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OFFBEAT

Dortmund signing ‘faster than Usain Bolt’

Borussia Dortmund's new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has run a faster time in sprint training than Olympic champion Usain Bolt ran when he set the world record in 2009.

Dortmund signing 'faster than Usain Bolt'
Photo: DPA

The 24-year-old Aubameyang clocked 3.7 seconds over 30 metres during sprint training with the Champions League finalists this week, while Bolt ran 3.78sec over the same distance when he set the world 100m record of 9.58secs in Berlin in 2009.

“Pierre is definitely the fastest player who has ever played for us,” Dortmund’s director of sport Michael Zorc told German tabloid newspaper Bild.

The Gabon international is not only fleet-footed, as he proved scoring 41 goals and setting up a further 28, in 120 games for former club St Etienne.

He cost Dortmund €13 million (US$17m) from the French Cup winners.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun playing alongside him,” said Dortmund’s Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.

But Jamaica’s sprint star may not be too happy that Dortmund have signed Aubameyang: Bolt is a fan of European champions Bayern Munich and friends with

their Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The 26-year-old sprinter is often in Munich as a patient of Bayern Munich’s team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt.

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RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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