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The BVB chief is angry with the German champions over their public pursuit of Marco Reus and has cut off ties with the Bavarians
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed that he and Bayern Munich counterpart Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have no relationship whatsoever.
Germany's two top clubs have made attempts to mend their broken relationship in recent months, with the Bavarians' recent deals for Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski having created a rift between the pair.
However, Rummenigge has been speaking openly about the possibility of Bayern attempting to lure Marco Reus away from Signal Iduna Park over the past couple of months, much to the annoyance of Watzke.
"Our relationship has been professional for a long time. But at the moment, I believe there's no relationship at all," he told SportBild.
"You shouldn't talk publicly about contractual terms of employees of a competing company to the public, no matter how you say it. And the Bundesliga is no exception.
"Nobody in Germany speculated about whether Toni Kroos was going to Madrid because it wasn't their business ..."
Bayern and Dortmund will renew on-field hostilities at 18:00CET on Wednesday, when they clash in the DFL-Supercup at Signal Iduna Park.
Bayern Munich have confirmed the player will have an operation on a knee injury suffered in the DFL-Supercup defeat to Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich have confirmed Javi Martinez will be out of action for "several months" as a result of the knee injury he suffered against Borussia Dortmund.
The Spain international fell to the turf after an innocuous-looking challenge with Marcel Schmelzer in the first half of Dortmund's 2-0 victory on Wednesday.
He indicated in the immediate aftermath he thought it was a serious injury and that was backed-up on Thursday when Bayern announced he would have to undergo surgery on a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
A Bayern statement read: "Javi Martínez suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the German Super Cup in Dortmund on Wednesday night and will not be available to coach Pep Guardiola for the remainder of the year."
It is a big blow for Guardiola who was expected to utilise Martinez's versatility to the full over the coming season.
The former Athletic Bilbao man can operate in midfield and defence and was an integral part of the Bayern side which won the Champions League in 2013 and retained the domestic double last season.
He was downbeat after hearing the news but vowed to return a better player, telling the club's official website: "Of course I am very sad but I need you not to worry - I'll come back even stronger."
Martinez is expected to fly to Colorado in the next few days to have surgery before returning to Germany to begin his rehabilitation.
The defender, who earned his 100th cap during the World Cup, says the national team is "in better shape than ever" heading into the future
Arsenal and Germany defender Per Mertesacker has announced his retirement from international football.
The 29-year-old surpassed the 100-cap mark during his country's triumphant World Cup campaign this summer, 10 years after making his senior debut.
The towering centre-back says he is happy to bring an end to his international career on his own terms and insists the future of the Germany side has never looked brighter.
"The main thing for me was that I wanted to be able to decide when my international career would end after ten years myself," he said.
"There is no reason to fear the future. Young players will come through. Germany are in better shape than ever before.
"I now want to win the Premier League title with Arsenal and make an impact in the Champions League."
Mertesacker made his senior Germany debut under Jurgen Klinsmann in 2004, when he came on as a substitute against Iraq in October.
The former Werder Bremen stopper was part of the side which claimed third place at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cup finals and finished runners-up to Spain at Euro 2008.
Mertesacker came on as a last-minute substitute in the 1-0 final victory over Argentina at the Maracana this summer, making a total of six appearances during the tournament.
The full-back suffered a torn groin muscle in the win over Bayern Munich and faces a few weeks on the sidelines
Borussia Dortmund left-back Marcel Schmelzer is set to miss the start of the Bundesliga season with a groin injury.
Schmelzer was withdrawn at half-time of Dortmund's 2-0 DFL-Supercup victory over arch-rivals Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
And tests have revealed that the 26-year-old sustained a torn abductor in his groin, meaning he will be sidelined for Dortmund's Bundesliga opener at home to Bayer Leverkusen on August 23.
A statement published on Dortmund's official website on Friday read: "Borussia Dortmund will be without Marcel Schmelzer in the coming weeks."
In more positive news for Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp, both Oliver Kirch (foot) and Sokratis Papastathopoulos (knock) trained on Friday after picking up minor problems against Bayern.
However, it seems unlikely Klopp will risk the duo for his side's DFB-Pokal trip to third-tier Stuttgarter Kickers on Saturday.
The Dutchman says he is raring to go for the new season but warns that he needs more time before he is in peak condition after the World Cup
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has revealed he is still not fully fit after his exploits with Netherlands in the World Cup this summer.
The Dutchman was one of the stars of the tournament as Louis van Gaal's men reached the semi-finals of the competition, only to suffer penalty shoot-out heartbreak at the hands of Argentina.
Robben,30, missed the DFL-Supercup clash against Borussia Dortmund and feels that the needs to work on his fitness before representing the Bavarians.
"It's what we agreed because the match came too early for me," he told the club's official website when asked about his
"I need to train hard for a few days and recover my rhythm. I'm still very much in pre-season. My desire to play football is certainly back again. I'm ready for the restart!
"Obviously the three weeks [of holiday] went by in a flash and I'm sure a couple more days would have done us all good. But it just wasn't possible because we have the DFB Cup first round on Sunday."
Robben was named among the final three contenders for Uefa's Best Player in Europe award on Thursday.
Gundogan: I would have been a world champion but for injury
By Mark Doyle
Aug 17, 2014 15:36:00
The Germany international has admitted that he still finds it difficult to come to terms with the fact that he missed Brazil 2014 because of a back problem
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has lamented the loss of "a whole year" of his football career, pointing out that he could have become a world champion had it not been for his injury nightmare.
The Germany international aggravated a back problem in a friendly against Paraguay last August and suffered a succession of setbacks during his rehabilitation, ultimately ruling him out of his country's triumphant Brazil 2014 campaign.
"I would have been there and now I would have been world champion," Gundogan told Welt am Sonntag.
"I missed this great tournament and that's not a nice feeling. I've lost a whole year."
Gundogan added, though, that while he was enforced to endure numerous dark days during his recovery, he is now feeling like his old self again as he nears his return to full fitness.
"I just didn't want to go out of the house," the 23-year-old said of his spell on the sidelines.
"My thoughts revolved around when I would be able to be fit again. I couldn't enjoy anything else in life.
"But I've not been as happy as I am now in a long time. It's fantastic to be able to train with the team again, even if I'm only restricted to running exercises."
Guardiola: Bayern will sign replacement for Martinez
Bayern Munich hope to quickly sign a replacement for injured holding midfielder Javi Martinez who will be sidelined for the rest of the year, coach Pep Guardiola said.
16 August 2014 12:13 Reuters
Javi Martinez (Imago)
Martinez suffered a cruciate ligament tear in his left knee in Bayern's German Super Cup defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
"We need a new player," Guardiola, who before Martinez's injury had said he would make no more signings in this transfer window, told reporters ahead of Sunday's German Cup first round match against Preussen Muenster.
"We have to react and there are candidates. There are many candidates but only a few who would do for us.
"With this injury we have a special situation and now we must act," the Spaniard added. "There are still two weeks."
Martinez's absence is a big blow for last season's domestic double winners with the Spain international capable of playing several positions including at the heart of a new-look three-man defence Guardiola fielded against Dortmund.
Guardiola: No problem if Bayern don't sign a defender
By Stefan Coerts
Aug 19, 2014 10:11:00
The Bavarians have been heavily linked with Roma's Mehdi Benatia but the ex-Barcelona coach has stressed a new centre-back is not a necessity despite Javi Martinez's injury
Pep Guardiola is confident Bayern Munich have what it takes to cope with the absence of Javi Martinez even if they fail to sign a replacement.
The Spain international sustained a serious knee injury in Bayern's 2-0 Supercup loss against Borussia Dortmund and will consequently be out of action for at least the remainder of 2014.
Guardiola admitted at the weekend that he would like to sign a replacement for Martinez, with Roma star Mehdi Benatia allegedly topping the former Barcelona coach's wishlist.
However, the Morocco international's hefty pricetag could prove to be too much of an obstacle and Guardiola has made it clear that he is happy to work with his current squad if no fresh blood comes in.
"It would be great if something's possible on the transfer market," Guardiola was quoted as saying by Bild.
"But if it's not possible, so be it. We will just keep working with the players we already have.
"It's not a problem for me."
With Holger Badstuber, Dante and Jerome Boateng, Bayern have just three fit accomplished centre-backs in their squad following Martinez's absence.
The Bavarians are not overly concerned about the midfielder's fitness and continue to monitor the transfer market as speculation over the signing of a defender continues
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed that Bastian Schweinsteiger will be out of action for a number of weeks due to a knee injury, but has stressed that the midfielder's physical problems are nothing long term.
Schweinsteiger has been plagued by injury problems this year and will consequently miss the start of the 2014-15 campaign, but Rummenigge is not overly concerned about the Germany international's fitness.
"Schweinsteiger has a problem with his kneecap and was examined again on Monday," Rummenigge said at a press conference.
"It's going to take a few weeks to clear up and he won't be fit for the internationals in early September.
"We'll have to be patient but we're confident it's nothing long-term."
Bayern are believed to be in the market for a new centre-back following Javi Martinez's serious knee injury, but Rummenigge has made it clear they will only sign someone if the conditions are right.
"It's not our intention to panic or get nervous. We're in good shape, as everyone saw in the DFB Pokal game [against Preussen Munster]," he added.
"We have lots of quality in the squad and we're very relaxed. If we do choose to do anything it'll depend on quality and price. We'll monitor the situation calmly."
Reus will not leave Dortmund for money, insists Watzke
By Stefan Coerts
Aug 20, 2014 08:04:00
The Signal Iduna Park side remain confident that they can hold on to their star player amid interest from Europe's finest
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke is hopeful that the Bundesliga giants can hold on to Marco Reus amid ongoing rumours linking him with clubs such as Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid.
The Germany international could be in line for a significant payrise if he were to leave BVB for one of Europe's giants, yet Watzke is confident that the 25-year-old is not the kind of player to let financial gains dominate his future.
"We will have to wait and see whether we can hold on to Marco. But I know him really well and I can say that it's not about money for him," Watzke told Der Westen.
"We will hold talks with him and the total package we can offer will be important. It's about finances, ambition and the faith we show in the player. I have the feeling that our players are happy at BVB. I didn't have the same feeling with the players who left us in the past. And that's an understatement."
Reus is a product of the Dortmund youth academy and Watzke believes the versatile attacker is destined to become a club legend irrespective of winning silverware.
"People talk too much about winning titles. What I'm trying to tell is that Marco Reus can mark an era as a Dortmund player. He can become a club legend. That's much more important than one or two more titles.
"Marco Reus can carry this club, his club, the club from his hometown. Why is Franz Beckenbauer such a legend in Munich? Wolfgang Overath, Uwe Seeler, Fritz Walter... People still know where these guys played and what they achieved there in 100 years' time."
The former Borussia Monchengladbach attacker - who returned to Dortmund in 2012 - has a release clause in his contract that allows him to leave BVB for a reputed €35 million fee in the summer of 2015 and Watzke has stressed that the club had no other choice but to accept the player's wish at the time of his arrival.
"He joined Dortmund from Gladbach and perhaps people in his entourage told him that a release clause would allow him to leave if things didn't work out. We were not at the same level as now back then," Watzke explained.
"Right now, we would not include any release clauses, but he insisted on having one. Marco had 10 offers or so and we had to compromise. He might have moved elsewhere had we not agreed on including a release clause.
"We will do our utmost to convince Marco that his future is at Dortmund. Plus he can win titles here at Dortmund, too."
The forward's current deal is due to expire in 2017, but BVB are keen to extend his existing deal and remove the buy-out clause.
Borussia Dortmund will be without Oliver Kirch and Ji Dong-won for the next few weeks after the pair picked up injuries in training.
Jurgen Klopp's men suffered a nightmare with injuries during 2013-14, with the likes of Neven Subotic, Ilkay Gundogan and Sven Bender among a list of many to miss large chunks of the campaign.
Marco Reus made his return to the side in the DFB Pokal on Saturday after an ankle problem sustained in the lead-up to the World Cup, but the club were dealt a further blow on Wednesday with the news that Kirch and Ji are facing a spell on the sidelines.
The injury to Kirch is thought to be more serious and could see him miss up to two months, while Ji's ailment could see the South Korea international out of action for four weeks.
"Borussia Dortmund will have to do without the services of Oliver Kirch and Ji Dong-won over the next few weeks," a statement on Dortmund's official website read.
"Both midfielders picked up thigh injuries in training on Tuesday afternoon.
"Tests made by club doctor Markus Braun at Dortmund's Knappschaft hospital revealed that Oliver Kirch has suffered a torn thigh muscle. He is expected to be out of action for up to eight weeks.
"Ji Dong-won has sustained a tear in his left hamstring, according to Dr. Braun. He is expected to be out for four weeks."
Lars Bender could return for Bayer Leverkusen's opening Bundesliga clash with Borussia Dortmund after recovering from a thigh problem.
The midfielder has been absent since suffering the injury during a training session with Germany ahead of the World Cup in May.
Bender was omitted from Joachim Low's final 23-man squad and had to watch from home as his team-mates were crowned world champions for a fourth time.
The 25-year-old missed all of Leverkusen's pre-season as he recovered from the injury, but head coach Roger Schmidt revealed he has now returned to full training.
Along with new signing Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Bender could feature at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.
"Both players took part in full training," Schmidt told a media conference on Thursday.
"We've still got two days to go and we'll see what happens in training and decide whether or not they make it to the squad."
Bender made 29 appearances for Leverkusen last season as they finished fourth and qualified for the UEFA Champions League play-off round.
The prolific attacker claims the new Italy boss was keen to take him back to Turin before he joined Borussia Dortmund and the 45-year-old stepped down
Borussia Dortmund striker Ciro Immobile has revealed that Antonio Conte was keen to bring him back to Juventus this summer, but the Serie A champions' hierarchy eventually opted to cash in on the Italy international.
The 24-year-old, who was co-owned by Torino and Juventus, impressed for the former in 2013-14 as he netted 22 goals to win the Serie A top-scorer title and Conte was keen to work with the striker at the Italian champions on a permanent basis.
However, Juventus opted to sell their part of Immobile's economic rights to Dortmund rather than purchase him outright, allowing the striker to move to Germany before Conte ultimately stepped down as coach amid reports of a disagreement over transfer policy.
"I spoke with Conte and he wanted to take me back to Juventus," Immobile was quoted as saying by La Repubblica.
"However, Juventus then reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund. In the end, they were the ones who made the final decision."
The striker went on to stress that he has adjusted to life at the Bundesliga giants quickly and says he enjoy working under coach Jurgen Klopp.
"I have settled in very well at Dortmund. Klopp really likes the way I pay and fight for every ball. He sees me as a true warrior.
The Spanish coach insists retaining the league title is their biggest target but is worried by a lack of fit players in his team
Retaining the Bundesliga title is Bayern Munich's most important target this season, according to Pep Guardiola, who admits his side are in for a tough start to the campaign.
Bayern wrapped up the league in record time last season, finishing the campaign with a 19-point lead over Borussia Dortmund. However, a shadow was cast over their campaign when they suffered a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League.
However, Guardiola insists winning a third consecutive domestic title is the main target for his side, as opposed to reclaiming their spot at the pinnacle of European football.
"The Bundesliga is our main objective," he told reporters. "It’s the most valuable title. We’ll work for it every day."
The former Barcelona boss is anticipating a difficult start to the season, though, as Franck Ribery is out injured while several other members of his team are not fit.
"Franck will be out for two or three weeks through injury. He still needs time," he said.
"Arjen [Robben] is fit but hasn't played yet. I'll have to see who is in the best shape. Then I'll decide who plays.
"We aren’t in top shape. We need to find another solution. Run, run, run, and play games together, with passion. The next couple of months are going to be very, very difficult.
"I need midfielders for my system, but I have very few. So maybe I need to adjust my system!"
Guardiola was then asked if he felt the World Cup winners in his team may be lacking in motivation upon their return to domestic football, to which he replied: "I’m not worried. They are absolute professionals and love winning."
Bundesliga Preview: Klopp set to break record as Dortmund host Leverkusen
20 August 2014
Jurgen Klopp will become Borussia Dortmund's longest-serving manager when his side begin their Bundesliga campaign against Bayer Leverkusen.
The charismatic manager took charge at Signal Iduna Park in 2008, and has since led the club to two league titles as well as the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League final.
Ottmar Hitzfeld was the last man to guide Dortmund to the final of Europe's premier club competition, in 1997, and when the club open their 2014-15 season against Leverkusen on Saturday, Klopp will go past Hitzfeld's mark of six years at the helm.
After finishing 19 points adrift of runaway champions Bayern Munich in the title race last term, Dortmund will be desperate to put down a marker as serious contenders for silverware.
They began their competitive season in fine style, defeating Bayern 2-0 in the DFL Supercup last week before easing past Stuttgart Kickers 4-1 in the DFB Pokal on Saturday.
And Klopp believes his men will be well prepared come the clash with Leverkusen on Saturday.
"We are just coming to the end of our preparations," he said following the Pokal victory.
"The Supercup didn't fit in with our or Bayern's schedule. But [against Leverkusen] we will be one step further forward and fresher."
The game sees two of the division's strongest sides go head to head, although Leverkusen will have to contend with three days' less recovery, having beaten Copenhagen 3-2 in their UEFA Champions League play-off first-leg tie in Denmark on Tuesday.
Reigning champions Bayern have a lengthy injury list to contend with at home on Friday to Wolfsburg, who were just pipped to Champions League qualification by Leverkusen in May.
The likes of Javi Martinez, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Rafinha and Thiago Alcantara are all missing for Pep Guardiola's men, while Jerome Boateng is suspended.
Newcomers Cologne, promoted as second-tier champions, start their campaign with a home clash against Hamburg, who narrowly escaped relegation last season thanks to victory in the play-offs.
Paderborn - runners-up behind Cologne - are also at home, and they will take on Mainz, who ended the previous campaign in seventh, on Sunday.
Entertainers Hoffenheim, whose matches saw a total of 142 goals in 2013-14, host Augsburg 24 hours earlier, while Schalke will be looking to make a positive start and build on last season's third-placed finish when they travel to Hannover.
Two teams that struggled last time out, Freiburg and Stuttgart, hope respective trips to Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Monchengladbach will represent the start of a more fruitful campaign while elsewhere, Hertha Berlin welcome Werder Bremen.
Bayern Munich 2 Wolfsburg 1:Pep´s men kick off with a win
22 August 2014
Bayern Munich got the defence of their Bundesliga title off to a winning start with a 2-1 home victory over Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena.
Despite looking somewhat rusty in the early stages of Friday's clash, the reigning champions were soon in control and took the lead through Thomas Muller eight minutes before the interval.
The home side were two up within a couple of minutes of the restart courtesy of an Arjen Robben strike, but Ivica Olic pulled one back for Wolfsburg with a well-struck curling effort five minutes later.
Robert Lewandowski - making his league debut for the Bavarian giants - should have put the result beyond doubt when he found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Max Grun, before substitute Junior Malanda missed a golden opportunity to claim a share of the spoils.
Pep Guardiola handed 17-year-old midfielder Gianluca Gaudino a first Bundesilga appearance in the absence of Javi Martinez, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thiago Alcantra and Franck Ribery, with the player becoming the fourth-youngest debutant in the club’s history.
The hosts' contingent of World Cup-winning Germany internationals were recognised in front of their home fans before kick-off, and it was one of the heroes of Brazil who had the first shot on goal.
Muller collected the ball from a long-range Philipp Lahm pass, but his effort from a tight angle was comfortably collected by Grun.
Bayern were not having things all their own way, and a mistake by Manuel Neuer in the 16th minute almost opened the door for Wolfsburg to break the deadlock through Olic.
The hosts, though, looked like they were beginning to find their feet, and Lewandowski was at full stretch to meet another Lahm ball with a volley shortly before the half-hour mark, drawing a superb one-handed save from Grun.
And that pressure eventually told when Muller got the slightest of touches to a Robben cross from the right, diverting the ball beyond a helpless Grun.
Bayern doubled the advantage less than two minutes after the break as Robben exchanged passes with Lewandowski before sneaking the ball inside the left-hand post.
Former Bayern striker Olic pulled Wolfsburg right back into the match five minutes later with a wonderful left-footed curling effort that went in off the underside of the crossbar.
Lewandowski should have had a goal of his own to celebrate two minutes before the hour mark, but was unable to lift the ball over Grun, before David Alaba sent a potentially threatening free-kick straight at the goalkeeper.
Wolfsburg came even closer to finding the net 10 minutes from time. Max Arnold whipped in a cross to Malanda, whose effort deflected off Neuer onto the crossbar, and the striker was unable to sort his feet out as he inexplicably touched the ball wide from the rebound.
Sebastian Rode saw a goal chalked off for offside and Robben clipped the bar as Bayern sought comfort, but two goals proved to be good enough to see off a stubborn Wolfsburg and start their season with a win for the third year in a row.
Bundesliga side Hannover have completed the signing of French forward Jimmy Briand on a one-year contract.
The five-cap France international saw his contract with Ligue 1 club Lyon expire at the end of last season and had been linked with moves to Turkey and England.
However, Briand, who scored 22 goals in 110 league matches for Lyon, is now under contract at the HDI Arena until June 2015.
The former Rennes man follows the likes of Joselu, Ceyhun Gulselam and Hiroshi Kiyotake through the door at Hannover as Tayfun Korkut looks to improve on the club's top-10 finish last term.
"The Bundesliga is a new experience for me, for which I am very pleased," Briand told the club's official website.
"I'm curious about playing in a league in the country of the world champions, after many years in the French Ligue 1.
"I want to find my way quickly in Hannover and very much hope that we have a successful start to the season against Schalke on Saturday."
Briand, 29, last featured for the national team against Uruguay in 2012.
Dortmund are a cheap imitation of Bayern - Rummenigge
By Peter McVitie
Aug 22, 2014 14:52:00
The chief executive of the Bundesliga champions insists the latest financial reports show the North Rhine-Westphalia side are copying their strategy, but aren't as good
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has taken another shot at Borussia Dortmund, claiming they have "copied" the Bavarian giants.
Dortmund have been unable to match Bayern in the league in each of the last two seasons, finishing 25 and 19 points behind them, respectively.
The latest financial reports from Dortmund show the club have received a boost in revenue after taking on two new major shareholders, while Bayern have taken on a total of three new companies since February last year.
And Rummenigge believes this is just another example of the North Rhine-Westphalia club "copying" the Bundesliga champions, insisting they are merely a cheap imitation.
"That's the biggest compliment Borussia Dortmund could ever give Bayern Munich," he said. "But it is just like in real life: each copy is not as good as the original."
The Bundesliga kicks off on Friday with Bayern Munich hosting Wolfsburg, before Borussia Dortmund face Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Bundesliga Review: Schmidt´s Leverkusen start in style, Hannover increase pressure on Keller
23 August 2014
Roger Schmidt's Bayer Leverkusen reign started in style and Hannover heaped more pressure on Jens Keller with a win over Schalke.
Schmidt joined Leverkusen during the close-season after an impressive tenure at Red Bull Salzburg and his transition appeared seamless against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in their Bundesliga opener.
Karim Bellarabi got Leverkusen off to a record-breaking start at Signal Iduna Park as the winger netted inside nine seconds after producing a clever change of direction to beat Matthias Ginter, making it the fastest Bundesliga goal of all time.
Jurgen Klopp, entering his seventh season at Dortmund, had hoped to celebrate becoming the club's longest-serving coach with victory, but his side rarely troubled Bernd Leno is the visitors' goal.
A lack of fluency and fluidity in the Dortmund frontline proved to be a significant problem and Leverkusen eventually completed the 2-0 win in second-half stoppage time, as Stefan Kiessling found the top-right corner in emphatic fashion.
Like Dortmund, Schalke also endured a troublesome start to the season as they were defeated 2-1 at Hannover.
Coach Keller came under fire following the club's 2-1 DFB-Pokal defeat to third-tier Dynamo Dresden on Monday and his side failed to muster a response on Saturday.
Schalke began the clash well as they dominated most of the first half and their superiority continued into the second period, as Eric Choupo-Moting set Klaas-Jan Huntelaar up for an easy tap-in.
However, Hannover battled back after the introduction of Hiroshi Kiyotake and Edgar Prib levelled in the 67th minute, tapping in Leonardo Bittencourt's inch-perfect right-wing cross.
Seemingly inspired by their equaliser, Hannover netted again just three minutes later as the unmarked Joselu stroked home on his first Bundesliga appearance for the club, securing a fine win.
Werder Bremen also showcased admirable endeavour as they battled back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Hertha Berlin.
Julian Schieber's double appeared to have secured Hertha all three points, but a quickfire double from Bremen early in the second half saw the spoils shared.
Assani Lukimya nodded Bremen back into the contest in the 53rd minute and Franco Di Santo then pounced on a rebound to knock home.
Hoffenheim cruised to a 2-0 victory at home to Augsburg thanks to goals from new signing Adam Szalai and Norwegian Tarik Elyounoussi.
Eintracht Frankfurt also began their Bundesliga campaign victorious as they beat Freiburg 1-0, while newcomers Cologne held visitors Hamburg to a goalless draw.
