FC Schalke 04

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Kuranyi misses training

Schalke top scorer Kevin Kuranyi was conspicuous by his absence from training on Tuesday morning - but there's no great cause for concern.

Coach Mike Büskens was quick to stress that Kuranyi will be available for Saturday's meeting with Hannover 96, saying, "Kevin took a knock on the leg at Hamburg."

Büskens explained that Kuranyi was rested from training as a purely precautionary measure. Instead, the striker undertook an individual session in the club's health and fitness centre, before rejoining the rest of the squad in the afternoon.

Christian Pander, meanwhile, is still not fully recovered from an adductor injury. "There's some improvement, but it's still not as it should be", Büskens said. It remains to be seen whether he will be available for the upcoming "English week".

Also missing from Tuesday training were long-term injury cases Zlatan Bajramovic (toe), Gustavo Varela (thyroid) and Zé Roberto (torn muscle fibre).

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Fresh legs called for

With a tough week of fixtures coming up, Schalke 04 coaches Mike Büskens and Youri Mulder are thinking about shuffling the pack.

Alongside Zlatan Bajramovic (toe), Gustavo Varela (thyroid problem) and Zé Roberto (torn muscle fibre), Christian Pander may also miss Saturday's game with Hannover due to an adductor injury.

"He still hasn't been able to train with the squad, so it's starting to look very very tight", said Büskens of the left-sided defender. The coach has also yet to decide whether Ivan Rakitic will start against Hannover following his 15-minute comeback against Hamburg on Saturday, in the wake of an ankle injury.

Büskens said, "Ivan was out for four and a half weeks, and has been back in training for two. He's got a good shout for a starting slot, of course, but so have certain other players."

Wednesday turned out to be a day off for Vicente Sanchez, after the Uruguayan international picked up a knock in training. "Vicente was in a bit of pain, so we rested him from training for the day", Büskens explained.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Bundesliga, Matchday 31 | PREVIEW
Schalke – Hannover

It is two wins from two games for caretaker trainers Mike Büskens and Youri Mulder, and they will be srtiving to make it a third against Hannover in order to cement their Champions League place for next season.

Last weekend’s 1-0 away win over Hamburg gave them a valuable three points against a direct competitior for Europe and set up a six point gap between themselves and fourth place Bayer Leverkusen. With so much money and prestige riding on Champions League qualification, a home win on Saturday would prove to be a massive boost for the Königsblauen.

Hannover on the other hand don’t have much to play for except pride and a higher final league placing. They currently sit ninth, and although not mathemativally out of the race for European places, for them to qualify would take a whole series of extremely surprising results from other teams.

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Schalke 1 - 1 Hannover

8' [0 - 1] M. Hanke
39' [1 - 1] H. Altintop

Schalke 1-1 Hannover

The winning streak of caretakers Mike Büskens and Youri Mulder came to an end as Schalke were held at home by Hannover. The point sees Werder Bremen open up a two point lead over the Königsblauen in the race for second place.

The visitors took the lead after just 8 minutes with in-form midfielder Arnold Bruggink firing home a direct free kick. Mike Hanke attempted to get a touch to the ball which distracted Schalke keeper Neuer. The ball however curled into the far corner of the Königsblauen goal.

The home side endeavoured to press forward and they managed to grab the equaliser five minutes before the interval. Ivan Rakitic passed into the centre where the ball rather luckily fell to Halil Altintop. The Turkish international sprinted past Vinicius before looping the ball over Enke and into the Hannover goal.

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Schalke Rue Dropped Points

Schalke’s home draw against Hannover has allowed Werder Bremen to open up a two point lead in the race for second place. Caretaker trainer Mike Büskens admitted after the game that his side struggled against a good Hannover side at the Veltins Arena this afternoon.

The visitors took an early first half lead when Arnold Bruggink fired in a free kick after just eight minutes to take advantage of a slow start from the home side.

However, the Königsblauen managed to get themselves back into the game and secured the equaliser through Halil Altintop five minutes before the interval.

Caretaker trainer Mike Büskens was left disappointed with the result, but was full of praise for Dieter Hecking’s side.

“We had problems finding a way into the game against a very strong team” admitted caretaker trainer Mike Büskens.

“We were not really in the game at the start. After going 1-0 down, the team managed to fight back.

“We’ll have to see at the end of the season what this point we have won against a very good team is worth.”

Hannover trainer Dieter Hecking was left proud of his team as they took a point off of one of the top three sides in the Bundesliga.

“Two or three years ago, we would have lost 2-0 0r 3-0 here, so I have to pay my team a huge compliment for their performance today” Hecking said.

“We didn’t want to just let the season peter out and you saw that today with our level of performance.”

Goal.com - Schalke - Schalke Rue Dropped Points

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Bundesliga, Matchday 32 | PREVIEW
Bochum – Schalke

The Königsblauen will still have designs on finishing second despite a disappointing home draw with Hannover on Satuday. Under caretaker tariners Mike Büskens and Youri Mulder, Schalke had won their two previous games, but their stalemate with Hannover at the Veltins Arena has handed Werder a two point lead in the race for the runners up spot.

Schalke themselves have a four point lead over fourth placed Hamburg so they will be keeping a close eye on the result from the Nord-derby between HSV and Werder.

Bochum can play the role as a nuisance team at this stage of the season. Safely positioned in mid-table, they have nothing to gain and nothing to lose. They took important points frm Duisburg two weeks ago, but then saw Bielefeld grab an important win against them on Saturday.

This Ruhr derby will be a closely fought contest with Marcel Koller’s side motivated by getting one over their local rivals and stopping them taking second spot.

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Büskens Demands Schalke Focus

Schalke’s caretaker trainer Mike Büskens has called on his side to remain focussed until the end of the season and has demanded a positive performance tonight as the Königsblauen take on local rivals Bochum.

Schalke have their sights firmly set on a top three finish that would qualify them for next season’s Champions League but with Hamburg and Stuttgart breathing down their necks, they know they have to keep picking up the points in the remaining three games.

"We want to win our last three games to put Bremen under pressure. So three points are a must in Bochum" Büskens said while admitting it would not be an easy task.

"Bochum operate in the shadow of their big neighbours and will do their utmost to beat us.

"It's a local derby. It's obvious they'll be out to rain on our parade. That's a big motivation for them, so we'll have to respond in kind.

"Bochum are doing a good job. Everyone thought it would be very tough for them after losing Theofanis Gekas. But in Stanislav Sestak they signed another top striker who hardly anyone had heard of before" he concluded.

Goal.com - Schalke - Büskens Demands Schalke Focus

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Bochum 0 - 3 Schalke

34' [0 - 1] G. Asamoah
67' [0 - 2] I. Rakitic
85' [0 - 3] M.J. Bordon

Bochum 0-3 Schalke

The Ruhr derby was won by Schalke to take them into second place, albeit temporarily with Werder playing tomorrow.

After a strong start to the game from the home side, Schalke came more into the game and took the lead after 34 minutes through Gerald Asamoah. Ivan Rakitic received the ball from Jermaine Jones in an offside position, but took advantage of the missing flag to cross into the middle. Former German international Asamoah was in the right place to nod home from just five meters leaving Lastuvka no chance in the Bochum goal.

The Königsblauen doubled their lead over their Ruhr rivals on 67 minutes. Altintop made a good run down the left before laying the ball back to Rakitic cutting out the entire Bochum defence as well as keeper Lastuvka. The Croatian midfielder was thus able to fire home from 13 meters with relative ease.

The result was put beyond doubt five minutes from time when Schalke captain Marcelo Bordon headed home a Rakitic free kick from close range.

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Future of Schalke duo undecided

Schalke 04 sporting director Andreas Müller has issued some good news concerning Gustavo Varela.

"His thyroid operation was a success", Müller announced on Monday. This after the 29-year-old forward had been plagued for weeks by thyroid trouble.

"Overactive thyroid"

Varela was operated on by Professor Matthias Kemen in the Evangelical hospital in Herne on Monday. One of the assisting doctors, Bernd Brexendorf, said, "Gustavo has an overactive thyroid, which the operation is aimed at correcting."

Andreas Müller said, "Gustavo was still coming round when I called the doctors." He added that there was now a good chance Valera would have long-term relief from the need for medication.

Future undecided

On the sporting front, Varela's contract with the "Royal Blues" runs out at the end of the season. What happens then remains unclear. Said Müller, "We'll discuss the subject with the player at the appropriate time." Incoming coach Fred Rutten will also have a say in the matter.

Another player in a similar position is Zlatan Bajramovic, who made his last appearance for Schalke back on matchday 17 against 1. FC Nürnberg.

Talks in the air

The Bosnian international, whose contract is also up in a few weeks, has been out since then with a complicated toe injury. Müller says talks with the player and the new coach are in the air here too, while stressing, "We are well aware of what he has done for us."

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Mutu Offered To Schalke

According to Schalke manager Andreas Müller, the Königsblauen have been offered the chance to sign striker Adrian Mutu from Fiorentina.

With Schalke looking to invest in the summer and new trainer Fred Rutten being given some money to spend, it seems the club are ready to splash out in an effort to progress form their annual role as also rans in the Bundesliga.

Mutu has refound some of his best form this season playing for the Viola after a few years in the wilderness following his sacking from Chelsea for drugs use.

Mutu has been linked with a move to Germany in the past and Müller has now confirmed there is interest.

"Yes, he has been offered to us by an agent" Muller told Bild.

The Romanian is contracted to Fiorentina until the summer of 2011 and it is believed that he would cost Schalke around €12 million (£9.3m).

Schalke reached the quarter final of this season's Champions League, but have remained a way off the pace in the Bundesliga, although they do look set for a top three finish.

Goal.com - Schalke - Mutu Offered To Schalke

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Adrian Mutu’s agent, Alessandro Moggi, has denied that the player has been offered to German side Schalke 04.

Reports on Monday claimed that the Romanian international was offered to the Bundesliga side and Schalke sporting director, Andreas Moeller, revealed that an agent had offered Mutu’s services.

“He (Mutu) has been offered to us by an agent,” the ex-juve player told Bild.

However, Moggi junior has rubbished the talk and he insists that the Viola number 10 will remain in Florence.

“Adrian is a Viola player, that’s all I have to say, other comments are not necessary,” said Moggi.

Mutu has arguably been the Viola’s player of the season this term and it would seem highly unlikely that Cesare Prandelli would want to release him given the club’s ambitions both domestically and in Europe next season.

The Viola are currently fifth in Serie A but they still have an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League. A win against Parma this weekend and a slip up by Milan in Napoli will see Prandelli’s men reclaim the all important foruth place.

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Goal.com - Fiorentina - Agent Denies Mutu To Schalke Offer

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Bundesliga side Schalke have announced a record income from last year, which will bode well for the future.

The Gelsenkirchen club revealed on Friday that they had taken a record €149.5 million in 2007. The profit from that was around €12.8 million.

“The business year 2007 is a lovely example, which shows that the decisions we made in the past have now paid off” explained finance chief Josef Schnusenberg.

The Königsblauen made it past the group stage of the Champions League last year, which went a long way towards producing these results.

“It was clear to us that sporting success like we had last year would speed up the paying off of our debts” Schnusenberg added.

Schalke’s debts have now decreased from €129.5 million to just €102.2 million.

“The investment in the squad, the Veltins Arena and the infrastructure were of course exertions on the budget, but these are becoming ever more predictable.

The club’s previous best figures came in 2005 when they made €131.8 million.

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Goal.com - Schalke - Schalke Announce Record Income

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Wow. That's a high debt.

Good thing Bayern Munich doesn't need to worry about those kinds of troubles