Bayern hunt eighth straight win at Wolves

February 6, 2010

Bayern Munich are expected to be without French midfielder Franck Ribery when they hunt their eighth straight Bundesliga win against defending champions Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Bayern’s winning run has bolted them up to second in the table, just two points behind league leaders Leverkusen, and an eighth win at Wolfsburg would keep the pressure on with the leaders at strugglers Bochum on Saturday.

With Munich’s Dutch play-maker Arjen Robben chasing his third consecutive league goal after curling in free-kicks against both Werder Bremen and Mainz in recent weeks, Ribery should be on the bench.

With his contract set to expire in June 2011, Ribery is expected to announce whether he will stay at Bayern in the next few weeks, but coach Louis van Gaal is trying to return him to the side after recovering from a knee injury.

“Ribery is getting ever more fitter, you can see it in training,” said van Gaal.

“I must integrate him back into the team, but that is difficult, because I must do that in a league game.”

Ribery’s agent has said his client is being chased by European giants Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

“He would love to play alongside (Barcelona star Lionel) Messi, that would be phenomenal,” Ribery’s agent Alain Migliaccio told Spanish radio.

“There is no door closed, neither to Real Madrid nor to Barca or to Manchester.

“With Bayern we will see how things go up to the beginning of March.”

Van Gaal insists his side have put last season’s 5-1 hammering at home to Wolfsburg out of their heads and Wolves, who sacked coach Armin Veh nearly a fortnight ago, are chasing their first win for 10 games.

Germany striker Mario Gomez has scored six goals in his last eight league games and is relishing facing Wolfsburg.

“For me personally, this is the best it?s ever been in my career,” the 24-year-old said after scoring in last Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Mainz.

Meanwhile, Wolfsburg are desperately trying to keep hold of their striker Edin Dzeko with their hot-shot striker being chased by a number of top European clubs, including Manchester United.

Wolfsburg’s caretaker coach Lorenz-Guenther Koestner is undefeated after his side drew 1-1 at Hamburg, but morale is rock bottom at the defending champions.

Leverkusen, the only unbeaten team in the Bundesliga, are at Bochum with the league’s top-scorer Steffan Kiessling back to scoring ways having netted in last weekend’s 3-1 win at Freiburg.

Schalke are at Freiburg and are defending a six-game unbeaten record which has put them amidst the title contenders and just three points off Leverkusen.

Saturday

VfL Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich, Cologne v Hamburg, Freiburg v Schalke 04, VfL Bochum v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hanover 96, Nuremberg v VfB Stuttgart

Sunday

Mainz 05 v Borussia M’gladbach, Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt

BERLIN (AFP)

Tags: alain migliaccio, Armin Veh, Bremen, cologne, fortnight, franck ribery, FRANKFURT, free kicks, Germany, Hanover, knee injury, league game, league games, league goal, league leaders, Lionel, lionel messi, Lorenz, louis van gaal, MADRID, mainz, Manchester, manchester united, Munich, nuremberg, spanish radio, stuttgart, Van Gaal, werder bremen

Ribery set to decide Bayern future: agent

February 3, 2010

Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery will decide in the next eight weeks whether or not to stay with the German giants, his agent said Wednesday.

Ribery, 26, has a contract at Bayern until June 2011 but after a series of top class displays for Munich he has been linked to some of Europe’s top sides, including Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Although Ribery has struggled with a knee injury since October, he is working his way back to fitness and is widely regarded, alongside Bayern team-mate Arjen Robben, as one of the most creative players in the Bundesliga.

“Franck has a contract until 2011 and so Bayern hold all the cards in their hands,” Ribery’s agent Alain Migliaccio told German daily newspaper Bild on Wednesday.

“Before we meet with (Bayern’s chief executive Karl-Heinz) Rummenigge, (president Uli) Hoeness and (director of sport Christian) Nerlinger, nothing will happen.”

Migliaccio also confirmed Nerlinger’s rejection of reports that Ribery had been given an ultimatum by Bayern to prolong his contract before the end of March.

“The story about the ultimatum is absolute nonsense, nobody has given Franck an ultimatum,” he said.

“We are waiting to see what the club wants to do.”

Ribery has won 41 caps and scored seven goals for France and looks set to be a star of the 2010 World Cup which takes place in South Africa from June 11-July 11.

BERLIN (AFP)

Tags: 11 july, alain migliaccio, Bayern, bayern munich, berlin, bild, Bundesliga, chief executive, Christian, creative players, Europe, France, franck ribery, giants, karl heinz, karl heinz rummenigge, knee injury, MADRID, Munich, real madrid, rejection, South Africa, team mate, uli hoeness, ultimatum, World Cup

Real in deal with Ribery´s agent: report

August 8, 2009

Real Madrid have reached a deal with Franck Ribery’s agent to sign the Bayern Munich star in 2010, it was reported here on Saturday.

Real missed out on Ribery this summer in the face of fierce opposition from Bayern but according to Spanish daily As the highly-sought after France international will be moving to Madrid in one year’s time.

As suggest a five year deal has been reached between the player’s agent, Alain Migliaccio, with Zinedine Zidane, who acts as an adviser to the club and who is also close to Ribery, playing a central role in the negotiations.

The As report, without naming sources, suggests this deal is similar to the one set in place for Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2008, with the Manchester United winger finally moving to Real this summer for a record 94 million euros.

Real Madrid’s new president Florentino Perez has splashed out over 250 million euros on the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema as he seeks to make the Spanish side world beaters once again.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: adviser, alain migliaccio, Bayern, bayern munich, florentino perez, france international, franck ribery, kaka, Karim Benzema, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, Munich, negotiations, new president, opposition, real madrid, ronaldo, spanish side, winger, zinedine zidane

Bayern wants ´astronomic´ sum for Ribery: Real

June 16, 2009

MADRID (AFP) – Bayern Munich are demanding “an astronomic sum” for French international midfielder Franck Ribery, Real Madrid’s managing director said Tuesday.

“There was interest (by Real) in Ribery at a certain point, but Bayern are sticking to a very hard position,” Jorge Valdano said.

“They don’t want to sell and that is why they are proposing an astronomic sum.”

Spanish media said Tuesday that Ribery would prefer a move to Real than to other clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea or Barcelona.

The sports newspaper Marca said that Ribery’s transfer could be announced this week.

Another sports paper, AS, said Ribery discussed his future at a meeting last weekend with his family and his agent, Alain Migliaccio, who also works for Zinedine Zidane, the France legend who is now adviser to Real’s new president Florentino Perez.

“Real (Madrid) or nothing,” was the conclusion of the meeting, according to AS.

The German media has said only an offer of more than 60 million euros could tempt Bayern to sell the 26-year-old, who is under contract with the club until 2011.

Perez has vowed to create a “spectacular team” capable of overtaking arch-rivals Barcelona next season.

During his first stint as president, from 2000 to 2006, he oversaw the era of the “Galacticos” when world stars such as France’s Zinedine Zidane, England’s David Beckham and Brazil’s Ronaldo were attracted to the club.

This month, he signed Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for a world record 94 million euros, days after paying AC Milan 65 million euros for Brazilian playmaker Kaka.