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Guardiola has brought Barcelona style to Bayern - Sammer
By Alec Fenn
Dec 27, 2014 12:42:00
The club's sporting director has applauded the manner in which the Spaniard has integrated his passing philosophy into the club's existing playing style
Matthias Sammer has praised Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola for integrating his passing philosophy without sacrificing the club's identity.
The Spaniard lifted the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in his debut season in charge last term but the former Barcelona boss was still criticised for stubbornly sticking to his footballing principles.
Guardiola's famous 'Tiki-Taka' model brought great success to Camp Nou during his four years in Catalonia but many felt his style was too far removed from the one favoured by his Bayern predecessor Jupp Heynckes, who won the treble in 2013/14.
The shock 5-0 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League added further fuel to that argument, but with Bayern already 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga in December, the club's sporting director Sammer has applauded the 43-year-old.
"He obviously tried to integrate the strengths of his players into his football," he told the club's official website.
"He also needed time to realise what would work and what wouldn't. His inter-connect and integration of style has been a wonderful success, though. This is his great achievement."
Sammer added his admiration for Guardiola as a person and said his values were a perfect fit for the club's values.
He added: "It's been a pleasure to work with him, he fits wonderfully as a man with Bayern. Personally I can say that we have absolute trust. We have a very, very close relationship."
Germany's World Cup success led to fears several players would fail to maintain the same levels of motivation after claiming the game's biggest prize, but Sammer again said the experience of Guardiola has been key to avoiding that potential pitfall.
"The conditions were really difficult. We had very little recovery time after the World Cup with injuries, but we've done really well in the first half of the season.
"It was very important that we had a coach who had already experienced this situation in 2010 when Spain won the World Cup."
Mkhitaryan: It makes me sad to see Klopp like this
By Mark Doyle
Dec 31, 2014 12:56:00
The 47-year-old trainer is under intense pressure on account of BVB's dismal first half to the Bundesliga season, much to the dismay of the Armenia international
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has admitted that he is saddened by the fact that Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp's job is under scrutiny.
Klopp has won two Bundesliga titles with BVB, while he also led the Signal Iduna Park side to the final of the 2013 Champions League, establishing himself as one of the most highly rated coaches in the game.
However, the 47-year-old is now under intense pressure, with Dortmund currently 17th in the German top flight after a dreadful first half to their domestic campaign.
Mkhitaryan, though, insists that Klopp is not to blame for BVB's dismal form and is thus desperate for the players to come to their coach's aid by racking up some badly needed points when the Bundesliga resumes at the end of January.
"It makes me sad to see him like this," the attacking midfielder told Bild. "He is always there for us, and it is all the more frustrating that we are not able to make him happy by winning again."
Dortmund will be hoping to kickstart their campaign when they face Bayer Leverkusen on January 31.
Schalke have confirmed they are in talks with Manchester City over a move for defender Matija Nastasic.
Serbia centre-back Nastasic has fallen out of favour at the Etihad Stadium this season, with his only appearance coming in the 3-0 Community Shield loss to Arsenal back in August despite the defending Premier League champions suffering a number of injuries at the heart of their defence.
Schalke now appear ready to offer the 21-year-old an escape route, with general manager Horst Heldt revealing that discussions with Nastasic's advisors have already taken place.
Heldt told Bild: "We are very interested and his advisers, who are in England, are in initial talks with Manchester City."
Bild report that the proposed deal for Nastasic would be a loan with an option to buy.
Nastasic has made 34 Premier League appearances for City since joining from Fiorentina in August 2012, helping Manuel Pellegrini's side to the their second English top-flight crown in three seasons last term.
Robin Dutt's contract with Werder Bremen has been terminated, paving the way for the German to become Stuttgart's sporting director.
Dutt was sacked as coach of Bremen in October but negotiations continued with regards to his contract, which was due to expire in June 2016.
However, Bremen have confirmed the mutual termination of the deal and Dutt has been heavily linked with taking over from Fredi Bobic at Stuttgart as sporting director.
Bobic left the club in September, with Bremen stating their eagerness not to stand in the way of Cologne-born Dutt taking on the role at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
"The talks about the contract termination went very fairly just like the entire collaboration," said Bremen's manager of sport Thomas Eichin.
"We always made it very clear that we really value the work of Robin Dutt and his team and don't want to stand in the way should something come up for a new challenge for Robin.
"Robin Dutt did important work for us. We wish him all the best for his new endeavours."
Dutt left his position in charge of Bremen after the side failed to win any of their opening nine Bundesliga games.
Huub Stevens' Stuttgart are 15th in the German top flight, one place above Bremen.
Bayern Munich have completed the signing of young Stuttgart midfielder Joshua Kimmich on a five-year contract.
Kimmich, 19, is currently on loan at 2.Bundesliga side Red Bull Leipzig from the Mercedes-Benz Arena and will move to Bayern at the end of the current season.
Having come through the youth system at Stuttgart, Kimmich is yet to feature for the Bundesliga side but has been a regular feature for Leipzig in their rise up the German pyramid.
Kimmich - who has represented Germany at a number of youth levels - made 26 appearances during last season's 3.Bundesliga campaign as Leipzig sealed promotion.
He has made 13 league appearances this term - helping Leipzig to seventh in the second tier - with Kimmich a former Under-19 European champion with Germany.
"Kimmich is a desired player of [sporting director] Matthias Sammer and [coach] Pep Guardiola," read a section of Bayern's statement.
The transfer fee between Bayern and Stuttgart has been left undisclosed.
Bayern Munich defender Dante is eager to figure more prominently in Pep Guardiola's plans during the remainder of the season.
The Brazil international has featured regularly during the first half of Bayern's Bundesliga campaign but has started just two of six UEFA Champions League outings this term.
Mehdi Benatia and Jerome Boateng have often been preferred for European clashes, while the likes of injured pair Holger Badstuber and Javi Martinez are set to increase competition in Guardiola's defence.
With Bayern well on their way to completing their Bundesliga defence, Dante acknowledged his desire to play a key role at the Allianz Arena this year.
"Every time I'm on the pitch, I try to show that I'm here to help our team," he told Kicker.
"But if I do not play a few games, I'm not so happy.
"No matter what the coach decides, it is important that we win everything at the end."
Bayern enjoy an 11-point lead in the top flight ahead of their return to domestic action against second-place Wolfsburg on January 30.
With a 25th German title seemingly on the way, Guardiola's side will be keen to split their attentions between the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League knockout stages.
Bayern face Shakhtar in the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition, but Dante has warned against taking their league form for granted.
"We are very pleased about the big lead we have so far, we have done great, but we must win the big games," he added.
"Bundesliga games are always important but if we continue to stay focused, we can maintain this advantage."
Bayern Munich have completed the signing of young Stuttgart midfielder Joshua Kimmich on a five-year contract.
Kimmich, 19, is currently on loan at 2.Bundesliga side Red Bull Leipzig from the Mercedes-Benz Arena and will move to Bayern at the end of the current season.
Having come through the youth system at Stuttgart, Kimmich is yet to feature for the Bundesliga side but has been a regular feature for Leipzig in their rise up the German pyramid.
Kimmich - who has represented Germany at a number of youth levels - made 26 appearances during last season's 3.Bundesliga campaign as Leipzig sealed promotion.
He has made 13 league appearances this term - helping Leipzig to seventh in the second tier - with Kimmich a former Under-19 European champion with Germany.
"Kimmich is a desired player of [sporting director] Matthias Sammer and [coach] Pep Guardiola," read a section of Bayern's statement.
The transfer fee between Bayern and Stuttgart has been left undisclosed.
Arjen Robben is hopeful that Bayern Munich team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger will be able to get back to his best in the new year.
Vice-captain Schweinsteiger returned from a long-term knee injury in November and has been limited to eight appearances in all competitions for the defending Bundesliga champions.
The Germany midfielder scored his first goal of the season in a 2-1 win at Mainz in the final game before the mid-season break in December.
And winger Robben wants Schweinsteiger to get back to his best form as the Bavarians seek to win the treble under Pep Guardiola.
"Basti is one of our captains, that says it all," Robben told Bayern's official website.
"He has a difficult period behind him. I hope now that he can really attack again in January. We need him."
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is one of the three finalists for the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
Neuer faces competition for the award from Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi. However, Dutchman Robben feels that Neuer is worthy of the honour.
"I do not know [what Neuer's chances are]," Robben added. "But I can say that it would be deserved for Manu.
"He had a great year. His body language, his strength. If you are standing in front of him as a striker and he makes himself big, that's impressive. I keep my fingers crossed for him."
David Alaba has returned to training for the first time since November as the Bayern Munich defender continues to recover from a knee injury.
The Austrian international partially tore his medial ligament and damaged the meniscus in his right knee in Bayern's 2-0 win over Roma in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, with the injury requiring surgery.
The defender returned to Bayern's Sabener Strasse training centre on Monday, completing a set of sprinting and running drills in football boots before switching to running shoes for 30 minutes of jogging.
The rest of the squad are not required to report back for duty until January 7 but Alaba returned early in an attempt to boost his chances of being fit when the Bundesliga restarts at the end of the month.
Holger Badstuber, Medhi Benatia and Pierre-Emil Hojbjerg joined Alaba in practice, as well as goalkeeper Tom Starke.
Bayern's only remaining long-term absentees from the first team are captain Philipp Lahm and midfield duo Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara.
Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber declared he is ready for full training after resuming work following the winter break.
Badstuber was the first of Pep Guardiola's squad to get back on the pitch at Bayern's Sabener Strasse training facility on Sunday, with the rest of the senior team set to join him on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old has not played since September 13 due to torn tendons in his thigh but Badstuber insisted he will be ready for the second half of the Bundesliga season, which begins on January 30 at Wolfsburg.
"I'm fit enough for the full [training] programme," Badstuber told Bayern's website.
"Even while I was on vacation I was really looking forward to being back again and making the trips with the rest of the group. I'm looking forward to the hard work."
Badstuber added: "The first workout after a holiday is always a bit tough but it was fun."
The Germany international is desperate to regain a spot in Bayern's starting XI.
"I'm heading into the second half of the season with renewed energy," Badstuber said.
"I'm looking to make best use of the next few weeks and continuously improve, so I recover the level I'd like to have. But I know I'll have to work hard for that."
Jurgen Klopp is eagerly anticipating the second half of the campaign with Borussia Dortmund after a torrid time before the mid-season break.
Though progress to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League was secured by claiming top spot in Group D, Dortmund's domestic form has been abysmal.
Klopp's side won just four of their opening 17 matches and reached the halfway stage of the season second from bottom in the table.
Following the break from action, Dortmund returned to training on Tuesday before they travel to La Manga in Spain as further preparation for their first game back at Bayer Leverkusen on January 31.
Striker Adrian Ramos continues to struggle with a thigh problem but will head to Spain, while Erik Durm, Neven Subotic and Ciro Immobile missed Tuesday's session due to illness.
Klopp will have to contend without Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who is on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Gabon, as well as Shinji Kagawa and goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak, who are to take part in the Asian Cup for Japan and Australia respectively.
Despite those absentees, the coach is looking forward to the remainder of the campaign.
"My batteries are full!" he exclaimed. "I am full of anticipation.
"We have a huge schedule in front of us and we want to start the second half of the season in a good, positive mood."
Robin Dutt has been confirmed as Stuttgart's new sporting director after agreeing the termination of his Werder Bremen contract last week.
Dutt was sacked as coach of Bremen in October, but negotiations continued with regards to his contract, which was due to expire in June 2016.
However, Bremen confirmed the mutual termination of the deal on New Year's Day, with Dutt tipped to take over from Fredi Bobic at Stuttgart.
That move has now been fianlised, with Dutt signing a deal until December 2018.
"We had clear specifications for this position as director of sport," said club president Bernd Wahler. "The important points, aside from sporting competence, were the implementation of our strategy and the patency from the youth teams right through to the professional first team.
"Further factors included leadership qualities, team and communication abilities, as well as an identification with our values.
"His economic understanding is also important in dealing with our budget and processes.
"Having weighed up all aspects, I am convinced that Robin Dutt is the correct solution for the role of Director of Sport at VfB."
Stuttgart sit 15th in the Bundesliga and Dutt believes the immediate target should be top-flight survival.
"In the constantly changing surroundings of the Bundesliga, the club finds itself facing a major challenge," he said. "In the short-term, we will be doing everything in our power to ensure we are successful in the fight for top-flight survival.
"In the mid to long-term, we intend to combine the different departments and responsibilities in the sporting areas, in order to ensure we can initialise positive and sustainable developments for the future."
Dutt parted company with Bremen after nine matches of the season, with the club then bottom of the table and without a win.
The young midfielder has committed his future to the German champions, but will spend the second half of the 2014/15 campaign out on loan
Bayern Munich midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has signed a two-year contract extension at the Allianz Arena on the day his loan departure from the club was confirmed.
The Denmark midfielder will spend the second half of the 2014-15 season at Bayern's Bundesliga rivals Augsburg, although Bayern were quick to eliminate the possibility of him moving on a permanent deal.
The 19-year-old has penned a deal which means he is now contracted to Bayern until 2018. His previous deal was due to expire in 2016.
The player's agent revealed earlier on Thursday that Hojbjerg was keen to make his mark in Bavaria after limited first-team opportunities this season under Pep Guardiola.
"The plan is for him to return to Bayern at the end of the season. He still wants to succeed at FCB," agent Soren Lerby told Goal. "We will discuss in May or June how we will proceed. He can make it at Bayern, though.
"The important thing for him now is that he gets playing time. He will get that chance at Augsburg. If not, he would have stayed at Bayern, where he gets to train with the best players in the world.
"This is the next step in his development for him. A young player needs regular first-team action at some point."
Hojbjerg joined Bayern from Brondby in 2012 and has since made 24 appearances for the Bavarians in all competitions.
Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez has extended his contract with the Bundesliga club until 2019.
The Switzerland international's deal at the Volkswagen Arena had been due to expire in 2016.
Premier League side Manchester United have previously been linked with a move for Rodriguez, but he was now committed his future to Dieter Hecking's men.
A talented attacking full-back, Rodriguez has proven to be a useful goal threat for Wolfsburg since joining from Swiss Super League side Zurich in January 2012.
Rodriguez has scored 13 goals in his Wolfsburg career and will be aiming to add to that tally in the second half of the Bundesliga season.
Wolfsburg are second and trail leaders and defending champions Bayern Munich by 11 points, a gap they can cut with victory over the Bavarians in their first game after the mid-season break on January 30.
Schalke president Clemens Tonnies is eager for the club to improve their finances so they can challenge at the top of the Bundesliga.
The Veltins-Arena outfit currently lie fifth in the German top flight, with Wolfsburg the closest contenders to champions and runaway leaders Bayern Munich this season.
While Schalke have regularly been at the top end of the Bundesliga in recent seasons, local rivals Borussia Dortmund have generally offered more of a challenge to the Bavarian giants in that time.
Schalke have not won the German title since 1958 and with Dortmund struggling in 17th this term, Tonnies feels the club need to improve off the field to facilitate a title challenge in the near future.
"Money scores goals. If you want to challenge for a top three or four finish in the Bundesliga, then you've got to have a big budget," he told Sport Bild.
"We - the ones in charge - have got to ensure we can do that.
"I would like to see our membership levels rise from 130,000 to 200,000.
"We've got around 10 million fans and people who like us and with them, we have a big chance of continuing to grow as a club."
Bundesliga - Stoke complete deal for German international defender Wollscheid
Stoke manager Mark Hughes has completed his first signing of the January transfer window with the capture of Germany international Philipp Wollscheid.
7 January 2015 18:09 PA Sport Report
Philipp Wollscheid
The 25-year-old centre-back has joined the Potters on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move in the summer.
The twice-capped defender currently plays for Bayer Leverkusen, although had spent the first few months of the current campaign on loan with Mainz.
Delighted to capture such a quality player, via the club's official website, Hughes said: "Philipp is a player we've been aware of and have been tracking for some time.
"He will add to the competition for places in the centre of our defence.
"He's got presence, technically he is good, has played at a high level, has gone for big money in the past, and to get a German international at a relatively young age is a good deal for the club.
"He's genuinely excited about the prospect of playing in the Premier League and is confident of making a big impression as a Stoke player."
VIEW FROM GERMANY
Dennis Melzer, Eurosport.de: "Wollscheid's move to Stoke is a surprise for me, because he's played just five times in this season for his loan club Mainz. In the last few years in Germany we thought that he could have been a good player with a bright future. In 2012-13 he was a starter for Leverkusen (playing 31 out of 34 Bundesliga games) and made his debut for the German national team in 2013, earning two caps so far. Yet now he's estimated to be worth just €5m, and Leverkusen traded him to Mainz because there was no chance for him to replace Ömer Toprak or Emir Spahic. So I don’t know why he is moving to a Premier League Club - and I don’t believe that he will have his breakthrough in England."
Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann is set for a spell on the sidelines after straining the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
Fahrmann was absent during a session at Schalke's training camp in Doha on Friday after experiencing discomfort in his right knee.
The German subsequently went to hospital for scans on the issue and there were initial fears that he had torn his cruciate ligament.
However, those worries were allayed with the results showing Fahrmann had suffered a strain.
No timescale has been put on a return, but Schalke expect the former Eintracht Frankfurt stopper to miss the start of the second half of the Bundesliga campaign.
"[Schalke's] number one picked up a knee injury during Thursday's training session and on Friday the diagnosis was made," read a statement on Schalke's official website.
"The keeper has strained the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
"The injury isn't as serious as first feared. Despite this, the 26-year-old will miss the start of the second half of the season."
Wolfsburg commit to training camp after Malanda tragedy
By Joe Wright
Jan 11, 2015 12:38:00
The 20-year-old was killed in a car accident on Saturday just hours before he was due to fly to South Africa with the rest of the squad
Wolfsburg will head to South Africa for their training camp despite the tragic death of Junior Malanda on Saturday.
The 20-year-old was killed in a car accident just hours before he was due to fly out with the rest of the squad as they continue their preparations for the return of the Bundesliga at the end of the month.
Though they initially cancelled their scheduled flight after hearing the news, the club have now decided to press on with their plans, with CEO Klaus Allofs stating "It's what Junior would have wanted".
"This was no easy decision, but we consider it the right one," Allofs said. "We will try to work professionally at the camp. It's what Junior would have wanted.
"The team is in a terrible state. The players are completely crushed. We got the message at the airport and decided spontaneously to not fly."
A number of notable names in football, including Sepp Blatter and Wolfsburg midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, paid tribute to Malanda on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp later described the news as "an absolute tragedy" and hailed the Belgian as "a fantastic young player".
German police confirmed that the car - in which Malanda was travelling as a passenger - "flipped over several times" after veering off the motorway during inclement weather.
"The car broke through the right guardrail, hit a tree, and flipped over several times in the embankment," they said.
"The car came to a stop on its roof. It was totally destroyed in the accident. At the time, there was heavy rain and gale-force winds."
