SV Werder Bremen

[Oliver_Kahn]

Come on Hertha!

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UEFA Cup - Semi-finals
03 May 2007 - 20:45 (local time)
Weserstadion - Bremen

SV Werder Bremen vs Espanyol Barcelona

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Following a 3-0 defeat in the first leg in Spain, Werder Bremen have a mountain to climb if they are to deny RCD Espanyol a place in the UEFA Cup final on 16 May.

• Thomas Schaaf's side came unstuck at the Olimpico de Montjuic Stadium, with a first-half goal from Moisés Hurtado and a Walter Pandiani strike after 50 minutes giving the home side a 2-0 lead before goalkeeper Tim Wiese was dismissed for a professional foul. The German side looked to have escaped further punishment until substitute Ferrán Corominas made it 3-0 two minutes from time.

• Espanyol reached the Round of 32 as Group F winners - one of only two clubs along with Tottenham Hotspur FC to win all four matches - and then beat AS Livorno Calcio 2-1 away and 2-0 at home to progress to the last 16. A goalless draw at Maccabi Haifa FC in the Round of 16 ended Espanyol's run of seven straight victories, but they made amends with a 4-0 win in the return leg to reach the quarter-finals. They won 3-2 at home against SL Benfica in the quarter-finals and progressed with a goalless draw in the away leg.

• The 0-0 draw in Lisbon was Espanyol's 50th UEFA Cup appearance.

• Bremen earned a UEFA Cup place after finishing third behind Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona in UEFA Champions League Group A. The 1992 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup victors then eliminated AFC Ajax, winning 3-0 at the Weserstadion and losing 3-1 at the Amsterdam ArenA. They reached the quarter-finals with a 1-0 away victory and a 2-0 win at home against RC Celta de Vigo and then drew 0-0 at AZ Alkmaar in the last eight before winning the home leg 4-1.

• Bremen's four goals against AZ took their total in UEFA club competition to 299 goals.

• Coro's goal in Barcelona was the 200th Bremen had conceded in European competition.

• Espanyol have been paired with German sides in four previous European ties. They lost 2-1 at TSV Eintracht Braunschweig and won 2-0 at home in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup. In the 1987/88 UEFA Cup first round they won 1-0 at VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach then triumphed 4-1 at home en route to a final with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. They won the final home leg 3-0 but lost the return by the same score, and were eventually defeated on penalties.

• Those games will be particularly memorable for Espanyol coach Ernesto Valverde. He appeared in both matches against Mönchengladbach, scoring his only European goal in the second leg, and also played in the first leg of the final against Leverkusen.

• More recently Espanyol lost 2-1 away and 3-0 at home against FC Schalke 04 in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup Round of 32. Following last week's win in Barcelona, their record in nine games against German sides reads won five and lost four with 15 goals scored and eight conceded.

• Prior to the semi-finals, Bremen had played in four European ties against Spanish sides as well as being pooled with Primera División opponents in three successive UEFA Champions League group stage campaigns.

• Their biggest meeting with a Spanish side came in 1992 when they took on FC Barcelona in the UEFA Super Cup, drawing 1-1 at home before losing 2-1 at Camp Nou. Current Bremen coach Schaaf made a 30-minute appearance in that latter game.

• Schaaf also played in both legs of Bremen's tie with Club Atlético de Madrid in the 1986/87 UEFA Cup first round. Bremen lost 2-0 in Madrid but levelled the scores in normal time at the Weserstadion only to lose in extra time.

• Following last week’s win in Barcelona, their record in 15 games against Spanish sides reads won five, drawn three and lost seven with 15 goals scored and 22 conceded. They beat Celta 1-0 away and 2-0 at home in this season's Round of 16.

• Espanyol remain the highest scorers in this season's UEFA Cup with 30 goals. They have conceded just eight.

• Valverde's men have scored relatively consistently throughout games, with a burst just after half-time; eight of their goals have been scored between the 46th and 60th minutes.

• Uruguayan striker Pandiani is the tournament's top scorer this season with eleven goals, while Luis García has managed six strikes.

• Bremen have scored eleven goals and conceded seven since moving from the UEFA Champions League group stage into the UEFA Cup Round of 32. Prior to that, they had scored seven and conceded five in Europe's top club competition.

• Eight of Bremen's goals have come after half-time, with Hugo Almeida proving the most potent scorer with three in the competition.

• Bremen can take little comfort from Espanyol's away form. They have yet to lose a game in the UEFA Cup this season, and have conceded just three times in three wins and three draws on their travels to date. Their last two away games have ended in 0-0 draws.

• Bremen, however, have been tremendous at home in Europe, winning their last five European games at the Weserstadion since drawing 1-1 against FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. They have conceded just twice at home in Europe all season and have twice won UEFA Cup games by three-goal margins, beating Ajax 3-0 in the Round of 32 and AZ 4-1 in the quarter-finals.

• Espanyol's Francisco Chica will celebrate his 22nd birthday on 17 May, the day after the UEFA Cup final.

• Espanyol's Jesús María Lacruz turned 29 on 25 April, the day before their first leg tie against Bremen. Top scorer Pandiani celebrated his 31st birthday a day later, on 27 April. A third Espanyol player, Iván de la Peña will turn 31 on 6 May, three days after the second leg with Bremen.

• Bremen midfielder Tim Borowski celebrates his 27th birthday on 2 May, the day before the Espanyol return.

• Italy are the most successful UEFA Cup nation with nine victories. A success for Bremen this season would move Germany on to seven victories. They are currently joint second in the UEFA Cup rankings with England with six triumphs apiece, two more than Spain.

• Bookings in the first leg mean goalscorers Moisés and Pandiani will miss the match in Germany, but Espanyol welcome back Francisco Chica, Luís García and Juan Velasco from suspension. Ivan de la Peña, Ito, Albert Riera, and Francisco Rufete remain within a caution of missing their next European game.

• Wiese's red card in Barcelona means he will miss the game at the Weserstadion along with Clemens Fritz, who picked up his third booking of Bremen's European campaign. A booking for Frank Baumann means he, along with team-mates Tim Borowski, Torsten Frings, Diego, Naldo and Pierre Wome, is within one booking of a suspension.

• The aggregate winners will face CA Osasuna or Sevilla FC in the final at Hampden Park on 16 May. For administrative purposes, Espanyol or Bremen will be classed as the home team.

• Media representatives who intend to apply for accreditations for the UEFA Champions League final in Athens and for the UEFA Cup final in Glasgow and who have not yet registered in F.A.M.E. should send an email to fame_accreditations@uefa.ch immediately in order to be considered for accreditations at all. The deadline for application for accreditation is 4 May 2007.

uefa.com*-*UEFA Cup*-*Fixtures & Results*-*Match Specific

[Oliver_Kahn]

Goodbye Bremen

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^ Yeah. They really need a super miracle. They won't have Wiese for this match, another big blow. Maybe Bremen can score 3 goals, but can't imagine Espanyol not scoring at least a goal.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Espanyol's defence was awsome against Benfica in Portugal, specially their keeper

[Oliver_Kahn]

De La Peña to miss Bremen trip


Ivan De La Peña will miss the second leg of RCD Espanyol's UEFA Cup semi-final against Werder Bremen after failing to recover from a minor calf injury.

'Still in pain'
The club's medical staff have suggested the 30-year-old midfielder rest for up to ten days in order to recover fully from the injury to his left leg. "The player hasn't responded well in the last few days and Iván told me yesterday he was still in pain," said Espanyol doctor Miguel Cervera. "After the tests we carried out this morning, I have to say he'll miss Thursday's game unless there's a miracle. This type of injury needs seven to ten days to heal." De La Peña pulled the calf muscle during the 3-0 home win in the first leg against Bremen last Thursday, and is within a booking of missing his next European game.

uefa.com*-*UEFA Cup*-*News & Features*-*News Specific

[Oliver_Kahn]

«Süddeutsche Zeitung»: FC Bayern mit Klose und Toni einig

Der deutsche Fußball-Rekordmeister FC Bayern München rüstet nach Informationen der «Süddeutschen Zeitung» seinen Angriff mit Nationalstürmer Miroslav Klose und Weltmeister Luca Toni auf. Das berichtet das Blatt in seiner Mittwochsausgabe.
Während Toni (AC Florenz) schon zur neuen Saison kommen soll, sei offen, ob Klose zur Spielzeit 2007/08 oder doch erst nach Ablauf seines Vertrages bei Werder Bremen ein Jahr später wechsle. Zwischen beiden Clubs gebe es bisher keine Einigung über die Modalitäten des Transfers, so die «SZ». Der FC Bayern bestätigte am Dienstagabend die Personalien nicht.

Bremens Manager Klaus Allofs äußerte sich zu einem möglichen Klose-Wechsel am Dienstabend zurückhaltend: «Ich kann mir das nicht vorstellen. Dazu fehlt mir die Fantasie», sagte Allofs laut «kicker- online». In diesem Jahr könnten die Bremer, die einen Wechsel ihres Angreifers innerhalb Deutschlands bislang ausgeschlossen hatten, jedoch noch eine zweistellige Millionen-Ablöse kassieren. In einem Jahr könnte Klose den Verein ablösefrei verlassen. Toni soll nach Medienberichten vom Wochenende 18 Millionen Euro kosten und im Rahmen seines Fünfjahresvertrags mit 5,5 Millionen Euro pro Saison entlohnt
werden - damit wäre er der Top-Verdiener beim FC Bayern.

Nach dem Großeinkauf im Angriff dürften auch Gerüchte über den Verbleib der bisherigen Münchner Stürmer lauter werden. Während die Zeichen im Falle des Peruaners Claudio Pizarro ohnehin auf Trennung stehen, dürfte es nun Spekulationen über den Verbleib von Roy Makaay beim FC Bayern geben. Nach den Verpflichtungen von Klose, Toni sowie der bereits durch den Club bekannt gegebenen Jan Schlaudraff, Hamit Altintop und Ernesto Sosa schauen sich die Münchner weiter auf dem Transfermarkt um; drei weitere Spieler sollen noch kommen.

In der vergangenen Woche hatte es reichlich Ärger um die Geheimverhandlungen zwischen Klose und dem FC Bayern gegeben. Während
die Bremer verärgert über die Münchner und den Spieler waren, schaltete sich auch die Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) ein und verlangte von beiden Clubs eine Stellungnahme. Sie befürchtete ein nicht regelkonformes Werben um den 28 Jahre alten WM-Torschützenkönig, der sich beim SV Werder für den Zeitpunkt des Treffens kurz vor dem UEFA-Cup-Halbfinale gegen Espanyol Barcelona (0:3) entschuldigte.

Bereits am Wochenende hatte die italienische Zeitung «La Gazzetta dello Sport» den Wechsel des 29 Jahre alten Toni als perfekt verkündet. «Toni hat Ja gesagt, auf Wiedersehen», schrieb das italienische Sportblatt in deutscher Sprache über den 1,94 Meter großen Stürmer, der schon am Wochenende zum Medizin-Check in München erwartet wurde, dann aber doch nicht erschien.

Transfermarkt.de


*Waiting for Trim's translation*

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- It says Bayern are interested to have the attacking duo Toni - Klose for the next season.

- It says if Klose won't leave Werder this season (if Werder raise their stubborn head), he could come to München for free next summer.

- It says it's doubful if Roy Makaay will remain for the next season, if Klose comes obviously.

- It says with the possible transfers of Klose and Toni, aswell as Schlaudraff, Hamit Altintop and Jose Ernesto Sosa, Bayern will still bring 3 new other players.

- In the end, it talks about Toni, which was expected to have his medical in Munich, but didn't appear.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Thanks.

Klose - Toni, that's awsome

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Bundesliga club Bayern Munich have agreed to terms with international strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose, according to German media reports.

The Sueddeutsche newspaper says in an article that Toni, who plays for Serie A club AC Florence, will be joining the former Champions League winners at the start of the new season, while Klose could be joining the club either at the start of the new season or for the 2008-09 season.

The 28-year-old still has one year on his contract to run with Werder Bremen and the club has said they were not willing to let Klose go to another German club before his contract expired. But as they would not receive any transfer fee if he left at the end of his contract, they might be persuaded to release him earlier.

The newspaper added that no arrangement had been reached between the two clubs.

Bayern has said that they would not comment on transfer speculation, while Werder Bremen manager Klaus Allofs said he was sceptical about the report. 'I can't imagine this to be true. I do not have enough fantasy to believe it,' he said.

Weekend reports said Bayern was paying 18 million euros ($24.5 million) for Toni, who would be earning 5.5 million euros per year, making the 29-year-old the top earner at the club.

The position of the present strikers at the club has been thrown into doubt with reports that Munich are signing the two international stars. Peruvian Claudio Pizarro is expected to leave the club and Dutch striker Roy Makaay could also be on his way out.

Bayern has already announced that they have signed Jan Schlaudraff, Hamit Altintop and Ernesto Sosa for the new season and are considering buying three other players.

Last week, the German football league (DFL) announced they were investigating the circumstances surrounding a meeting between Klose and Bayern officials that took place last week. They suspect the meeting to have contravened transfer regulations. Klose has since apologised to the club and fans.

Bayern Munich agree to terms with Toni, Klose

[Oliver_Kahn]

Espanyol aces to play support role


Iván de la Peña and Walter Pandiani will be frustrated fans as RCD Espanyol look to see off Werder Bremen on Thursday and reach the UEFA Cup final.

Miracle needed
Inspirational playmaker De la Peña has almost certainly been ruled out of the return as Espanyol defend a 3-0 lead in Germany because of a problem with his left calf. Espanyol doctor Miguel Cervera said: "I have to say he'll miss Thursday's game unless there's a miracle." He will join Pandiani on the sidelines with the Uruguay striker serving a one-match suspension, a threat that would have hung over De la Peña with a potential final date to come in Glasgow on 16 May had he played this week.

Key role
In Barcelona last Thursday, De la Peña was instrumental in Espanyol's memorable victory, taking the corners that led to the first two goals and posing a constant threat to Bremen with his awareness in midfield. While the 30-year-old can no longer influence matters, he is hopeful the damage has been done. "I'm delighted with the result," he told uefa.com. "We knew we were playing an excellent side and we played really well against them. The goals gave us more confidence and meant they had to risk more and we managed to hurt them on the counterattack.

'Fantastic support'
"I certainly didn't think we'd score as many as three goals against them but it was a truly great match," added uefa.com's man of the match, before paying tribute to the supporters who came close to completely filling the seldom sold-out Estádio de Montjuic. "It was fantastic to see the stadium so full of people. It's a shame we don’t get that sort of support in the league because they were a huge help."

Caution required
Pandiani was equally beneficial to the Espanyol cause, scoring his eleventh UEFA Cup goal of the season when he made it 2-0 after 58 minutes but the striker is as surprised as anyone at the lead his team has to defend at the Weserstadion. "It was a fantastic result," he said. "That's eleven now and I am happy I've helped out the team but there are still 90 minutes left to be played so we must be very careful. Ever since the start of the tournament I've had the feeling that we'd get to the final in Glasgow."

Goal target
The 31-year-old's absence for the return has put a major dent in hopes of equalling Jurgen Klinsmann's haul of 15 UEFA Cup goals for FC Bayern München in the 1995/96 campaign. "It's a shame because it was a stupid booking to get," Pandiani added. "Now, I'll go to Bremen as a supporter but I'm confident we'll go all the way." They may not have the home help they had last time but, with Pandiani and De la Peña cheering from the sidelines, Espanyol have every right to be confident.

uefa.com*-*UEFA Cup*-*News & Features*-*News Specific

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BREMEN, Germany (AP) - Miroslav Klose has rejected an offer from Bayern Munich to stay with Werder Bremen next season.

Bremen manager Klaus Allofs said the Germany striker decided to fulfill his contract through 2008, boosting the club ahead of Thursday's UEFA Cup semifinal match against Espanyol.

Espanyol leads 3-0 after last week's first leg.

"Now we have the necessary focus to attack the last tasks of this season with full force," Allofs said Wednesday.

The media had reported that the 28-year-old Klose, the top scorer at last year's World Cup with five goals, was close to joining Bayern.

Bremen has lodged a complaint to the Bundesliga claiming that Bayern illegally approached Klose.

Klose has scored 13 goals and set up 14 others in 31 league games this season.

With three rounds to play, Bremen is one point behind Schalke and two behind leader VfB Stuttgart.

FOX Sports - Europe - Bremen striker Klose spurns Bayern offer