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New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
A greedy BWF is pushing its shuttlers
ELITE sports is no longer about competition. It's about consumption. And the athletes? They're just the product. In a world where TV rights, sponsorship deals and bloated global calendars rule the roost, it's becoming painfully clear, nobody is protecting the athletes. Not really. This week alone has delivered two glaring reminders. The Badminton World Federation (BWF), in a sweeping revamp, wants to stretch its Super 1000 tournaments, including the Malaysia Open from six days to 11 starting in 2027. An Olympic-style group stage for singles players is also on the table. The idea, they say, is to boost fan engagement and player welfare. Sounds lovely. But read between the lines, it's all about one thing - money. More days mean more ticket sales. More exposure means bigger ad revenue. And longer tournaments to keep broadcasters happy. Whether the athletes themselves can stay healthy is secondary. Even former world champion Aaron Chia, who usually plays it safe with his words, expressed cautious optimism. Yes, the extra prize money is welcome, but as he rightly pointed out: "We haven't tried it yet, so let's see." That's athlete-speak for: This could be a disaster. Here's the kicker. The BWF isn't just extending tournaments, it's clamping down on player freedom. The top 10 ranked pairs and top 15 singles players must play in all four Super 1000 events — the Malaysia Open, All England, Indonesia Open and China Open — as well as all six Super 750 tournaments and at least two of the nine Super 500 events each season. That's 12 mandatory tournaments a year. Miss one? You're slapped with a US$5,000 fine. And that's just the Tour. Players also have to squeeze in the continental championships, World Championships, the World Tour Finals, Sudirman Cup, Thomas or Uber Cup and the Olympics, depending on the year. In all, a top shuttler plays around 15-20 tournaments in a year. So much for improving "player welfare". Across the globe, footballers are caught in a similar bind — trapped by a relentless calendar designed for one thing — maximum profit. The Club World Cup, FIFA's latest cash cow, features 32 teams. Matches have kicked off in the United States, barely a month after some players ended their seasons. For context, a single campaign for a top English team includes the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League. And by the time the Club World Cup wraps up on July 13, many stars will have just 24 days before the madness of the 2025-26 season begins. FIFPRO, the global players' union, has had enough. Backed by 70 medical experts, they've released a damning study recommending 12 safeguards, including a four-week off-season, a mid-season break, and workload limits for under-18s. And still, nothing changes. FIFA insists the Club World Cup "hasn't caused" fixture congestion Really? Tell that to Manchester City's Rodri, who was sidelined for eight months with ACL and meniscus injuries. Or to the Seattle Sounders, who turned up for training wearing shirts that read: "Club World Ca$h Grab". The suits say it's about growing the game. What it's really about is growing the bank account. And who gets left behind? The very people who make the product marketable — the athletes. The ones who run, sweat, collapse, bleed and break. The ones with shredded hamstrings, worn-out joints and mental scars no doctor can fix. But as long as they keep showing up, no one cares. This obsession with expansion has turned professional sports into a circus. One that never stops moving. No rest. No recovery. Just go, go, go. You've got footballers playing 70 matches a season. Tennis stars juggling ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, Laver Cup and the Olympics. Cricketers hopping from Tests to T20s to franchise leagues across continents. And now, badminton players are being lined up for the same treatment — marathon events, overloaded calendars, mandatory appearances. And financial penalties for skipping them. What happens when they burn out? When the knees give in? When the mental fatigue becomes too much? Well, that's someone else's problem. Organisers will simply move on to the next marketable name. The machine doesn't stop, it just reloads. Let's be absolutely clear, sports needs structure. It needs calendar stability. It needs to grow. But not like this. Because what we're seeing isn't growth — it's greed. A mad dash for global domination where players are reduced to content creators in jerseys, made to dance for fans and financiers, while their health — physical and mental — is traded for metrics. It's high time we said it out loud: modern sports is failing its athletes. And if the governing bodies won't act, don't be surprised when more players speak out. Or worse, walk away. Because when the games keep getting bigger, but the humans playing them are pushed to breaking point, we need to ask: Is this really the future we want? Or are we just watching greatness die, one tournament at a time?
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Why Bernardo Silva is the ideal captain for Pep Guardiola's new-look Manchester City
Changes are afoot at Manchester City this summer but the news that Bernardo Silva has become club captain shows us certain fundamentals will stay the same. With four pre-Club World Cup signings completed in recent weeks and significant ins and outs among the backroom staff, there already feels like a new energy around the club after the disappointment of a season where they did not win a major trophy domestically or in Europe. Advertisement And in fact, even the method of choosing City's captains hints at a fresh approach. For years, manager Pep Guardiola has left the matter of who wears the skipper's armband up to a vote among his players and, at times, other personnel within the first-team structure. But he has introduced another new approach this summer. 'I didn't like what happened last season and I decided this season who will represent the team,' Guardiola said on Tuesday at his pre-match media session in Philadelphia, ahead of City's 2-0 win against Wydad of Morocco at the Club World Cup. Guardiola also decided weeks ago to add striker Erling Haaland to the leadership group, which seems to be at least partly motivated by developing the 24-year-old Norwegian's off-pitch contributions, and he will be helped by more obvious leaders among the group, such as Ruben Dias and Rodri. The main captain, though, will be Bernardo Silva, fulfilling a 2019 prophecy from Vincent Kompany, at the end of the Belgian defender's time as City skipper. 'I say to Bernardo often, 'You are 50 per cent clown, 50 per cent leader',' he said at the time. 'When he becomes 25 per cent clown, 75 per cent leader he will become the captain of this team.' Six years on, that day has now arrived, with the boyish Portuguese midfielder, traditionally the butt of the dressing-room jokes, graduating to senior figure a couple of months before he turns 31. The decision has also confirmed that, despite links with a return to boyhood club Benfica or a move to Saudi Arabia's Pro League, Bernardo will be staying at least for this season, which is the final year remaining on his current contract. With Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne leaving the club this summer, and some potential for Ederson and Ilkay Gundogan to do the same, Bernardo is one of City's longest-serving players and somebody who knows what has made the club so formidable off the pitch over the past decade and, more importantly, on it. Advertisement There had been some City supporters, though, who had been expecting, even hoping, that he would move on this summer. To a small but vocal section of the fanbase, Bernardo and Gundogan are seen as expendable as their team head towards what is intended to be a new, vibrant era. And so the reaction to the news that Bernardo is not just staying, but being made captain, shows there is still a discrepancy between what some City fans want and how Guardiola intends to move things forward. 'Bernardo has been an incredible figure; nine years here, no injuries, always in bad moments he made a step up, an example on the pitch, and when he has to say something to me as a manager, or the players, he says it, because it's the best for the club,' the manager also explained on Tuesday. Despite some unrest, Guardiola's decision is regarded by many others as a very sensible one. Like the vast majority of the squad, Bernardo struggled badly in the middle of the 2024-25 season — Guardiola described him as physically and emotionally 'empty' recently — but as City found some stability in the Premier League campaign's final weeks, it was the 102-time Portugal international who was usually at the core of it, put in positions by the manager where he could get on the ball and dictate the tempo — which was generally slow, steady and stable. It was rarely pretty but it was necessary at the time, given City's frailty over five months. And there was very obviously, considering the moves already made since, always a recognition that things would change once the domestic season was put to bed. The new signings, particularly Rayan Cherki but also Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders, and the rather exciting additions to the backroom team — chiefly Jurgen Klopp's former assistant at Liverpool, Pep Lijnders, and popular ex-City player Kolo Toure — suggest that things could look a lot more dynamic next season. Advertisement Between the fresh legs in midfield and Lijnders' love of pressing and counter-pressing, City should be sufficiently more stable off the ball to allow them to take more risks with it, to make more runs in behind, for their most creative passers to try to pick out those runs. So, just three weeks after the end of the domestic/European season, things already feel fresh and exciting. 'The most important thing is how we create again our connection and vibes between all of us to go another game, know we are a good team, and compete everywhere,' Guardiola said on the final day of the Premier League season. Whether it is footage of Lijnders on the training ground injecting some energy into sessions — something that was perceived to be missing previously — or Cherki rapping in French during his initiation, that good feeling does seem to be back. And buoyed by the attack-minded nature of the three outfield signings and Lijnders' role in Liverpool's 'rock and roll' football, City fans are looking forward to something completely different, especially those who felt that what Guardiola was serving up had become too prosaic. One of the most repeated theories about their 2024-25 season so far was that City's struggles came as a result of Guardiola's positional play being found out by more physical, dynamic opposing teams — rather than, say, a lengthy injury list that would have crippled any squad's style, positional or otherwise. And during their short summer break before this trip to the United States, the idea that Guardiola ruins creative players has seemingly been accepted as a universal truth — with Jack Grealish being left out of City's 27-man Club World Cup squad, the general perception is that the Spaniard has ruined him. Never mind the fact that nobody attempts more dribbles in Europe's top five leagues than Grealish's team-mate, Jeremy Doku, or that Savinho's first season in Manchester has been characterised by his dribbling, many people seem to have decided that Grealish's biggest problem in a City shirt has been a lack of freedom. Advertisement The notion has spread so far and wide that Reijnders was asked about the potential for his instincts to be curbed by his new manager when interviewed by a media outlet from his homeland before the Dutchman's move from Milan was made official. Cherki, the maverick signing from Lyon in France which has excited supporters more than anything else, also spoke this week about football these days becoming 'less beautiful, fewer mistakes, but also fewer risks taken,' which prompted plenty of 'Um, do you know who your new manager is, mate?' remarks from the online community who have presumably forgotten how De Bruyne became one of the Premier League's most breathtaking players under that manager. In the same interview, the 21-year-old disclosed that Guardiola has told him, 'When you have the ball (in my team), you are free', which again suggests that overly safety-first approach from the final weeks of the domestic season was simply a belated answer to City's unprecedented fragility, not a long-term solution. Surely, though, the new era is not going to be fully gung-ho, involving the kind of ruthless, direct attacking play that characterised the 2017-18 team — many City fans' favourite of the modern era. Opponents these days simply do not allow City the kind of space necessary to play that way on a regular basis but, clearly, somewhere between those early free-flowing days of the Guardiola era and the cautious, safety-first stodge of 2024-25 there is a sweet spot, a way to carve open defences with more creativity without losing stability. In short, the way City had been doing it for years before this season left such a sour taste. And that is where Bernardo comes in. Those not in favour of his promotion to the captaincy lament that his presence will result in slow football and fewer minutes for the more exciting new players, as if Guardiola's 'pausa' and possession have been sacrificed at the altar so that Ljinders and Cherki can spearhead a glorious new dawn. Advertisement City's years of dominance — including that 100-point season, two dramatic final-day title victories, De Bruyne's feats, and two of the finest ever Premier League teams, one with Haaland, one with no striker at all — have been built on Guardiola's principles and the players who know how to carry them out on the pitch. There is probably nobody in the squad at the moment who understands what Guardiola wants better than Bernardo, and having already put his winter struggles behind him to help City emerge from their slump, he is surely well placed to continue growing as a new team with a new energy takes shape. They may never again blow opponents away with the same energy displayed by that 2017-18 side, and Guardiola will probably never win over those who blame him for the approaches of teams he is not the manager of, but if City are to get back to their former glories, it will be down to this reinvention — and Bernardo will be at the heart of it.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Matchday Live guests excited by Reijnders and Rodri
Former City striker Shaun Goater is excited by the promise that new signing Tijjani Reijnders showed on his debut in the victory over Wydad AC. The Dutch international made his first appearance since his move from Milan as we kicked off the FIFA Club World Cup with a 2-0 win in Philadelphia. Advertisement Reijnders was named Serie A's Best Midfielder for the 2024/25 and Goater believes he showed some of the reasons why on his first outing. Speaking as a guest on Matchday Live, he said that the 26-year-old showed plenty of facets to show he could excel in the role. 'I liked what I was seeing with him, in the first half in particular,' Goater told presenter Natalie Pike after the full-time whistle. 'He was deep, receiving balls from the centre-halves, and he passed two or three balls that broke lines, not only in the first phase but in the second. 'He was breaking two lines and I thought: 'Okay, this is something to look forward to seeing him do'. Advertisement 'Someone that can come a little bit deeper but he has that ability to go forward and get more involved further up the field as well.' WATCH THE FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 ON DAZN Fellow guest Steph Houghton was also impressed by the first appearance from Reijnders and is looking forward to a potential midfield axis alongside Rodri. The current Ballon d'Or holder was a second half substitute as he continues his comeback from the knee injury that ruled him out for the majority of the 2024/25 season. Houghton said it will take a little time for Rodri to get back to his absolute best, but is thrilled to see the brilliant midfielder back on the pitch. 'Reijnders got pushed a little further forward [when Rodri came on] making those runs into the box,' the former City Women's captain said. Advertisement 'I think as City fans we want him to hit the heights of what he's done over the last couple of years. 'But he's been out for eight or nine months so it's going to take him time to get back to that level and that's why these games are important. 'Those last 30 minutes, there were probably a few wayward passes, but ultimately that's just him finding his position again. 'Reijnders I was really impressed with. He showed a lot of good qualities that we might need over the season in terms of retention of the ball and forward runs, especially in the second half.' Matchday Live will be back in the early hours of Monday for our next Group G game with Al Ain which kicks off at 02:00 (UK) on Monday 23 June. Nedum Onuoha and Paul Dickov will join Natalie in the studio for the show which starts at around 01:00 (UK), before Alistair Mann and Andy Morrison provide radio commentary (for those with an active CITY+ subscription) during the action.
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
How did Reijnders do on his City debut?
This touch map gives you an idea of what Tijjani Reijnders will bring to the Manchester City Netherlands midfielder had 82 touches against Wydad Casablanca, most of them coming between the two boxes. Covering so much space demonstrated his athleticism and he also made some vital had 67.6% possession so many of Reijnders' touches came around the halfway line and in Wydad's half. He anchored the City midfield during the first hour before moving into a more advanced role when Rodri was attempted 74 passes and completed 68 of them. The six he failed to complete were all passes in or into the final third.
Powys County Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Manchester City start Club World Cup campaign with comfortable win
The late sending off of Rico Lewis marred a comfortable victory for Manchester City in their Club World Cup opener on Wednesday. Goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku at each end of the first half proved enough as City saw off Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca 2-0 in Philadelphia. But the Group G encounter ended on a sour note for the Premier League outfit as Lewis was shown a straight red card for catching an opponent in the face in a challenge two minutes from time. The incident changed the mood of what had been a professional performance by City in hot and humid conditions. Starting off with a win 🙌 🩵 2-0 🔴 #FIFACWC — Manchester City (@ManCity) June 18, 2025 Lincoln Financial Field, home of the reigning Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles, was at nowhere near its 67,594 capacity – something which has been a recurring theme in the early days of the tournament – but the atmosphere generated by the 37,446 present was still lively. The Wydad supporters, massed in red behind one of the goals with flags and a percussionist, brought a particular vibrancy and their enthusiasm perhaps deserved better their side conceding so early. Yet it was the perfect start for City. Manager Pep Guardiola opted to hand debuts to two of his new signings in Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki while some big stars, including Erling Haaland and Rodri, began on the bench. Foden, looking to make a fresh start after an underwhelming 2024-25 season, was quick to step up and take responsibility. The midfielder was in the right place to turn home after Savinho's deflected cross from the right was pushed into his direction by goalkeeper El Medhi Benabid. Omar Marmoush shot wide soon after but Wydad, the most successful team in their country's history with 22 league titles, responded well. Mohamed Moufid got behind the City defence and Thembinkosi Lorch was close to getting on the end of his dangerous ball inside before later attempting to catch Ederson off his line from distance. 1 minute, 51 seconds. The fastest goal of the #FIFACWC so far, scored by @PhilFoden 👏 — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 18, 2025 Lorch also skipped past Vitor Reis only to slip as he shaped to shoot. He did manage to lay off to Cassius Mailula, but Ederson parried his effort. City should have doubled their lead when Cherki picked out Foden in front of goal, but Benabid produced a fine save. Foden quickly made amends by delivering the corner from which Doku broke free to volley in City's second three minutes before the break. Doku could have had another after seizing on a defensive error, but Benabid turned away his shot. Doubling our lead ⚡️🩵 — Manchester City (@ManCity) June 18, 2025 City's largely American following may not have replicated the chanting of the Etihad Stadium, however, they greeted the entrances of Rodri and Haaland on the hour with fervour. Haaland went close when he wrong-footed two defenders, but fired over from the edge of the area. The game appeared to be winding down when Lewis sparked controversy with a challenge on Samuel Obeng. The City defender won the ball as he slid in but caught Obeng in his follow through and was promptly dismissed, much to Guardiola's fury on the touchline.
