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Bayer Leverkusen's troubles continue after it emerged that Jens Hegeler is set to miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
Hegeler was substituted after 24 minutes of Leverkusen's 1-1 draw with Hannover on Saturday, their fifth straight game without a win in all competitions, and tests have revealed an ankle ligament tear.
The 26-year-old midfielder has made 26 appearances for Sami Hyypia's side this season, but Leverkusen expect him to be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.
"The midfielder has suffered a tear of the anterior ligament in his right ankle and is therefore likely to be out for the rest of the season," the club confirmed on their official website.
"On Sunday morning, an MRI scan brought the sobering diagnosis. He is expected to have surgery on his ankle as early as Monday."
Leverkusen grip on a top-three position in the Bundesliga is under severe threat after Schalke drew level with them in third with a 4-0 win over Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen will leave Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of the season, with Basel's Yann Sommer signed as his replacement.
The Germany international is widely expected to join Barcelona in the close-season, with the Catalan club chasing a replacement for the outgoing Victor Valdes.
And Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl has confirmed Ter Stegen will leave Borussia-Park after the current campaign's conclusion, though remained coy on his destination.
"After Marc-Andre ter Stegen has informed us that he definitely wants to leave at the end of the season, we have now reached an agreement with his new club on the transfer arrangements," Eberl told the club's official website.
"He will move abroad, that's all for now.
"His successor in goal for Borussia will be Yann Sommer.
"He is an excellent goalkeeper who has already gained a lot of international experience in his 25 years and we are delighted that he has chosen to sign for us."
Sommer has five caps for the Swiss national team and is expected to be in their squad for this year's FIFA World Cup.
Having been Basel's first-choice keeper since 2010, Sommer has made 152 appearances, racking up three consecutive Swiss Super League titles.
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has admitted to evading €18.5million in taxes, over five times the amount he was originally charged for.
The 62-year-old former Germany international attended the first day of his high-profile trial in Munich on Monday, charged with defrauding the authorities of €3.5m, and surprised the court by admitting the actual figure was much higher.
Hoeness is hopeful his belated honesty will save him from a criminal conviction.
"I am glad that everything is now transparent and on the table," he told the court.
"I deeply regret my misbehaviour. I will do everything to ensure that this distressing chapter closes.
"I have evaded taxes. I am aware that turning myself in to the authorities does not change that.
"I was hoping to escape criminal charges with a voluntary disclosure."
The trial has attracted widespread media attention - the court said that the 49 allocated press spots were filled within 27 seconds - and Hoeness had offered to resign from his post last May, only for his proposal to be rejected by the Bayern board.
If found guilty, Hoeness faces a possible jail term, with a verdict expected to be announced on Thursday.
Recently appointed Stuttgart coach Huub Stevens insists he is ready for the challenge of keeping the club in the Bundesliga.
Stevens was chosen as Thomas Schneider's replacement at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on Sunday after they drew 2-2 with Eintracht Braunschweig a day earlier.
Prior to that, Stuttgart had lost eight Bundesliga matches in a row with Saturday's draw ensuring they sit 15th with 10 games remaining.
However, Stevens, whose tenure at Greek side PAOK ended earlier this month, is ready for the challenge and called for his squad to focus on the task ahead as they fight the dreaded drop.
"I know it's a challenge, but I'm up for it," he told a press conference on Monday.
"As soon as I heard from Stuttgart, I didn't need long to say yes. I felt ready.
"There's going to be an incredible amount of work to do in the coming games and I'm going to talk a lot to the players.
"Our only priority now is to stay up and we need to focus all of our efforts into that. We need to be united."
Stevens will take charge of his first game as Stuttgart boss on Saturday when they travel to Werder Bremen.
The Bavarians' president was present at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night despite currently being on trial after admitting tax evasion charges
Uli Hoeness attempted to put his tax case to the back of his mind on Tuesday evening by attending Bayern Munich’s Champions League clash with Arsenal.
The Bayern CEO rushed to the Allianz Arena from day two of his trial at which he has admitted to having evaded €18.5 million in taxes.
Prosecutors had earlier accused him of evading a far smaller sum of 3.5m euros and are seeking a jail term.
Hoeness, 62, was pictured turning up at the stadium shortly before the last-16, second-leg tie which European champions Bayern lead 2-0 after the opener in London.
Bayern press chief Markus Horwick said Hoeness was “relaxed” ahead of the game, with his trial continuing on Wednesday and a verdict expected on Thursday.
The Netherlands international opted against leaving his current side for the Serie A champions 18 months ago, but was told "the door would always be open"
Bayern Munich attacker Arjen Robben has revealed that he rejected the chance to join Juventus in the summer of 2012.
The Italians champions were keen to lure the Netherlands international to Serie A some 18 months ago, but while the winger was quick to thank the Bianconeri for their interest, he did not hesitate to commit his future to Bayern.
"Turning down Juventus had nothing to do with Juve. I was feeling very well at Bayern, just like now. That is why the transfer never happened," Robben told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Juventus are a fantastic club and it is always an honour when a major club like that shows an interest in signing you.
"I've been pretty straightforward with Juventus. I texted them to say that I felt honoured, but wanted to stay at Bayern. They responded by saying that the door would always be open for me.
"A few other Italian teams were after me in the past, but I always felt good at the clubs I was with at the time."
The 30-year-old has a contract with Bayern until June 2015, but is expected to sign a two-year extension soon.
Kroos can become even better at Bayern, says Guardiola
By Tom J Doyle
Mar 11, 2014 5:12:00 PM
The midfielder has hinted that a move to the Premier League is an option at the end of the season, but his coach believes his future lies in Munich
Pep Guardiola believes Toni Kroos can become an even better player at Bayern Munich amid speculation that the Germany international could be moving to Manchester United this summer.
David Moyes has scouted the 24-year-old as he prepares to overhaul his Manchester United squad in the close season after a disappointing campaign, while Kroos admitted on Monday that "anything is possible" regarding a move to England.
However, Guardiola is keen to keep the midfielder despite the interest of the Red Devils, and suggests that Kroos' "huge personality" has been integral to his debut season in charge of die Roten.
"I said to him you have time to become an even better player," Guardiola told reporters. "I hope he maintains this level of form - and for the next few seasons at this club.
"Toni is a young player, a great talent. He has time to improve, to gain better his skills. I spoke with him and said you have time to become a better player.
"He was very important in my first year here, in the first part of the season when [Mario] Gotze , [Javi] Martínez and Thiago [Alcantara] were injured, so we had few midfielders.
"Kroos with his huge personality, was very important."
Kroos' impressive performance for Bayern in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Arsenal at the Emirates attracted further transfer speculation, while die Roten host the Gunners on Tuesday with Arsene Wenger's men looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit.
The former Germany international believes the Borussia Dortmund boss crossed the line with his recent comments about Bayern Munich director Matthias Sammer
Former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has hit out at Jurgen Klopp and feels the Borussia Dortmund coach went too far with his comments about Matthias Sammer.
Klopp recently stated that Bayern's sporting director does not contribute anything to the reigning Bundesliga champions and should consider himself fortunate to be in the job after Sammer had previously criticised other Bundesliga sides' workrate.
Kahn has admitted that Sammer should not have commented on other clubs' training regimes, but believes that Klopp crossed the line with his reaction.
"The war of words between Matthias Sammer and Jurgen Klopp has been the main talking point in Germany in the past few days," Kahn wrote in his column for Bild.
"Sammer perhaps should not have made those comments, but we cannot discard Klopp's comments that easily.
"His remark that Sammer does not contribute anything to Bayern was disrespectful and shameless.
"And on top of all that, he is actually wrong, too. It is not a coincidence that Bayern's recent dominance started with the arrival of Sammer in 2012. He is perfectly suited for Bayern."
German court sentences Bayern boss Hoeness to jail for tax evasion
By Jens Hack
MUNICH Thu Mar 13, 2014 5:23pm GMT
Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness arrives for the verdict in his trial for tax evasion at the regional court in Munich March 13, 2014. A German court convicted Hoeness of tax evasion on Thursday and sentenced the soccer manager who turned Bayern Munich into one of the world's most successful clubs to three years and six months in jail. REUTERS-Christof Stache-Pool
(Reuters) - A German court convicted Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness of tax evasion on Thursday and sentenced the man who turned the football club into one of the world's most successful sports dynasties to 3-1/2 years in jail.
Judge Rupert Heindl ruled that Hoeness's voluntary disclosure that he had failed to pay taxes had been incomplete and thus did not meet a vital requirement needed for amnesty under laws designed to encourage tax evaders to come clean.
Hoeness has admitted evading 27.2 million euros in taxes on income earned in secret Swiss bank accounts, but the football club executive was hoping for leniency in one of the most closely watched tax evasion cases in German history.
"The voluntary disclosure is not valid with the documents that were presented alone," said the judge. He said the confession was riddled with mistakes and that Hoeness had failed to submit other documents requested by tax inspectors on time.
The 62-year-old Hoeness, who also owns a Bavarian sausage factory, bowed his head and stared at the floor when the verdict was delivered, his face turning red as he struggled to retain his composure. He left the court in silence, avoiding reporters.
The case hinged on the question of whether Hoeness, who as a player helped West Germany win the 1974 World Cup, cooperated fully with his voluntary disclosure. His case shocked the nation and prompted thousands of tax dodgers to turn themselves in.
Hoeness's defence lawyers immediately announced they would appeal to the Federal Court of Justice.
"The high court will decide if his voluntary disclosure was valid, or partially valid or botched," said lawyer Hanns Feigen. "That's the interesting point. The key point is the way a taxpayer is being treated - as if he hadn't turned himself in."
The maximum sentence for tax evasion is 10 years and the prosecutors, citing Hoeness's cooperation, had sought a 5-1/2 year sentence.
Hoeness was first charged with evading 3.5 million euros in taxes. But when the trial began on Monday he stunned the court by admitting he had actually evaded five times that amount - or 18.5 million euros.
That figure was raised further to 27.2 million euros on the second day of the trial based on testimony by a tax inspector. Hoeness's defence team acknowledged the higher figure.
PLEA FOR LENIENCY
Hoeness, whose team won last year's Champions League and dominates the German Bundesliga, apologised to the court and pleaded for leniency. The club's earnings have soared under his stewardship, which has lasted 35 years in various posts. With more than 220,000 members, it is one of the world's biggest football clubs.
"I deeply regret my wrongdoing," he said on Monday. "I'm doing everything I can to put this unhappy chapter behind me."
Tax evasion is a serious crime in Germany. Peter Graf, the late father of tennis champion Steffi Graf, was sentenced in 1997 to three years and nine months for evading 12.3 million marks (6.3 million euros). He was released after 25 months.
Michael Meister, deputy finance minister, said the verdict would be a lesson to other taxpayers. "It shows that it is not worth it to evade taxes," he told Rheinische Post newspaper.
Hoeness, once one of Germany's most admired football executives, alerted tax authorities in January 2013 about his bank account and undeclared income. He said the Swiss account was a personal account created for financial market trades.
Some 55,000 tax evaders have turned themselves in over the last four years and paid a total of about 3.5 billion euros in back taxes, according to the taxpayers association. The number of voluntary disclosures rose four-fold in 2013 from 2012.
"First of all, I feel great personal empathy because a prison sentence is a serious imposition on anybody, including Uli Hoeness," said Bavarian state premier Horst Seehofer, leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian sister party.
"On the other hand, I as a politician and state premier have to accept the result of a trial conducted according to the rule of law," Seehofer added.
Hoeness had been a friend of Merkel and a popular TV talk show guest. He spoke out for higher taxes and railed against tax evasion. His case has led to calls to change German laws that allow tax evaders to avoid prosecution if they turn themselves in before an investigation starts.
It is unclear if Hoeness can remain chairman of Bayern Munich's supervisory board. The club said its boards would deliberate the matter but would not decide immediately.
FC Bayern Munich AG is privately owned. Major German companies Adidas AG, Allianz and Audi AG, all of which are based in Bavaria, each have an 8.3 percent stake in the club. Deutsche Telekom AG is the club's main advertising sponsor.
Members of the supervisory board include Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn and Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges.
(Reporting by Jens Hack and Victoria Bryan; Writing by Erik Kirschbaum; Editing by Madeline Chambers, Stephen Brown and Tom Heneghan)
Uli Hoeness has resigned his position as president of Bayern Munich after being sentenced to jail for tax evasion.
The 62-year-old received a three-and-a-half year sentence from a German court on Thursday, and revealed on Friday that he will not appeal against the verdict.
Hoeness was initially charged with defrauding authorities of €3.5million, but his trial – which took place in Munich – revealed the actual figure to be €27.2m.
Prior to the legal proceedings, Hoeness disclosed the details of his evasion last year, a move his defence believed would mitigate any punishment.
Yet, after three days of hearings, Hoeness' sentence was administered after he was found guilty of seven counts of tax evasion.
He has subsequently relinquished his role as Bayern president, and tendered his resignation from the club's board.
"After talks with my family I have decided to accept the judgment of the District Court of Munich II in my tax matter," Hoeness said in a statement on Bayern's official website.
"I told my attorneys not to go in revision. This is my understanding of decency, attitude, and personal responsibility. Tax evasion was the (biggest) mistake of my life.
"I am (suffering) the consequences of this error. Also, I stand down the offices of the president of the FC Bayern Munich eV and the Chairman of the FC Bayern Munich AG with immediate effect.
"I would like to avert damage to of my club. FC Bayern Munich is my life's work, and always will be. I'm staying connected to this great club and its people in other ways.
"I thank my personal friends and supporters of FC Bayern Munich for their support."
Herbert Hainer has been named chairman of Bayern Munich's supervisory board following the resignation of Uli Hoeness.
Hoeness tendered his resignation as president and chairman earlier on Friday, after receiving a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for tax evasion on Thursday.
The 62-year-old said he fully accepted the decision and would not appeal the sentence administered by a German court.
Initially Hoeness was charged with defrauding authorities of €3.5million, however at his trial in Munich the actual figure was revealed to be €27.2m.
Hoeness brought the evasion to the attention of authorities last year, in a move his defence team hoped would mitigate any punishment.
But - following three days of hearings - Hoeness was found guilty of seven counts of tax evasion and decided to relinquish his post at Bayern.
Hainer, currently deputy chairman, now takes the role of chairman "until further notice".
A statement on Bayern's official website read: "Herbert Hainer (59), adidas AG CEO and previously deputy chairman of the FC Bayern Munich AG supervisory board, is appointed chairman of the supervisory board, effective immediately and until further notice. This decision was unanimously approved by the supervisory board."
Upon the announcement, Hainer paid tribute to Hoeness' legacy.
"Uli Hoeness hhas always devoted his leadership qualities, great personal commitment and outstanding lifelong effort to the best interests of FC Bayern Munich," he said.
"He is very largely responsible for FC Bayern Munich becoming one of the most successful and attractive clubs in the world both in sporting and financial terms. We offer him heartfelt thanks and gratitude for this."
Robert Lewandowski could return for Borussia Dortmund this weekend, but coach Jurgen Klopp does not expect to have Marco Reus available.
Lewandowski has recovered well from the knee injury that saw him miss the 1-0 victory over Freiburg last Sunday and returned to training on Thursday.
The Poland international striker, who will join Bayern Munich next season, has scored 15 Bundesliga goals in 2013-14 and will strengthen Dortmund's attacking options for Saturday's visit of Borussia Monchengladbach, but Reus is unlikely to feature due to a thigh problem.
"Robert Lewandowski has recovered from his injury," Klopp confirmed. "He could be available against Gladbach.
"If nothing extraordinary happens overnight, then Marcos Reus will not be able to be there.
"Jonas Hofmann could start, he's a very important member of the squad."
Dortmund lost 2-0 against Monchengladbach earlier in the season.
"We were incredibly unlucky when we last met them," added Klopp. "Gladbach have (been) much-improved under Lucien Favre.
"Gladbach are a quality side. (Juan) Arango, (Max) Kruse and Raffael are exceptional players."
Bundesliga Preview: Borussia Dortmund v Borussia Monchengladbach
13 March 2014
Borussia Monchengladbach will hope positive off-field news is translated into a first Bundesliga win of the year against Borussia Dortmund.
Saturday's visitors to Signal Iduna Park have been boosted by the agreement of a contract extension with coach Lucien Favre and the Swiss will hope to celebrate that deal with a first competitive win since the mid-season break.
"I am pleased to continue to work for Borussia. I have been here now for over three years and I am very satisfied," Favre told the club's official website.
"The players now have more confidence and know who will train them in the future. I will still continue to work successfully, otherwise I would not be renewed. Although other teams were interested, I wanted to stay here absolutely."
Favre has also completed the signing of Basel goalkeeper Yann Sommer this week - to replace the outgoing Marc-Andre ter Stegen - and they could do with carrying such positive developments into their Bundesliga form.
Gladbach have taken just three points from a possible 21 since the season resumed and have slipped to eighth after making a promising start to their campaign.
They have not won on the road in the top flight since November but have two main reasons to be hopeful ahead of their trip to Dortmund - primarily the form of Brazilian striker Raffael.
As well as having 12 Bundesliga goals to his name this season, he has found the net in three of his last four outings.
Favre's charges will also take heart from their last meeting with Jurgen Klopp's side when they ran out 2-0 winners at Borussia-Park.
Since then Dortmund, have seen Bayern Munich all but wrap up the title - although they will remain eager to tie up second place while also fighting it out in the DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Champions League.
While leading goalscorer Robert Lewandowski may not be risked ahead of their midweek European tie against Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday due to a knee problem, Klopp's side have been in impressive form.
Dortmund have won four of their last five top-flight matches, scoring 13 goals and conceding just once in those victories, with the 3-0 defeat to Hamburg their only slip-up of late.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Dortmund run out 5-0 winners and a similarly comprehensive victory on Saturday would set Klopp and his side up nicely for their Champions League clash with Zenit as they look to build on their 4-2 first-leg advantage and reach the quarter-finals.
Gladbach will also have continental considerations - namely finishing in the UEFA Europa League spots - with a win on Saturday enough to take them fifth providing other results go their way.
Bundesliga Preview: Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen
13 March 2014
Bayern Munich can break new ground and focus attention back onto playing matters with victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
After president Uli Hoeness was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail for tax evasion on Thursday, the German and European champions can hit the headlines for the right reasons by smashing the Bundesliga record for consecutive unbeaten games matches from the start of a season.
Bayern's 6-1 win over Wolfsburg last Saturday moved them to 24 league games without defeat this term - a figure Leverkusen achieved in the 2009-10 campaign.
Leverkusen are one of two sides to take points off Bayern in the Bundesliga in 2013-14 and their recent record against Bayern will give Sami Hyypia's side hope at the Allianz Arena.
Not only were Leverkusen the last time to beat Bayern in a top-flight fixture - winning 2-1 at the Allianz Arena in October 2012 - they have only lost once in their last four meetings with the German champions.
After Leverkusen secured 2-0 and 2-1 victories in 2012, Bayern only clinched three points at the BayArena last season thanks to a Philipp Wollscheid own goal three minutes from time.
This season's reverse fixture saw Sidney Sam cancel out Toni Kroos' opener with Leverkusen having since surrendered second place thanks to a dismal run of form since the turn of the year.
Hyypia's men have won just twice in all competitions since the start of 2014 - slipping to third while also crashing out of the DFB-Pokal to second-tier Kaiserslautern.
Leverkusen also bowed out of the UEFA Champions League in midweek after a 6-1 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Hyypia maintains his players took confidence from Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to PSG, explaining: "We always want to win so we can't be happy but we showed character and gained confidence – ready for Saturday."
Captain Simon Rolfes added: "We said this week would be very hard for us with games against Paris and Bayern Munich, but we have taken steps forward in our self-confidence and also our style of play – in defence, but also our attack.
"This was a small step so that we can reach our goal of qualifying for the Champions League again next year."
Despite seeking to remain positive, Leverkusen need only look at Bayern's form since their draw in October for an indicator of the challenge they face.
Pep Guardiola's side have won all 16 Bundesliga games since the stalemate - and are 49 matches unbeaten in the league - while also moving into the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal and the last eight of the Champions League.
Bayern remain in the running to repeat last season's treble after Tuesday's 3-1 aggregate win over Arsenal and, provided other results go the runaway leaders' way, could win the Bundesliga before the end of March.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored twice as Schalke came from behind to cement their grip on a UEFA Champions League spot by beating Augsburg 2-1.
The Dutchman displayed clinical form in front of goal to guide Jens Keller's men to a victory that sees them leapfrog Bayer Leverkusen into third place ahead of their visit to Bayern Munich on Saturday.
However, the visitors had looked set for a defeat against sixth-placed Augsburg, who themselves have hope of a place in the top four, when Tobias Werner put Markus Weinzierl's side in front after just five minutes.
Midfielder Werner capitalised on an ill-advised header back to goal from Schalke defender Tim Hoogland to slot a cool finish past Ralf Fahrmann and into the bottom corner.
But Schalke found a way back into the game 12 minutes before half-time as Huntelaar netted his first.
The striker tapped in a rebound from close range after Kevin-Prince Boateng had been skillfully played in by Julian Draxler, only to see his effort saved by Alexander Manninger.
And Huntelaar completed the turnaround four minutes after the interval, slotting home from Sead Kolasinac's pull-back to finish off a sweeping move from the visitors.
Draxler then had a goal disallowed for offside, but that proved immaterial as Schalke hung on despite a late onslaught from the hosts.
Hannover striker Mame Biram Diouf is set to miss the rest of the season following an operation on his dislocated shoulder.
The Senegal international injured his right shoulder in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen, which represented Hannover's fifth Bundesliga game without a win.
Although the club confirmed on Friday that Diouf had undergone successful surgery, he will now be absent for "several months".
A statement on Hannover's official website read: "Mame Diouf has been successfully operated on Friday morning on the right shoulder.
"Diouf had been injured in the home match against Bayer Leverkusen in a duel with his opponent.
"The operation was absolutely necessary to fully restore the stability of the shoulder.
"After the successful surgery Mame Diouf will have to pause for several months."
Diouf is Hannover's top scorer this season with eight goals, having managed 12 in the previous campaign.
His absence comes as a major blow to a team who are in danger of being sucked into a relegation battle following their recent poor form.
Hannover currently sit 12th, six points clear of the relegation play-off place.
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has expressed support for jailed former president Uli Hoeness following his resignation from the club.
Hoeness stepped down from his position as president and chairman of the club's supervisory board on Friday after he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for tax evasion.
The 62-year-old was found guilty of seven counts of tax evasion, defrauding authorities of a total of €27.2million.
Herbert Hainer, who had previously held the post of deputy chairman of the supervisory board, has been named as chairman until further notice.
But, ahead of Saturday's clash with Bayer Leverkusen, Guardiola insisted that he will remain friends with Hoeness.
"I've been only a few months here and I've seen how important Uli Hoeness is for this club," Guardiola said.
"Bayern is one of the best clubs in the world and that has been largely possible thanks to the character of Uli Hoeness.
"Uli deserves all our respect, he is and will remain my friend. Now we have to continue working as he taught us.
"We have to continue on our way, both Uli and the players know it, and now we have to concentrate in every game."
Bundesliga leaders Bayern host third-placed Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena as the defending champions seek to make it 50 league games unbeaten.
Leverkusen were the last side to beat the Bavarians in the league, earning a 2-1 away win back in October 2012.
And Guardiola feels Leverkusen, who were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League after a 6-1 aggregate loss to Paris Saint-Germain, will pose a threat to their undefeated streak this weekend.
"Leverkusen played very well in Paris, going 1-0 up (before losing 2-1). They are very organised defensively," Guardiola added.
"We will lose sooner or later, but we have to remain focused on retaining our title."
The tax evasion trial of club president Uli Hoeness is overshadowing Bayern Munich's upcoming home game against Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, while Borussia Dortmund hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Here are five things to know about the weekend's 25th round:
LEVERKUSEN HOPES:
Leverkusen is the last team to have beaten Bayern in the Bundesliga – in October 2012. It is also one of the two teams to have earned draws against the Bavarians this season.
Bayern has a 20-point lead in the league and can clinch the title already this month. Bayern has a record of 16 consecutive victories and its unbeaten run is up to 49 games.
But Bayern has won only one of its last four Bundesliga matches against Leverkusen, with two defeats and one draw. Leverkusen has three defeats and one draw in its last four Bundesliga matches.
Leverkusen was encouraged by its match against Paris Saint-Germain, despite a 2-1 loss.
"We are definitely not going to Munich to be a polite guest; we can achieve a sensation there," Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno said.
DORTMUND'S HOME STRENGTH:
Borussia Dortmund is unbeaten at home against its Moenchengladbach namesake in the last 12 games, with 10 wins. But it lost 1-0 at Moenchengladbach this season despite dominating the match.
Moenchengladbach last won in Dortmund 16 years ago.
Dortmund is 20 points behind Bayern and looking to strengthen its grip on second place. If Dortmund wins and Leverkusen loses in Munich, Dortmund will be seven points ahead of Leverkusen.
AUGSBURG SURPRISE:
Augsburg has been the surprise of the season and is sitting sixth, which gives it a place in the Europa League next season. On Friday, Augsburg hosts Schalke, which is fourth and seeking to hang on to a Champions League slot.
Augsburg has never beaten Schalke in one German Cup and five Bundesliga matches.
Apart from a 5-1 drubbing by Bayern, Schalke is unbeaten this year since the Bundesliga resumed after the winter break.
Full Time score : Augsburg 1 Schalke 2
HOFFENHEIM'S INCONSISTENCY:
Hoffenheim has been a model of inconsistency this season - a 6-2 victory over Wolfsburg was followed by a 4-0 loss at Schalke.
Hoffenheim has the third best attack with 52 goals, but it has also conceded 52 goals to have the second-worst defense in the Bundesliga.
It hosts Mainz, which is seeking to return to one of Europa League places. Hoffenheim has won only one Bundesliga match against Mainz, which has never lost at Hoffenheim.
STUTTGART'S TROUBLES:
After losing eight straight and only drawing at bottom Braunschweig, Stuttgart sacked the coach and brought in the Bundesliga experienced Huub Stevens.
Stevens has a tough road match against Werder Bremen for his debut. Werder is eight points away from the danger zone but would like to make certain that it won't drop. Stuttgart is only above 16th-place Hamburger SV on goal difference.
Stuttgart has only one win in its last six matches against Bremen.
Whatever the outcome, fans can hope for plenty of scoring - the last 15 games between the two clubs have produced 65 goals, more than four a game on average.
Bundesliga Wrap: Bayern on brink of title as Dortmund slip up at Gladbach
15 March 2014
Bayern Munich can win the Bundesliga title next week following a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola's men moved 23 points clear at the top of the table thanks to a header from Mario Mandzukic and Bastian Schweinsteiger's free-kick, with Borussia Dortmund having lost at home to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Stefan Kiessling pulled one back in injury time for Leverkusen, but the Bavarians will now secure the title if they beat Mainz next weekend and Dortmund and Schalke both fail to win.
Dortmund succumbed to a 2-1 home defeat to Monchengladbach prior to Bayern's game.
The visitors took control of the game thanks to a strike from Raffael and a fine solo goal from Max Kruse, but were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Havard Nordtveit was sent off for a second bookable offence after 69 minutes.
Dortmund took advantage through Milos Jojic's deflected strike eight minutes later, but could not complete the comeback and saw coach Jurgen Klopp dismissed late on after Marvin Ducksch had a goal ruled out for a foul by Robert Lewandowski.
Huub Stevens' first game in a charge of struggling Stuttgart ended in a 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen, who took a share of the spoils thanks to Aaron Hunt's 79th-minute equaliser following Georg Niedermeier's opener for Stuttgart.
Mainz moved up to fifth after coming from two goals down to register a 4-2 success at Hoffenheim.
Shinji Okazaki was the hero for the visitiors, the Japan forward's late double giving Thomas Tuchel's men the points after they had levelled matters through Maxim Choupo-Moting and Benedikt Saller following earlier strikes from Eugen Polanski and Roberto Firmino for Hoffenheim.
Wolfsburg's 1-1 draw at Eintracht Braunschweig allowed Mainz to leapfrog them in the table, with Luiz Gustavo's 35th-minute strike not enough for Dieter Hecking's side as Karim Bellarabi earned a point for bottom club Braunschweig.
Elsewhere, Hannover moved nine points clear of the relegation play-off place with a 3-0 win at Hertha Berlin.
Hamburg climbed out of the bottom three in the Bundesliga for the first time since late January with a 2-1 win over Nuremberg.
The victory, their second under Mirko Slomka, lifts Hamburg into 14th place in the table and puts two points between themselves and the relegation zone.
After a frustrating 80 minutes without a goal for Hamburg, it was Hakan Calhanoglu who finally broke the deadlock as he netted a third goal in four games with a deflected strike that caught Raphael Schafer out.
Hamburg doubled their lead with four minutes remaining as a left-wing cross was volleyed into his own net by Nuremberg defender Mike Frantz.
The hosts were denied only their second clean sheet since late October as Josip Drmic grabbed his 12th goal of the season in the final minute, but it only served as a consolation for Nuremberg who see their opponents climb above them in the table.
Fellow strugglers Freiburg picked up their first win since late January as they beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1.
The hosts missed a number of chances to take the lead in the first-half, with Stefan Aigner guilty of wasting three alone, and on 36 minutes they were punished as Julian Schuster opened the scoring for the visitors.
Frankfurt failed to clear a cross from the right and when the ball was put back in, it was Schuster who reacted quickest to score an overhead kick from six yards out.
Freiburg added a second nine minutes into the second half when, after a swift counter attack, Karim Guede round Kevin Trapp and rolled the ball into an unguarded net.
Frankfurt pulled a goal back when Oliver Baumann failed to hold a Joselu shot and the striker headed the loose ball into the back of the net despite the attempts of two defenders to clear.
The hosts laid siege on Freiburg's goal but were again surprised as Felix Klaus and Guede added the final two goal to complete a comprehensive win and move Freiburg out of the bottom two.
