Football in Germany | GlobalPost

Football: Bayern thrill, Dortmund worry for Euro final

Agence France-PresseMay 18, 2013 21:30

Borussia Dortmund must wait on Mats Hummels' ankle injury for next Saturday's Champions League final, while Wembley opponents Bayern Munich finished the Bundesliga season with a seven-goal thriller. Centre-back Hummels is an injury doubt for the London final after damaging ankle ligaments in Dortmund's shock 2-1 Bundesliga defeat at home to Hoffenheim on Saturday. The centre-back picked up the injury in the process of fouling Hoffenheim's Kevin Volland in the area, which led to the first of Sejad Salihovic's two penalties in the last 13 minutes.

Football: Bayern's Badstuber suffers fresh knee injury

Agence France-PresseMay 18, 2013 15:00

Bayern Munich's Germany defender Holger Badstuber has suffered another knee ligament injury just when he was battling to recover from exactly the same setback, the Champions League finalists confirmed Saturday. The 24-year-old centre-back, who has won 30 caps for Germany, originally tore the cruciate ligament in his right knee in Bayern's 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund last December. But he has now suffered a fresh tear in the same ligament while in rehabilitation and will be operated on by a specialist in Vail, Colorado, next week, his club confirmed.

Football: Bayern's Heynckes to close 'Gladbach circle

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 22:31

Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has said he is looking forward to completing the circle on Saturday in his 1011th -- and final -- Bundesliga game at Borussia Moenchengladbach, the club where the 68-year-old started his career as a teenager. With Bayern to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final on May 25, Heynckes will step down as Bayern coach at the end of the season to be replaced by former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola.

Football: Germany name inexperienced squad for US tour

Agence France-PresseMay 16, 2013 10:30

Germany coach Joachim Loew on Thursday named an inexperienced squad for their two-match tour of the United States with many first-choice stars unavailable due to the Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Germany take on Ecuador in Boca Raton, Florida, on May 29, four days after the Champions League final at Wembley, then the USA in Washington DC on June 2. Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski and centre-back Per Mertesacker, plus Lazio striker Miroslav Klose, are the most experienced members of the touring party with 322 caps between them.

Football: Bayern's Sammer dismisses Rooney reports

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 20:15

Bayern Munich have dismissed reports Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney is a summer transfer target for the Champions League finalists'. Last week, the 27-year-old put in a transfer request to leave Old Trafford, but he is apparently not on the German champions' radar. "I don't know what Rooney would bring to the Bundesliga," Bayern's director of sport Matthias Sammer told reporters after recent stories circulated in the German media about Bayern's interest in the England ace.

Football: Schaaf quits Bremen after 14 years as coach

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 08:46

Werder Bremen on Wednesday parted company with Thomas Schaaf, one of the longest serving coaches in Bundesliga history, after 14 years in charge with the north German side. Bremen had only narrowly avoided relegation this season. Having joined Werder in 1972 as a youth player, Schaaf had spent more than 40 years at Bremen as a defender, then youth team, reserve team and assistant trainer before taking over as head coach in 1999.

Football: Hat-trick of defeats haunts confident Bayern

Agence France-PresseMay 14, 2013 12:31

Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes said on Tuesday that the German champions were completely focussed on their Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on May 25 and defeat was unthinkable. "Nothing will distract us," said the 68-year-old who was told in mid-season he will be replaced by former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola and is set to retire regardless of their European quest.

Football: Bayern poach talent to weaken rivals - Hitzfeld

Agence France-PresseMay 13, 2013 20:46

Bayern Munich's signing of Germany star Mario Goetze is set to weaken rivals Borussia Dortmund next season, but the Bavarians have recruited top talent to see off their rivals for years, admits ex-coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. Goetze, 20, dropped a bombshell on Champions League finalists Dortmund last month when it was revealed he had actioned a clause in his contract to join Bayern for 37 million euros (US$48.4m) to work with new coach Pep Guardiola.

Football: Braunschweig deal for Elabdellaoui

Agence France-PresseMay 10, 2013 15:12

Norwegian youth international Omar Elabdellaoui, initially on loan from Manchester City, has signed a permanent deal through to June 2015 with Eintracht Braunschweig, the newly-promoted club said Friday. "It became pretty quickly apparent that we wanted to take up the option to buy," said the club's sporting director Marc Arnold. Elabdellaoui, 21, has made 12 appearances since his January arrival to help Lower Saxony outfit Braunschweig into the top flight of the Bundesliga for the first time in 28 years. sg/cw/as

Football: Ribery eager to extend Bayern contract

Agence France-PresseMay 6, 2013 06:30

France wing Franck Ribery has said he is eager to extend his Bayern Munich contract past 2015 having already spent nearly six years at the Champions League finalists. The 30-year-old joined Bayern in July 2007 from Marseille and has scored 51 goals, with 74 assists, in his 154 league games for the Bavarians to become a fans favourite at the Allianz Arena and was a key factor in Bayern winning their 23rd German league title. He told German magazine Kicker he would be happy to extend his stay in Munich.