║║ Bundesliga Season 2012-13 ║║

[godiva]

A league without skills. About same as s-league. boring

 

[Kiessling]

A league without skills. About same as s-league. boring

Can't be worse than Ass League.

 

[Kiessling]

Bayern confirm domestic dominance & bring treble dream into focus
The Bundesliga leaders dominated Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday and have a great chance of success on three fronts

Borussia Dortmund confirm Lewandowski exit
The German side's sporting director Michael Zorc reveals that the forward will not extend his current deal, and is likely to leave at the end of the season or the summer of 2014

Effenberg: Bayern have more to lose than Dortmund
The former Germany international feels that the onus is on the Bavarians to overcome the German champions in their DFB-Pokal quarter-final tie, due to their tremendous form

Borussia Dortmund can beat anyone, says Lattek
The legendary coach has lavished praise on the German champions as they prepare to take on Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday

Bayern still hurting from Dortmund losses, says Hitzfeld
The legendary German coach believes the Bavarians will be eager to overcome the Bundesliga champions on Wednesday, given their poor run against BVB in recent seasons

Javi Martinez: Borussia Dortmund clash is about revenge
The midfielder says the Bavarians are desperate to set the record straight after coming up short against BVB in the race for honours in recent seasons

Magath: Bayern are the best club in Europe
The veteran coach believes that the Bundesliga leaders are Champions League finalists in the making and that Pep Guardiola could struggle to move the team forward

Afellay set for Barcelona return
The Netherlands international has not featured since November and having reportedly fallen out with the physios at the Veltins-Arena now looks set to return to Camp Nou in May

Bayern Munich have enormous quality, says Gundogan
The Germany international is eagerly anticipating Wednesday's cup encounter, and has stressed the threat posed by the runaway Bundesliga leaders

Kovac surprised by Mandzukic form
The 38-year-old recalled his time spent with Mario Mandzukic at Dinamo Zagreb and admits he is surprised at how the striker has developed at Bayern Munichough

 

[Kiessling]

Fourth place would be a disappointment, says Castro
The Germany defender admits he would be unhappy if his side finished fourth at the end of the Bundesliga season and says his team will fight to secure a Champions League place

Drogba issue needed clarifying, says Schalke chief Heldt
The German club's general manager defended their decision to question the Ivorian's eligibility, and it has been revealed that Edu's contract has been terminated by mutual consent

Sammer: Bayern’s core is world class
The Roten sporting director believes his side have leaders all over the pitch, but refused to talk up their chances of winning the treble this season

'The treble is no illusion for Bayern' - Franz Roth
The former Roten midfielder has backed their chances of success this season following Wednesday's win over Borussia Dortmund

Afellay: I'm only focused on my recovery
The winger has insisted he would find it hard to watch his Schalke team-mates training from the sidelines after Horst Heldt criticised him for returning to Netherlands

Borussia Dortmund frustrated with defeat, says Subotic
The Serbian centre-back feels BVB could have progressed to the semi-finals had they taken their chances in Wednesday evening's encounter

Marchisio: I prefer Bundesliga over Premier League
The midfielder would be open to a move to Germany at some point in his career amid speculation linking him with Bayern Munich

Robben is a phenomenon, says Scholl
The Netherlands international has earned plaudits with his fine display in Wednesday's cup victory

 

[Danube]

Bundesliga preview: Moelders ready for relegation fight
28 February 2013

Struggling Augsburg will rely on durable striker Sascha Moelders to make the difference when they meet Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.

Unfancied Augsburg are a lowly 16th on the table, and may yet fail in their bid to secure top-flight football for a third successive season.

Markus Weinzierl's team occupy the relegation playoff berth, sitting just two points clear of 17th and the automatic drop.

There remains a hefty margin of nine points between Augsburg and the confirmed safety of 15th, but they can at least take heart from a battling 2-1 win at home to Hoffenheim last week.

Moelders, 27, claimed the second goal in that home win, remaining on the pitch despite receiving a deep cut to his nose earlier in the contest.

Asked if he thought about coming off following the injury, Moelders said: "Not even a second. I bruised my nose, not my feet."

Having helped secure what was just a third win of the campaign for Augsburg, Moelders was already looking ahead to Saturday's away match against Bremen, unconcerned by his facial laceration.

"We'll just glue it together, I'll be all right," he said.

Improbable as an Augsburg escape act seems, they may fancy their chances of upsetting Bremen at the Weserstadion - Thomas Schaaf's team have suffered two defeats in succession to sit 12th on the table, and could be vulnerable on Saturday.

A day later, top side Bayern Munich are expected to continue their march to the title.

Jupp Heynckes' men are 17 points clear at the top, and could extend that lead further still with a victory away to Hoffenheim.

There is an intriguing tie to begin this week's round of matches, with fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt at home to mid-table Borussia Moenchengladbach.

On Saturday, second-placed Borussia Dortmund, the defending champions, host Hannover, who are seventh.

Relegation-threatened Wolfsburg are at home to underperforming Schalke, while bottom side Greuther Fuerth face a daunting trip to Europa League hopefuls Hamburg, sixth in the standings.

Bayern Leverkusen, third on the table and with Champions League football in their sights, await the visit of mid-table Stuttgart.

And in the other match on Sunday, Fortuna Duesseldorf are at home to Mainz.

 

[godiva]

Bayern domination is not good : Football Trivia Net

Dead moron clones lol : Genesimmon, Athena, Vincent, emoer, Bubbletea, Boba Fett, Scorpian, Sun Wu Kong, ShaoKahn, PaulStanley, Illinois, Visitors, Yewcharkuay, Orneeku, hotcrossbun, Kanngi, Mamapundek, Danude.

free then slowly add, hahahaha

 

[Huntelaar]

Bundesliga wrap: Dortmund trim gap, Leverkusen beat Stuttgart

3 March 2013

Borussia Dortmund trimmed Bayern Munich's Bundesliga lead to 14 points thanks to a 3-1 home win over Hannover on Saturday.

A brace from Robert Lewandowski inside the opening 21 minutes had Juergen Klopp's side in the ascendancy at the Signal Iduna Park, but a Mohammed Abdellaoue goal five minutes before the interval breathed life into the contest.

Julian Schieber sealed the win for Dortmund in the 72nd minute, and the champions bridged the gap slightly on the leaders, who play relegation-threatened Hoffenheim on Sunday.

In other results, Schalke climbed to sixth thanks to a 4-1 thumping of Wolfsburg away from home.

The match was evenly poised five minutes into the second half when Ivica Olic cancelled out Julian Draxler's 33rd-minute opener for the visitors, but Draxler's second just after the hour mark and late strikes from Jefferson Farfan and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar fired Jens Keller's side to victory.

Augsburg pulled to within six points of 15th-placed Wolfsburg thanks to their 1-0 away win at Werder Bremen, with victory sealed by a Tobias Werner goal in the first half.

Freiburg had an 83rd-minute goal from Jonathan Schmid to thank for a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg, who opened the scoring from a Timmy Simmons penalty just after the half-hour.

And Hamburg played out a 1-1 draw at home with Greuther Fuerth.

 

[Kiessling]

Bundesliga wrap: Bayern squeeze past Hoffenheim

4 March 2013

Mario Gomez's first-half strike was enough for Bayern Munich to take all three points as they saw off lowly Hoffenheim 1-0 on Sunday.

The Bundesliga leaders were far from their best, but in a rare start, Gomez produced a close-range finish to seal victory at the Rhein-Neckar Arena.

Bayern's win means they remain 17 points ahead of rivals and defending Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund at the top of table, while Hoffenheim stay embroiled in a relegation battle, five points adrift of the relegation play-off position.

Jupp Heynckes' men looked to stamp their authority on the game early on, Bastian Schweinsteiger testing Heurelho Gomes with a low free-kick that the former Tottenham goalkeeper could only turn round the post.

Despite their lowly league position, Hoffenheim were not going to let the visitors have everything their own way, and Danny Williams should have done better when a cross from the left evaded three Bayern defenders before finding him at the back post.

The midfielder could only find the side netting with that effort, but that did not deter him and he tried his luck again minutes later, missing the target with a powerful shot from distance.

Both sides were failing to make any real periods of possession count until Franck Ribery headed Jerome Boateng's diagonal ball into Gomez's path, and the Germany international made no mistake as he squeezed the ball into the bottom corner with seven minutes left to play in the first half.

The hosts' laboured as they looked to claim an unlikely point, but Heynckes' side were ultimately comfortable in closing out the win.

Meanwhile, Fortuna Duesseldorf held visiting Mainz to a 1-1 draw at Esprit Arena.

Duesseldorf, who were looking to bounce back from last week's 2-1 defeat to Schalke, hit the front courtesy of a sixth-minute Bo Svensson own-goal.

Former Bolton Wanderers striker Ivan Klasnic levelled proceedings four minutes before the break, ensuring the points were shared on Sunday.

 

[Kiessling]

Fringer: Di Matteo would struggle in Germany

2 March 2013

Former Switzerland boss Rolf Fringer has warned Roberto Di Matteo that German football will not suit his managerial style, with Schalke circling.

Fringer has been a good friend of Di Matteo's since working with him at FC Schaffhausen over 20 years ago and has lauded the Italian's intelligence and 'social skills'.

However, the 56-year-old has suggested the Bundesliga would not be a good destination for Di Matteo, despite believing he could 'help' struggling Schalke.

"I can reassure all German clubs; if he comes to Germany, this will not be his football," Fringer told Goal.com.

"I do think that he could help FC Schalke. But, I'm not convinced that he would do it.

"There are just clubs who always want too much and destroy everything with it, like Schalke. He is much too sensible that he would be put on such an ejection seat. I do not think he would do it.

"He is a decent guy with good sense. He was equipped with large social skills as a player and was very intelligent at the games, and therefore I am not surprised that he had such great success as a coach."

Di Matteo won the Champions League and FA Cup double with the Blues last season, and Fringer believes it was a combination of determination and fate that brought the Italian such rich success.

Fringer said: "When he was my player, he was very young. Also the naturalisation in the Swiss national team was a topic, but he did not want to play for them. He always had a goal, a vision.

"He always wanted to become an Italy international. That is over 20 years ago. It was not easy for a young guy from a small provincial town in Switzerland. But, he did it because he really wanted to.

"The momentum was on the side of Chelsea. From the human side and his quality Roberto deserved this fate.

"Even Didier Drogba said after the match in Munich that they won the title for all former players of Chelsea."

 

[godiva]

Bayern will win treble , says chairman


Dead moron clones lol : Genesimmon, Athena, Vincent, emoer, Bubbletea, Boba Fett, Scorpian, Sun Wu Kong, ShaoKahn, PaulStanley, Illinois, Visitors, Yewcharkuay, Orneeku, hotcrossbun, Kanngi, Mamapundek, Danude.

free then slowly add, hahahaha

 

[Givanildo]

Dortmund lives for football, says Gotze
The attacking midfielder has hailed the club's fanatical support as a constant source of inspiration

Srna: Dortmund one of the best teams in Europe
The Croatia international is eagerly anticipating Shakhtar Donetsk's match versus the German champions this week, and expects a difficult encounter

Dante: Bayern want treble success
The former Gladbach defender has set his sights on winning everything this season, and realises that the Bavarians need every player they have in order to achieve that

Gomez praises 'efficient' Bayern
The 27-year-old scored his third goal in a week in Sunday's tight meeting with Hoffenheim, giving coach Jupp Heynckes a selection headache

Heynckes: Hard work paid off for Bayern Munich
The 67-year-old was pleased to return from a tough game with all three points, and praised the courage displayed by the home side

Hoffenheim 0-1 Bayern Munich: Gomez goal enough for Bavarians to maintain league lead
Jupp Heynckes' side continued their march towards the Bundesliga title despite not being at their brilliant best against their relegation-threatened hosts

Klopp holds contempt for Bayern, believes Netzer
The coach took a swipe at Jupp Heynckes following Borussia Dortmund's exit from the DFB-Pokal, and the German icon believes the 47-year-old reacted badly after the 1-0 defeat

Watzke: Lewandowski could stay at Dortmund until 2014
The Bundesliga champions' chief says that there is a strong likelihood that the striker will stay beyond the end of the season, and anticipates no problems with the Pole's attitude

Klopp apologises for Bayern outburst
The Borussia Dortmund coach has said sorry to Jupp Heynckes after he entered into a war of words with the Bavarians over Wednesday's DFB-Pokal quarter-final defeat

Rummenigge: Current Bayern side on track for greatness
The Roten legend plays down comparisons with illustrious sides of the past, but remains confident of further success both in Germany and Europe for the Bavarians

Draxler: I watch videos of Raul
The Germany international paid tribute to his idol after scoring two goals on Saturday and feels he is justifying his attacking role

Blaszczykowski: I hope we will all be happy on Tuesday
The 27-year-old has put the DFB-Pokal defeat to Bayern Munich behind him, and is now focused on progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League

Klopp delighted with 'attractive' Dortmund display
The BVB coach has hailed his team's performance against Hannover 96, saying his side deserved the victory and praising their entertaining style of football

Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Hannover: Lewandowski nets double on return from suspension
The Polish striker was on deadly form in front of goal, recording two strikes to take his tally to 23 for the season as BVB were given few problems in front of their own fans

Low confident in Gomez despite limited starts
The coach of the German national team still has faith in the talents of Bayern's towering forward despite his chances for the Bavarians being limited this season

Bayern on right track after Dortmund win - Sammer
The Bavarian side's sporting director is happy with his team's progress and says they have the form and quality to see off the challenge of lowly Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga

Heynckes: Schweinsteiger is priceless
The experienced coach has nothing but praise for the versatile midfielder and has hailed his part in Bayern's success

BVB don't need Bayern to tell us how to behave, says Watzke
The BVB chief has said his side do not need die Roten officials to tell his team how to conduct themselves, following comments from the Bayern Munich coach

I will only accept roles of director and coach - Magath
The former Bayern boss has laid out his intentions to only work as both a sporting director and a coach in order to retain complete control over the team

Dortmund won't usurp Bayern's Bundesliga throne - Low
As die Roten chase dreams of an unprecedented treble, the Germany national team coach speaks of Bavarian dominance and the club's Champions League chances

Di Matteo should not join Schalke, says former Switzerland coach Fringer
The ex-Chelsea boss has been linked with a move to Germany in recent weeks, but the Italian's former club manager believes he would find success at the Veltins Arena

Ban reduction allows Lewandowski to play this weekend
The 24-year-old striker has seen his three-game suspension reduced to two matches by the DFB, which means the Poland international is likely to feature against Hannover on Saturday

Hummels is irreplaceable, says Dortmund president
The 66-year-old Borussen chief understands the importance of the Germany international to the team's hopes, as head coach Jurgen Klopp reveals he may not feature this weekend

No new Hamburg deal for Son, reveals agent
The player's representative has revealed there have been "good talks" over a new deal with the club, although no terms have been agreed as yet for the coveted 20-year-old

Robben: Bayern have not won anything yet
The Netherlands international has urged his team-mates to keep their feet on the ground as the Bavarians have set their sights on winning the treble

 

[Givanildo]

​

 

[Huntelaar]

Robben: I crave winning trophies again
The Bayern Munich winger is looking forward to adding to his trophy collection, with the club in position to win a treble this season

Emre Can: I will play anywhere to get Bayern chance
The teenager hopes to get his chance in the first team before the end of the season while he feels that Pep Guardiola's arrival could be the catalyst he needs to make the step up

Schmelzer wants to prove Dortmund critics wrong with Champions League success
The left-back also has designs on being part of Germany's plans for World Cup 2014 in Brazil

Huntelaar: I could retire at Schalke
The Netherlands international recently committed his future to the Bundesliga side and could stay put until he hangs up his boots

Kahn: Current Bayern side are the best ever
The 43-year-old is thoroughly impressed with the Bavarians' dominance this season, and believes they could win the treble

Neymar refuses to rule out summer move
The Santos forward has increased speculation over his future by refusing to commit to the Brazilian giants, and believes Dani Alves' claims should be laughed off

 

[Givanildo]

Watzke: Borussia Dortmund would not sign Manchester City players

By Tom Maston
Mar 5, 2013 6:00:00 PM

The BVB official does not feel the club will move from its policy of bringing through young players while he admitted that it would take a big offer for Robert Lewandowski to leave

Borussia Dortmund general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke has refuted claims that the team is looking to bring Manchester City's Edin Dzeko to the club.

The Bosnia international has been linked with a move to the Bundesliga champions for much of the season, but Watzke feels that anyone who believes the rumour does not understand the transfer policy of the club.

"Anyone who really believes that a player from Manchester City would be transferred to Borussia Dortmund hasn't understood the BVB business model. Our motto is to develop young players," he told Sport 1.

Dzeko has been linked with the club after growing rumours that Robert Lewandowski will be leaving at the end of the season, but Watzke believes only a massive sum of money would allow the Poland international to depart.

"Either we get a good offer in a timely manner or Robert plays until 2014 for us," he said, defiantly.

The club are in an excellent financial position after advancing through the Champions League group stage this season, but Watzke, who claimed that a defender is top of his shopping list, revealed that Jurgen Klopp would not be breaking the bank in the search for players in the summer.

"We want to be at the top and be successful," he said, "but we will do this without having to spend the extra money we have gained."

 

[Bolocks]

Bundesliga

05.03.2013 13:45:44

THE MARTINEZ FACTOR

Indispensable: Javi Martinez (r., with Mario Gomez) is now a key cog in the FC Bayern machine

Munich – His record so far in the Bundesliga makes for impressive reading: Played 21, won 20, drawn one. So swift and devastatingly successful has Javi Martinez's assimilation been that FC Bayern Munich's decision to make him the Bundesliga’s record purchase last summer in a team already chock-full of midfield talent no longer seems in the least outlandish.

Initially kept on the bench behind the infallibly reliable Luiz Gustavo, Martinez had to wait until 25 September for his first start in a Reds’ shirt, a 3-0 win against VfL Wolfsburg.Since then, however, he has wasted no time establishing himself as one of the first names on head coach Jupp Heynckes’ teamsheet.

Presence felt

Having won 61 per cent of his challenges and with a pass completion rate of 92.3 per cent, it is little wonder that Martinez has earned the confidence of his Spanish-speaking coach so quickly. Alongside a rejuvenated Bastian Schweinsteiger in the holding role, he has provided unwavering protection to a back four and goalkeeper who have conceded just eight times in 24 Bundesliga games.

While Bayern have let in a goal every 625 minutes with Martinez in the side, that average drops to every 143 minutes in his absence. He also missed their only league defeat so far this season, a 2-1 home reverse to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, in October. That was a gametailor-made for a player of his qualities. A physical presence was lacking on the day for the Reds against a doggedly deep-lying defence, while at the other end, he specialises in snuffing out the kind of counterattack that led to Stefan Kießling’s opener.

Authoritative figure

Perhaps what is most striking about the nine-time Spain international's development at Bayern is how readily he has taken on more attack-orientated duties. His tackling prowess was one of the greatest assets of the Athletic Bilbao team which reached last season’s UEFA Europa League final, but at Bayern he has allowed himself to roam further forward, assisting important goals in home wins against 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt, not to mention scoring twice himself.

Martinez’s authoritative integration into the side and his impressively effective partnership with Schweinsteiger have meant Gustavo, who boasts a league-best pass completion rate of 95.3 per cent, must for now make do with a place on the substitutes' bench. The collective strength of the Bayern squad makes for formidable viewing indeed as the team head down the home straight towards a potential treble success.

Transferable skills

Traditionally, midfield holding roles have been primarily defensive, focused on breaking up opposition attacks and returning possession to the team's more creative talents. The modern midfielder, however, needs to be as technically proficient as he is defensively adept - able to dictate the pace of the game and equipped with a good range of passing, positional awareness and assuredness in possession.

Schweinsteiger has been that player for Bayern since switching to central midfield from a wider position. Martinez, coming from a more defensive background, is proving to be another. Rather than a classic ‘No6,' each is by nature more of a box-to-box 'No8' - and seldom has a Bayern central midfield partnership looked this formidable.

Bernie Reeves

 

[Kiessling]

Lucescu concedes Dortmund superiority
6 March 2013

Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu believes Borussia Dortmund deserved their 3-0 win over the Ukrainians on Tuesday.

Goals from Felipe Santana, Mario Goetze and Jakub Blaszczykowski saw the Bundesliga champions to a comfortable victory in the Champions League round-of-16 second leg at Signal Iduna Park.

It gave Juergen Klopp's men a 5-2 aggregate victory, sealing their spot in the quarter-finals.

Lucescu conceded his team deserved nothing more from the second leg, rueing Santana's opener which allowed the hosts to take control.

"Dortmund's win was well deserved. Now they are through to the next round. It was a difficult game against a good opposition," he said.

"Until the 30th minute we were hoping for a goal which we didn't manage to score. We did not succeed in converting our scoring opportunities.

"Dortmund of course were controlling this game after taking the lead. For us it then became more difficult getting into the game. It was a deserved win for them."

Lucescu urged his men to swing the momentum in the second half after going into the break 2-0 down, needing two goals to force extra-time.

He rued his side missing chances after the break and said he hoped Dortmund reached the final.

"At the half-time break I told the players that we needed to change the game, and you could see that on the field," Lucescu said.

"We had our chances and it's a pity that we didn't take them.

"The mistake by our goalkeeper (for Dortmund's third goal) meant it was all over. Overall, the result corresponds with what we all saw on the pitch.

"I hope Dortmund reach the final as they are a really strong side."

 

[Bolocks]

Blaszczykowski details Schalke rivalry
7 March 2013

Jakub Blaszczykowski believes that Borussia Dortmund's derby clashes with Schalke are the most important fixtures of the season.

The reigning Bundesliga champions head into the crunch match on Saturday on the back of a 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, which secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Juergen Klopp's men lost 2-1 to Schalke earlier this season, and Blaszczykowski is refusing to let the 10-point gap between Dortmund in second place in the Bundesliga and their rivals in sixth give the team a false sense of security.

"The derby games are always a bit special. It’s an important game for us here, the most important of the season," the attacking midfielder told Bundesliga.com.

"In the week leading up to the derby, you are absolutely focused. You can actually feel it.

"When you’re up against a top team, it doesn’t matter where you are in relative to the standings. Every game starts as a level playing field.

"When you lose a derby, you lose a measure of self-confidence as well. When we travel to Gelsenkirchen, nothing is on our mind but the game."

Dortmund have enjoyed success at the Veltins Arena in recent years, and Blaszczykowski reflected nostalgically on the aftermath of the derby clash in 2010 in which two goals from Shinji Kagawa saw them win 3-1.

"After the match, we game back to Dortmund, and so many fans turned up then at our old training ground, it was really fantastic. It’s the kind of thing you’re never going to forget," the Poland international added.

"It’s a brilliant feeling to win at their stadium. The game before last, we won that one 2-1. That was a great match, and hopefully we can put in a repeat performance there this time.

"What we’ve achieved so far has been incredible. And I hope we can add a few extras to that and get the chance to celebrate with the fans again. Moments like that stay with you through to the end."

 

[Bolocks]

Away form worries Petkovic
7 March 2013

Lazio coach Vladimir Petkovic has called on his team to improve their away form ahead of their Europa league clash with Stuttgart on Thursday.

Lazio head into the last-16 tie without a win in six away games in all competitions, a run that has seen them slip to fourth in Serie A.

However, an unbeaten record in Europe this season means they will still start favourites in Germany.

"I still have the feeling that Lazio had some difficulties in the past during the away games. This fear has been demonstrated in both the championship and the cup," Petkovic said.

"The performances at home and away are not always the same but that is not a problem that only affects Lazio.

"The opponent has always some advantages if the side plays in front of a home crowd. But great teams solve these problems and play away as strong as they play at home.

"This step is still missing but that is what I expect from my team."

Stuttgart have struggled in recent times and sit 11th in the Bundesliga as a result, but Petkovic still sees plenty of strengths to contend with.

"I think VfB Stuttgart is a good team," he said. "Even though they've had some problems in the past.

"This is a compact team that always works very physically against their opponent. We have to assume that VfB Stuttgart will not lose many home games but we must start with the belief which we have since the past games at international level.

"I do not know if the first leg is set up as a fall. Ahead of the second leg we can give the correct answer."

 

[Bolocks]

Mandzukic wants trophies over goals
The Croatia international has played down his goalscoring efforts this season and says medals are of greater importance

Macheda excited by 'special' Lazio game
The 21-year-old is looking forward to Thursday's Europa League tie against his boyhood club, but insists he will be giving his all for his new side

Maradona tips Guardiola for Bayern Munich success
The Argentine icon has tipped the former Blaugrana boss to hit the ground running at the Allianz Arena

Schalke game the most important of the season, says Kuba
The Gelsenkirchen club host Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, and Jakub Blaszczykowski believes that the two team's standings in the Bundesliga is irrelevant for such a derby

Lazio are of Champions League quality, says Labbadia
The Germans boss believes the Biancocelesti have demonstrated a significant improvement in recent times - to the extent that they could compete on Europe's biggest stage

 

[Manuel Neuer]

Draxler: Schalke will win the league soon
The Germany international midfielder thinks his club have the ability to win the league title in the coming seasons

Ballack: Guardiola talk disrespectful
The former Germany international claims the discussions around the Bundesliga leaders' new coach shows a lack of appreciation for the job Jupp Heynckes is doing

Nothing bigger than Dortmund match, says Keller
The 42-year-old Schalke coach is looking forward to the crunch match against their bitter rivals, saying 'there is nothing bigger than this derby'

Arsenal want to make the impossible possible, warns Heynckes
The 67-year-old Bayern coach says his team must be wary of Arsene Wenger's side despite their advantage from the first leg of their Champions League clash

Klopp: Schalke-BVB is Bundesliga's 'most special' match
The BVB boss wants revenge for the 2-1 defeat to their Ruhr rivals in October and said the match is the German league's most special fixture

Ribery: Bayern attract world-class players
The France international has hailed the Bundesliga leaders' renewed ability to sign big names following their success in Europe in recent years

Bayern cannot afford to relax, says Van Buyten
The Belgium international has urged his team-mates not to lose focus as they have set their sights on winning the treble

Facing Schalke in Champions League would be 'really cool', says Neuer
The Germany international says he would relish the chance to face his former club at the quarter-final stage, and admits that he was busier between the posts at Gelsenkirchen

Dortmund boss Klopp dismisses Dzeko talk
The Manchester City striker has previously revealed he will one day return to Bundesliga, but the German champions' manager insists he will not be arriving at Westfalenstadion

Mandzukic: Arsenal tie not over yet
The Croatia international has stressed that Bayern Munich cannot afford to take the Gunners lightly, and was over the moon with his goal in the first leg