Stuttgart hoping to build on European success
December 13, 2009
Stuttgart’s new coach Christian Gross will be hoping his team can build on their European success on Sunday.
Having reached the Champions League’s last 16, the club are 16th in the Bundesliga table and in the dreaded relegation zone.
Gross took over from Markus Babbel as coach last Sunday and enjoyed immediate success when his side beat Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni 3-1 on Wednesday.
With just two wins to their credit from 15 games, Stuttgart need to beat Mainz, who are ninth, to get out of the bottom three and boost some low morale.
Ex-Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann landed himself in hot water in the wake of Babbel’s dismissal by claiming his Stuttgart bosses bowed to pressure from angry fans.
Team manager Horst Heldt has said there will be consequences for Lehmann.
Having been dumped out of the Champions League on Tuesday after Manchester United beat them 3-1 at home, defending German champions Wolfsburg have the chance to get their league campaign back on track at home to Dortmund on Sunday.
Sunday
Mainz 05 v VfB Stuttgart
VfL Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund
BERLIN (AFP)
Tags: AFP, angry fans, berlin, champions league, christian gross, german champions, Germany, Goalkeeper, Horst Heldt, hot water, jens lehmann, last sunday, league campaign, low morale, mainz 05, Manchester, manchester united, markus babbel, relegation zone, stuttgart, vfb stuttgart, vfl wolfsburgRelated posts
Bremen faces Schalke in key Bundesliga clash
December 12, 2009
Werder Bremen welcome striker Claudio Pizarro back for Saturday’s key Bundesliga clash against Schalke 04 with coach Thomas Schaaf insisting his side must prove they are Bundesliga title contenders.
Unbeaten Leverkusen are three points clear at the top of the table, but second-placed Bremen need to beat Schalke, who are third, to keep the pressure on the league leaders.
Peru’s Pizarro, who has scored six league goals in just eight games, has been out for four weeks with a foot injury and is expected to partner Germany’s rising star Marko Marin up front in the clash at Bremen’s Weserstadion.
“Up until now we have made a good start,” said Schaaf with his side having been beaten just once in the league after 15 matches.
“Now we must show that we can win the big games and give a clear signal we are in the comptition.”
Bremen will also have Germany trio goalkeeper Tim Wiese, plus midfielders Mesut Oezil and Aaron Hunt back in the side with Leverkusen playing bottom side Hertha Berlin in the capital on Friday night.
Bayern Munich will be looking to pick up at Bochum where they left off in Turin having booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 4-1 win over Juventus last Tuesday.
After a poor start to the season, the win looks to have secured the future of Bayern’s Louis van Gaal’s side who are now up to fourth in the table.
Bochum are 15th in the league, but Germany forward Mario Gomez – who scored a stunning goal against Juventus – says the league game is crucial.
“We have another important match on Saturday,” said the Bayern striker.
“We have to follow up the result in Turin, and we?re determined to do so.”
Stuttgart might be 16th in the Bundesliga table and in the dreaded relegation zone, but having reached the Champions League’s last 16, new coach Christian Gross will be hoping they can build on their European success.
Gross took over from Markus Babbel as coach last Sunday and enjoyed immediate success when his side beat Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni 3-1 on Wednesday.
With just two wins to their credit from 15 games, Stuttgart on Sunday need to beat Mainz, who are ninth, to get out of the bottom three and boost some low morale.
Ex-Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann landed himself in hot water in the wake of Babbel’s dismissal by claiming his Stuttgart bosses bowed to pressure from angry fans.
Team manager Horst Heldt has said there will be consequences for Lehmann.
Having been dumped out of the Champions League on Tuesday after Manchester United beat them 3-1 at home, defending German champions Wolfsburg have the chance to get their league campaign back on track at home to Dortmund on Sunday.
Saturday
Hoffenheim v Eintracht Frankfurt
VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich
Borussia M’gladbach v Hanover 96
Freiburg v Cologne
Nuremberg v Hamburg
Werder Bremen v Schalke 04
Sunday
Mainz 05 v VfB Stuttgart
VfL Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund
BERLIN (AFP)
Tags: aaron hunt, bayern munich, berlin, big games, Bremen, christian gross, Claudio Pizarro, coach thomas, cologne, FRANKFURT, Hanover, Horst Heldt, jens lehmann, league game, league goals, louis van gaal, mario, mario gomez, markus babbel, relegation zone, romanian champions, schalke 04, stuttgart, Thomas Schaaf, Tim Wiese, title contenders, turin, urziceni, werder bremenRelated posts
Lehmann gets away with Unirea bathrooom break
December 12, 2009
VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Jens Lehmann must have been sighed a huge relief at the final whistle when his side outplayed Unirea Urziceni in the Champions League match on Wednesday night, after it emerged he urinated behind the goal during the match.
Lehmann has admitted since that he was as “nervous as ever before”, presumably before the incident that occurred on one knee, behind the goal and in front of 40,000 fans.
Lehmann was interrupted by an attack from the Romanian side, meaning he had to jump back over the advertising signage before suffering the embarrassment of a conceded goal or a yellow card for leaving the pitch without permission.
But Stuttgart’s director of sport Horst Heldt was quoted in the Guardian praising Lehmann for his handling of the sticky situation.
“I thought he handled it very expertly,” he said.
“It was a tricky situation. He could hardly run into the dressing room while play was going on and it reminded me of the Tour de France – sometimes there are simply no options.”
Tags: champions league, dressing room, embarrassment, France, Goalkeeper, Guardian, Horst Heldt, jens lehmann, match, pitch, signage, stuttgart, tour de france, tricky situation, urziceni, vfb stuttgart, wednesday night, whistleRelated posts
Bremen must justify contenders tag, says Schaaf
December 11, 2009
Werder Bremen welcome striker Claudio Pizarro back for Saturday’s key Bundesliga clash against Schalke 04 with coach Thomas Schaaf insisting his side must prove they are Bundesliga title contenders.
Unbeaten Leverkusen are three points clear at the top of the table, but second-placed Bremen need to beat Schalke, who are third, to keep the pressure on the league leaders.
Peru’s Pizarro, who has scored six league goals in just eight games, has been out for four weeks with a foot injury and is expected to partner Germany’s rising star Marko Marin up front in the clash at Bremen’s Weserstadion.
“Up until now we have made a good start,” said Schaaf with his side having been beaten just once in the league after 15 matches.
“Now we must show that we can win the big games and give a clear signal we are in the comptition.”
Bremen will also have Germany trio goalkeeper Tim Wiese, plus midfielders Mesut Oezil and Aaron Hunt back in the side with Leverkusen playing bottom side Hertha Berlin in the capital on Friday night.
Bayern Munich will be looking to pick up at Bochum where they left off in Turin having booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 4-1 win over Juventus last Tuesday.
After a poor start to the season, the win looks to have secured the future of Bayern’s Louis van Gaal’s side who are now up to fourth in the table.
Bochum are 15th in the league, but Germany forward Mario Gomez – who scored a stunning goal against Juventus – says the league game is crucial.
“We have another important match on Saturday,” said the Bayern striker.
“We have to follow up the result in Turin, and we?re determined to do so.”
Stuttgart might be 16th in the Bundesliga table and in the dreaded relegation zone, but having reached the Champions League’s last 16, new coach Christian Gross will be hoping they can build on their European success.
Gross took over from Markus Babbel as coach last Sunday and enjoyed immediate success when his side beat Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni 3-1 on Wednesday.
With just two wins to their credit from 15 games, Stuttgart on Sunday need to beat Mainz, who are ninth, to get out of the bottom three and boost some low morale.
Ex-Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann landed himself in hot water in the wake of Babbel’s dismissal by claiming his Stuttgart bosses bowed to pressure from angry fans.
Team manager Horst Heldt has said there will be consequences for Lehmann.
Having been dumped out of the Champions League on Tuesday after Manchester United beat them 3-1 at home, defending German champions Wolfsburg have the chance to get their league campaign back on track at home to Dortmund on Sunday.
Friday
Hertha Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen
Saturday
Hoffenheim v Eintracht Frankfurt
VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich
Borussia M’gladbach v Hanover 96
Freiburg v Cologne
Nuremberg v Hamburg
Werder Bremen v Schalke 04
Sunday
Mainz 05 v VfB Stuttgart
VfL Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund
BERLIN (AFP)
Tags: aaron hunt, Bayern, berlin, big games, Bremen, christian gross, Claudio Pizarro, foot injury, FRANKFURT, Germany, Hamburg, Hanover, Horst Heldt, jens lehmann, league game, league goals, Louis, louis van gaal, Manchester, mario, mario gomez, markus babbel, peru, relegation zone, romanian champions, schalke 04, stuttgart, Thomas Schaaf, Tim Wiese, title contenders, turin, urziceni, werder bremenRelated posts
Time to back Babbel, says Heldt
October 30, 2009
Stuttgart director of sport Horst Heldt has called on everybody to club together to help under-fire coach Markus Babbel lead them out of a crisis.
Babbel’s position as coach of the Swabians was confirmed on Wednesday despite defeat by Greuther Furth in the DFB-Pokal, but only a positive result against Bayern Munich on Saturday can save him from further castigation.
And after showing his and the board’s full backing for Babbel, Heldt has called on the whole club to get behind him.
“We can only get out of this crisis together,” he said. “We now need a community and that does not only mean on the field, but off it also.
“We need our fans to help us out of this difficult situation.”
Babbel would probably have preferred anybody but Bayern as opponents, but Heldt said the “name of the opponent doesn’t matter one bit” and that the “important thing is that the team does all it can to win again”.
Bayern appear to have left their own crisis behind them and have moved up to within four points of the joint league leaders Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen.
However, trouble is always brewing at Bayern and this time it comes in the shape of central defender Martin Demichelis who has criticised coach Louis van Gaal in an interview with the Bild newspaper.
“I am not the only player who has been out for a long time, yet I have to fight for my place back in the team. That makes me angry and bitter,” he said.
“I am fit and am doing everything to help this team and I would have expected the same kind of support that other players who were making a comeback received.”
Demichelis was referring to Mark van Bommel and Bastian Schweinsteiger, who walked straight back into the team after injury whereas he has had to sit on the bench in the last few games.
But he has vowed to knuckle down and prove Van Gaal he is wrong to leave him out.
“I have loved and defended this shirt for seven years and it is like my second skin,” he added. “But I also know that a professional footballer cannot rest on his laurels so I will fight to the death.”
Demichelis will be given his chance in next week’s Champions League tie against Bordeaux, when Daniel van Buyten will be suspended, but Van Gaal is unlikely to make any changes to his side this weekend.
Abhimanyu Rajput
Tags: Bastian Schweinsteiger, bayer, Bayern, bayern munich, bild newspaper, Bordeaux, castigation, central defender, Daniel van Buyten, dfb pokal, furth, Hamburg, Horst Heldt, laurels, league leaders, louis van gaal, Mark van Bommel, markus babbel, martin demichelis, professional footballer, second skin, seven years, stuttgart, swabians, Van GaalRelated posts
Babbel´s Stuttgart have all to play for
October 27, 2009
VfB Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel will take his team to second-division Greuther Fuerth for Tuesday’s German Cup tie with a place in the quarterfinals – and potentially his job – on the line.
Stuttgart’s 1-0 defeat to Hanover on Saturday was their fourth straight defeat and although he has been given a vote of confidence, Babbel can not afford to see his side dumped out of the cup as they struggle in the league.
“There is no debate over the coach, Markus Babbel will sit on the bench in Fuerth,” said Stuttgart manager Horst Heldt after Saturday’s Hanover defeat which leaves his side 14th in the league.
“We really need results now, things are difficult and after four defeats it is hard to talk about things improving.”
The words contradicted those of Babbel who moments before had talked about seeing signs of improvement from his side, with precious little evidence of a fighting spirit on the pitch.
“I was a fighter when I was a player and I would always want to fight,” said ex-Bayern Munich midfielder Babbel.
Stuttgart are in the last sixteen only by virtue by virtue of an extra-time win over fourth division Luebeck in the second round and Babbel needs a convincing win from his side to reach the last eight.
In the round’s other ties, Bundesliga sides Cologne and Borussia Dortmund must also avoid potential banana-skins at minnows Eintracht Trier and third division VfL Osnabrueck respectively on Tuesday.
Osbnabrueck were the talk of the second round after they knocked out Hamburg on penalties and the minnows will be keen to claim another Bundesliga scalp.
On Wednesday, Schalke 04 travel down to the Allianz Arena to play second-divion 1860 Munich who knocked out Bundesliga bottom side Hertha Berlin on penalties in the second round.
Cup holders Werder Bremen host former top-tier side Kaiserslautern while German giants Bayern Munich are at Eintracht Frankfurt in the only all-Bundesliga tie of the round.
Louis van Gaal-coached Bayern warmed-up for Wednesday’s game with a 2-1 win over Frankfurt in the German league last Saturday so the sides will know all about each other when they square off again.
Tuesday
Greuther Fuerth v VfB Stuttgart
Eintracht Trier v Cologne
VfL Osnabrueck v Borussia Dortmund
Augsburg v MSV Duisburg
Wednesday
1860 Munich v Schalke 04
Werder Bremen v Kaiserslautern
Hoffenheim v TuS Koblenz
Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayern Munich
BERLIN (AFP)
Tags: 1860 munich, allianz arena, banana skins, Bayern, bayern munich, berlin, Borussia, borussia dortmund, Bremen, cologne, cup tie, eintracht trier, extra time, fighting spirit, FRANKFURT, Hamburg, Hanover, Horst Heldt, Louis, louis van gaal, markus babbel, Munich, quarterfinals, schalke 04, straight defeat, stuttgart, vote of confidenceRelated posts
Babbel fears Stuttgart sack
October 24, 2009
Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel admits his side must win their next two games, or it would be understandable if he were to lose his job.
The 37-year-old is coming under increased pressure after the 3-1 defeat to Sevilla in the Champions League in midweek compromised Stuttgart’s chances of surviving the winter in Europe, and Saturday’s Bundesliga clash with Hannover as well as the DFB-Pokal tie against Furth next week could prove decisive.
“I am not so naive not to know what happens if we don’t get the results,” Babbel told the Bild newspaper.
Although no exact ultimatum has been set, the coach knows that director of sport Horst Heldt will be forced to take action if Stuttgart slip into the bottom three of the Bundesliga with defeat today.
And Babbel has even told him not to shirk his responsibility just because the pair enjoy a strong bond as friends away from the field.
“I told him, whatever friendship we have, he has a job to do and I have mine,” said Babbel.
“I have been in the business long enough to know that when the results don’t come, he will have to act.
“It would not surprise me. Whether he would like to do it or not does not come into it.”
Abhimanyu Rajput
Tags: bild newspaper, Bundesliga, champions league, clash, coach, dfb pokal, Europe, friendship, hannover, Horst Heldt, job, markus babbel, SEVILLA, stuttgart, two games, ultimatum, winter in europeRelated posts
Lehmann set for Stuttgart return
September 25, 2009
Jens Lehmann should return to the Stuttgart goal for their trip to unbeaten Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
The former Germany international was dropped for the midweek DFB-Pokal tie with Lubeck as a disciplinary measure after he attended Munich’s Oktoberfest without consent last Saturday, only hours after his side had lost 2-0 to Cologne.
A meeting yesterday between the 39-year-old, coach Markus Babbel and director of sport Horst Heldt resulted in him being reinstated to the first-team squad.
“Jens has realised that he did not respect his duties as a role model,” Heldt told the club’s official website.
“Therefore, as far as we are concerned, this issue has been dealt with.”
Lehmann’s place in Babbel’s starting XI is not guaranteed, though, since he is currently recovering form a chest injury he picked up in training earlier this week so Sven Ulreich, who deputised in the 3-1 cup victory, remains on standby.
Frankfurt arrive in neighbouring Baden-Wurttemberg bidding to maintain their unbeaten start to the season which has seen them go eight competitive matches without defeat since Michael Skibbe took charge in the summer.
However, they will be without central defender Aleksandar Vasoski, who broke his ribs in the dramatic 6-4 cup win over Alemannia Aachen on Wednesday.
Maik Franz, who himself has just recovered from a rib injury, should take his place while Ioannis Amanatidis is back in the squad and is challenging Nikos Liberopoulos for a place in the starting XI.
Babbel hopes to also welcome Alexander Hleb back into his team after he missed the last two games due to a muscular problem.
Abhimanyu Rajput
Tags: alexander hleb, baden wurttemberg, central defender, chest injury, cologne, disciplinary measure, eintracht frankfurt, FRANKFURT, Germany, Horst Heldt, jens lehmann, last saturday, Lubeck, maik franz, markus babbel, michael skibbe, midweek, Munich, muscular problem, oktoberfest, rajput, role model, stuttgart, two gamesRelated posts
Tottenham eye Huntelaar after Stuttgart deal collapses
July 24, 2009
Tottenham are in the frame to sign Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar after the Dutch star’s proposed 20 million euro move to Stuttgart collapsed.
The Bundesliga side blamed Huntelaar’s failure to resolve a contract dispute with Real on their decision to call off the deal.
Stuttgart sport manager Horst Heldt told the club’s official website on Thursday: “We wanted to acquire Klaas-Jan Huntelaar because his playing style fits very well with our team. But we are not about to keep ourselves hanging on and waiting.”
This may pave the way for Huntelaar, out of favour at Real, to move to Spurs.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said: “The lad is a very good goalscorer and I’m still interested in him.
“I know of Stuttgart’s involvement but I’m hoping we will still be able to do something.
“There’s a lot of talk about who I may or may not be after but Huntelaar is the one I like.”
One striker who won’t be moving to White Hart Lane is Portsmouth’s Peter Crouch because Redknapp believes the England star is over-priced.
Redknapp had been linked with a move for Crouch but Portsmouth want around 14 million euros for the former Liverpool forward and the Spurs boss thinks that is too much money for an aging player.
“Portsmouth are trying to sell Crouchy. Sunderland were interested and I think Fulham are interested,” Redknapp told Sky Sports News.
“I like Crouchy but I just feel that for that type of money it is an awful lot of money, no disrespect, but Peter is 28-years-old.
“Basically it is an expensive deal because there is no return when you pay that type of money. And obviously his salary is high.
“I don’t know whether it is possible for us to do that type of deal. It is an expensive deal. The whole package looks expensive.”
PARIS (AFP)
Tags: 28 years, contract dispute, disrespect, dutch star, England, england star, favour, fulham, Harry Redknapp, Hart Lane, Horst Heldt, klaas jan, klaas jan huntelaar, Liverpool, MADRID, PARIS, Peter, peter crouch, Portsmouth, real madrid, Sky Sports, sky sports news, sport manager, striker, stuttgart sport, Sunderland, white hart laneRelated posts
Stuttgart give up on Huntelaar
July 24, 2009
Despite reports in Spanish media on Wednesday, Real Madrid’s Klaas Jan Huntelaar and VfB Stuttgart failed to reach an agreement and a transfer can now be ruled out.
Sportspaper Marca had reported that Huntelaar agreed terms with the German side, but soon after, Stuttgart confirmed the opposite.
“We wanted to sign Huntelaar because his style would fit into our team. But we aren’t ready to be kept waiting like this,” Stuttgart manager Horst Heldt said.
The main candidates to sign the Dutchman now appear to be Tottenham Hotspur and, to a lesser extend, Arsenal. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp reportedly wants to sign the player, and the chance of this happening seems to have increased after the failed negotiations with Stuttgart.
By: Jonathan Roorda
Tags: arsenal, dutchman, german side, Harry Redknapp, Horst Heldt, Hotspur, jonathan, klaas jan huntelaar, MADRID, marca, negotiations, real madrid, spanish media, spurs, stuttgart, tottenham, transfer, VfB, vfb stuttgartRelated posts
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