German Football news

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The League Association is supporting VfB Stuttgart's legal initiative aimed at achieving an open, regulated market for sports betting.

The association announced its decision together with the club in Frankfurt-on-Main today, Wednesday 13 February.

VfB are the first Bundesliga club to issue summary proceedings against the new betting legislation which came into effect at the start of the year.

VfB Stuttgart say they have incurred a substantial loss of revenue since the implementation of the monopoly and the accompanying ban on advertising for private bookmakers.

According to club President Erwin Staudt, "We are convinced that the betting treaty is contrary to German basic law and European Union law as well. That's why we've gone to court."

Under the new legislation, the German professional game stands to lose out on annual income of anything between 100- and 300 million euro. DFL President Dr. Reinhard Rauball said, "It's time for all parties concerned to open a dialogue on a future market model. The betting monopoly puts German professional football at a considerable disadvantage in the international arena."

Dr. Rauball added that, "It's not just the Bundesliga that benefits from opening up the betting industry, but the amateur game and grass-roots football as well." He also thanked all those clubs, such as Werder Bremen, to have involved themselves in the matter to date.

The European Commission has already initiated an infringement-of-treaty process against Germany. A dual system with state and private betting agents operating in tandem has been the norm for years in countries such as Spain, Austria, Italy and the UK.

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Former German national team manager and current Sporting director at Bayer Leverkusen Rudi Völler believes that German football is poised to once again become a power in European football.

“The first legs of the Uefa Cup showed that all Bundesliga clubs have a chance. Even if all five do not make it, I think that German club football has announced its comeback in Europe” he stated in an interview with ‘Kicker’.

“The horror predictions of Germany losing their third Champions league place have been hushed. I always said it was exaggerated.”

The Bundesliga however remains ranked fifth behind Spain, England, Italy and France in the Uefa co-efficient rankings.

“We are not going to sink any lower and this season we may even be pestering the French for fourth place” Völler said.

In the first knock-out round in the season’s Uefa Cup, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburg, Werder Bremen and Nürnberg are all fighting to reach the quarter-finals of the competition.

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The board of the German Football Liga (DFL) are gathering in Dortmund today to iron out the TV deal from 2009. Bundesliga games on free TV are on the agenda.

The eleven board members of the DFL meet in Dortmund to discuss the new TV rights, which will take effect from 2009 on.

The main talking point of the day will be DFL president Dr Reinhard Rauball's intention to show 12 Bundesliga games per year live on German terrestrial television, i.e. free of charge.

As other leagues continue to assign games to exclusive - and increasingly expensive - pay TV companies, the Bundesliga is aiming to offer something to ordinary fans who are increasingly being frozen out as football becomes obsessed by money.

The plan is for the games to take place at 8.15pm local time on Saturday nights - and what is more, the league hopes for it to be the 'game of the month' which is shown for free, meaning teams like Bayern, Werder Bremen or Hamburg will be involved.

Including all the pay TV deals also envisaged in the new rights package, Bundesliga clubs hope to net a combined €500m per season more than at present.

Goal.com - Germany - Bundesliga Planning Free TV Games

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The League Association Executive and the Supervisory Board of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH agreed unanimously at a meeting on Tuesday as to the success of talks with KF 15 GmbH & Co. KG on outstanding matters relating to the start-up of a joint venture with the DFL.

League President Dr. Reinhard Rauball said, "We are delighted to have created a solid foundation for a cooperation with KF 15. And we would like to thank the DFL management, whose judicious handling of the negotiation process throughout has ensured the interests of the clubs have been factored in at all times on the way to attaining an optimal solution."

Rights to all 612 matches

League Association and DFL signatories were empowered with immediate effect to sign the subsequently finalised agreements. The newly formed joint enterprise will offer a full programme - including the broadcast of all 612 Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga matches - to future holders of live rights in the pay-per-view sector. This will enable interested parties to bid without the need for any substantial up-front investment, making the bidding process more competitive.

The DFL will have a 49 per cent stake in the new company, with KF 15 subsidiary Sirius holding 51 per cent. The Chief Executive, appointed by Sirius, will run the enterprise in conjunction with the monitoring committees.

Tender for rights starting from 2009-2010 season in the offing

The executive board of the joint venture will consist of three members appointed by the DFL and three by KF 15. The name of the new enterprise is currently under review and will be announced shortly.

The tender for rights from the season 2009-2010 onwards will also be published shortly, with the actual tendering process set to commence four weeks later.

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The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH will soon announce a rights package for the possible introduction of an official match ball to be used starting in the 2009-2010 season.

This rights package will apply to the championship matches in the Bundesliga and/or 2. Bundesliga.

"Official match ball makes sense for several reasons"

Beginning on March 25, 2008, the DFL will provide qualified applicants with tender documents that also include the precise information concerning the content and range of applicability of the rights.

"Introducing an official match ball would make sense for several reasons, including the potential for uniform competition conditions, additional revenues and new opportunities for raising the brand visibility of the Bundesliga", said Christian Seifert, CEO of the DFL executive board.

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The German FA (DFB) have reacted to raids on their headquarters by the office of fair trading by claiming they have done no wrong and described the actions as “unbelievable”.

The Bundeskartellamt launched the raid as part of a wider investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices and seized a number of items to be used as evidence against the DFB and the DFL (German Football League), who they believe have created a working group to limit competition between them and German clubs over sponsorship.

Both parties have released statements denying the claims. "This action is unbelievable for all of us" explained DFB general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach.

"We have always worked correctly and fairly with the authorities, which was one of the particular secrets of the success of the 2006 World Cup, so there is absolutely no reason to hide anything.

"Had the Bundeskartellamt contacted us directly, they would have received a straight answer with all the necessary documents they required.

"We do not know of the slightest suspicion of incorrect behaviour on our behalf” he added.

“This raid is a sad example of how a basis of trust can be destroyed between ourselves and the authorities."

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After being voted by Bayern fans as their 2006-2007 Player of the Season,
Mark van Bommel has now scooped another award, but hardly one he would even think of including in his résumé.

The combative Dutchman topped the list in Bild’s poll for“Der grösste Stinkstiefel”. Translated in English as “The biggest stinking boot”, it’s quite simply an effort of pointing out who’s the most hated footballer in the Bundesliga…

Kahn down in third

Here’s how it works: the newspaper’s editors come up with a list of 10 nominees and then readers are asked to cast their vote on Bild’s website. Van Bommel actually got over a quarter of the votes (25.28%), surprisingly leaving team-mate Olli Kahn in third place with 13.36%. Karslruher central defender Maik Franz finished runner-up, with 13.66 per cent.

Franz is the players’ choice

Europe’s biggest selling daily had actually earlier formed another list consisting of the ten players the other footballers and coaches in the Bundesliga love to hate. Van Bommel was ranked highly there too, even though Franz won it in flying colours.

In case you’re wondering, Hamburg’s David Jarolím (11.86%) and Werder’s Diego (10.97%) made up the top-five, with Energie’s Vragel da Silva (6.91%), Hertha Berlin’s Josip Šimunić (6.49%), Hannover’s Altin Lala (5.45%), Hansa’s Victor Agali (4.42%) and Bochum’s Tomasz Zdebel (1.60%) completed the list.

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Goal.com - Main - German Fans Hate Van Bommel’s Guts

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^ Lol.

I find this pretty funny.

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Lol, funny indeed. Van Bommel is a legend though, haters can hate.

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Andreas Herzog is well known in the Bundesliga. In almost ten years, he played in 264 Bundesliga games, scoring 59 goals. Almost the whole time, he played for Werder Bremen. The only time he played for another Bundesliga team was the 1995-1996 season, when he played for FC Bayern.

Herzog has been Assistant Manager of the Austrian national team since January 2006, and is now busy getting ready for the upcoming EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.

bundesliga.de speaks with Herzog, who talks about "his" Bremen team, predicts the Bundesliga champion and which place other teams will have at the end of the season.

bundesliga.de: Mr. Herzog, as a one-time Bundesliga great, you of course keep an on on the league. How do you evaluate the current situation in the Bundesliga?

Herzog: FC Bayern will win the title. The competition just aren't consistent enough to take advantage of Bayern's mistakes. Bayern are the only team that haven't lost any important games all season long. And that's why they're going to win the title.

bundesliga.de: As an former Bremen player, does it bother you to see how Werder have wasted their chances to win the title?

Herzog: I was surprised that Werder were in second place despite all the mistake they made. Now they have to take care that they don't squander a fine season.

bundesliga.de: Why should that happen now of all times, when the team finally healthy is?

Herzog: I also wonder why. You just shouldn't lose games like the one against MSV Duisburg is you want to qualify for the Champions League. But the same is true for Schalke, Leverkusen and Hamburg. You shouldn't give up any points to teams in danger of relegation.

bundesliga.de: In the first half of the season, Werder lost just one home game. But since the winter break they've lost three. How can you explain that?

Herzog: It's hard to say. Of course it's been a trying season for Bremen, with important players like Torsten Frings, Tim Borowski and Clemens Fritz out with long injuries. Diego hasn't been a hundred percent lately because of a pubic bone inflammation. That sums it up. The other players have jumped into the breach, but they can't always play to the limit.

bundesliga.de: On Matchday 27, the top game pits Stuttgart against HSV. Which will prevail: VFB's offence, which was outstanding in Hannover, or Hamburg's defence?

Herzog: For Hamburg, it'll be important that their defence holds steady in Stuttgart. VfB are on the move again, after not a very good start to the season. For a while things looked really bad. But that's how things go for a lot of teams after winning the title. But I'm predicting a draw.

bundesliga.de: Down at the other end of the table, there's Duisburg versus Cottbus. Both of them won against big teams recently. Which one can keep a streak going?

Herzog: Duisburg won in Bremen. But of course a victory over Cottbus would be more important. MSV could get ahead of Cottbus and put them on the spot. But at the moment both teams are under tremendous pressure. When you're playing near the top of the table, it's a positive pressure. But in the battle against relegation, your existence is on the line, and that really strains you.

bundesliga.de: Bayern left some points behind in Nurenberg, but the competition still couldn't close the gap on them. Does that sound familiar?

Herzog: Bayern have the best squad now. Someone like Franck Ribery can decide a game on his own. When Ribery is on form, they're going to win games. And that's the case most of the time.

bundesliga.de: Two more questions. Who are going to clinch Champions League berths? And who will be relegated?

Herzog: Hamburg will finish second. Werder are getting a bit weaker, and Schalke are going to be weakened by their quarter-final matches against Barcelona in the Champions League. But I think Bremen will be able to come away with third place.

bundesliga.de: And who will be relegated?

Herzog: Nurenberg are of course the season's big disappointment. But I hope they don't get relegated. In the end, it'll be decided by which team picks up points on the road when no one is expecting it. Like Duisburg in Bremen. But I can't say for sure.

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Top German referee Markus Merk has announced his intention to retire at the end of this season.

“Now is the ideal time for me to end a wonderful career, without the negative aspects spoiling all the many positives” Merk explained. The experienced referee will call it a day at the end of the current season.

The 46 year old has officiated 333 Bundesliga matches thus far as well as 50 internationals. Merk has not been on the official FIFA list of top referees since the start of the year due to his age.

He began officiating in the Bundesliga in 1988 and had originally planned to retire in May 2009, but has moved the date forward a year.

Merk, a dentist by trade, was voted World Referee of the Year in 2004, 2005, and 2007. Further high points in a distinguished included the World Cups of 2002 and 2006 as well as the European Championships in 2000 and 2004.

He took control of the Euro 2006 final between Greece and tournament hosts Portugal.

Goal.com - Germany - Ref Markus Merk To Retire

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Fans of 1. FC Nürnberg had used firecrackers into the first half of their Bundesliga match in Frankfurt, and one Bengal firework had been thrown onto the pitch.

Referee Peter Gagelmann had broken the match off for a short time before completing the 90 minutes. Holger Hieronymus denies comparisons with Italian circumstances, but condemns all forms of turmoil inside the stadiums.

Question: Mister Hieronymus, how shocked are you about the riots in the match between Frankfurt and Nuremberg?

Holger Hieronymus: I'm not shocked, I'm rather disappointed. But we can't proceed on the assumption that we will be spared incidents of this kind. We have a good system that has worked well more often than not especially when it comes to prevention. That's why we can't tolerate such a thing. But we shouldn't forget that the police and the stewards acted well de-escalating with positive reactions.

Question: How will the DFL react?

Hieronymus: We will continue the initiated dialogue with the fans' representatives. We think that we are in a position to hold resilient talks and put forward claims, not least because on the initiative of the fans we have improved the stadium ban guidelines in collaboration with the DFB and shortened the bans.

Question: Are you afraid of Italian circumstances in the Bundesliga?

Hieronymus: I have to deny that vigorously. We're far, far away from that, even if I don't want to play down the incidents. I even dare to say: It will never happen in Germany that someone throws motor scooters from the stands. On the contrary: we have made many steps into the right direction and we're dealing with a vanishing proportion of problem fans that should be below one per cent.

Question: Will there be additional security checks?

Hieronymus: I don't think that will be necessary at the moment. We will reconstruct the incident together with the DFB's security bodies, then the DFB Sports Court will pass sentence. We should continue to have a reasonable cooperation without clipping all ropes.

Question: How would you see the ideal future in this matter?

Hieronymus: Football should be a joy for everyone and the opposing fans should support the sport in the sense of fairness. I rely on a peaceful cooperation. People like those who brought about Saturday's incidents have no place in football, however.

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Nürnberg and Frankfurt fined

The DFB Sports Court has fined Bundesliga clubs Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Nürnberg.

Saturday's match between Frankfurt and Nuremberg had to be interrupted after firecrackers and Bengal firework had been used in the away fans section.

FCN were ordered to pay 50,000 euros, Eintracht Frankfurt have to pay 25,000.

Both clubs have accepted the verdict.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Former Hannover boss Peter Neururer has revealed he would love to succeed Mirko Slomka as coach of Schalke.

Slomka, who has led the Royal Blues to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in their history - they currently trail Barcelona 1-0 after the first leg in Gelsenkirchen, still has a year left on his contract.

But his position at the Veltins Arena is far from secure after a poor run of form at the turn of the year which all but ended Schalke's title hopes.

Neururer was dismissed as coach of Hannover more than 18 months ago after just nine months in charge and is keen for a return to management.

But the 52-year-old admits Schalke, along with former club Bochum - both of which are based in the Ruhr area of Germany from where he hails - are his preferred destinations.

He told the Bild newspaper, after speculation linked him with the vacant general manager's job at Bochum: "I see myself more as a head coach, preferably at my favourite clubs Bochum and Schalke.

"But (Bochum coach) Marcel Koller is doing a good job and Mirko Slomka has his job at least until the end of the season."

Neururer led Bochum into the Bundesliga and then into the UEFA Cup in 2004, but agreed to step down towards the end of a disappointing season in 2005.

He took over at Hannover, but was sacked just three games into the 2006/07 season.

"I am angry with myself every day that I am not in this beautiful job any more," he added.

"Fortunately, though, I am in the position where I do not have to take a job tomorrow which I may regret the day after."

SportingLife.com