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Friedhelm Funkel (70) is known to every Bundesliga fan. In the 1990s he enjoyed years of success on the sidelines at Leverkusen and Duisburg, and he also shaped an era at Frankfurt in the early 2000s. The six-time promotion coach has now retired, but still gives his sharp opinions on football events.
That was also the case last Sunday. Funkel has been invited as a guest in the Sport1 “double pass”. And uses the stage to shower Nati captain Granit Xhaka (31) with praise.
The day before, Xhaka and the Werkself secured a last-minute victory over Augsburg. This means that Leverkusen remains four points ahead of Bayern and can continue to dream of the very first championship in the club’s history. Once again decisive: the sympathetic midfield duo consisting of Xhaka and his Argentinian partner Exequiel Palacios (25), who scored the golden goal against Augsburg.
“For me, Palacios and Xhaka are by far the two best six in the Bundesliga,” Funkel explained during his TV appearance. And leans even further out of the window: “Bayern would be happy if they had one of the two sixes in the team. These are two players who would play for Bayern Munich. The other teams don’t have that.”
Funkel believes in Leverkusen’s title chances
The title for Leverkusen is still far away. And yet Funkel is confident that his former club can challenge Bayern to the very end. “I am confident they will be there until the end.”
Because for him it is clear: “Bayer Leverkusen is not Borussia Dortmund this year.” Logically. Because the big difference: Granit Xhaka did not play for BVB, who lost the 2023 championship in spectacular fashion on the last matchday last season. (sbe)
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Bayer Leverkusen
|
17
|
35
|
45
|
|
|
2
|
 Bayern Munich
|
16
|
37
|
41
|
|
|
3
|
 VfB Stuttgart
|
17
|
16
|
34
|
|
|
4
|
 RB Leipzig
|
17
|
20
|
33
|
|
|
5
|
 Borussia Dortmund
|
17
|
8th
|
30
|
|
|
6
|
 Eintracht Frankfurt
|
17
|
7
|
27
|
|
|
7
|
 Sc Freiburg
|
17
|
-5
|
25
|
|
|
8th
|
 TSG Hoffenheim
|
17
|
-1
|
24
|
|
|
9
|
 1. FC Heidenheim 1846
|
17
|
-7
|
21
|
|
|
10
|
 Borussia Monchengladbach
|
17
|
-2
|
20
|
|
|
11
|
 VfL Wolfsburg
|
17
|
-7
|
20
|
|
|
12
|
 FC Augsburg
|
17
|
-8th
|
18
|
|
|
13
|
 Werder Bremen
|
17
|
-7
|
17
|
|
|
14
|
 VfL Bochum
|
17
|
-15
|
17
|
|
|
15
|
 Union Berlin
|
16
|
-14
|
14
|
|
|
16
|
 FSV Mainz
|
17
|
-15
|
11
|
|
|
17
|
 1. FC Cologne
|
17
|
-18
|
11
|
|
|
18
|
 SV Darmstadt 98
|
17
|
-24
|
10
|
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
