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

Officials ban 81 Bayern fans for Mainz clash

January 19, 2010

The German Football Federation (DFB) on Tuesday announced they have banned 81 Bayern Munich fans, who are currently under police investigation, from attending Saturday’s Bundesliga clash against Mainz.

Police are investigating a disturbance last August in Wuerzburg, Bavaria, which involved 130 Bayern fans after their team lost 2-1 at Mainz and three officers were injured after clashes at the town’s railway station.

Saturday’s return game at Munich’s Allianz Arena has seen 81 fans banned, although there are court cases pending for charges of assault and breach of the peace against only 22 of those who have been excluded.

Bayern are currently third in the Bundesliga, two points behind leaders Leverkusen, while Mainz are 10th in the table.

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: afp officials, allianz, allianz arena, Arena, bavaria, Bayern, bayern munich, breach of the peace, Bundesliga, clash, clashes, court cases, football, German, german football federation, german football federation dfb, LEVERKUSEN, mainz, Munich, PARIS, police investigation, return game, wuerzburg

Schalke sign Brazilian striker Edu

January 2, 2010

Brazilian striker Edu signed for his third German club on Saturday as he joined high-flying Schalke 04 from Korean outfit Suwon Blue Wings.The 28-year-old signed a three-and-a-half year contract with Schalke, who are second in the championship, a point behind Bayer Leverkusen.

Edu previously played for Bochum and Mainz, scoring five goals in 44 appearances.

The German league resumes in mid-January after its traditional winter break.

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AFP)

Tags: bayer leverkusen, blue wings, bochum, german club, german league, Germany, half year, mainz, schalke 04, striker, traditional winter, winter break

Magnin slams Lehmann’s behaviour

December 20, 2009

Stuttgart defender Ludovic Magnin claims Jens Lehmann has been causing dismay and disrupting the harmony in the Stuttgart dressing room in recent weeks. Lehmann has caused problems at club after criticizing the management and producing several below-par performances.

Magnin will be leaving Stuttgart after agreeing a transfer to Zurich on Friday. The transfer will take place on January 1 once the Winter transfer window opens.

“Jens is not a person to set the tone off the field,” Magnin told the Bild newspaper.

Lehmann was given permission to take an extra day off per week in the contract he signed with Stuttgart in 2008, while he can also travel back home alone from away matches when he wishes.

Magnin revealed Lehmann’s special treatment has not been welcomed by his club team-mates.

“Football is a team sport and whenever things aren’t going well, then these privileges are made out to be the problem,” added the Swiss international.

“What may not be an issue when you are successful becomes more disturbing than an elephant when things aren’t going well.

“I told Jens this in a chat four weeks ago.

“He demands a lot from his team-mates and I would have expected him to show up for training the following day.”

Lehmann is suspended for the next three matches after receiving a red card against Mainz on Saturday.

Retired goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who was Lehmann’s rival for the goalkeeping spot in the German national team, called on the 40-year-old Stuttgart goalkeeper to hang his boots and spare himself the extra embarrassment.

Tags: bild newspaper, boots, dismay, dressing room, elephant, embarrassment, german national team, Goalkeeper, harmony, january 1, Jens, jens lehmann, Ludovic Magnin, magnin, mainz, oliver kahn, privileges, slams, stuttgart, swiss, team mates, team sport, winter, ZURICH

Stuttgart’s Lehmann should quit now: Kahn

December 15, 2009

Ex-Germany captain Oliver Kahn believes Stuttgart goalkeeper Jens Lehmann should retire immediately following last weekend’s red card, rather than wait until the end of the season.

Ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Lehmann is under contract at Stuttgart until June 30 2010, but former Bayern Munich star Kahn says Lehmann should go now having cost his side three points after being sent off last Sunday at Mainz.

Lehmann was dismissed in the 87th minute of his side’s 1-1 draw for standing on the foot of Mainz’s Burkina Faso striker Aristide Bance.

Mainz equalised from the ensuing penalty to leave Stuttgart fourth from bottom in the Bundesliga standings despite their recent qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League.

“Perhaps it is better for him if he retired now,” Kahn, Lehmann’s former rival for Germany’s goalkeeping shirt, told the Munich newspaper AZ.

“Who nows where this will lead now?”

Lehmann has grabbed the headlines here for all the wrong reasons recently after announcing last weekend he would refuse to pay the fine he was given for criticising his club for firing coach Markus Babbel.

Babbel was sacked ten days ago and replaced by former Tottenham Hotspur boss Gross, with Lehmann claiming his bosses had simply bowed to the demands of angry fans.

And Kahn says Lehmann should quit now in light of his recent antics, rather than wait until the end of the season.

“Jens is a good goalkeeper, but what will the club’s responsible people think now?

“He is not helping the situation and Stuttgart’s bosses must weigh up whether he will benefit the team or damage the side further.”

BERLIN (AFP)

Tags: angry fans, aristide, Aristide Bance, bance, bayern munich, berlin, boss, burkina faso, captain oliver, captain Oliver Kahn, Germany, Goalkeeper, goalkeeping, Jens, jens lehmann, last sunday, mainz, markus babbel, Munich, oliver kahn, striker, stuttgart, tottenham hotspur

Kahn urges old rival Lehmann to quit

December 15, 2009

On Tuesday, controversial Jens Lehmann received unexpected advice. Former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn told his old colleague to quit football. “Maybe it would be better for him to retire now. Who knows where things might yet lead.”

Lehmann was involved in several incidents in the last couple of days. First, the VfB Stuttgart goalie criticised the club bosses for sacking coach Markus Babbel. Then, on Sunday he received a red card and gave away a penalty in the draw against Mainz (1-1). Stuttgart backed his goalie, which is hard to believe for Kahn.

“Jens is a good goalkeeper, but what should the club think? There is no point to it anymore. Stuttgart’s management have got to work out whether Lehmann is helping or damaging the team,” Kahn said to German paper TZ. Kahn and Lehmann sustained a bitter feud for several years when they were both fighting for the Germany number one jersey but they appeared to make peace at the 2006 World Cup when Kahn retired from international football.

However, after a talk with coach Christian Gross at training on Monday, it does not seem like Lehmann is going to follow Kahn’s advice. “”I am convinced that Jens will be fully motivated after the preparation for the second half of the season and will do all he can to end his career on a high in the summer of 2010,” said Gross.

Tags: advice, bitter feud, christian gross, coach, colleague, couple of days, german paper, Germany, Goalkeeper, international football, Jens, jens lehmann, mainz, markus babbel, Munich, number, oliver kahn, peace, second half, stuttgart, summer, VfB, World, World Cup

Real´s Robben signs with Bayern

August 29, 2009

Bayern Munich announced on Friday they have completed the signing of Real Madrid winger Arjen Robben for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old Robben, one of several Dutch players being sold by the Spanish giants, signed a four-year deal with the Bundesliga club which has so far failed to make an impact in the league and currently lie 14th.

Robben is set to train with Bayern on Friday afternoon and could face Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday, according to the German giants’ boss Uli Hoeness on Thursday.

Reports said Bayern paid 25 million euros for Robben.

With Cristiano Ronaldo blocking Robben’s path to the Real Madrid team, the Dutchman is expected to play a key role in helping Bayern get their stuttering season back on track.

The Bavarian giants who are coached by Dutchman Louis Van Gaal have struggled to their worst Bundesliga start in 43 years having taken just two points from their first three games and were humbled 2-1 by minnows Mainz on Saturday.

Robben’s arrival would complement Bayern play-maker Franck Ribery, who is still a target of Real according to latest reports, and give the German giants more options in attack.

MUNICH, Germany (AFP)

Tags: arjen robben, Bayern, bayern munich, boss, dutchman, franck ribery, friday afternoon, Germany, key role, Louis, MADRID, mainz, minnows, Munich, munich germany, real madrid, ronaldo, target, three games, uli hoeness, winger, Wolfsburg

Beckenbauer applies pressure on Van Gaal

August 25, 2009

Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer wants the team to achieve better results immediately, thereby applying additional pressure on manager Louis van Gaal.

In an interview with Bild, Beckenbauer said that improvement has to be visible right away: “Louis van Gaal must find the right answer against Wolfsburg on Saturday.

“Of course Van Gaal isn’t happy either. Nobody here is. Against Hoffenheim, we were sleeping for 30 minutes. Against Bremen, the comeback came too late. And against Mainz, the first half was the problem,” Beckenbauer said.

Van Gaal himself isn’t particularly worried, despite the fact that Bayern is experiencing its worst season start in 43 years.

“I’m not worried. I know what I am capable of. I have twenty years of experience.”

Jonathan Roorda

Tags: 30 minutes, Bayern, bayern munich, Bremen, franz beckenbauer, Hoffenheim, Louis, louis van gaal, mainz, twenty years, Van Gaal, Wolfsburg

Hecking quits as Hanover coach

August 20, 2009

Dieter Hecking on Wednesday tendered his resignation as coach of struggling Bundesliga club Hanover 96, who have claimed just one point from two league games.

The 44-year-old’s position was already under threat when the club finished just 11th last season and were eliminated from the German Cup by third division Treves.

Hecking becomes the second Bundesliga coach to leave this month after Norwegian Jorn Andersen became the first ever top flight coach to be sacked prior to the beginning of the season by newly-promoted Mainz.

A former German second division player, Hecking made his name as a coach by helping his former club Aachan return to the top flight in May 2006.

He left Aachan in September 2006 to join Hanover.

The club finished eighth in the 2007-2008 season.

HANOVER, Germany (AFP)

Tags: andersen, Bundesliga, coach, Cup, dieter hecking, German, german cup, Germany, Hanover, hanover 96, hanover germany, jorn, league games, mainz, norwegian, resignation, target, top flight

Norwegian coach makes unwanted German football history

August 4, 2009

Norwegian Jorn Andersen became the first ever Bundesliga coach to be sacked prior to the beginning of the season when newly-promoted Mainz let him go on Monday.

The 46-year-old had guided Mainz back to the top tier last season but club president Harald Strutz said that they differed over club policy.

“We evaluated the situation, discussed it internally and explained in frank terms to Jorn Andersen what the philosophy of the club was,” said Strutz.

“At the end of these discussions, we concluded that what our vision was and his was not compatible.”

Andersen’s replacement is Thomas Tuchel, who had been in charge of the Under-19 side, as Mainz – who went out of the German Cup on Friday beaten 2-1 by fourth division side Lubeck – prepare for their first match of the league season against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

BERLIN (AFP)