Squad and Player news

[Lance Knight]

due to amount of injuries bayern has been having laterly i decided to make this thread, well this is the squad :



Goalkeepers:
1 Oliver Kahn (CAPTIAN)
22 Michael Rensing
29 Bernd Dreher

Defenders:
2 Willy Sagnol
3 Lucio
6 Martin Demichelis
18 Andreas Görlitz
21 Philipp Lahm
25 Valerien Ismael
69 Bixente Lizarazu

Midfielders:
7 Mehmet Scholl
8 Ali Karimi
11 Zé Roberto
13 Michael Ballack
16 Jens Jeremies
20 Hasan Salihamidzic
23 Owen Hargreaves
26 Sebastian Deisler
31 Bastian Schweinsteiger
39 Andreas Ottl

Forwards:
10 Roy Makaay
14 Claudio Pizarro
24 Roque Santa Cruz
33 José Paolo Guerrero

[Lance Knight]

Oliver Kahn: "I turned the knee on Thursday. I gave it a go during the warm-up today, but I realised I couldn't give it 100 percent. I'll be completely better again in a day or two. Bernd Dreher is always in great shape. He's living proof of what experience adds to a goalkeeper's game. He's 38 but you can play him in the Bundesliga at any time. And I reckon it was fantastic for him to get a game at the Allianz Arena."

[Lance Knight]

Road to recovery
Lahm resumes training with ball at his feet

30.09.2005 Rising star Philipp Lahm has passed a significant milestone in his battle to recover from serious cruciate ligament damage by emerging from the weights room and swimming pool to train with the ball at his feet on the practice ground for the first time in four long months.

The 21-year-old Germany international temporarily joined up with the Reds' U-19 senior youth squad at the beginning of the week, re-uniting the player with seasoned coach Kurt Niedermayer. Lahm was part of Niedermayer's German Youth Championship winning sides in 2001 and 2002. The Munich-born left-back will gradually recover his poise on the ball and gain confidence in the damaged right knee's ability to withstand the rigours of daily training.

The player will still have to continue his lengthy rehab programme, and no target has been set for a return to the first-team schedule, although the process of recovery is reported to be on track.

fcbayern.de observed Philipp working with the football again for the first time since his injury, and presents the highly positive results in our exclusive photo gallery - just click the link below.

[ricoo9]

Why is Magath putting Claudio pizarro in the bench? lately he hasnt even been considering pizarro or guerrero for matches....after all they have done for the team i think he is crazy preffering Santa cruz, i mean Roque is good but Pizarro is better!

[ballack_fanatka]

Why is Magath putting Claudio pizarro in the bench? lately he hasnt even been considering pizarro or guerrero for matches....after all they have done for the team i think he is crazy preffering Santa cruz, i mean Roque is good but Pizarro is better!

yea plus he keeps makaay playing... even though he has more than 70 days without scoring....

[Lance Knight]

'We'll enter market' Bayern withdraw Ballack contract offer
14.11.2005 Bayern have formally withdrawn their offer of a new, extended contract for playmaker Michael Ballack, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club's Annual General Meeting on Monday evening. The decision by the board of directors came after an inconclusive meeting between senior officials, the player and his agent Michael Becker earlier in the day.

"We made an agreement four weeks ago, whereby Michael would tell us today whether or not he was accepting our extremely attractive offer. What Michael told us today was that he hadn't come to a decision yet," Rummenigge told the meeting. The board reacted immediately: "We formally withdrew our offer earlier today," the chairman informed club members present at the AGM, prompting applause from the floor.

Reds set to enter transfer market

"In the final analysis, this doesn't necessarily mean Michael Ballack will leave this football club," the former world-class international continued, "but we'll begin surveying the market at once for the right alternatives for Bayern Munich."

Ballack's contract in Bavaria expires in summer 2006. The Germany captain arrived in Munich from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2002. Ballack has lifted the German championship shield and the DFB German Cup twice apiece since then.

[Alborz]

it was in news today that Manchester United made a record 30mill offer for ballack.

[ballack_fanatka]

Ballack tipped for record Reds deal


REDS transfer target Michael Ballack will be offered a bumper £30m deal to join United, according to claims today.

Ballack - seen by many as the long-term answer to replacing United skipper Roy Keane - rejected a new deal at Bayern Munich yesterday.

United and Real Madrid are thought to be the main suitors for the German international captain, who's may be sold in January by Bayern to prevent him leaving for nothing in the summer.



Ballack warned off Man Utd move


The 29-year-old Germany midfield man's contract talks have broken down.

He will be available on a Bosman free transfer in the summer and is a target for United, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

But Beckenbauer said: "I know Manchester United and AC Milan are in the hunt, but Michael will only improve himself by going to Madrid."

German legend Beckenbauer added: "Anywhere else and it will not be a step up.

"Much as I want him to stay, I feel he will probably leave. If he does, the decision will only make sense if he goes to Real Madrid."

Ballack reacted to fierce criticism from fans by insisting he may still stay at Bayern.

"I just want to have the opportunity to listen to other offers," he told Munich's Tz newspaper.

"I haven't turned Bayern down and it's always a possibility that I will choose Bayern.

"At this point I have not decided anything. It is the most important contract of my career. It is my last big contract and it is only right that I look at the other options.

"I have never denied the fact that I want to play at a club that has a chance of winning the Champions League over the next few seasons."

Bayern coach Felix Magath still believes he will sign a new deal, but club officials told their annual meeting that a contract offer to Ballack had been withdrawn after he refused to give assurances about his future.

Beckenbauer now fears Bayern fans may turn against Ballack in protest at his refusal to agree a new deal.

He said: "He must understand the people because they are very faithful fans who expect their heroes to say they want to play for their club.

"They don't like it when Michael refuses to commit himself. I'm not disappointed in Michael as a person. All the power is with the clubs.

"But you can sense the mood towards him is changing, and the fear now is that the fans may turn against him.

"I can't help wondering what will happen when we play our next game, but Michael has taken his stance and will have to accept the consequences."

[ballack_fanatka]

The Wednesday papers were full of speculation regarding Michael Ballack and his future plans. The Reds midfielder offered fcbayern.dehis view of the situation.

fcbayern.de: Michael, is there a problem between the board of directors and yourself?

Michael Ballack: "Not at all. Everything Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said was totally acceptable, and I was informed about it beforehand."

fcbayern.de: What's the situation at the present time?

Ballack: "I haven't turned down Bayern's offer. All I did was inform the board of directors that I hadn't made up my mind at the present time."

fcbayern.de: Why is that, and what are the factors behind your decision?

Ballack: "I'd like the opportunity to look into a few other possibilities, and I can't formally do that until January."

fcbayern.de: How did the board react?

Ballack: "The board told me they were no longer able to keep their offer on the table, and that Bayern would begin looking at alternatives. From my perspective, that's totally legitimate."

fcbayern.de: If the club is looking for alternatives, that surely means there's no future for you in Munich?

Ballack: "That's not the case at all. As I've already said, I've not rejected anything, and it's possible I'll finally decide to stay at Bayern at any time. The board told me we can sit down and talk again at any time."

fcbayern.de: Why might you move on to a different club, and why might you stay at Bayern?

Ballack: "Bayern Munich are one of the biggest clubs in the world. You always have a chance of honours here, including winning the Champions League. We have a fantastic squad and tremendous dressing room spirit. There are only one or two clubs which I consider realistic alternatives. And my family and I feel very much at home in Munich. I believe this is where we'll settle after my playing career. So it's basically a perfect situation for me at Bayern."

fcbayern.de: So why are you stalling on a new deal?

Ballack: "I've always dreamed of playing abroad at some point."

[Lance Knight]

the way how i see it he would either stay at Bayern or go to Real,
well AC Milan is not an option and well his carrer has a 60-40 chance of going crappy if he goes to ManU

[Lance Knight]

Roque accepts new deal, op declared a success
15.11.2005 In contrast to Michael Ballack, Roque Santa Cruz has accepted the offer of an extended contract from Bayern. The Paraguay international, set for a long spell on the sidelines with cruciate ligament damage, has agreed to prolong his stay in Munich for another three seasons until 2009, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Monday's Annual General Meeting.

At that very time, Roque was most probably lying on the operating table in Vail, Colorado, where renowned specialist Dr Steadman was busy repairing the torn cruciate. The world-famous American surgeon has previously patched up current Bayern stars Philipp Lahm, Andreas Görlitz, Hasan Salihamidzic and Oliver Kahn for the same injury.

Surgery declared a success

The news from Vail was that the operation went according to plan. Roque even undertook a first attempt at walking around the hospital grounds the following day, although no date has been set for his return to Munich as Dr Steadman wishes to keep him under observation for a spell.

Roque will be keen to hurry home, as he became a father for the second time just a few days before flying to the States. His wife Giselle gave birth to a daughter Fiorella on 11 November.
____________________________________________________

[Lance Knight]

'The future here looks extremely bright'
14.11.2005 Owen Hargreaves was the first product of the junior team youth set-up to make it all the way to the first team, and he has become the first senior pro to extend his contract in Munich for a further four years as of next summer. The Canadian-born utility man with English nationality arrived in Bavaria as a 16-year-old, emerging as a key component in the squad since then. Injury has sidelined him for almost seven weeks but Hargreaves finally made a brief comeback against Werder Bremen.

Lack of fitness meant Owen spent the break for internationals in Munich rather than travel to join up with the England squad as normal. fcbayern.de took the opportunity for an interview, where the 24-year-old discussed his versatility, the huge potential in the team, and the reason he chose to extend his stay.

Owen Hargreaves on...

...the break for internationals
"It's a great opportunity for me to work hard on the training ground with the other players who are still here, rebuilding my fitness and health ready for the Bielefeld clash."

...not being called up for England
"I've just had a six-week lay-off, and I played for seven minutes last time out. It will take a little longer before I'm back to 100 percent. You need lots of training sessions and a couple of matches before you can even think of playing on the international stage."

...winning back a place in the starting line up
"We have plenty of great players, not just 11, more like 20. You have to have that size of squad. I played every game at the beginning of the season, and I'm hopeful of making the starting line-up again very soon."

...his versatility
"I just love playing football, where I play isn't as important. I just like running out at the stadium, the chance to help the team, and to show what I can do. So the position I fill honestly isn't that important."

...Bayern's fine start to the campaign
"We're very solid this season. It was a whole new situation for the players last year. We had a new coach, and we had to get to know each other first. Pre-season was good this time, and we've got off to a great start. We've also played some great football, and we deserve to be top of the league. But I do believe we still have unexploited potential, and we're set to realise that over the next few months."

...the club's European ambitions
"You only have to look at the names in the Bayern Munich squad, and you know you're looking at a leading club. So we're one of the teams who could win the Champions League. Obviously you need a lot of things to go your way, and you can't just go out and say, right, we can win it this year. But we have the potential, and we'll keep working towards achieving our goals."

...extending his contract
"I've been in Munich a very long time now, and it's been great here. I really like it here in Munich. We have a highly successful team and superb management. The future here looks extremely bright, and I'd like to play a part in that."

...targets for this season
"It's tough setting targets. You can never tell what might happen. A week is a long time in football. I've been out for six weeks, so my priority is to recover full fitness. You have to work hard in training, throw yourself into it and perform. I'm very optimistic. I think this could be an excellent season for Bayern Munich and for me. And obviously, next summer's World Cup will be the highlight."
_____________________________________________

[Lance Knight]

Frustration for Brazzo 'It's a difficult and complicated business'
18.11.2005 Hasan Salihamidzic and his team-mates went separate ways on Friday lunchtime, as has often been the case recently. Oliver Kahn and company reported for final training ahead of the trip to Bielefeld, but Brazzo got on his bike and went for a long ride through the nearby Perlacher forest.

Salihamidzic is not fit to play at the present time, and that has been the case since the 1-1 away draw with Schalke on 15 October, the last time the utility man appeared in Bayern colours. "The problems are with the pelvic bone, the adductor muscles, and my stomach musculature," the 28-year-old informed fcbayern.de

Unable to give 100 percent

The situation is hardly new. "I played through the pain for a long time, almost one and a half years in fact, and normally only with the help of painkillers," the player revealed. Two hernia operations merely alleviated the discomfort for a short time. "I haven't been able to give it 100 percent, I've been all over the place. At some point I just told the coach it couldn't go on like this."

That moment arrived directly after the match in Gelsenkirchen, since when Salihamidzic has been following a tailored rehabilitation programme. "I'm spending plenty of time in the weights room, and I'm working on rebuilding the affected muscles." He also switches back and forth between cycling and jogging.

No date set for comeback

"The pain has started to subside, but we haven't got far enough for me to resume the team training programme," Brazzo reported. He still remains hopeful of playing again before the winter break.

Nevertheless, the Bosnia international is not tying himself to any deadline. "The priority is to rid myself of the pain completely, so I can give 100 percent again at last," he declared. "I hope I get over it quickly, but it's a difficult and complicated business."

[ricoo9]

When is Santa Cruz coming back? that guy is always injured , hope he doesnt miss the WC cuz of it

[Jackass88]

You Bayern Munich fans that follow the German Bundesliga know that Oliver Kahn is going to retire sooner or later, so what I am trying to say is that you guys are going to need a new goal keepeer, and a great choice is Jose De Jesus Corona from Tecos UAG, he is one of the best goal keepers of Mexico, if Bayern Munich gives him a try I am pretty sure that Bayern Munich fans will love him because he is the shit.

[Mexicansoccer]

Yeah, that's true. He will have to retire soon or later, but Corona? Homie, listen to yourself, Corona is not World Class. I wish he would go there too. Bayern Munich would not even get interested on him. Either way, Bayern Munich will soon have to find someone who to replace Kahn. I guess the golie would have to be close or will have to be world class.

Hope Santa Cruz gets better.

[ricoo9]

You Bayern Munich fans that follow the German Bundesliga know that Oliver Kahn is going to retire sooner or later, so what I am trying to say is that you guys are going to need a new goal keepeer, and a great choice is Jose De Jesus Corona from Tecos UAG, he is one of the best goal keepers of Mexico, if Bayern Munich gives him a try I am pretty sure that Bayern Munich fans will love him because he is the shit.

:boo:

[Florian]

valerien ismael is additional inaccessible for 3 games. he hit dalovic from arminia bielefeld in the match with the elbow, the referee didnt see it...

well, fc bayern... in mainz it will be an inferno for you... inside and outisde the stadium :lol:

[Korcari45]

What is this Dubai cup Im hearing about where Bayern, Lazio, Marseille etc are taking place in January.

[Lance Knight]

not exactly sure. but i guess its just nice little friendly thing for some cash i guess. as far as i know it has nothing to do with the League positioning or any of Uefa's competitions

[emode]

Yeah it's a friendly cup for some private dubai club with US$ 2 million at stake. Only 4 teams will be competing for this cup Lazio, Benfica, FC Santos & Bayern Munich. The matches will be held on 8th.January.2007 Lazio v Santos & later Bayern v Benfica. The 3rd.play off & final will be held on 10th.January.2007. lol i guess they could use that much money so they are willing to participate in this cup.

[emode]

Germany's Sebastian Deisler Quits

Deisler had everything it needed to be one of the biggest stars of football. A right-sided midfielder with the pace to beat his man, the vision to set up goals and the ability to score himself, he was seen as the best player of his generation and the biggest prospect in German football.

But his career was plagued by serious knee injuries which sidelined him ahead of both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
I'm shocked by the news but he hasn't been playing from March to November for Bayern Munich. Its a sad end because he's only 27years but he has been talking about quitting before. Its a big lost to German football star!