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Schalke keep tabs on bullish Bremen |
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Wednesday, 18 June 2008 |
 Werden Bremen hit six and FC Schalke 04 won as both jostled for second position while four sides on 51 points will battle for UEFA Cup places on the final day of the Bundesliga season. Goal rush
Bremen will go into their final match of the campaign at Bayer 04 Leverkusen two points clear of Schalke in the battle for automatic qualification to the UEFA Champions League group stage thanks to a 6-1 rout of Hannover 96. Hugo Almeida and Naldo put Thomas Schaaf's side two-up at the interval and four goals in 14 second-half minutes from Tim Borowski, Ivan Klasnić, Markus Rosenberg and Aaron Hunt completed a stunning success. |
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Hannover secure Forssell signature |
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Wednesday, 18 June 2008 |
 Bundesliga outfit Hannover 96 have signed German-born Finnish international Mikael Forssell on a three-year deal from Birmingham City FC in a free transfer. Renewed acquaintances
The 27-year-old has agreed a contract to keep him at Hannover until summer 2011, returning to Germany five years after a successful loan spell with VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach. Now Hannover sport director, Christian Hochstätter was on the Mönchengladbach staff then and is delighted to be able to renew acquaintances with the Steinfurt-born striker, saying: "We are very happy that we could persuade Mikael to join Hannover." The move ends a decade-long association with English football for Forssell, who had spells at Chelsea FC, Crystal Palace FC and Birmingham City FC, with the latter relegated from the Premier League this month, despite his nine goals. |
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Klopp named new Dortmund coach |
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Wednesday, 18 June 2008 |
 BV Borussia Dortmund have persuaded their "dream candidate" Jürgen Klopp to replace coach Thomas Doll, with the 40-year-old signing a two-year contract. 'Delighted'With Doll resigning at the end of the season, former 1. FSV Mainz player and coach Klopp has been hired as his successor after failing to lead his club to Bundesliga promotion this term. "I am delighted to be here – now I want to help this team compete again," said Klopp, who stood down as Mainz boss on 18 May. Dream candidateDortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke was equally thrilled with the appointment, saying: "With Jürgen Klopp, Dortmund have been able to acquire their dream candidate." Dortmund finished 13th in the Bundesliga but qualified for the UEFA Cup as runners-up to champions FC Bayern München in the German Cup final. (uefa.com) |
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Butt returns to Germany with Bayern |
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Wednesday, 18 June 2008 |
Goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt has signed a two-year contract with German double winners FC Bayern München hours after leaving SL Benfica as a free agent.  Short stayThe 34-year-old joined the Lisbon club last summer but made just one Portuguese Liga appearance as a substitute and had the remaining 12 months of his contract cancelled by mutual consent yesterday. Bayern, who were in the market for a goalkeeper following Oliver Kahn's retirement, moved quickly to secure the former German international's services until 30 June 2010. 'Very pleased'Prior to his move to Benfica, the keeper had spent his entire career in Germany. After starting out at VfB Oldenburg, Butt – renowned for his ability from set-pieces – scored 19 goals 133 league appearances for Hamburger SV before a six-season spell with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, which included a UEFA Champions League final appearance against Real Madrid CF in 2002. "We're very pleased with this transfer, as Hans-Jörg Butt's international experience fits our requirements exactly," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club's website. |
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Skibbe pays for Leverkusen slip |
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Wednesday, 18 June 2008 |
 Bundesliga outfit Bayer 04 Leverkusen have parted company with coach Michael Skibbe after dropping to seventh place on the last day of the Bundesliga season.
UEFA Cup disappointmentA 1-0 home defeat by Werder Bremen meant that Leverkusen, who could have finished fourth and had been in a UEFA Cup qualifying place for most of the season, ended up out of contention for a competition in which they reached the quarter-finals this season. That meant the end for the 42-year-old former BV Borussia Dortmund coach and Germany assistant Skibbe, who joined in 2005 and had 12 months left on his contract. |
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Gibernau test to conclude todayFormer MotoGP World Championship runner-up Sete Gibernau will undertake a third and final day of testing in Mugello for Ducati today. Sete Gibernau in the Ducati Marlboro team garage in 2006Sete Gibernau´s three-day test in Mugello for Ducati will conclude today (Thursday) with the Spaniard...
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Indonesia's flag flies high at Super SeriesIn men’s singles, a new generation of stars is definitely born: Kenichi Tago, Jan Jorgensen and Simon Santoso were the authors of brilliant wins against more experienced players. The small Chinese contingent on hand in Jakarta scored a perfect 10 with all shuttlers going...
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Face tricky away trips as 2008 FIVB World LeagueLausanne, June 19, 2008 - The second Intercontinental Round in the 2008 FIVB World League starts Friday, with some of the big guns in Volleyball on their travels this weekend as competition heats up in the annual showcase for the world's finest Volleyball players competing for more than USD 20...