Latest news with #Müller
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney FC in shock swoop for Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller
Sydney FC are in talks to sign former Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller in what could be one of the greatest marquee coups in A-League history. Müller, 35, is a free agent after departing Bayern, the only club he has ever played for, at the end of the recent FIFA Club World Cup after more than 500 games across nearly two decades, and is seeking a new experience to round out his career. Though reports have linked him to Major League Soccer in the United States – and some have gone as far as to say he has already made up his mind – this masthead can reveal that the Sky Blues have been in discussions with Müller and his representatives for several weeks about an A-League switch, and that they remain an outside chance of convincing him. An answer either way is expected within the next week or so, with the club recently informed that they are one of the final two options he is considering. The other is in MLS, and that is believed to be his favoured option, but Sydney are still in with a shot. Sources with knowledge of negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Müller – a 13-time Bundesliga winner, two-time UEFA Champions League winner, and part of the Germany squad that won the 2014 World Cup – had been impressed with the pitch made to him by Sydney FC. Two of his former teammates are already at the club: Brazilian star Douglas Costa, who he played with between 2015 and 2017 at Bayern Munich, and the retired Alexander Baumjohann, Sydney's head of player management who spent a year on the books at Germany's biggest club and is believed to be spearheading the attempt to sign him. His recruitment would be an enormous boon for the financially stricken A-League and for Sydney FC, whose board has undergone an off-season restructure with the departure of long-time chairman Scott Barlow. Jan Voss, a German-Australian business executive and president of Ferrari Australasia, has replaced Barlow as chairman, while the club's foundation chairman Walter Bugno – hugely influential in their 'Bling FC' era – is back on the board as a director. No A-League club – not even the Sky Blues – can compete with the wages that Müller would be able to attract in the US or elsewhere; like any high-profile player who decides to move to Australia, it would involve him prioritising the low-key lifestyle he would be able to enjoy in Sydney over money.
The Age
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
Sydney FC in shock swoop for Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller
Sydney FC are in talks to sign former Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller in what could be one of the greatest marquee coups in A-League history. Müller, 35, is a free agent after departing Bayern, the only club he has ever played for, at the end of the recent FIFA Club World Cup after more than 500 games across nearly two decades, and is seeking a new experience to round out his career. Though reports have linked him to Major League Soccer in the United States – and some have gone as far as to say he has already made up his mind – this masthead can reveal that the Sky Blues have been in discussions with Müller and his representatives for several weeks about an A-League switch, and that they remain an outside chance of convincing him. An answer either way is expected within the next week or so, with the club recently informed that they are one of the final two options he is considering. The other is in MLS, and that is believed to be his favoured option, but Sydney are still in with a shot. Sources with knowledge of negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Müller – a 13-time Bundesliga winner, two-time UEFA Champions League winner, and part of the Germany squad that won the 2014 World Cup – had been impressed with the pitch made to him by Sydney FC. Two of his former teammates are already at the club: Brazilian star Douglas Costa, who he played with between 2015 and 2017 at Bayern Munich, and the retired Alexander Baumjohann, Sydney's head of player management who spent a year on the books at Germany's biggest club and is believed to be spearheading the attempt to sign him. His recruitment would be an enormous boon for the financially stricken A-League and for Sydney FC, whose board has undergone an off-season restructure with the departure of long-time chairman Scott Barlow. Jan Voss, a German-Australian business executive and president of Ferrari Australasia, has replaced Barlow as chairman, while the club's foundation chairman Walter Bugno – hugely influential in their 'Bling FC' era – is back on the board as a director. No A-League club – not even the Sky Blues – can compete with the wages that Müller would be able to attract in the US or elsewhere; like any high-profile player who decides to move to Australia, it would involve him prioritising the low-key lifestyle he would be able to enjoy in Sydney over money.
Los Angeles Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Hand-Blown Vases That Feel Like Tiny Planets
There's a strange comfort in spotting a micro-universe in your living room. It's a little like being a kid again…remember those glow-in-the-dark planet stickers you'd press onto the ceiling above your bed? One glance and you were off-world, spinning between Saturn and some unnamed comet, the everyday stuff of your bedroom temporarily suspended. The Space Jars, launched by Berlin's MOONARIJ in collaboration with Swiss artist Kaspar Müller, land in your grown-up space with a similar energy. The limited-edition hand-blown glass vases, as outlined in a recent press release, bring together Müller's conceptual approach and MOONARIJ's contemporary design ethos. 'Inspired by planetary forms and cosmic landscapes,' and what MOONARJ's founder Johanna Wichelhaus calls 'sculptural… yet grounded in purpose: designed to hold life.' Each one hand-blown in Berlin, acid-washed, mirror-finished, and wild with color. They don't repeat. They don't sit quietly in the background. Each one feels plucked from a private galaxy and set down on your coffee table, ready to surprise you under different angles of sunlight. Walking into a room with one of these is like encountering a tiny, orbiting body. The forms wobble. Colors shift depending on the light. Kaspar Müller has this uncanny knack for taking the stuff you barely notice (maybe a lamp or a bottle) and making it feel cryptic. His objects show up again and again, ghostly but familiar, like something you dreamed about years ago and only half remember. Hand-blown glass has a tradition in Germany, but this line pushes the boundaries. Esteban Salazar at Brooklyn Glass, fresh from collaborations with Müller, finishes each piece. Powder coats. Mirror skins. Acid etches. The result? Textures that feel electric. The philosophy behind the Space Jars is just as layered. According to the press release, the Space Jars collection embodies the fusion of two distinct philosophies, 'converging into a singular language that is both meditative and purposeful.' Müller approaches glass 'as a conceptual medium, shaped by spatial experience and installation,' while Wichelhaus 'balances functionality, form, and color with refined precision.' Each vessel, then, stands as 'a sculptural object, reminiscent of distant celestial bodies, yet remains inherently grounded in purpose: designed to hold life.' Whether displaying a bouquet or left standing empty, 'each vessel speaks to a dual identity, both planetary and domestic. This quiet balance reflects the essence of Earth itself, a celestial body adrift in the vastness of space, yet vibrant with life.' In this way, the Space Jar becomes a kind of metaphor, an 'interplay between expressive form and purposeful function.' And to amplify the collection's artistic vision, Wichelhaus and Müller worked with photographer Lucas Confurius to create a visual campaign that places the vases in cosmic settings. The result evokes the very space where these forms and ideas first took shape. Founded in 2022 by Wichelhaus, MOONARIJ is rooted in a deep appreciation for Germany's glassmaking heritage and a passion for handcrafted design, 'developed in close collaboration with small workshops in Berlin and Dresden,' as described in the press release. It's a heritage you can feel, each jar is tactile, deliberate, a little wild, and not afraid to show its process. So you've landed a Space Jar, and very much the center of its own solar system. Now comes the fun part: figuring out where it actually belongs in your home. If your space skews minimal (think wide-plank oak floors, a cloud sofa, white walls) let the jar float in negative space. Place it solo on a console, a low bench, or even an open kitchen shelf. Don't crowd it with other objects. Let sunlight (or a small spotlight) hit those acid-etched textures and mirror surfaces. The shifting colors and strange, planet-like form do all the heavy lifting. Try: Play with putting the Space Jar against vintage wood, brass, or patterned wallpaper. Layer it in with books, small ceramics, or even a stack of records. Try: Don't assume Space Jars only fit modern rooms. Put one under a classical oil painting, or on a mantelpiece above a tiled fireplace. The tension between old and new creates a little friction. Try: If your space already looks like a gallery, lean in…think: wall-to-wall art, color everywhere, objects that all want attention. Here, the jar becomes another story in the mix. Try: A single Space Jar works wonders in a tiny apartment, on a windowsill, at the center of a small table, even as a punctuation mark in a crowded kitchen. Try: Let your Space Jar breathe by giving it a little room; if it's surrounded by clutter, its effect can get lost. Pay attention to how the light moves across its surface, whether it's morning sun, an evening lamp, or even a candle nearby. And don't be afraid to switch things up: move the jar around your space, rotate it, and try styling it both empty and filled with flowers.
Al Etihad
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Thomas Müller to continue football career in the US
Munich (dpa) Thomas Müller is to continue his football career in the United States, broadcaster Sky reported on Tuesday. According to the report, Müller, who left Bayern Munich this summer after the Club World Cup, will not retire for now. The 2014 World Cup champion is set for a move to the MLS and has two options to choose from. One of them is Los Angeles FC, a partner of Bayern, according to Sky. FC Cincinnati have said last month that they had offered Müller a deal. Müller is yet to officially confirm whether he will continue playing football. The veteran midfielder is currently on vacation and is expected to sign a contract with his new club in the next seven days, Sky said. An official announcement will then be made. Müller left Bayern after 25 years of service as his contract expired this summer and he wasn't given a new deal. His last game for his boyhood club was the 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup quarter-finals.
DW
5 days ago
- Politics
- DW
How far-right social media impacted Germany's highest court – DW – 07/18/2025
Researchers say a far-right social media campaign — that painted a respected law professor as extremist — caused the suspension of the election of judges to Germany's highest court. Whenever there's talk of a crisis of democracy in Germany, leading politicians proudly point to the well-established independence of the "judges from Karlsruhe" — that is, the judges who sit on the Federal Constitutional Court, which is based in the southern German city. The Federal Constitutional Court is one of the highest courts in Germany and is also seen as the "fifth organ" of the country's political system, alongside the presidency, the parliament or Bundestag, the federal government and the Bundesrat, the federal council of German states. Unlike the Federal Criminal Court, which is the highest court for civil and criminal justice, the Federal Constitutional Court's job is to ensure that Germany's Basic Law — its constitution — is upheld. It is seen as the guardian of Germans' basic rights. The Federal Constitutional Court is also the only court that can decide about banning a political party. The court's decisions are widely recognized and often offer a course correction for ruling political parties. All of this is why last week's failure to elect three new judges to the Federal Constitutional Court has been so controversial. There are 16 judges on the bench, all of whom can serve 12 years. Half of them are chosen by the Bundesrat, the council of leaders of Germany's 16 states and the other half by parliament, the Bundestag. In both cases, there must be a two-thirds majority for a judge to be successfully elected. The procedure is always highly political because the court is seen as a pillar of German democracy, a symbol of the separation of powers in the German system and a defense against any politics that work against German citizens' basic rights. Although the process has never been as emotionally heated as the selection of judges for the US' Supreme Court, there have been occasional controversies around candidates. One such instance was the 2011 candidature of lawyer Peter Müller. Müller was also a politician and had only just resigned from his post as the state prime minister of Saarland. He is also a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, or CDU. Obviously he was not a neutral candidate for the court — he had openly been against the immigration policies of the then-left-leaning federal government — and his application was viewed with some skepticism. Despite this, the Bundesrat voted unanimously to appoint him to the Federal Constitutional Court. Those voting for him included state prime ministers who belonged to the then-ruling, left-wing parties like the Social Democrats and the Green party. Müller left the court in 2023. As the German media outlet, Legal Tribune Online, points out, the court's mixture of opinions is exactly why it is so respected. "The Karlsruhe court thrives on its pluralistic composition," the legal specialists wrote this week. "In their collective decision-making process, the 16 judges must argue and persuade … the court's working practices depend on this collaboration resulting in constitutionally sound decisions." The Federal Constitutional Court candidate at the center of the controversy, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, is not a politician. She is a highly respected constitutional law professor at the University of Potsdam. Brosius-Gersdorf has repeatedly dealt with difficult areas of jurisprudence, including abortion and how the Basic Law's ideals about human dignity apply to both mother and unborn child. Basically, when it comes to these tricky questions, she is doing her job, just as she is supposed to. However last Friday, her candidature for the Federal Constitutional Court appeared to fail. Germany's governing coalition — with the conservative CDU in the majority and the left-leaning Social Democrats a minority partner — withdrew the election of judges from parliamentary agenda. It had become clear that the CDU and their junior partner, the Christian Social Union, or CSU, were way too resistant to Brosius-Gersdorf. That was despite the fact that the parliamentary committee selecting the three candidates had previously expressed broad, cross-party support for Brosius-Gersdorf. For Philipp Sälhoff, head of Berlin-based political consultancy Polisphere the answer is clear. "Yes, there was a campaign," he told DW. His consultancy examined 40,000 related posts on the platform X (formerly Twitter). According to Sälhoff, all the elements one might expect to see in a targeted campaign were there. "Online petitions, calls to action, formulas for [protest] letters you can send to your member of parliament, paid-for advertising and posts, or the networking of actors on social media with one clear goal: preventing the election of this candidate," he explained. Reports in traditional media are not part of this, Sälhoff explains: "A critical political report isn't part of such a campaign, rather they're legitimate and necessary when it comes to how members of parliament vote, including on Federal Constitutional Court judges." The problem is that the campaign on social media was manipulative and became increasingly problematic as disinformation and aggressive exaggeration won over the facts, he noted. According to Polisphere's research, the agitating done by right-wing organizations like Nius were particularly notable. This online platform, founded by German billionaire Frank Gotthardt who had the intention of making it into this country's version of Fox News, was shooting at Brosius-Gersdorf from all barrels, and mostly with defamatory and false information. The law professor was described as a "left-wing radical," an extremist who would have allowed babies aborted at nine months and who was against freedom of opinion. These sort of untruths were peddled to an audience of millions and other far-right media followed suit. When it was announced that the vote on the Federal Constitutional Court judges had been called off, Nius' editor-in-chief, Julian Reichelt, celebrated. "This is a good day for us," he said. "Nobody recognized that there are now new media who won't play along with the [mainstream] political-media complex." In other words, he saw the campaign against Brosius-Gersdorf as a victory over established German media. Polisphere's Sälhoff sees reasons for concern in Reichelt's proclamation of victory. "It's not about whether these kinds of media impact opinions in Germany — they've been doing that for a while already," he explained. "But to engineer a situation like this in Germany's parliament in such a short time, where it was exposed more or less out of nowhere, and right in front of the eyes of the German and the international public — that's certainly success for them," Sälhoff said. Of course, at the same time members of parliament make decisions of their own accord. Campaigns, no matter what flavor, are part of the political scenery and they regularly drum up support, regardless of one's political persuasion. This is why CDU member and former Federal Constitutional Court judge, Peter Müller, believes the fault lies with his own party's leadership. "This is a blatant failure of leadership by the CDU/CSU," he said in an interview with German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. "Something like this shouldn't happen." Apparently shortly before the scheduled election of the judges, CDU leader and current Chancellor Friedrich Merz and CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn had signaled they expected party members to support Brosius-Gersdorf's candidacy. But apparently they were not listened to. For the time being, the vote for new Federal Constitutional Court judges has been taken off the parliament's agenda. Following that, in a long television interview with one of Germany's best known talk show hosts, Brosius-Gersdorf took on a lot of the accusations that had been made against her, saying she was neither radical nor extremist. She also tried to explain her position on various issues from a legal point of view. When asked whether she would continue to seek a spot on the bench, the 54-year-old replied that if there was any danger posed by her candidacy to the court itself, she would withdraw her nomination.
