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Bundesliga preview: Can Fortuna stop runaway leaders Bayern?
7 March 2013
Leaders Bayern Munich host Fortuna Dusseldorf while Borussia Dortmund visit Schalke in this weekend's Bundesliga action.
Bayern are beginning to resemble a runaway freight train this season, 17 points ahead of Dortmund in the league and already having one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after their 3-1 round-of-16 first-leg victory over Arsenal in London.
Their 1-0 win over Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the DFB Pokal means Jupp Heynckes' men are in with a realistic chance of claiming a historic treble - setting some bar for incoming coach Pep Guardiola to try and emulate.
Bayern could only manage a 1-0 win over Hoffenheim in their last match, and they could have one eye on next Wednesday's second-leg encounter with Arsenal in the Champions League during Saturday's meeting with Fortuna.
But Bayern have won 15 successive matches in all competitions, and it seems nothing will stop them from marching to their 23rd German top-flight title.
Dortmund, meanwhile, journey to Schalke, who are continuing to claw their way up the table under new boss Jens Keller.
Keller took over from the sacked Huub Stevens in December and although he found the going tough at first, the club - who are still in the Champions League and took a 1-1 draw at Galatasaray in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash - are unbeaten in their past three Bundesliga matches.
Dortmund are also still campaigning in Europe's elite competition, and they cruised to a 3-0 second-leg win over win Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday to book their place in the last eight.
Third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, one point behind Dortmund, travel to eighth-placed Mainz on Saturday, while Freiburg host Wolfsburg.
Other Saturday matches see Werder Bremen journey to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Greuther Fuerth welcome Hoffenheim in a battle of the bottom two sides, while the round of matches begins on Friday night when 16th-placed Augsburg host Nuremberg, who are 13th.
On Sunday, Hannover entertain Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg journey to Stuttgart.
Nuremberg compounded Augsburg's relegation concerns with a 2-1 win in the Bavarian derby at SGL Arena on Friday.
The visitors hit the front through Hiroshi Kiyotake on 21 minutes before Tobias Werner restored parity 15 minutes later, but Nuremberg secured victory courtesy of Alexander Esswein's second-half strike.
Nuremberg move into 11th position ahead of the weekend's remaining fixtures, 10 points ahead of Augsburg, who occupy the relegation play-off spot.
Despite their lowly standing, Augsburg went into Friday's match relatively confident after just two defeats in nine games.
But they were trailing in the 21st minute when Kiyotake fired home the opener with a delightful 15-yard volley.
Augsburg dominated the match up until that point and their determination was rewarded on 36 minutes when Werner's headed effort went through the legs of goalkeeper Raphael Schafer.
Nuremberg continued to rely on the counter attack after the interval and took the lead again nine minutes into the second half thanks to Esswein's free-kick.
Augsburg mobilised in search of an equaliser but Nuremberg were not to be denied their first win since February 2.
Schalke have completed a clean-sweep over local rivals Borussia Dortmund with a 2-1 victory, while Bayern Munich came from behind twice to win.
A stunning first-half performance on their home turf set up Schalke's triumph on Saturday as they held on to claim the Revierderby for the second time this season.
Julian Draxler and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored the goals for Schalke, and although Robert Lewandowski pulled one back for the visitors, the hosts held on to claim the three points.
In the 12th minute, Marco Hoger's well-placed pass opened up the game for Atsuto Uchida on the right flank.
The Japanese full-back's low cross into the box found Draxler, who produced a fine first-time finish to give Schalke the advantage.
The home side almost doubled their lead immediately but Roman Weidenfeller denied Huntelaar from close range, although Dortmund's defence was breached again in the 35th minute.
Uchida again created the goal, his cross finding Huntelaar unmarked and the Dutch striker headed the ball into the back of the net.
After an impressive first half, Schalke showed some nerves after the break and with just over 30 minutes to play, Dortmund were given a lifeline.
Lewandowski burst onto Jakub Blaszczykowski's pass and beat Schalke goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand one-on-one.
The goal was the cue for Dortmund to throw everything into attack but Schalke stayed strong at the back to pick up their 11th win of the season and move into fourth spot in the Bundesliga.
In Munich, Bayern needed an 86th-minute header from Jerome Boateng to complete a 3-2 comeback win over Fortuna Dusseldorf.
The visitors took the lead in the 16th minute when Norwegian midfielder Mathis Bolly scored his maiden Bundesliga goal but Bayern responded just before half-time when Thomas Mueller scored after being teed up by his captain Philipp Lahm.
In the 71st minute, Fortuna were ahead again thanks to a goal on the counter-attack from skipper Andreas Lambertz but two minutes later Bayern equalised through Franck Ribery.
The Bundesliga leaders completed their stunning comeback with four minutes remaining when Boateng scored his maiden goal in the German top tier, heading home Lahm's cross.
The win is Bayern's 10th in a row in all competitions and takes them 20 points clear of Dortmund on the league table.
On a day full of goals, Wolfsburg thrashed Freiburg 5-2, Hoffenheim won 3-0 away to Greuther Furth and Mainz triumphed 1-0 over Bayern Leverkusen.
Borussia Moenchengladbach and Werder Bremen played out a 1-1 draw in their clash.
Bundesliga wrap: Hamburg strengthen bid for Europe
11 March 2013
Hamburg have moved into the Europa League qualification positions in the Bundesliga with a 1-0 victory over Stuttgart.
Latvian striker Artoms Rudnevs scored a brilliant volley just after half-time to earn Hamburg the three points as they rose from ninth to sixth position in the Bundesliga, which would earn the north German club Europa League football next season.
The victory takes Hamburg's season tally to 38 points, one ahead of seventh-placed Mainz, while Eintracht Frankfurt, who sit fifth, have 39 after a 0-0 draw away to Hannover on Sunday.
In Stuttgart, Hamburg picked up their third win in five matches but only their fourth away from home for the season.
Hamburg notched the only goal of the game in the 50th minute when sharp passing found Dennis Diekmeier free on the right wing and the full-back crossed to the top of the box, where Rudnevs thumped a right-foot volley past Stuttgart goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.
The result leaves Stuttgart in 14th position on the Bundesliga table on 29 points, eight clear of the promotion-relegation playoff position.
In Sunday's other game, Eintracht Frankfurt's poor run continued as they extended their winless streak to five games.
Eintracht edged the possession statistics in Hannover and had 10 shots to seven with the home team's Ron-Robert Zieler making six saves to keep the visitors scoreless.
Boateng revels in breaking Bundesliga duck
The 24-year-old says a goal was long overdue after he netted the decisive winner over Dusseldorf at the weekend but there were other things for him to smile about
Lahm wants Bayern-Dortmund Champions League final
The Bavarian full-back has set his sights on an all-German affair and says the Bundesliga's finest are just as good as Barcelona and Real Madrid
Hummels an injury doubt for Champions League clashes
The defender suffered torn ankle ligaments in the defeat to Schalke and could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines
We did not give Borussia Dortmund room to breathe, says Draxler
The young midfielder was instrumental in orchestrating a 2-1 win and admitted he struggled to handle his emotions after scoring his first derby goal
Huntelaar set to miss Schalke's clash with Galatasaray
The striker will sit out a long spell on the sidelines, after being rushed to hospital following a knee injury sustained against Borussia Dortmund
Schalke extend Howedes contract until 2017
The German team have announced that they have extended the club captain's contract until 2017, with coach Horst Heldt praising his defender's influence at the side
Klopp: Schalke deserved to beat Borussia Dortmund
The BVB boss conceded his team were second best on Saturday and congratulated their bitter rivals on the three points
Heynckes salutes Bayern Munich spirit
The 67-year-old was pleased with the way his side fought back from behind twice to beat Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday
Schalke 2-1 Borussia Dortmund: More Ruhr derby delight for die Knappen
Draxler and Huntelaar were the heroes for the home side as they battled to a narrow victory over Klopp's men, who could not recover from a devastating first-half show
Bayern Munich 3-2 Fortuna Dusseldorf: Boateng completes brilliant Bavarian comeback
The Bavarians came from behind twice to seal a dramatic victory over the resilient Ruhr outfit, who defended heroically throughout
Luiz Gustavo will start against Arsenal, confirms Heynckes
The veteran coach reveals the Brazilian will be tasked with replacing Bastian Schweinsteiger in the middle of the park when the Gunners travel to the Allianz Arena next week
Schalke belong in the Champions League, says Howedes
The highly-rated defender has set his sights on competing in European club football's elite competition once more next season
Hoeness criticises money-driven Manchester United owners
By Matt Hill
Mar 11, 2013 1:40:00 PM
The German side's president believes owners should have an emotional attachment to the club, rather than just seek the financial gains, using the Glazer family as an example
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has criticised football owners who have no emotional attachment to their club and are just driven by money, using the Glazer family and their ownership of Manchester United as an example.
Hoeness was a success at Bayern as a player, winning three Bundesliga titles before becoming their president, and has blasted United's American ownership for not caring enough about the club.
"At Bayern we don't look always for short-term success. I've won about 20 titles," Hoeness told The Sun.
"To win the 21st title I'll not sell out the club. But if somebody comes in who's won nothing, he wants to win quickly and under this pressure he makes decisions which can be very difficult.
"I do not compare ourselves to United for instance which is a very big club and famous and one I admire greatly. But Mr Glazer didn't know where Manchester was 20 years ago. He doesn't do it because he loves United. He wants to make money.
"Football, you do with your heart. I have no problem with people from Arabia or Russia but they should have a connection to the club, from the heart."
Hoeness believes the German game, which is admired by many, is different to that in England and much is down to the cheaper ticket prices which lead to higher average attendances.
He explained: "I only want to have big sporting success on a sound economic basis. It's no fun to win the championship or Champions League with a £50-£60 million loss.
"The 12,000 cheap tickets are for young people and the people who cannot afford it otherwise. Football must always be affordable.
"When you only pay €15 [£12] you can't say 'I hate these millionaires' because you cannot finance the millionaires with €15. The €15 tickets are standing seats behind the goals. Our most expensive season ticket is around €800 [£697]."
Hoeness, however, praised Arsenal, who meet Bayern Munich in the second leg of their last 16 Champions League tie on Wednesday, for their financial model.
"I've a very good opinion about Arsenal's people and how they think. They do it correctly," he added.
"At the moment, OK, they have some problems in the squad but in their financial behaviour they are correct.
"If Mr Kroenke says, 'I want to make money' then he has to find people who love the club. Arsene Wenger for a long time has been a good icon for the club. He has done a great job."
The experienced coach has again hinted at extending his coaching career after dismissing the prospect of taking up an "office job"
Jupp Heynckes has made it clear that he will not be joining the Bayern Munich board once he leaves his position as the club's head coach at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.
Heynckes will make way for Pep Guardiola once the current season comes to an end, but Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stated last week that the Bavarians are keen to keep the 67-year-old at the Allianz Arena in another position.
However, Heynckes has insisted that he is not interested in a position with Bayern's board of directors.
"I do not think that I will accept an office job after 50 years as a player and a coach," Heynckes was quoted as saying by Bild.
"That is simply not my world."
Heynckes was initially expected to retire at the end of the season, but the experienced trainer has recently stated more than once that he might extend his coaching career after all.
The Arsenal manager has been a frequent target for the German side over the years, with the Gunners preparing for the Champions League last 16 return leg in Bavaria on Wednesday
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has revealed that the German club have repeatedly attempted to hire Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger over the years.
The news comes as Arsenal are preparing for the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie with Bayern at the Allianz Arena, with the Gunners looking to overturn a 3-1 deficit.
With the north London club off the pace in the league and out of the FA Cup, Wenger now looks set to preside over his eighth-straight trophyless season at Arsenal.
However, Hoeness has been full of praise for the Frenchman and has admitted the club have repeatedly tried to lure Frenchman in the past.
"We did try to get him at Bayern Munich a few times," he told The Sun.
"Even before he went to Japan, Franz Beckenbauer and I went to Nice and discussed with him and everything was clear, but then at the end of the day he decided to go to Japan.
"We were very surprised. From Japan he went to Arsenal and over the years, whenever we were looking for a new coach, Wenger was always one we considered.
"He’s a very serious person, very strong and has a very good idea about the game. There have been a few moments where we have discussed his name over the years.
"He has always remained loyal to Arsenal which is fantastic behaviour. But it is true we wanted him at Bayern a few times."
Kroos: Bayern will not run out of breath
Die Roten's midfield star says his team will not run out of steam in their quest to be crowned champions on three fronts
Criticism will benefit Bayern, says Muller
The versatile attacker is hopeful that the criticism in the wake of Bayern's surprise-loss against Arsenal will spur them on again in the remainder of the season
Borussia Dortmund's goal is Wembley, says Santana
The Brazilian is looking to reach the final of European football's elite competition, with the club's hopes of retaining their Bundesliga title all but extinguished
Ronaldo is very humble, insists Sahin
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder claims he learned a lot from the Portuguese star during his time at Real Madrid, and revealed he still chats with former boss Jose Mourinho
Thank God I have left Brendan Rodgers, says Sahin
The Borussia Dortmund loanee has blamed the Reds manager for his unsuccessful spell on Merseyside earlier this season, complaining that he played him in out of position
Wolfsburg turn attention back to Quagliarella
The former German champions are closely monitoring the situation of the Bianconeri forward, and are also keeping tabs on Alessio Cerci
Robben: Arsenal loss a wake-up call for Bayern
The Dutchman has stressed that the Bundesliga leaders cannot afford to lose focus if they are to go all the way in Europe
Bayern escaped with a 'black eye', says Heynckes
The coach of the Bavarian giants confessed his team were fortunate to reach the Champions League quarter-finals and openly disapproved of their below par performance
Howedes: Schalke outplayed Galatasaray twice
The defender could not contain his disappointment after the Bundesliga side's exit in the round of 16, and bemoaned his team's missed opportunities
Bayern don't need any more stars, says Beckenbauer
The former FCB star believes that the current Bundesliga leaders already have plenty of quality and do not need to make any big investments
Watzke: Dortmund must improve if they are to progress in the Champions League
The BVB general manager feels the first-half performance in the defeat to Schalke was unacceptable, though their win against Shakhtar Donetsk gives them something to hang on to
Klopp admits Hummels risk backfired
The coach of the Bundesliga holders believes with hindsight he should not have played the defender, who tore ankle ligaments in the Revierderby prior to suffering from a virus
Dortmund among Bundesliga pack chasing Soares
The German-born full-back is open to a move away from Sporting Lisbon having impressed the likes of BVB, Hannover, Dusseldorf and Borussia Monchengladbach
Bayern would love to sign Rooney, admits Beckenbauer
The Bavarian giants' honorary president would welcome the signing of the Manchester United striker, whom he once described as "one of the world's greatest players"
Pizarro: I would love to stay at Bayern
The former Chelsea forward insists he has never wanted to play for any other side, though he acknowledges he needs more game time at the Allianz Arena
Leitner cools talk of Champions League glory
The 20-year-old midfielder is hesitant to discuss how far Dortmund can reach in the competition and says an all-German quarter-final would "be cool"
I was scared before Bayern move, says Martinez
The Spain international was initially worried about leaving his homeland for Germany, but is delighted with the way things have gone since
Bundesliga preview: Schalke thoughts switch to home
14 March 2013
Schalke will be hoping to banish thoughts of their Champions League exit in midweek as they fight for a top-four spot in the Bundesliga.
The German side was bundled out of Europe's premier club competition at the hands of Galatasaray, but have won their past three in the league to be sitting in the final Champions League spot for next season's tournament.
There are five teams - hypothetically - that could be fourth by the time the weekend's out though, making every point gained imperative for Jens Keller's men.
They will travel to Nuremburg on Saturday, with the mid-table club unbeaten in six.
Schalke - on 39 points - have a poor recent record at the Grundig Stadium, losing on their past two visits.
Hunting the final Champions League place are Eintracht Frankfurt (fifth - 39 points), Hamburg (sixth - 38 points), Mainz (seventh - 37 points) and Freiburg (eighth - 36 points).
Frankfurt entertain a struggling Stuttgart outfit, who have lost their past two and sit in 14th spot.
Hamburg host an Augsburg side that sits in the relegation playoff spot, and are seven points behind complete safety.
Mainz are on the road to Hoffenheim - two points worse off than Augsburg - while Freiburg travel to second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who are last-start losers.
Given all are winnable matches, each side will be desperate to keep up the pressure on their rivals as they battle for a cherished CL spot.
On Friday night, Wolfsburg will host Fortuna Dusseldorf. Wolves will be out to regain the faith of their Volkswagen Arena supporters, who last witnessed a 4-1 reverse to Schalke.
Werder Bremen host bottom club Greuther Furth, with the latter all but relegated as they sit 14 points from safety, although only seven from the playoff spot.
Virtual champions Bayern Munich - a lazy 20 points ahead at the helm - take on third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, with the latter still wanting to sew up their CL group-stage ticket for next season.
Leverkusen are six points clear of Schalke in fourth, but need to keep winning if they are to avoid having to qualify for Europe's premier competition.
Finally on Sunday, Borussia Moenchengladbach will welcome Hannover 96 in a mid-table affair.
Fortuna Dusseldorf missed the chance to overtake Wolfsburg on the Bundesliga table after the two sides played out a 1-1 draw on Friday.
In bitterly cold conditions at the Volkswagen Arena, Fortuna opened the scoring eight minutes before the interval when Mathis Bolly volleyed home a Robbie Kruse cutback
However, the home side hit back six minutes after the restart after Ivica Olic sent a low drive past Fabian Giefer from inside the box.
Neither side could find the decisive goal as the game drew to a close, with the result seeing Fortuna move to 12th place on the table with 29 points, one place and two points behind Wolfsburg.
Van Gaal believes he is god's father, says Hoeness
By Stefan Coerts
Mar 15, 2013 8:00:00 AM
The Bayern supremo has slammed the club's former head coach and has insisted Van Gaal did not play a role in the club's current success
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has hit out at former coach Louis van Gaal and believes the Dutchman's ego has made him lose all sense of reality.
The current Netherlands boss recently stated that Bayern's current success is largely down to his good work from 2009 until 2011, while stressing that Pep Guardiola was a good choice as the club's new coach because the Spaniard follows the Van Gaal-philosophy.
"Only Louis van Gaal can say something like that," Hoeness told De Telegraaf.
"Van Gaal's problem is not that he's god, but he's god's very own father. Louis was already there before the world even existed.
"If you look at the world from that perspective, like Van Gaal does, it's hard to see what the world really looks like.
"Van Gaal is a good coach who cleaned up Jurgen Klinsmann's inheritance. That's his role in Bayern's recent development. But that's all he has contributed to the club's success. And he didn't play a role in Guardiola's appointment either."
The controversial coach led Bayern to the Bundesliga title and DFB Pokal in 2009-10, while also making it to the Champions League final that term, where the Bavarians were beaten by Inter.
Bayern Munich bounced back from their midweek defeat to Arsenal by beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at the BayArena in Bundesliga action.
Mario Gomez had given the visitors the lead just before the break, but the hosts regrouped in the second half and grabbed a deserved equaliser through Simon Rolfes, only for Philipp Wollscheid to score an own goal three minutes from time.
After a cagey start, a moment of brilliance in the 37th minute broke the deadlock.
Gomez took a Xherdan Shaqiri pass in his stride, superbly chipped the ball over Daniel Carvajal, and sent a great shot past Bernd Leno to give Bayern the lead.
Heynckes elected to try and preserve the lead after the break, bringing Daniel Van Buyten on for Arjen Robben, but the ploy backfired 15 minutes from the end.
Sebastian Boenisch met a corner at the near post and headed it onto Rolfes, who capitalised on some slack defending at the far post and tapped home.
Leverkusen were unfortunate to concede the winner in the 87th minute, when Bastian Schweinsteiger floated in a free kick which struck Wollscheid and bounced into the net.
Elsewhere, Polish forward Robert Lewandowski bagged a double as Borussia Dortmund thumped Freiburg 5-1.
More than 80,000 fans crammed into the Westfalenstadion for the clash in Dortmund but they were stunned early.
Jonathan Schmid gave Freiburg a surprise lead on 28 minutes, converting Max Kruse's assist.
But in the space of four minutes Freiburg's afternoon turned sour, as Dortmund scored three quick goals.
Lewandowski was the first to net, with the leveller coming on 41 minutes.
Turkish midfielder Nuri Sahin – who set up the first goal – got himself on the scoresheet on 44 minutes and Lewandowski added further polish to the half time score line with his second.
Sahin also got a double, scoring his side's fourth on 72 minutes before substitute Leonardo Bittencourt wrapped up the rout 12 minutes from time.
Lewandowski has now scored 19 Bundesliga goals this season and he has netted in eight successive league matches for the club.
Nuremberg extended their unbeaten streak to seven matches with a 3-0 home win over Schalke.
Markus Feulner opened the scoring on 31 minutes before Alexander Esswein and Mike Frantz netted after the break.
Other results saw Werder Bremen claim a 2-2 home draw against strugglers Greuther Furth thanks to a pair of Aaron Hunt penalties, while Augsburg won 1-0 at Hamburg.
The day's other match saw Hoffenheim play out a goalless stalemate against Mainz.
Bundesliga wrap: Stuttgart head out of drop zone
18 March 2013
Stuttgart recorded an important 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt to climb clear of the relegation zone in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Bruno Labbadia's men had suffered four straight losses, including a disappointing Europa League exit, heading into the encounter but bounced back in style.
Vedad Ibisevic cancelled out Stefan Aigner's 17th-minute opener at the Commerzbank-Arena.
Georg Niedermeier scored the winner in the second half, lifting Stuttgart into 12th and eight points clear of Augsburg, who occupy the relegation playoff spot.
Eintracht Frankfurt remain fourth despite being winless in their past six matches.
It looked like they would break that run when Aigner put them ahead after a Pirmin Schwegler through ball split the defence.
Aigner's run was untracked and he finished smartly with the outside of his foot past Sven Ulreich.
They held onto their lead until early in the second half as Ibisevic struck from the penalty spot after Schwegler brought down Arthur Boka with a clumsy challenge.
And Stuttgart found a winner in the 71st minute as Niedermeier powered in a header from an Alexandru Maxim corner to seal all three points.
In the day's other game, Borussia Moenchengladbach moved up to seventh with a 1-0 win at home to Hannover.
Luuk de Jong scored what proved to be the winner on 36 minutes at Borussia Park.
Lewandowski eyes Bundesliga top-scorer gong
The Poland international is hoping to become the first Borussia Dortmund player since Marcio Amoroso to top the division's goalscoring charts
Lahm: I dream of winning the World Cup
The Bayern Munich wing-back is full of ambition ahead of next year's tournament in Brazil, but says he is keeping his feet on the ground as they still have to qualify
Molinaro: Bayern Munich nothing special in defence
The wing-back is not impressed with the Allianz Arena side's defensive options, and has singled out Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery as their main attacking threats
Dante: Bayern hero Lucio was my role model
The Bayern defender has praised the Brazilian veteran, and says he used the Sao Paulo centre-back's attributes as the basis for his own game
Germany lose Kroos, Lars & Sven Bender
The Euro 2008 finalists will be without a number of midfielders in this week's match, and Joachim Low has yet to decide whether he will call up any replacements
Ribery resumes individual training
The tricky winger is one step closer to making his comeback after successfully completing an individual practice session
Gomez: My future is in Bayern's hands
The prolific attacker is not thinking about a summer transfer and has stressed that the club decide where his future lies
Sahin: I'm slowly getting back to my best
The 24-year-old scored twice during the 5-1 win over Freiburg and feels he is starting to get his performance levels back up
Deschamps: Ribery injury not a big concern
The France boss is confident that the Bayern Munich winger will be table to face Georgia and Spain despite a minor ankle knock
Bayern must not lose focus, warns Robben
The Dutch winger started in the Bundesliga leaders' 2-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen and revealed his belief that the team have dropped in form lately
Heldt not amused by 'circus-like' Schalke
The 43-year-old slammed his side following their 3-0 defeat to Nurnberg on Saturday, while Jermaine Jones insisted there must be a change of attitude within the camp
Schweinsteiger lauds Heynckes' set-piece masterstroke
The Germany midfielder praised the dead-ball tactics implemented by his coach after a free kick led to his side's winning goal against Bayer Leverkusen
I owed Borussia Dortmund a performance - Sahin
The BVB midfielder spoke of his delight at putting in an excellent display against Freiburg and thanked the club for the faith they have shown in him in recent months
'We could even play Chuck Norris with Sven Bender' - Klopp
The Borussia Dortmund coach feels that his team selection is less important than the collective tactical approach the players adopt
Van der Vaart hails Rudnevs ability
The midfielder believes his team-mate is up there with the very best forwards he has played with in his career
Draxler destined for stardom, says Heldt
The Germany midfielder has caught the attention of several big foreign clubs, but his current team are determined to hold on to him
Sahin is getting better and better, says Klopp
The BVB trainer is pleased with the influential midfielder's return to form, and has warned his team that Freiburg will pose a stern test on Saturday
All Guardiola has to do is win every game, jokes Hoeness
By Chris Kvesa
Mar 18, 2013 3:50:00 PM
The Spaniard's new boss has high hopes for the former Barcelona coach ahead of his arrival in Bavaria this summer
Bayern Munich chief Uli Hoeness says Pep Guardiola's brief at the Allianz Arena is simple - to win every game.
The Bavarian club announced in January that the former Blaugrana coach will succeed Jupp Heynckes in the summer, and the president has now jokingly revealed his high hopes for the new man.
"I only talk when we lose," the 61-year-old told Kicker during an interview.
"It's simple for Pep. All he has to do is to win every game, then no one will say anything!
"I'm a 100 per cent sure that he'll feel comfortable [at Bayern]. I can guarantee that Pep will have no problems with us, as we're on the same wavelength."
The CEO then revealed that the main reason for signing Guardiola was because of the philosophy he enforced at Barca, which Hoeness believes is close to that of Bayern.
"It's important to win titles, but at least equally as important is to find somebody with a philosophy. Every team in the world fancies getting Guardiola with his philosophy," he explained.
"The deciding factor was our philosophy, which is close to that of Barcelona."
Hoeness then took the time to name some of the club's former successful coaches, as well as delivering a swipe at Jurgen Klinsmann.
"We've had many good coaches: Udo Lattek, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes. Van Gaal has been a very good one, while Jurgen Klinsmann was a bad trainer.
"It wasn't easy to get the club back on track after Klinsmann departed. Van Gaal did it, however."
Elber: Bayern don't need Lewandowski
The Brazilian believes Bayern already have plenty of quality up front and feels the BVB attacker would not be a significant improvement
Molinaro focused on Stuttgart
The Italian defender feels this is not the moment to discuss his plans for the future as he is concentrating on his performances on the pitch
Hoeness right to criticise Bayern, insists Beckenbauer
By Joe Wright
Mar 20, 2013 4:10:00 PM
The Roten president claimed his side were "rubbish" against Arsenal last week, but the Germany icon feels he was right to do so
Franz Beckenbauer has defended Uli Hoeness' public criticism of Bayern Munich following their 2-0 Champions League defeat to Arsenal, insisting it is often necessary to get a response from a squad.
The Roten president accused the squad of "playing like rubbish" after they scraped through to the quarter-finals, while former keeper Oliver Kahn delivered a similarly damning verdict in his column for Bild.
And Beckenbauer feels that criticism can often inspire a team to reach greater heights, citing his own harsh words following a 3-0 loss to Olympique Lyonnais in 2001, when Bayern eventually won the Champions League.
"Uli Hoeness has done everything right. He had to act as responsible. That was just as necessary as my speech in Lyon," he told Bild.
"Even young players will respond when criticised publicly. Bayern played at a lower class in the second leg than they did in the first. Next time Matthias Sammer can strike again ..."
Bayern clash with Juventus in the last eight of the competition.
