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Eintracht Frankfurt missed the opportunity to move into second in the Bundesliga after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Greuther Fuerth.
Armin Veh's side had the chance to move within two points of league leaders Bayern Munich, but a 53rd-minute goal from Zoltan Stieber ensured the points were shared on Friday.
Eintracht went ahead with less than a minute played at Commerzbank-Arena when Alexander Meier found the back of the net.
Sebastian Rode had the initial chance to open the scoring but Meier was on hand to convert the rebound on 25 seconds for his seventh goal of the season.
Meier was in the thick of the action 11 minutes later after playing in Takashi Inui, but the Japanese international failed to extend the hosts' lead with a tame effort.
Fuerth slowly began to find their feet and came close to levelling proceedings through Gerald Asamoah but the former Schalke striker fluffed his lines.
However, the visitors eventually equalised eight minutes into the second half through Stieber after the Hungarian midfielder completed a swift counter-attack with a delightful chip over goalkeeper Kevin Trapp.
Fuerth were denied maximum points following a string of saves from Trapp late on but the draw was enough to move Fuerth off the bottom of the table, while Eintracht remain third – five points clear of defending champions Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern Munich beat Hamburg 3-0 on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga, as second-placed Schalke lost to Hoffenheim.
Goals from Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller and Toni Kroos helped Bayern cruise to victory over Hamburg at the Volksparkstadion, and they are now seven points clear in first place.
Schalke lost ground as they went down 3-2 away to Hoffenheim, who twice gave up the lead to be drawing 2-2 with the final whistle approaching, only for Sven Schipplock to snatch all three points when he netted in the 91st minute.
Defending champions Borussia Dortmund slipped further behind in the title race as they were held 0-0 at home to Stuttgart.
Two dropped points mean Juergen Klopp's fourth-placed side are now 11 points off the pace after 10 games played in 2012/13.
Elsewhere, Timo Gebhart scored the only goal as Nuremberg defeated Wolfsburg 1-0 at home, while goals from Mame Biram Diouf and Lars Stindl earned Hannover a 2-0 win against visiting Augsburg.
Finally, Daniel Caligiuri's penalty saw Freiburg draw 1-1 away to Borussia Moenchengladbach, who had led through Igor De Camargo's goal.
Bayer Leverkusen held on for a 3-2 win against Fortuna Duesseldorf at BayArena to move into the Bundesliga top four on Sunday.
Sidney Sam delivered the opener 16 minutes in for hosts Leverkusen but Nando Rafael equalised from a corner in the 40th minute with a deflected header.
Andre Schurrle replied in the next minute with a powerful strike from range to give Leverkusen a 2-1 lead at half-time.
Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes was sent off for a challenge on Adam Bodzek in the 65th minute to give Duesseldorf a chance to assert their authority on the contest.
But Leverkusen's fortunes changed a minute later when Daniel Caravajal recovered a blocked shot and raced down the pitch to deliver a cross to Gonzalo Castro, who tapped into an empty net.
Adam Bodnek converted a long strike with four minutes remaining to give Duesseldorf hope but substitute Gerrit Wegkamp missed his chance in injury time to tie proceedings.
In Sunday's other match, two goals from Werder Bremen midfielder Aaron Hunt led his side to a 2-1 win over Mainz 05 at Weserstadion.
Hunt's first came from an assist from Nils Petersen for the only goal of the opening 45 minutes.
Adam Szalai equalised in the 64th minute but Hunt's second with five minutes remaining clinched the win for Werder.
Hoeness hits back at Louis van Gaal comments
The Bayern Munich president has attacked the Netherlands boss and claimed his words show he does not understand what is required in his profession
Van der Vaart: Players are to blame for Bayern Munich defeat
The Netherlands international says Hamburg's loss to Bayern Munich was solely the fault of him and his team-mates and backed the tactics of coach Thorsten Fink
Jerome Boateng: I have finally arrived
The Germany international says he has adapted to life at the club and believes his move away from Manchester City 17 months ago was an important step in his career
Bayern can win the Champions League, says Tymoshchuk
The experienced midfielder has voiced his opinion that the Bundesliga giants can come out victorious in European club football's elite competition
Kehl to wear protective mask against Madrid
The experienced midfielder remains doubtful for Tuesday's encounter due to a facial injury, but could take to the pitch after all wearing a protective mask
Hummels rues Borussia Dortmund's lack of cutting edge
The defender is reluctant to concede the Bundesliga title, but admits it is going to be difficult to claw back an 11-point gap between his side and leaders Bayern Munich
Heldt: Afellay could stay at Schalke
The Netherlands international is enjoying a season-long loan deal in Gelsenkirchen and may even remain in Germany beyond the current campaign
Heynckes: Bayern Munich victory proves team spirit
The Bavarians' coach was delighted with his side's 3-0 win over Hamburg, and believes every member of his squad contributed to the result
Klopp: We wasted good chances to score
Die Schwarzgelben coach says that poor finishing cost his team a home win and Sebastian Kehl reveals that he has broken his nose after being elbowed in the face during the game
The German coach has hit back at those who disparage the newly signed goalkeeper and says that the team needs to defend as a team if they want to stop conceding so often
Nov 3, 2012 4:10:00 PM
EXCLUSIVE
By Hassan Haji Talib
Hoffenheim trainer Markus Babbel feels that people have picked on his new signing Tim Wiese just because he is a big name player and also believes that his team need to defend better as a unit.
The former Werder Bremen goalkeeper let in 11 goals in his first three league games before he picked up an injury but his coach believes the player is working hard and should not be blamed for the team's defensive record.
"It just sucks sometimes. It sucks just because Tim is a player who always gives 100 per cent. He is always working hard in training and in games he always tries to give the best possible performance," Babbel said in an exclusive interview with Goalcom.
"He is just the one with the biggest name [in the team] and the most famous. He gets a lot of media attention and that is not fair sometimes."
The German coach went on to say that he wants to see his team work as a unit when defending and have a good balance between attack and defence.
"We need to work on how to achieve a balance between offensive and defensive work. But we also need to distinguish ourselves as a side that lives up to expectations," Babbel added.
"In games we do not recognise danger soon enough, we are too carefree. We must consistently work as a team to defend. Everyone must be ready to give it their all defensively."
Leverkusen face €25,000 fine after Ballack misses doping test
The German side will now face the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland to fight the 36-year-old's alleged failure to undergo an inspection last year due to illness
Nov 4, 2012 7:45:00 AM
By Mohammed Ali
Bayer Leverkusen are set to pay a €25,000 fine after it emerged on Sunday that former midfielder Michael Ballack missed a doping test in September 2011.
The ex-Germany captain skipped the routine inspection a day prior to his then-employers' 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich last year due to illness. He initially accepted to appear before the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) but then decided against doing so.
The Bundesliga outfit proceeded to inform the relevant authorities immediately, but, under Uefa protocol, it is required for the club to confirm it in writing immediately. The fax was eventually sent over an hour later.
Leverkusen's tardiness means that they must now pay a fine after falling foul of the regulations, but the BayArena side's spokesman Meinolf Sprink insists they will fight the charge.
"Bayer have accepted the sanction. [But], we will defend ourselves. We should've acted responsibly. The inspectors on site were informed immediately," the official was quoted as saying by Bild.
The case will now be heard on November 30 at the Court of Arbitration of Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Bundesliga preview: In-form Bayern face surprise packets
8 November 2012
Bayern Munich will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga when they host Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
The German giants dropped their first points of the campaign when they were defeated 2-1 by Bayer Leverkusen a fortnight ago, but have since bounced back in style.
They won 3-0 at Hamburg last weekend and then crushed French side Lille 6-1 at home in the Champions League during the week.
The fans at Allianz Arena expect a lot from their side, so motivation will be high for Bayern Munich given they were trumped by Bayer Leverkusen in their last league match at the ground.
Eintracht Frankfurt will be no pushover, however, given they sit in third place on the table with six wins from 10 matches.
The team from Frankfurt have been one of the biggest surprises in the Bundesliga this season, with veteran Alexander Meier the star with seven of their 21 goals.
Eintracht Frankfurt coach Armin Veh will be hoping Meier can continue his goalscoring run as Bayern Munich have a host of attacking options at their disposal.
Mario Mandzukic and Thomas Mueller have scored 15 goals between them, while the skill and guise of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribery are always tough for teams to deal with.
Bayern Munich have scored 30 league goals from their 10 appearances, so you can be assured there will be some goalmouth action in this clash.
The round kicks off on Friday when Mainz host Nuremberg in what is a battle between two mid-table sides.
Mainz head into the encounter after a 2-1 loss to Werder Bremen, but have a much better record at Coface Arena and should be too strong for their visitors from Bavaria.
Meanwhile, in Saturday's other big game, Schalke take on Werder Bremen at Veltins Arena.
Schalke drew 2-2 with Arsenal in the Champions League during the week, but should be wary of a Werder Bremen side in good recent form.
They are undefeated in their past three matches and that run of form has seen them rise up the table to seventh.
However, Schalke have lost just once at home in the Bundesliga this season so an entertaining contest can be expected.
In other matches on Saturday, Augsburg are at home to Borussia Dortmund, Hoffenheim travel to Fortuna Duesseldorf and Freiburg host Hamburg.
And on Sunday the round is concluded when Bayer Leverkusen travel to Volkswagen Arena to take on Wolfsburg, second bottom club Greuther Fuerth are at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach and Stuttgart take on Hannover at Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Goals from Nicolai Mueller and Andreas Ivanschitz handed Mainz a 2-1 win over Nuremberg in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Mainz moved above Borussia Dortmund to fifth on the table, though the reigning champions have a game in hand to play against lowly Augsburg on Saturday.
Mueller opened the scoring for the home side in the 12th minute, before Ivanschitz doubled the advantage nine minutes later.
Per Nilsson's 40th-minute goal gave Nuremberg hope, but the visitors failed in their search for an equaliser.
The win was Mainz's fourth of the season at home, while Nuremberg slumped to their fourth away defeat in a row.
Nuremberg are in 14th place, just three points above the relegation zone.
Diego: I have not been approached by Atletico Madrid
The Brazilian midfielder has stated that he has heard nothing from his former club regarding a move back to Spain and says that he is fully focused on playing for his current team
Heynckes: Javi Martinez has been a hit
Die Roten supremo has nothing but praise for the development of the summer signing from Athletic Bilbao, and dismissed claims that they paid over the odds for his services
Juventus set sights on Lewandowski
The Serie A champions have turned their attention to the Bundesliga star, but will have to make a big offer if they are to get their man
Afellay: My goal is to return to Barcelona
The versatile midfielder is eager to return to the Camp Nou side at the end of the 2012-13 campaign, and has nothing but fond memories of his time at the club
Robben: Heynckes the perfect coach for Bayern Munich
The Netherlands international feels the veteran coach is the right man for the job, and hopes he will not leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season
Arnesen: Hamburg must offload five players
The sporting director admits the money the club spent in the summer transfer window now must be recouped with the sale of a host of players
I did not come here to sit on the bench, says Xhaka
The Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder has expressed his frustration at his prolonged spell as a substitute and is eager to get back into the starting XI
Hans-Joachim Watzke: Why would Reus or Gotze want to leave?
Two of the Bundesliga's brightest young talents are in the right place to flourish, according to the general manager of the reigning champions
Augsburg will be tough but Dortmund are in good form, says Klopp
The BVB tactician feels his side are playing well and should claim three points from their trip to Bavaria but he is not taking anything for granted
Van der Vaart unhappy with Hamburg form
The Dutchman has claimed he is far from pleased with his performance levels since returning to Germany from Tottenham in the summer, and called on the whole team to improve
Javi Martinez: I will only get better at Bayern
The Spanish midfielder is satisfied with his recent improvement at his new club, and revealed his delight with die Roten's 6-1 Champions League win over Lille on Wednesday night
DFB plotted Klinsmann sacking, claims former president
Theo Zwanziger has admitted that he had serious doubts about the former Tottenham striker's ability as a coach during the 2006 World Cup, and was planning to replace him
Heynckes will stay at Bayern, says Hitzfeld
The former Roten coach has claimed that the 67-year-old will not call time on his spell in charge of the club, and believes that Louis van Gaal still resents Uli Hoeness
Rafinha: Bayern hungry for success
The Brazilian defender is desperate to win trophies this year after last season's disappointments, and is not thinking about leaving the Bavarians any time soon
Bayern Munich remain seven points clear at the Bundesliga summit after a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
The German giants opened the scoring through Frenchman Franck Ribery on the stroke of half-time and although Anderson Bamba headed against the bar for the visitors, Jupp Heynckes' men doubled their advantage when David Alaba converted a controversial penalty on 76 minutes.
Bayern had begun the game brightly, as if intent to put the upstarts from Frankfurt firmly in their place. Indeed, the hosts could have been ahead inside eight minutes, Toni Kroos breaking down the left-hand side before dragging a ball across the six-yard box which a stretching Arjen Robben managed to get on the end of but could only divert into the side netting.
Frankfurt slowly began to impose themselves and had chances to draw level but Bayern raised their game just before the break and after Daniel van Buyten had a goal ruled out for offside, Ribery finally broke the deadlock, side-footing home at the far post after Javi Martinez had sprung the offside trap.
The game remained delicately poised throughout the second half until Alaba converted from the spot with 14 minutes remaining after Vadim Demidov had been harshly penalised for fouling Bastian Schweinsteiger in the area.
Unsurprisingly, Frankfurt kept fighting but they were unable to find a route back into the game and Bayern saw the game out quite comfortably to make it 10 wins from 11 league games this season.
Meanwhile, defending champions Borussia Dortmund returned to winning ways with a routine 3-1 victory over cellar-dwellers Augsburg.
Juergen Klopp's side ended their last league outing in a disappointing 0-0 stalemate at home to Stuttgart, but there were no signs of such a result repeating itself as the visitors strolled to a comfortable victory to see their fleeting title defence endure for another week.
German international Marco Reus continued his superb form with a ninth-minute free kick before a second-half brace from Robert Lewandowski kept Dortmund within 11 points of rivals Bayern.
In other results on Saturday, Schalke consolidated second position with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at home to Werder Bremen, Australia international Robbie Kruse netted his first goal of the season as Fortuna Dusseldorf drew 1-1 with Hoffenheim, while Freiburg and Hamburg played out a goalless stalemate.
Bundesliga wrap: Diego inspires Wolfsburg in Leverkusen upset
12 November 2012
Wolfsburg continued their resurgence in the Bundesliga with an upset 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
Brazilian playmaker Diego struck a brace at the Volkswagen Arena as Lorenz-Guenther Koestner's men recorded their second win in three league matches.
The win saw Wolfsburg move to 11 points and only goal difference away from moving out of the relegation playoff spot.
Bayer Leverkusen, who suffered their first loss in 12 matches in all competitions, sit fifth after the surprise loss.
Wolfsburg made a dream start at home and took a fourth-minute lead thanks to Diego, who curled in a 30-yard free-kick which left Bayer goalkeeper Michael Rensing unmoved.
He doubled his team's lead on 16 minutes after a fine team move.
Croatian attacker Ivica Olic found space on the left and played a pass into the feet of striker Bas Dost, who provided for Diego to slide his effort into the bottom corner.
Wolfsburg were in control and made it 3-0 on 33 minutes, with Diego again involved.
Diego played a delightful lofted pass to Marcel Schaefer down the left and he squared for Dost to apply the finishing touch.
Bayer Leverkusen managed a consolation goal in the first minute of added time as Stefan Kiessling got on the end of a Junior Fernandes through-ball before rounding Diego Benaglio and placing into an empty net from a tight angle.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Borussia Moenchengladbach jumped up to eighth with a 4-2 win at struggling Greuther Fuerth.
Bernd Nehrig gave the hosts a 10th-minute lead from the penalty spot, only to see their chances of victory diminish when Thomas Kleine was sent off moments later.
Moenchengladbach capitalised on their numerical advantage to equalise midway through the first half thanks to Oscar Wendt before Edgar Prib saw the hosts regain the lead.
But the visitors took control of the contest and were winners thanks to goals from Martin Stranzl, Patrick Hermann and a Thorben Marx penalty.
Greuther Fuerth finished the encounter with nine men after Milorad Pekovic picked up his second yellow card.
Hannover recorded their second straight win, coming from behind to beat Stuttgart 4-2 as Mohammed Abdellaoue struck a brace.
Van Buyten not giving up on Bayern starting spot
The Belgian defender is hoping to challenge the likes of Dante, Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng for a place in Jupp Heynckes' first XI
Van Buyten: It is an honour to play for Bayern
The Belgium international is delighted to still be under contract with the Bavarians and is eager to get regular first-team action in the rest of the season
Weidenfeller angered by Germany snub
The 32-year old is livid at being left out of Die Mannschaft's roster to face the Netherlands on Wednesday and says he deserved a call-up based on his recent performances
Schweinsteiger, Kroos & Boateng to miss Netherlands clash
The three Bayern stars, as well as Borussia Dortmund's Marcel Schmelzer have been ruled out for the friendly against Oranje, while Roman Neustadter is happy about his first call-up
Kiessling: I have not written off chances of Germany recall
The 28-year-old last featured for the national team at the World Cup, and hopes to add to his six caps after a goalscoring start to his club season
Ribery: Bayern more important to me than France
The 29-year-old spoke of his happiness at the club he has been at since 2007, and also maintained that he feels it is more of a priority to him than the national team
Dortmund deserved to beat Augsburg, says Klopp
The former Mainz coach has admitted that his side were troubled by the Bavarians, but feels that their performance warranted three points
Favre refuses to rule out move for Marin
The Bundesliga side are reportedly interested in launching a January swoop for the 23-year-old, who has only played 20 minutes of first-team football so far this season
'You can't always score six goals' - Heynckes
Bayern ground out a hard-fought 2-0 win over Frankfurt on Saturday, and the veteran trainer has warned fans not to expect easy victories in every match
The 32-year old is livid at being left out of Die Mannschaft's roster to face the Netherlands on Wednesday and says he deserved a call-up based on his recent performances
Nov 11, 2012 9:28:00 PM
By Patrick Gleeson
Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller has declared his anger at not being selected for the latest Germany squad.
The 32-year-old cannot get his head around Joachim Low's decision not to include him for the friendly against the Netherlands on Wednesday and believes his performances should have earned him a call-up.
"I have three trophies in the last two years," he told Welt.de after his side's 3-1 victory over FC Augsburg.
"I just think that my performances speak for itself, both internationally and for my club. It is like performances on the pitch do not matter anymore, I will not be picked no matter how well I play."
But, though his disappointment was clear, Weidenfeller was happy to congratulate Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler on his inclusion.
"I am pleased for Rene. I am pleased that he is going, but it still surprises me that I have never had the call."
Zwanziger launches tirade at Bayern president Hoeness
The former DFB president has heavily criticised die Roten's chief in a new autobiography, slamming his 'lack of willingness' to take responsibility and using his fame for poorly
Nov 11, 2012 11:55:00 AM
By Andrew Wychrij
The former president of Germany's Football Association Theo Zwanziger has hit out at Uli Hoeness, calling the current Bayern Munich chief an "alligator" and a "know-it-all".
Zwanziger, who handed over the presidency of the DFB to Wolfgang Niersbach in March, has made headlines in Germany with the publication of his autobiography,'Die Zwanziger Jahre' ('The Twenties'), partly due to its inflammatory comments regarding die Roten's president.
Speaking in an interview with Welt am Sonntag, the 67-year-old said: "He has made me very disappointed, especially in the international sphere with sweeping awards in the 'all of them are corrupt' and 'I know everything better' categories and the complete lack of willingness to take on responsibility.
"He had the offer to go instead of me to the FIFA executive branch. He refused. So all I have are his utterances so I am disappointed.
"He is a man who has done an incredible amount in football. He uses his fame but unfortunately not to heal divides but to open them up."
Zwanziger has also apparently drawn criticism from Niersbach for his half-hearted social activities, something the former president refutes.
"You can not blame me for being a social romantic. This charge would only be disrespectful if I had neglected the national team, youth development or amateur football," he said.
"My message is that we must do two things: look after the sporting arena and face the strong social responsibility we have."
Bundesliga preview: Gomez in line for Bayern return
16 November 2012
Bayern Munich could welcome back a host of stars including Mario Gomez for Saturday's trip to Nuremberg in the Bundesliga.
The league leaders, already with 10 wins from 11 games, could be strengthened by the return of Gomez for his first game since August, while Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos are also in line to return from illness.
Gomez bagged four goals against a regional side on Tuesday and his inclusion could leave leading scorer Mario Mandzukic and recent hat-trick hero Claudio Pizarro on the bench.
Bayern lead Schalke by seven points and defending champions Borussia Dortmund by 11, but were in a similar situation last year before they were overrun for the title.
Schalke will be eyeing a fifth league win in six games away to fifth-placed Bayer Leverkusen while Dortmund must feel they need to secure their first back-to-back win of the season against relegation-threatened Greuther Furth on Saturday to be any chance of retaining the title.
Contrary to last season, Dortmund's success in the Champions League appears to be adversely affecting their tilt at a third straight title.
Surprise packets Eintracht Frankfurt take on rock bottom Augsburg looking to maintain third place.
Hannover are at home to Freiburg on Saturday and mid-table Hamburg entertain Mainz intent on stopping Hungarian leading scorer Adam Szalai.
Borussia Moenchengladbach take on struggling Stuttgart and, on Sunday, Werder Bremen host Fortuna Dusseldorf, who have not won in their past six league games.
Wolfsburg have moved out of the relegation zone with two wins in their past three fixtures and will look to surge further up the table when they travel to play Hoffenheim.
Kehl: Borussia Dortmund can still win the league
The 32-year-old says his side still have a chance of becoming champions for a third consecutive season and spoke positively of the club's Champions League campaign so far
Dante: I joined Bayern to win titles
The Brazil defender has insisted that one of the main reasons for his move to the Allianz Arena during the summer was his desire to be more successful
Robben injury blow for Bayern
The Netherlands international faces a spell on the sidelines after picking up a muscular problem while away on international duty in midweek
Vukcevic awakes from clinically-induced coma
The Germany Under-21 midfielder has made another step forward in his recovery from a car crash and is now able to communicate with his loved ones
Lewis Holtby is not making big demands, states agent
The Germany international will be out of contract in 2013 but his representative, Markus Noack, has laughed off reports that the midfielder has requested a 300 per cent pay rise
Robben: I want to stay at Bayern for the rest of my career
The Netherlands international has made his intentions clear by revealing he can see himself retiring at the Bundesliga club and has expressed his love for the city
Sammer: Bayern crave trophies this season
The former Germany international has stressed that die Roten will have to do better than last year, and pointed out that they have not won anything yet despite their super start
Gattuso: I almost left AC Milan for Bayern
The former Italy international was ready to leave the San Siro for an adventure in the Bundesliga in 2008, but eventually decided against the move
Former Hertha Berlin striker Alex Alves dies in hospital
The 37-year-old, who had a spell in the Bundesliga and scored a memorable goal, passed away in a Sao Paulo medical facility after succumbing to a lengthy battle with cancer
Gomez nets four in Bayern comeback
The attacker played his first match since his injury on Tuesday, but it remains to be seen whether he will feature against Nurnberg at the weekend
Official: Allofs leaves Werder Bremen for Wolfsburg
The 2008-09 Bundesliga champions have found a replacement for Felix Magath some three weeks after he got the sack
Matthaus: Gomez will have to wait for Bayern Munich comeback
The 1990 World Cup-winning captain believes that the striker will have to bide his time as he looks to return to the starting line-up after pre-season surgery
Robben: No hatred between Netherlands & Germany anymore
The Bayern Munich winger believes that the fierce rivalry is something of the past, and has taken the time to praise the opposition coach Louis van Gaal
The former Bayer Leverkusen shot-stopper has revealed that he was in danger of slipping into depression and following the same road as Robert Enke, who committed suicide
Nov 15, 2012 6:55:00 PM
By Patrick Gleeson
Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler has announced that he was once scared of taking his own life.
The 27-year old's impressive performances this season were capped with a call-up to the Germany squad for the first time in two years.
He has described it as a 'fairytale' after his emotional breakdown in 2010, and counts himself lucky that he did not follow the route of his former colleague and friend, Robert Enke.
"I had to be careful that I do not fall into a depression," he told German magazine Star during an interview.
"Robert Enke and I were very similar. We were both very sensitive and hated the pressure that was put on us. I was so, so scared that I was going to follow a similar route to him.
"I suffered from many injuries and I had too much pressure on me. Whenever I played I never felt fully comfortable and it affected my head."
Adler continued: "My life used to be very focused on football. I have noticed that this is not good, and even counterproductive for me. I have learned to separate work and pleasure, which has been beneficial."
Robert Enke took his own life in 2009, aged just 32, after struggling to cope with the loss of his daughter in 2006.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich have been held to a shock 1-1 draw against a 10-man Nuremberg in the Bavarian derby on Saturday.
Mario Mandzukic put Jupp Heynckes' side ahead after just three minutes and signs looked ominous for Nuremberg, who came into the clash sitting 14th with a goal-difference of negative-eight.
But the usually rampant Bayern were unable to put them away and were made to pay just after half-time with Markus Feulner levelling the scores at 1-1.
Despite enjoying a man advantage for the last 15 minutes after Timo Gebhart was sent off, the visitors could not find a way through as Dieter Hecking's men held on for a precious point.
But despite the draw, Bayern extended their lead at the top to eight points after Schalke suffered a 2-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen.
Andre Schuerrle and Stefan Kiessling were on the scoresheet for Sami Hyypia's men, who bounced back from their shock loss to Wolfsburg.
Schalke, who had Greek defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos sent off late in the clash, missed their chance to make Bayern pay for their slip-up.
Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt continued their solid season with a 4-2 at home to Augsburg.
Sascha Moelders put the ball in his own net after just seven minutes to hand the home side the lead before Stefan Aigner doubled Eintracht's advantage.
Koo Ja-Cheol got Augsburg back in the game on the stroke of half-time only for Alexander Meier to restore his team's two-goal buffer after the break.
Moelders atoned for his earlier error by scoring at the right end in the 64th minute but a second goal for Meier, this time from penalty spot, put the result beyond doubt in the 75th minute.
Eintracht are now third on the table on 23 points while Augsburg are bottom with a just six points to show from their 12 games.
Defending champions Borussia Dortmund were too good for battlers Greuther Fuerth with Juergen Klopp's side running out 3-1 winners at the Westfalenstadion.
Robert Lewandowski scored the opener after just three minutes before Zoltan Stieber replied two minutes later for the away side.
Lewandowski restored order from the penalty spot on 15 minutes before Mario Goetze scored his third goal of the campaign to seal the win before half-time.
Elsewhere, Stuttgart recorded an important 2-1 away win over Borussia Moenchengladbach, Freiburg beat Hannover by the same score-line while Hamburg defeated Mainz 1-0.
Wolfsburg continued their Bundesliga resurgence by toppling Hoffenheim 3-1, while Werder Bremen overcame strugglers Fortuna Duesseldorf.
Goals from Makoto Hasebe, Bas Dost and Naldo handed the visitors their third win in four games on Sunday.
Wolfsburg had won only one game in eight outings, which included five defeats, under the guidance of former coach Felix Magath but since his departure, the 2008/09 champions have lost just once.
It was the visiting side who came out of the blocks quickest, with a smart Hasebe finish giving them the lead after just seven minutes.
Hoffenheim were dealt a critical blow soon after when Dutch striker Dost grabbed his fifth goal of the season in the 24th minute.
Wolfsburg pressed more and more, and Matthieu Delpierre was forced into an acrobatic clearance to keep the score at 2-0.
They eventually made it 3-0 when defender Naldo sent a trademark free-kick past Diego Benaglio with 12 minutes remaining.
Eren Derdiyok pulled one back on 88 minutes with a close-range header, but it was too little too late for Markus Babbel's side, who are two points adrift of Wolfsburg in 14th position.
Werder Bremen came from behind to beat Duesseldorf 2-1 at the Weserstadion in Sunday's earlier game.
Promoted Duesseldorf had been struggling for form in recent weeks, but made the perfect start when Sokratis Papastathopoulos hacked down Australian international Robbie Kruse inside the Bremen area.
And Jens Langeneke stepped up to convert the resulting spot-kick after 10 minutes.
Shortly after the break, Thomas Schaaf's side hit back.
Lukas Schmitz did superbly to keep the ball in on the left wing before cutting the ball back to Nils Petersen, who sent a crisp header into the back of the net.
Bremen's quest for a winner was made all the harder when Assani Lukimya-Mulongoti received his marching orders, but Kevin De Bruyne, on loan from English Premier League outfit Chelsea, was there to volley home with less than 10 minutes to play.
Lewandowski: Henry was an example to follow
The prolific attacker enjoyed watching the former Arsenal star in his Premier League years, and has hailed Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp's energetic approach
Bayern Munich's Gomez gets green light for Valencia clash
The Germany international makes his long-awaited comeback, while Franck Ribery has been included as well after missing this weekend's match against Nurnberg
'It's not the end of the world' - Heynckes calls for Bayern calm following Nurnberg draw
The veteran coach is refusing to read too much into his side's stalemate with their Bavarian rivals, but Bastian Schweinsteiger and Manuel Neuer have voiced their disappointment
Klopp: Perisic should keep his mouth shut
The head coach of Borussia Dortmund has slammed the midfielder's behaviour during his appearance on Croatian TV, who is now facing disciplinary action by the club
Papadopoulos will not be joining Milan, says agent
The defender's representative has rejected rumors linking his talented client with a move to the Rossoneri from Gelsenkirchen, and labelled him as 'one of the best in the world'
Bayern chief Hoeness threatens to 'lose it' over criticism
The back-and-forth between the Bavarian CEO, who just got re-elected by his club, and his critics has reached a new level following criticism by former FA president Zwanziger
