Luca Toni has opened up the door for a return to Serie A after confirming he is thinking about leaving Bayern Munich.
“I think four strikers at Bayern are just too many,” he commented from the Italy camp in Pretoria.
“It is possible I could make a move away this summer.”
The situation has changed with Bayern signing Stuttgart hitman Mario Gomez for £20m, creating stiff competition for a first team place.
In the year leading up to the 2010 World Cup, Toni cannot afford to sit on the sidelines in the Bundesliga.
Among the clubs interested in taking the prolific striker are Milan, Roma, German champions Wolfsburg and possibly even Barcelona.
Toni joined Bayern from Fiorentina in 2007 for around £9m, winning the Bundesliga and German Cup (including his brace in the Final against Borussia Dortmund). Read more…
Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer has called for the future of Franck Ribery to be decided one way or another to prevent a long-running soap opera this summer.
The France international has been linked with a host of clubs, including Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United, but Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness has sent out mixed signals by first claiming he was not for sale at any price and then expressing his willingness to speak to new Real president Florentino Perez.
Beckenbauer wants the issue resolved, either by signing Ribery to a new contract or selling him.
“I can see only two solutions: Ribery extends his contract so the issue is dealt with or we release him,” he said. “I rate Ribery alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi as the best footballers in the world at present,” he added in the Bild newspaper.
“If he were to leave, it would be the second huge loss for the Bundesliga after Diego. However, if Ribery wants to leave, then it will be hard for us to keep hold of him.”
Nevertheless, Beckenbauer does not believe Bayern’s world would fall apart without the 26-year-old. Read more…
Bayern Munich general manager, Uli Hoeness, has responded to claims made by Florentino Perez that Real Madrid want Franck Ribery by saying that the German club do not want to sell him.
The French international has been linked away with a move away from the Allianz Arena for sometime now, with Spain seemingly his likely destination.
However, with plenty of money spent already to strengthen their squad for next season, Bayern do not want to let him go, as Hoeness confirmed today.
“If Mr. Perez wants a transfer, then he can get in an airplane and come to see us in Munich,” AS quote him as saying.
“The reality is though that we do not want to sell Ribery, and we are not going to negotiate for him.”
No doubt the words from Hoeness will not deter Perez from making an approach for Ribery, and it seems as though Madrid might already have the signing of Kaka all but sealed. Read more…
Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has reiterated Franck Ribery is not going to be sold this summer after discussing the issue with new coach Louis van Gaal.
Ribery is regarded as one of the hottest commodities on the transfer market this summer, with some of Europe’s top clubs reportedly lining up to sign him, but Bayern’s new coach has requested he be allowed to work with the Frenchman next season.
”He really wants to keep him,” announced Hoeness after holding talks with van Gaal. ”We will not let Ribery go.”
Nevertheless, Hoeness expects a busy summer of turning down offers for the midfielder.
”Most clubs only ended their season (recently) and when the players go on holiday, the bosses start with their planning,” he added in Munich’s Abendzeitung newspaper. Read more…
Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel insists there is no pressure on his side going into Saturday’s crucial final Bundesliga fixture of the season at Bayern Munich.
Both sides know that a win could earn them the title while defeat could see them drop out of the top three and earn only a place in the UEFA Europa League next season.
However, 2007 champions Stuttgart have already secured their aim for the season, which was a place in Europe, meaning they can go to Munich and attempt to go one better while knowing that the real pressure is on their hosts.
“I could never have dreamed that we would still be playing for the title on the final day of the season,” admitted Babbel.
“The aim was to finish in the top five and to be able to achieve even more than that now is phenomenal.
“We now have the chance to do something amazing and by that I don’t mean the title, second place would be extraordinary for me. “We are not going to Munich just for an outing.” Read more…
Former Bayern Munich midfielder Stefan Effenberg has attacked David Beckham’s style of play, labelling the AC Milan loan star as ”underhand”.
Stefan Effenberg and David Beckham battle in the Champions League
One-time Germany international Effenberg claimed the ex-England skipper drew a comparison with the Roy Keane, arguing that Beckham was not as fair on the field as his former Manchester United team-mate.
Beckham and Effenberg locked horns numerous times in the Champions League, most notably the final in 1999, a game Keane missed through suspension, and which saw United come from behind netting two late goals to defeat Bayern. Read more…
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The once great Bayern Munich have won the Bundesliga title a record twenty-one times, including last season when they did the league and cup double. They have also won six European titles including the top competition on four occasions.
Beckenbauer
The last time they won the premier European tournament was back in 2001. Prior to that was a UEFA Cup triumph in 1996. Before that you have to go back twenty years to the great side of Franz Beckenbauer.
This season saw them employ former player Jurgen Klinsmann in an attempt to turn things around in terms of their European fortunes, but an embarrassing and humiliating 4-0 first-half trouncing at Barcelona brought an end to that plan. After that, Bayern went down 1-0 at home to Schalke in the league and with Champions League qualification looking doubtful, Klinsmann’s short rein came to an end. Read more…
