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“In Japan you don’t get so emaciated”

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Seine Spieler zeigten dabei genau jene Tugenden, für die der Trainer steht. Über eine aggressive Verteidigung forcierten sie 20 Münchner Ballverluste und schnappten sich 13 Offensiv-Rebounds. Das dadurch erarbeitete Plus an Wurfoptionen bildete die Grundlage für die Überraschung.

Täglich acht Stunden Japanisch

So gesehen, war es also ein typisches Spiel – und doch war es außergewöhnlich. Denn nach zwei Jahren in Japan stand der 56-Jährige wieder in einem Pflichtspiel für den Klub an der Seitenlinie, den er seit 2013 ununterbrochen betreut hat, bevor er sich 2022 für das Intermezzo in Asien entschied.

Eigentlich war Pa­trick zu diesem Zeitpunkt der Überzeugung, eine Pause zu benötigen. Japan war das erklärte Ziel für das Sabbatjahr, weil er bis dato 15 Jahre seines Lebens dort verbracht hatte. Das Sabbatical unter Freunden zu verbringen war eine einladende Vorstellung.

Als sich jedoch herumsprach, dass der dreimalige „Trainer des Jahres“ in der Bundesliga zurückkehren würde, flatterten ihm die ersten Angebote auf den Tisch. Der fünffache Vater zögerte und überlegte, unterschrieb aber dann bei jenem Verein, der vor mehr als 30 Jahren seine erste Station im Profibasketball gewesen war.

1991 stand Patrick nach Abschluss seiner College-Zeit an der Stanford University vor der Entscheidung, seine Spielerkarriere in Europa oder in Japan fortzusetzen. In Europa erwarteten die Klubs kompletten Fokus auf den Sport. Das war dem zu diesem Zeitpunkt 23-Jährigen aber zu eindimensional. Er ging nach Japan und büffelte in seinen ersten beiden Jahren täglich acht Stunden Japanisch, sodass ihn schon bald das Fernsehen als Kommentator für NBA-Spiele anwarb.

„Wir sind befreundet“

Die nordamerikanische Profiliga ist heute das große Vorbild für den japanischen Basketball. „Es geht in erster Linie um Unterhaltung. Japan kopiert die amerikanische Marketingmaschine“, sagt Patrick, der diese Entwicklung kritisch sieht. Er kann dem europäischen Ansatz, das Spiel anstelle des Rahmenprogramms in den Vordergrund zu stellen, deutlich mehr abgewinnen.

Interviews und die Erstellung von Youtube- oder Tiktok-Videos seien gefühlt wichtiger als das Training, sagt er. In den vergangenen Jahren ist der Hype massiv gewachsen. Profibasketball war in Japan noch nie populärer. Alle Spiele sind ausverkauft, sogar bei öffentlichen Trainings füllen Fans die Hallen.

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A lot of money is paid, which also attracts former NBA players or the German world champion Johannes Thiemann, who signed with the Gunma Crane Thunders in July. The basis is high school basketball, which has been the most important sport for young people for decades.

Although John Patrick was also successful in his second term in Japan, he was drawn back to Germany: “I was happy in Japan, where I saw many old friends again. But now I’m happy to be back with my family.” In any case, only one year was planned, which was then followed by another year. During his time in Japan, the coach always remained involved in Ludwigsburg by helping with player selection or acting as a contact person for his former assistant and successor Josh King (“We are friends”).

Found his personal happiness

Now he is back and coaching his sons Johannes and Jacob again. Although there were two more trainers instead of a planned sabbatical, Patrick believes that he was able to recharge his batteries: “In Japan you don’t get so exhausted, there is less pressure.” Japan is also always present in Ludwigsburg. With Kenji Sato, who was coach of the year in his home country, “JP” lured an assistant from the Far East to Swabia.

Patrick’s current focus is entirely on his old and new tasks, but further involvement in Japan is fundamentally not ruled out. Just not in the short term, as the coach emphasizes. The country will always have a special place in his heart. After all, he also found his personal happiness there. His German wife Alexandra grew up in Japan and Patrick met her during his language courses.

The author is a two-time coach of the year in Germany.

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Champions League schedule and results, 2024-2025 season

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What is the 2024-2025 Champions League schedule? The new tournament format, which now includes 36 teams compared to 32 previously, promises more confrontations from the start of the competition. Find the complete schedule of matches and their results updated in real time in our table below.

During the league phase scheduled between September and December 2024, each club plays eight matches against different opponents, selected based on their UEFA ranking.

Then, the top eight teams in the rankings will advance directly to the round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th will have to go through play-offs in January 2025. These knockout matches will begin in February, with the grand final scheduled for June 2025. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

For French clubs, including PSG, AS Monaco, Lille and Stade Brestois, the challenge will be to stay in the race for direct qualifications and avoid early eliminations.

The final of the competition will take place in Munich on May 31, 2025. We will then know the successor to Real Madrid where Kylian Mbappé now plays.

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Halftime show: Fifa is planning an event like in football at the next World Cup final

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In American football, the halftime show has long been part of the event. Appearances during the break have not been an issue in football so far – but that will change at the next World Cup.

Anyone who goes to the toilet or refills chips during half-time at the next World Cup final will miss something: As the world football association Fifa announces, from the next World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico there will be a half-time show in the final. What exactly the association is planning is still very vaguely worded in the announcement. FIFA is probably planning a musical performance modeled on the Superbowl in American football: This so-called half time show is probably the biggest stage that musicians have had so far. In recent years, megastars such as Coldplay, Rihanna and Bruno Mars have appeared at halftime.

FIFA wants to organize a halftime show together with an aid organization

Global Citizen acts as co-organizer. The aid organization is committed to combating extreme poverty around the world. “FIFA has made it its mission to promote football in all countries of the world and thereby have a positive influence on society,” explains the controversial FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Through this partnership, FIFA, together with Global Citizen, will unite the world of sports and entertainment to actively contribute to a better world. “We are committed to a series of joint actions that promote access to the game and encourage fans to advocate for positive change in their local communities,” Infantino continued. However, the association leaves it open exactly how a halftime show during the World Cup final should support Global Citizen or combat poverty in the world. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“Eventization” of football is met with rejection in Germany

If FIFA presents an act as big as the NFL at the Superbowl, the football halftime show would actually immediately be in the same league as its US counterparts. In the USA, the show is one of the absolute highlights of the football final. It remains to be seen whether such a show will be received so positively by football fans who are more used to a simpler presentation of their sport.

In Europe and especially in Germany, the organized fan scene is extremely critical of the additional commercialization and “eventization” of sport. A resonant example is Helene Fischer’s act before the 2017 DFB Cup final. The artist was booed so mercilessly and loudly during her short appearance that her singing on the television was difficult to understand at times.

Source: FIFA press release

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Ugo Humbert-Arthur Fils, duel for a title in Tokyo between a calm player and another who doesn’t give up

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Difficult to find two courses as dissimilar as those of Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils at the ATP 500 in Tokyo, but the rectilinear trajectory of the first will still cross the fractured line of the second, in the final, this Tuesday. Despite losing his first set of the week, Humbert (19th in the world) qualified without too much difficulty by beating Tomas Machac (54th) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. After having fought like a madman to eliminate Taylor Fritz and especially Ben Shelton, Son went through two tie-breaks with forceps to subdue Holger Rune. One wanders, the other suffers, but we will be treated to a happy ending. Even with a seven-hour time difference with France, this is a pleasure that we won’t shy away from.

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