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Kevin Kuranyi
Photo: IMAGO/Press Photo Baumann
Ex-national player Kuranyi tears his cruciate ligament in a legend game
7.15 a.m .:
Former German national player Kevin Kuranyi seriously injured his knee in a legends game during the World Cup in Qatar.
As the "Bild" newspaper reported on Friday, the 40-year-old tore a cruciate ligament and meniscus, and the cartilage was also damaged.
'Unfortunately, the first assumption turned out to be true.
It's annoying, but it'll be fine," said the former striker of VfB Stuttgart and FC Schalke 04.
On Thursday and Friday, FIFA held the so-called Legends Cup in Doha's tennis stadium, in which almost 100 former footballers were divided into different teams and competed against each other.
Among others, the former world champions Lothar Matthäus, Jürgen Klinsmann (both Germany), Cafu, Roberto Carlos (both Brazil), Youri Djorkaeff (France) and Francesco Totti (Italy) were there.
Kuranyi, who wanted to watch the World Cup final (Sunday, 4 p.m. / ARD and Magenta TV) on site but is leaving today, was in the Northern Bears team, alongside former Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos, among others.
Dembélé: France's team less "crazy" today than in 2018
7.08 a.m .: When asked
about the differences between France, who took part in the World Cup today and the 2018 world champion team, Barcelona player Ousmane Dembélé said: "There were maybe crazier players in the team at the time," he said.
"But we have a great atmosphere now." He really enjoys being on the pitch with the team.
In the game against Argentina on Sunday (4 p.m. / ARD and MagentaTV), the offensive player can win his second World Cup title.
"I want to be a protagonist of this World Cup and not a follower," said Dembélé, who assessed his previous performances as room for improvement and "of course" wanted his first goal at the World Cup in Qatar for the final.
Infantino is enthusiastic about Morocco's game
7 a.m.:
Gianni Infantino praised the Moroccan national team extensively before the World Cup match for third place against Croatia (4 p.m. / Magenta TV).
"I believe that Morocco played extremely well, that was a great success," said the president of the world football association Fifa on Friday.
Morocco had beaten Spain and then Portugal in the knockout stages, before falling to France in the semi-finals, which they had become the first African team to reach.
"You could see the courage and determination of the team," Infantino said.
“Getting into a semi-final doesn't just happen.” Morocco's Walid Regragui is an “extraordinarily good coach”.
see/dpa
