While there was a break for international matches, surprising news came from Germany. Borussia Dortmund have officially confirmed that Usain Bolt will train with the team. The Olympic athletics champion himself has repeatedly said that he wants to start a football career. Portal "Euro-Football.Ru" trying to figure out what will come of this story.

Usain Bolt is one of the greatest athletes of our time. This is a nine-time Olympic champion! After that, it makes no sense to list the rest of the Jamaican runner's achievements. Bolt has achieved everything in his sport. For a long time he had no choice but to strive for in athletics. It is already known that in August 2017 Bolt will end his career in athletics.

Bolt has been talking about his desire to play football professionally for a long time. Back in 2011, he announced that he would like to become a Manchester United player after completing his career as an athlete. Bolt is confident that he was able to become a good footballer. By the way, the club called the Jamaican for a reason, the fact is that he is a fan of “MU”.

Five years later, Bolt's dream of becoming a footballer is close. Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that the Jamaican will train with the team. The only question is how serious this is. Will Bolt be able to start a professional football career at the age of 30?

If we assume that Bolt really wants to become a footballer, then we can turn to history. There have already been many athletes who changed their professional activities. In the USSR, it was generally quite common when football players played hockey. For example, the great Lev Yashin had a victory in the USSR Cup in hockey and a bronze in the national championship in his collection. The great Valery Maslov combined football and ball hockey. Vsevolod Bobrov is the only athlete in history who was the captain of both the football and hockey teams at the Olympics, and he also achieved success in hockey.

True, the change of sport did not always bring success. And here the most telling example is Michael Jordan. The great basketball player interrupted his career on the floor and went to baseball. In this sport, he did not succeed, and soon Dzhorzhan nevertheless returned to that site, which was his vocation.

It will be a little easier for the bolt in this sense. Jordan had to change his technique of movements, yet basketball and baseball are two sports that differ radically. Football is, of course, not athletics, as is often said. However, speed is a very important quality in our sport, it is significant that scouts, first of all, pay attention to it. A fast running player can be taught to think and handle the ball. But it is almost impossible to train speed.

Another thing is that in football you need not only speed. By the way, it is very interesting to think about what position Bolt could take. For some reason, it seems to many that the Jamaican will act in the attack. But the style of play of Dortmund “Borussia” does not suggest too much the presence of a slider at the forefront of the attack. To show speed in attack, you need free space, and rivals rarely give "bumblebees" such an opportunity.

Rather, you can imagine Bolt as a lateral, provided that the Jamaican can not only run fast, but also for a long time. In the end, in football, it is important not just to quickly run a hundred or two hundred meters, but to run them, come back, rush forward again, come back again - and so on for 90 minutes. In addition, besides running, especially lateral, one must also be able to take away the ball, and this is a whole science.

Frankly speaking, from the outside it all looks like a PR action. Even though the executive director of Borussia Dortmund, Hans-Joachim Vacke, said that was not so, he can hardly believe it. Moreover: “The management of Puma has already contacted us and we discussed the moment about Usain, who asked to train with Borussia. is just a Puma project.

In addition, Bolt's 5.8 million followers on Instagram alone suggests that Borussia can promote its brand quite well at his expense. And yet, if the Jamaican becomes a footballer, plays in the Bundesliga, or even in the Champions League, it will be a great story.

Do not miss! Tournament table, statistics and news.

Follow the results of the German championship online: http://www.liveresult.ru/football/Germany.

Andrey Tsentrov

Have you ever thought about starting from scratch? Here is a direct, radical way to turn life in the other direction, forgetting about the previously achieved successes. But the athletics legend did not just think, but did. The eight-time Olympic champion last year retired as an athlete, but is not going to end his athlete's career.

How did it all start?

A Jamaican sprinter named Lightning has been featured in football for a long time. Usain is a big fan of Manchester United and is a frequent visitor to the stands at Old Trafford. But can an athlete of his caliber be content with a seat on the podium? Back in 2009, Bolt came to the training sessions of his favorite club and gave advice Cristiano Ronaldo... And later he started talking seriously that he would like to play for Manchester United someday. Bolt has long been embraced by Manchester fans. In 2012, the runner attended the club's home match with Fulham and throughout the match heard the fans' charges calling for the management to sign the Jamaican. In that match, he even received the club's shirt with the number "9.63" - a reference to one of the runner's records.

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The first talk about his entering the field as part of the team began in the same 2012. Then Sir Alex Ferguson promised to contribute to his debut at the base of "United", but only in a charity match. There was no debut in the game against Real Madrid, and Ferguson's era came to an end after a while. Moyes and van Gaal had no time for experiments, and at the time of the latter, Bolt himself stated that he did not want to train under his leadership.

Bolt: I want to play for Manchester United, but not under Van Gaal

Bolt is a football player. Is it real at all?

At first, this whole story seemed like a complete nonsense. Well, or at least a typical commercial story. The Puma company, for example, on the general wave launched a viral video with Bolt and Aguero on the eve of the Manchester derby. According to the plot, Usain had to "drive" the Argentine striker before the match with his favorite team, and at the same time test his physical abilities.

But when the topic had already begun to gradually become obsolete, Usain curbed his appetite and started talking about a possible viewing in Borussia Dortmund. And the human mind is so arranged that, in contrast to Manchester United, it ceased to seem such an unattainable goal. There is one more important point here. The Puma company, which was mentioned earlier, cooperates with Borussia (as well as with Bolt). Bringing two partners together can help the parties create an explosive story.

Bolt's joining the Dortmund team looks like a win-win: if he plays in the team at any serious level, the football world will give him a standing ovation. If it doesn't play, it's also okay, marketing will do its job, and Bolt will significantly benefit financially. It is nice to see a sensible assessment of the situation from the side of the athlete himself. “If everything goes well, I will tell the management that I want to play for Borussia. If not, I’ll just shut up, ”the Spanish edition of Marca quotes Bolt.

The fact that Usain is serious about his undertaking is confirmed by the latest news. Bolt began training with the African Champions League winner and South African championship leader Mamelody Sundowns. The passing technique is not impressive yet, but you have to start somewhere.

The video can be viewed on the official "Twitter"

Usain Bolt: In March I will pass the screening in Borussia Dortmund

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who retired in athletics, spoke about his plans for the future.

The eight-time Olympic champion noted that he can continue his sports career in football.

“My injury is behind me and I'm in great shape again. In March I will have a screening at Borussia Dortmund, after which it will be clear if I can start a football career. I will do so, "- quotes the words of Bolt" Gazeta.Ru "with reference to the Daily Express.

The athlete also said that at one time he asked ex-MU coach Alex Ferguson to help with the move to Old Trafford.

"I talked to Alex Ferguson and asked him to put in a good word for me. He replied that if I am healthy and in shape, he will see what can be done," added Bolt.

source: Gazeta.Ru

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The living embodiment of the comic book hero Flash, in every interview where it comes to football, does not get tired of repeating that he dreams of trying his hand at the shirt of his favorite team - Manchester United. Everyone took it more as a joke, but Bolt, who announced his retirement as an athlete in 2017,. The athlete has already contacted Thomas Tuchel and agreed on everything.

Usain Bolt in every interview where it comes to football does not get tired of repeating that he dreams of trying his hand at the shirt of his favorite team - Manchester United.

The prospect that he will fly into the goal before the ball does not seem to bother Usain too much.

Bolt: “Soon Bolt intends to train with Borussia Dortmund for several days. Let's see what happens. If I could play for Manchester United it would be a great dream come true. When I finish, I would like to play football for two years. I always looked at these guys and thought that I could become a professional footballer. I will try. Maybe it will turn out to show oneself from the good side. I'm definitely a good player: an attacking midfielder or a defensive player, something like that. "

The best driver in Formula 1 history has never hidden his passion for football. After completing his racing career, Schumacher regularly took part in various charity tournaments and even at one time played for the amateur club of the third Swiss league "Echichens". The head coach of the team, after Michael ended his career, begged him to devote more time to football and save the team from relegation to the lower division. However, after the German put an end to his professional speeches, his affairs did not diminish. Apot, a terrible tragedy occurred that put the sports world on the ears: Michael received a serious head injury at a ski resort, after which he miraculously survived. For six months, Schumacher lay in a coma, but now he is on the mend at an accelerated pace, while his son Mick begins his career in auto racing. Despite the fact that football remained only a hobby for Schumacher, he paid tribute to this game.

Schumacher: “What attracts me to football is the fact that I'm not a professional in it. When I went out on the field, sometimes I was more nervous than when I got into a Formula 1 car. If I wanted to hold the ball, I had to concentrate harder than when I entered a dangerous turn at great speed. It's funny that during the race I always had time to think about something else. In football, I hardly have the opportunity to look around and realize what is happening. "

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The legendary basketball player spent part of his childhood in Italy - his father at that time played in the Italian professional basketball league. Since then Kobe speaks fluent pure Tuscan dialect. Regular football games with classmates helped the future Lakers star learn the language. Since then, Bryant has become interested in the game of millions and is actively friends with many stars, especially with the players of Barcelona, ​​for which Kobe worries. In 2012, the Catalan club opened its branch in the United States, and at an official event, Bryant either jokingly or seriously suggested to the then president of the club Joan Laporte their services as a club player.

Schumacher regularly participated in various charity tournaments and even at one time played for the amateur club of the third Swiss league "Echichens".

And not basketball, but football! Fortunately or unfortunately, the story did not receive a continuation.

Bryant: “Many years ago Barcelona came to Los Angeles. Ronaldinho and I were good friends, and during the conversation he said to me: “Kobe, look, I'll introduce you to a guy who will become the greatest footballer of all time. And pointed to 17-year-old Messi. I said then: “What? You are the best. " But he replied, “No, no. This guy will be the best. "

One of the leading Norwegian biathletes may well have started playing football at a professional level, but the passion for skiing and the gun outweighed the dream of winning applause in the Scandinavian stadiums. Beo's peers, who played with him in youth teams, said that he had excellent prospects. Tarjei is now 28 - he is an Olympic champion and eight-time World Cup winner. We must assume that the choice in favor of biathlon was correct. Tarja's younger brother Johannes is also a professional biathlete, three-time world champion. In the Bo family, a passion for football has apparently been instilled since childhood, so Johannes was not shy and signed a contract with the club of the third division Stryn, for which he plays in between biathlon trainings.

Boe: “I had several trainings with the team, I was offered to sign a contract, and I agreed. There is certainly a risk of injury. But I think it will be fun at least to be on the bench and sometimes go out on the field for 10-20 minutes. "

The famous tennis player is a frequent visitor to the stands of the Santiago Bernabeu. The 14-time Grand Slam winner is a big fan of football, and in particular Real Madrid. Since childhood, Rafa regularly played with his peers in the yard and even at one time dreamed of following in the footsteps of his uncle - the Barcelona defender Miguel Nadal... As in the case of Bo, the craving for tennis was stronger. However, Raphael's passion for football goes beyond stadium visits. In 2011, he signed a contract with the Inter Manacor team, which played in the second Spanish regional league. True, he did not promise to constantly go out on the field and train because of his busy schedule. By the way, the transfer of the rising star of Real Madrid Marco Asensio- largely due to Nadal.

Since childhood, Rafa regularly played with his peers in the yard and even at one time dreamed of following in the footsteps of his uncle - Barcelona defender Miguel Nadal.

He brought the midfielder to the attention of management and helped establish contacts with Mallorca through his uncle Angel, who is the sporting director of the Balearic club. The transition of the 18 year old talent was formalized in no time.

Nadal: “There are many people who are not related to tennis, but I admire. I especially like people who help others on the right path, who are willing to sacrifice their time when someone needs their help. If we talk about athletes, then Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are simply excellent in their field. Their rivalry, it seems to me, has taken football to a new level. "

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Image copyright AFP Image caption Usain Bolt will now be able to amuse the signature gesture of Borussia fans

One of the most in the history of sports, Jamaican Olympian Usain Bolt unexpectedly announced his transition to football and even outlined a training schedule with eight-time German champions - Borussia Dortmund.

As the 30-year-old athlete told the media, he has already discussed the possibility of a new career with the right people in the world of football.

"If I could play for Manchester United, it would mean a dream come true," said the man, expressing the hope that he would be called to a "test" match.

Earlier, the Jamaican had warned more than once that the Rio Olympics, held in August, would be the last in his career as a runner.

The BBC's Russian service decided to see what other athletes were radically changing their professional trajectory - and why did they need it?

The sports stars themselves explain their transitions, which sometimes surprise fans, with a long-overdue desire or an interest that they had not previously expressed in the public field.

Legendary Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic came to play ball in parallel with obtaining a black belt in taekwondo - interestingly, the coaches praised his alleged extraordinary stretching.

Image copyright AFP Image caption An anticyclone was named in honor of Nikolai Valuev, he himself was looking for a Yeti in Kuzbass, but most of all the current "United Russia" is still known as a boxer

Russian deputy - "United Russia" Nikolay Valuev in his youth he became a master of sports in discus throwing and only then came to a career in boxing, which earned him the world heavyweight title in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.

Italian football forward Christian Vieri could become a professional cricketer: one of the highest paid football players of the late 90s - early 2000s grew up in Australia, where cricket is popular among the people.

“If I were offered the same contract [as in football], I would immediately stop playing on the field and switch [to cricket],” the striker argued in 2003. He says he still enjoys following the world's cricket tournaments.

All these athletes, however, were far behind the American Edward "Eddie" Egan, who contrived to become one of two in the history of champions of the summer and winter Olympics: and first he did it as a boxer in 1920, and a dozen years later, his participation in the bobsleigh “four” brought the US team winter “gold”.

At the time of his triumph in 1932, Egan was 34 years old, and then his athletic skills came in handy in World War II, where he fought on the Pacific and European fronts, rising to the rank of colonel.

The second such unique figure in the history of the Olympic movement is the figure skater Yillis Grafström from Sweden, who won gold in 1920, 1924 and 1928.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Slovenian Filip Flisar's picture mustache now delights mountain bike fans

True, he did not change the sport, but he also took medals at both the Summer Games and the Winter Games: the fact is that figure skating was part of the Summer Games until 1920, and only then became one of the disciplines of the Winter Games.

From recent examples, the audience was impressed by a Slovene last December Philip Flisard: The ski cross World Cup winner after a not very successful season decided to switch to a mountain bike, where he reached 10th place in the world championship in the first season.

Three-time Olympic champion - and 13-time world champion - in speed skating MartinaSablikova from the Czech Republic took up cycling in 2015 and even qualified for the split race to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but was not allowed to compete because she did not qualify for highway cycling.

Now the 29-year-old Czech woman has almost four years of preparation for the new Olympics, in which she calls her a lifelong dream.