fan", considering that the presence of a German player at the top of the world rankings represents an ideal thing for tennis in his country, and that the high rates of television viewership and interest in the game are also linked to the successes achieved by the player.
“For this reason, I am happy that he is performing well, and I hope he continues like this for a long time,” Becker said. "That's it."
The crisis began after statements made by Becker in an interview with the German magazine "Der Spiegel", during which he criticized Zverev's way of dealing with the media, considering that he sometimes appears brief and sharp in his responses to journalists, especially during interviews in German.
Becker also touched on Zverev's reservations, who was born in Hamburg to Russian parents, regarding declaring a political position on the Russian war in Ukraine.
Zverev responded to these criticisms by saying: “I think that, as usual, he talks a lot of nonsense,” adding that he feels that Becker is looking for anything that would belittle him, and that this is “his choice.”
Felix Nmecha defended; The German Borussia Dortmund midfielder, about his controversial way of celebrating goals, stressing that he does not want to exclude anyone because of his religious beliefs.
Nmeesha said, in a post on his account on the Instagram photo-sharing platform: “Through my festive method; I do not wish to put myself or any organization in the spotlight, but rather it is about placing my crown before the King who will soon come, and pointing to Christ Jesus; “My hope and my source of strength.”
He added: “My message was never intended to promote intolerance, discrimination or hatred in any way.”
Nmesha's frequent goal celebration raises criticism within the club, as he takes off an imaginary crown from his head and places it on the field in front of him, before kneeling.
The Dortmund Fans Association criticized the method of celebration, and said in a statement on Sunday: “Faith does not justify exclusion, nor does it justify division, nor should it be exploited to ignore the diversity of the society in which we live.”
The statement added: “This is not about condemning a person because of his beliefs. Rather, our criticism is directed at religious networks that spread a vision of the world under the guise of faith, which is based on diminishing the value of people or excluding them because of their sexual orientation, personal identity, lifestyle, or personal choices.”
Borussia Dortmund announced that it would hold a discussion session with the player to discuss the matter.
