FCB - General Talk/News

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‘A home from home’
FCB awed by new state-of-the-art team bus

‘She’ is 13.8 metres long, 2.5 metres wide, 3.8 metres tall, weighs 24.9 tonnes, and boasts 480 horsepower distributed across three axles: ‘she’ is the new FCB team bus, her black metallic paint glistening in the sunshine at the handover ceremony on Thursday in front of the ServiceCenter at the Säbener Strasse. “Congratulations to MAN for an incredible bus. The players are overwhelmed,” Uli Hoeneß reported.

The exclusive MAN Lion’s Coach L Supreme is the jewel in the crown of a three-year Premium Partnership between the club and MAN Commercial Vehicles Group. “I’m delighted we’ve concluded this partnership. Bayern and MAN are a good fit,” commented MAN chairman Anton Weinmann. Added MAN sales and marketing director Peter Erichreineke: “As a Munich-based manufacturer, we’re proud Bayern chose us to be a partner. Both brands represent the highest quality and stand for international success.“

The bus is packed with the latest technology, including ABS, ESP, automatic gears, front and rear cameras, and an alarm system. “We’ve incorporated everything there is in terms of technology,” Erichreineke revealed. FCB bus driver Sandra König is delighted with her new steed: “I’m overwhelmed by the bus with its outstanding specification. It’s superb on the road and you can drive it like a sports car. It’s great fun to drive.“

The sumptuous interior features 30 leather seats, four foldaway tables with electrically adjustable supports, Bang & Olufsen audio, satellite TV, a DVD system, four 19-inch displays and W-LAN capability. A well-proportioned kitchen area at the back boasts ceramic cooking plates and an ice-maker.

“I cook while the team are playing,” explained König. She and her colleague Michael Lauerbach were awarded “a star for their fabulous cuisine” by Hoeneß. “Wiener schnitzel, lasagne, pasta, pan-fried meat – the players love all of it,” the general manager reported.

Top cuisine, state-of-the-art multimedia, comfort, safety and power – Hoeneß described the new bus as “a home from home“. The board director emphasised the importance of the team bus in preparation for matches. “The bus is a vital element in a successful team. The players can only give top performances if they arrive in a relaxed and refreshed state of mind.“

And on the way home, Luca Toni, Franck Ribéry and Co will be dreaming of trophies and reaching for the stars – the roof of the bus features night-sky light effects created by 500 LEDs.

FC Bayern

The bus is really luxurious. It's more than a bus, haha.

For pics, check the FCB - Multimedia thread.

[RunX]

The Bayern New Bus is look like 5 stars hotel ! *****

[RunX]

Bayern Munich - An Early Bird's Review

With Bayern Munich’s first Champions League match out of the way, Peter Herrnreiter thought it appropriate to lay out the team’s outlook for the 2008/09 campaign.

While a season ending with both league and cup titles to add to one’s resume might be more than merely acceptable to the vast majority of football clubs, not to mention those in the Bundesliga, business was far from normal in the Bavarian capital.

Champions Bayern München did look to add to their payroll, however comparisons to Manchester United and Real Madrid are few and far between in this regard. The Reds, unlike their European counterparts, added only a single name to their roster during the summer, while adding Massimo Oddo later on. Though one addition, the most surprising, is raising more than a few eyebrows at the Säbener Strasse.

As the club attempted to make the most of their astonishing €29.1 million television deal, the winds of change swept through Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s office. Jürgen Klinsmann, the ex-Bayern striking star and Germany manager, had a thing of two to say regarding the club’s new additions.

Speaking to Der Spiegel, Klinsmann noted, “I want to look inside the heads of the players. I want to know what makes them tick, to figure out the best way to reach them. Some need to be hugged, some need visual examples and others need conversation.”

This need for visual examples and “other conversation” was seemingly taken literally, as the Munich side added a 2,000 square-foot football laboratory. All that was missing from the high-tech weight and cardio apparatuses, the digital date planners and library was the kitchen sink, which actually came also, in the form of a new bistro.

It is this nurturing and “new age” approach to the game that has led many to criticize Klinsmann’s appointment, along with trainers from the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Though after today’s seemingly hard-fought away win at Steaua, many seem to accept the new regime as a push toward broader heights and hopefully a berth in the Champions League quarterfinals.

“We can’t fight enough,” he says. “We are going to try to give a good showing in Bucharest and to top the group.”

Not surprisingly, however, they are not out of the woods quite yet. After two disappointing pre-season losses and two first- and second-round draws to top competition, the remaining 30 rounds look ever more ominous. Injuries to Hamit Altintop, Frank Ribery and now possibly Miroslav Klose makes Saturday’s clash with their north German rivals and fellow title contenders, Werder Bremen, much more daunting.

Though Bremen have seen the departure of a number of stars, most notably Tim Borowski, Ivan Klasnic and Patrick Owomoyela, the spectre of Brazilian playmaker Diego still allows them to hold a card in their favour.

Further afield, Bayern look to recapture the scoring prowess of last season’s Torschützen König, Luca Toni. Commenting on the attack-minded system of Klinsmann, Uli Hoeneβ noted, “(Toni) gets more support here. We force our opponents onto the back foot and there’s lots of goalmouth action. Italy just punt long balls forward, no-one comes up in support, and he’s left all alone in a wide open space.”

However, with only Lucas Podolski set in reserve for the Italian striker, who is set to partner the stuttering Klose, Klinsmann is fiercely realistic: “The goals will come from somewhere. I know Miro from the national side. I know exactly when he‘s lacking his liveliness, his spring, his toxicity.”

It seems, goalscorers aside, that Bayern have been given a new breath of life and vitality. But only time will be able to tell whether or not the new tactics, the locker-room Buddhas and energy will help to jolt the now second-placed Bayern to first not only domestically, but in Europe as well.

To count out the likes of Schalke, Dortmund and Werder would be a bookie’s worst nightmare, though it’s obvious that the odds are stacked in Bayern’s favour. We can only wait and see how Klinsmann’s ship will fare through the rough seas ahead.

Goal.com - Editorial - Bayern Munich - An Early Bird's Review

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Remarkable record
Reds plus Oktoberfest equals goals galore

Every year, when the cry of O’zapft is! marks the tapping of the first barrel by the Mayor of Munich, and the foaming beer flows like water at the Oktoberfest, the goals have traditionally rained in for Bayern. Germany’s most successful club and the world’s greatest popular festival have historically proved a mightily successful combination. The Bavarians are almost invincible on home turf during the revelry at the Oktoberfest, as the record books show only too clearly:

Bayern and the Oktoberfest:

• Bayern have played 71 home matches during the Oktoberfest since joining the Bundesliga in 1965, recording 47 wins, 18 draws and just six defeats (goals for 194, goals against 79).?
• Bayern’s biggest Bundesliga victories during the Oktoberfest in Munich: 1977 v Schalke (7-1), 1983 v SV Waldhof (6-0), 1978 v Braunschweig (6-1), 1965 v KSC (5-1) and 1989 v Bochum (5-1).?
• 3,639,000 fans have turned out for the 71 matches in question, for a sensational average attendance of 51,254. The top crowds were: 1976 v 1.FC Köln (4-1) and 1980 v HSV (5-1), each drawing 78,000 spectators to the Olympic stadium.?
• Bayern’s first Oktoberfest home fixture took place on 18 September 1965 at the Grünwald stadium. Bayern defeated KSC 5-1.?
• Last season’s Oktoberfest fixtures produced a hatful of goals: FCB thrashed Energie Cottbus 5-0 (scorers: Klose (3), Demichelis, Toni), while Luca Toni (2) and Zé Roberto ensured a 3-0 victory over 1. FC Nürnberg.
• The top goalscorer in Oktoberfest home fixtures is Gerd Müller: Der Bomber struck a total of 21 times, followed by Uli Hoeneß (13) and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (11).?
• Home fixtures during the Oktoberfest have produced an average of 2.73 goals for and just 1.11 goals against. If the statistic is any guide, Toni and Co. should beat Werder 3-1 on Saturday.

FC Bayern

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FC Bayern have scheduled a friendly match against Bavarian neighbours FC Ingolstadt, who are currently coached by former Bayern player Thorsten Fink.

The match (away) will take place on Thursday, 9 October 2008, and Bayern will be without the national team players.

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DFB-Pokal's Round of 16 draw will be made on Sunday, 5 October 2008, 17.00h.

Other teams that have also made the Round of 16 and could possibly be our opponent are: Werder Bremen, Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart, Hamburger SV (all from Bundesliga), FSV Mainz 05, 1860 München, Hansa Rostock, SC Freiburg, SV Wehen Wiesbaden (all from 2. Bundesliga) and Carl Zeiss Jena (from 3. Bundesliga).

[Vargas_4]

Rotation ahead

In the eleven weeks from now until the mid-season break, Bayern will contest 17 competitive fixtures, with the club’s current internationals chalking up another three matches for a total of 20 games in 70 or so days. “It’s two games a week from now on,” Jürgen Klinsmann reacted, “so there’ll inevitably be rotation in certain positions.”

The coach initiated that process in the midweek DFB Cup clash with Nürnberg, making four changes to the team beaten by Bremen four days earlier: Daniel van Buyten, Mark van Bommel, Christian Lell and Lukas Podolski dropped to the bench, with Massimo Oddo, Andreas Ottl, Tim Borowski and Miroslav Klose in the starting line-up.

Keen to compete

Line-up changes will be the order of the day from now on. “To compete in Europe and cope with the rhythm of the Cup, the Bundesliga and the Champions League, we need rotation – not in every position, but definitely in certain areas,” Klinsmann explained.

The key factor is the consistent depth and quality in the Bayern squad. “We have a very good playing staff,” the coach opined, “up front, in midfield, defence – we have two players for every position.“ That naturally means intense competition for places. “A few of our players have made great progress,” Klinsmann observed, pleased with the improving form of the stars involved at Euro 2008 last summer.

Promising trend

The best example is Miroslav Klose, scorer of the vital opening goal against Nürnberg. “It was a sensational strike, a goal of the month,” Klinsmann enthused, “he’s slowly but surely getting to where he should be and where he’s set his own benchmarks. You can clearly see he’s on an upward trend.“

That applies to the whole squad, the coach feels, singling out Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Andreas Ottl in that respect. The Nürnberg tie also saw maiden 90-minute appearances for Tim Borowski, scorer of Bayern’s second, and Massimo Oddo. “He did a great job,“ the coach commented. “The increased competition livens the place up.”

Games for all

The packed schedule means none of the stars need fear extended spells on the bench. “They’ll all get plenty of playing time. It’s a very, very long season,” said Klinsmann, hinting he may be ready for more rotation in Saturday’s trip to Hanover. “We’ll have to see who we allow to take a rest.“

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FC Bayern

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Comment: Three Changes Bayern Must Make

As Bayern Munich endure an indifferent start to the season, Clark Whitney discusses why the German giants must replace three key players if they wish to recapture their former glory…

With Bayern having started their 2008-09 Bundesliga campaign with an unimpressive 2-2-2 record, many fans are panicking. The word ‘crisis’ has even come up several times in the media. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Bayern are in a crisis after just six league matches; after all, the side that won the 2001 Champions League and Bundesliga titles also lost eight of their 27 league matches. However, it is becoming more and more clear that personnel changes will have to occur in order for Bayern to regain their position among the European elite. I’ve sorted through the line-up and come up with three starters that Bayern need to replace.


HOLDING MIDFIELDER

The Case Against Mark van Bommel:

Bayern fans will always remember Van Bommel as the man who was brave (or crazy) enough to flash the bras d’honneur at a capacity crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu in a 2007 Champions League match. However, after his performance last year and early into this season, it has become apparent that the Dutch international simply does not have the edge he used to possess. Not only have Bayern failed to win a match this season with Van Bommel on the pitch, but the Dutch enforcer has arguably caused a great amount of Bayern’s domestic woes.

It was a needless Van Bommel foul that set up Szabolcs Huszti’s game-winning free kick in Bayern’s recent loss to Hannover. Before Van Bommel’s foul, Bayern were completely in control of the match. Afterward, Bayern struggled, partly due to Hannover’s purely defensive stance, but mostly due to poor form. Still, Bayern would have probably salvaged at least a point had it not been for Van Bommel’s completely unnecessary foul.

Earlier in the season, Van Bommel was sent off with a second yellow card after just 23 minutes of play in Dortmund. With his team down 1-0, Van Bommel elbowed Tamas Hajnal in the head, leaving his team with just ten men. Admittedly, his second yellow was questionable. However, even if the Oranje star is a marked man among Bundesliga referees, Bayern still need to consider whether it is a benefit to have him on the pitch.

Beyond his needless fouling, Van Bommel has also been very poor with the ball at his feet. His shots are almost never on target, and his passing is almost always lacking the sharpness of a good distributor. On numerous occasions, Van Bommel could have assisted goals, but didn’t as a result of his passes being off target.

The Candidates:

Lorik Cana

Le Destructeur is much like an Albanian Stefan Effenberg. Anyone who has doubts should look at this video. Since joining Olympique de Marseille in 2005, Cana has featured in 99 of 122 league matches, and has been a menace to Ligue 1 attackers. Unlike Van Bommel, Cana is able to provide bone-crunching tackles and aggressive defense without accumulating red cards; the Albanian hasn’t been sent off since the 2005-06 season. Cana is the no-nonsense type of defensive midfielder that Bayern need in order to have a truly free central attacking midfielder to occupy the hole behind the strikers.

In the off-season, Cana was linked with Real Madrid, Arsenal, Roma, Everton and Bayern among other teams, but l’OM’s asking price of €25million was too high for any takers to bite. The Albanian’s contract is set to expire in 2012, but a good offer from Bayern may see Cana move to the Allianz Arena.

Anatoliy Tymoschuk

Like Cana, Tymoschuk is a no-nonsense midfielder known for his aggressive defensive play. Unlike Cana, the 29-year-old Zenit St. Petersburg captain has had plenty of success at club level, winning three Ukrainian Championships, three Ukrainian Cups, and more recently, the Russian Premier League, Russian Super Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. The two-time Ukrainian Footballer of the Year is known for his professionalism and leadership, and would be a perfect fit at Bayern.

Tymoschuk is on contract at Zenit until January of 2011, and his role at the club is very important. As a result, it may be difficult for Bayern to pry him away from Petrovsky Stadium. However, if Zenit fail to qualify for European play (they are 6 points out of a UEFA Cup berth with 8 League matches left), Tymoschuk may seek to jump ship in favor of more consistent opportunity to play in Europe.


STRIKER

The Case Against Miroslav Klose:

I grew up watching Klose dazzle on the international scene, so it was painful to watch the German striker go from 2006 World Cup Golden Shoe winner to…something a lot worse than that in just a few months. I really feel bad for Klose because his work-rate is phenomenal. Still, strikers are paid to score goals, something that Klose is almost never able to do. Some say that the fact that he has scored a few goals recently exonerates Klose, but the truth is that he is simply too inconsistent to trust as a second striker. In the second half of his last season at Werder Bremen, Klose suffered from a tremendous goal-scoring drought. A few months later, he started the 2006-07 season in terrific form with Bayern. After October 2007, however, Klose simply could not score.

If I were in Jurgen Klinsmann’s position, I would have opted to start Lukas Podolski a long time ago, but apparently Klinsmann knows something about the 23-year-old that I don’t. So instead, I suppose a replacement for Klose is in order.

The Candidates:

Mario Gomez

The German international striker had a miserable Euro but is still an undeniably phenomenal striker. Tall, strong, and with an uncanny eye for goal, he’s like Luca Toni but with more mobility and better passing vision.

Gomez had an amazing 2007-08 season, netting a remarkable 28 times in 32 appearances for Stuttgart, including three times in four Champions League matches. Even though many commentators have called him ‘off-form’, Gomez has scored 9 goals in 9 appearances this season, something an off-form Klose could never do.

Gomez’s contract with Stuttgart is set to expire in 2012, and the Swabian side allegedly rejected a €35million bid from Bayern during the summer. However, Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness reported in August that his club had reached an agreement with Gomez that would bring the 23-year-old striker to Munich in the summer of 2009.

Andrei Arshavin

Arshavin’s performance at Euro 2008 and in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup would lead one to believe that the deep-lying striker is an up and coming talent. The bizarre truth is that Arshavin is 27 years old and has somehow managed to remain anonymous for years. Like Bayern’s own Franck Ribery, the Russian has uncommon speed, dribbling ability, and playmaking talent. On the break, Arshavin and Ribery would wreak havoc not only in Germany, but also in Europe. Behind Luca Toni, Arshavin would be a constant threat to set up plays or burst into the box with dazzling dribbling and one-two passes.

While Tymoschuk would be difficult to acquire from Zenit, Arshavin is a completely different matter. In the summer, it seemed almost a done deal that Arshavin would move to Tottenham Hotspur, but the two clubs were unable to reach an agreement. Considering that Zenit repeatedly lowered their asking price, it seems almost certain that Arshavin will leave their club as soon as January. After many of Europe’s elite clubs showed only minor interest in signing Arshavin this summer, it would not be difficult for Bayern to reel in the talented forward. A bid as low as €20million may be enough to seal the deal.

Pavel Pogrebnyak

Pogrebnyak belongs to a rare breed of striker that combines speed, strength, and a lethal eye for goal. In spite of his size, he has fit perfectly into Zenit’s fast-paced game plan and still has the strength to make space in the penalty area. His talents are much like those of Luca Toni, although Pogrebnyak has more pace and is more mobile than his Italian counterpart. Like Arshavin, Pogrebnyak was rather anonymous before having a phenomenal 2007-08 season. In the 2007-08 UEFA Cup, the powerful striker tied Luca Toni for most goals scored, with 10 strikes to his name. At just 24 years of age, Pogrebnyak has plenty of room for growth and could be a great investment for Bayern.

Recent reports have indicated that Bayern and Pogrebnyak are in contract negotiations, so a deal for the towering striker may be not far away. Pogrebnyak is on contract at Zenit until the end of 2009, so he should have a large say in whether he remains at Zenit or moves to Munich. According to Pogrebnyak, playing for Bayern was a childhood dream of his. Perhaps his dream will soon come true…


RIGHT-BACK

The Case Against Christian Lell:

Lell played very well for Bayern last year, but I now see why Joachim Loew is yet to call the youngster up to the national team. Consistency and class in defense have always been hallmarks of German football, and Lell apparently lacks enough of both of these qualities to receive a call-up.

Lell’s off-the-ball challenge on Ivica Olic in Bayern’s opener against Hamburg was absolutely unnecessary and resulted in a penalty kick to the visitors, who equalized as the match played out to a 2-2 draw.

Otherwise on defense, Lell has been shaky at best, and his offensive runs are further indicators that, for all his pace, Lell simply does not have the technical ability to play up-field.

Beyond Lell, Bayern still have ageing right-backs Willy Sagnol and Massimo Oddo in their squad, although the latter is only in Munich on a one-year loan while the former has hardly played since injuring his knee in April 2007.

The Candidates:

Andreas Goerlitz

Let’s face it: there’s no chance that Bayern will ever be able to sign Daniel Alves or Sergio Ramos. However, a great option at right-back is Bayern’s own Andreas Goerlitz. The 26-year-old made a great account of himself in Sagnol’s absence in 2007, and since then has been on loan at Karlsruhe, where he’s developed into a consistently solid performer.

Yuri Zhirkov

An offensive-minded full-back, Zhirkov’s playing style is perfect for Jurgen Klinsmann’s system, which includes wing-backs in pseudo-midfield positions. The CSKA Moscow star is known for his dribbling and playmaking ability from the left side, while also being a hard-working defensive stalwart. After his phenomenal showings at Euro 2008, Zhirkov was named in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament.

Signing Zhirkov would be an exceedingly difficult thing for Bayern to do, as full-backs of his class and skill set are very rare. However, with money and the potential for European success, the Russian international may be convinced to go abroad.

In conclusion, Bayern were unwise to be mostly inactive in the transfer market during the off-season and, as a consequence, will likely struggle in a Bundesliga that has seen several title contenders (namely Hamburg and Schalke) make great improvements as of late. Even if Bayern make a domestic turn around and win the Bundesliga title, they are still far from their former place among the European elite and will have to make improvements if they are to reach the Champions League final anytime soon. Had the Bayern management been aware of their team’s weaknesses in the positions of defensive midfield, full-back and striker, they could have made amends and better prepared for their Fall campaign. Now, Uli Hoeness will have to wait until the January transfer window opens if he is to fortify his team this year.

Goal.com - Editorial - Comment: Three Changes Bayern Must Make

[Vargas_4]

I like the "three changes" article. Very good.

[B@v@r3zU]

Kahn Concerned About Bayern Form

Former Bayern Munich skipper Oliver Kahn has admitted that he is surprised and worried at the misfiring manner in which his ex club have started the season under new boss Jurgen Klinsmann.

Bayern’s start to the current season is officially their worst in 34 years and the pressure is quickly mounting on Klinsmann with the Bavarian giants down in 11th place in the league, and seven points adrift of current leaders Hamburg after seven games.

Following successive losses to Werder Bremen and Hannover, Bayern let slip a two-goal lead on Saturday against Bochum to finally draw 3-3, which has all served to cause serious concern about the way the club are headed under Klinsmann.

"It is surprising because this team is not going through a revolution, it is practically the same team which won the double last season," he said.

"You cannot paint it all negatively, though. Bayern are always a team who can put a series of wins together and then everything goes uphill again."

Kahn also chimed in on the ongoing drama surrounding the captain's position at the club.

Mark Van Bommel, who became the club's first ever foreign captain during the summer, was left out of the starting XI yet again during the 1-1 draw against Bochum, having already been left out of the last two matches in the German Cup against Nurnberg and the Champions League tie at home to Lyon.

"A captain cannot do the job he should do when he is sitting on the bench," said van Bommel's successor. "Mark has been undermined."

Goal.com - Bayern Munich - Kahn Concerned About Bayern Form

[Munchen Minded]

This is a bleak outlook at this point. Along with the world's economy, Bayern are taking a dive.

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Schalke showdown on Sunday
Fixtures finalised through to Christmas

There can be no doubt that champions Bayern had hoped for better than nine points and eleventh place in the standings from the first seven games of the current Bundesliga season. It has become even more important for the Munich giants to set off on a winning streak and begin making up lost ground in the ten games remaining until the German top flight moves into the winter break.

“What we have to do now is really start catching up over the next few weeks, calm the situation and get back to something approaching normal,“ coach Jürgen Klinsmann stated following Thursday’s 1-0 friendly defeat away to Ingolstadt. FCB are determined to commence the process of recovery in their very next Bundesliga fixture away to Karlsruher SC.

Last season’s double winners now know exactly when they will be contesting domestic matches in the period after the Karlsruhe clash, following the publication of the finalised fixture list for Matchdays 9 to 17 by the German Football League (DFL) on Friday afternoon.

The programme through to the midpoint of the season hands Bayern six games on Saturday: home to VfL Wolfsburg (25 October), Arminia Bielefeld (1 November) and Energie Cottbus (22 November), and away to Borussia Monchengladbach (15 November), Bayer Leverkusen (29 November) and VfB Stuttgart (13 December). All kick-offs are at 3.30 pm CET.

The champions play one fixture on a Sunday, the eagerly-awaited trip to Schalke 04 on 9 November, and one on Friday evening, the home meeting with high-flying promoted outfit 1899 Hoffenheim on 5 December. On Matchday 10, the sole midweek fixture in the first half of the league programme, Klinsmann’s side are away to Eintracht Frankfurt on the evening of Wednesday 29 October.

FC Bayern

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