Leroy Sane is beginning to show how important he can be to Bayern Munich after finding rhythm following a lengthy injury lay-off, says club great Franck Ribery.
Germany winger Sane joined Bayern from Manchester City in the close season but was in and out of the team as he continued to find fitness following the knee injury that restricted him to two appearances in his final campaign at the Etihad Stadium.
Across all competitions this season, Sane has eight goals and nine assists – both of which rank fourth among Bayern players this term.
He has also created 38 chances for his team-mates, 11 of those classing as Opta-defined 'big chances' – the fifth-best among Bayern's squad.
Ribery, who spent 12 years at Bayern, is delighted to see Sane begin to show his value at the Allianz Arena.
"I'm happy for him and for Bayern," Ribery told Sky Germany.
"When he came to Munich it was maybe a bit difficult for him at the beginning, the pressure was great.
"But you shouldn't forget that he was out injured for a long time. It takes time. But things are going much better now, he's an important player for Bayern."
Ribery won nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals and the Champions League during a spectacular spell at Bayern.
The veteran winger has been linked with a return to Germany's top flight with Eintracht Frankfurt but for now the 37-year-old is purely focused on Fiorentina, whom he joined after departing Bayern in 2019.
"Of course, I miss the Bundesliga. I had my best time at Bayern and won a lot there," Ribery added.
"My priority is here in Florence, I'm happy here. We still have a few games and we need the points. I want to help the club."
Nashville SC v San Jose Earthquakes: ‘A win would change everything’ - Godoy
Anibal Godoy insists that Nashville are already looking at their game against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday as a must-win.
Nashville have won just once in the MLS this season and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference after a run of four without a win.
The Earthquakes, meanwhile, are bottom of the Western Conference having lost eight of their matches and recording just one win.
Godoy is aware of how their poor start to the season could affect their playoff hopes later down the line but is confident that Nashville can turn things around.
He said: “For us, it's an important week. It's a day we have to win, or we'll start to feel the pressure from other teams as they start to separate in the table.
“This league is long but if we want to get to the playoff you have to win games early on, especially at home.”
Liverpool agree compensation deal for Slot
Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation deal for Arne Slot to become the Reds’ manager next season, according to widespread Dutch media reports.
The Dutchman is reportedly poised to take over from Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign.
Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021.
It is believed that he topped the list of Liverpool’s favoured candidates due to his attacking playing style and ability to develop players.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim were also reported contenders to take over from Klopp.
Slot had already confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League, both earlier this week and previously when he was linked to Tottenham in 2023.
QPR 4-0 Leeds United: Shock loss for Farke's men seals Leicester's promotion
QPR thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in the Championship on Friday, ensuring Leicester City booked their promotion straight back to the Premier League.
Ilias Chair was the star for the Hoops as he scored the opener and assisted two more goals to ensure QPR will stay in the Championship for another season.
Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field also got their names on the scoresheet in an emphatic win for Marti Cifuentes' side.
Leeds' heaviest defeat of the season was a huge blow in the race for an automatic promotion spot, with Ipswich Town just one point behind them in third place with two games in hand going into their away clash against Hull City on Saturday.
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