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Magath cracks the whip at Wolfsburg Wolfsburg's players will have no day off until breaking for Christmas as a result of their 4-1 pounding at the hands of Werder Bremen at the weekend.
Coach Felix Magath has scrapped the day off planned for Monday and now wants to see his players in work every day until December 22.
"We are going to meet up and we want to work even harder so that we win our last game (of 2011)," he is quoted as saying by the dpa agency.
No other side in the Bundesliga have lost more games than the Wolves, who started the season with ambitions of a top-six finish and a place in Europe next season but now have to come to terms with a repeat of last year's struggles.
"We are now in a relegation battle," admitted Magath, who said his side's defending at times is "not good enough for the Bundesliga".
To remedy that, he is to get the club's chequebook out again next month, with his club's consent.
"We knew before the season started that the restructuring of the team would take longer than just one transfer period," he said.
"We will see what is possible on the transfer market and certainly sign one or two new players who can improve us.
Borussia Dortmund will be forced to soldier on without inspirational playmaker Mario Gotze for their final two games before the Bundesliga’s traditional winter break.
The club confirmed on Monday that precocious midfielder Gotze suffered a muscular injury against Kaiserslautern and will be ruled out until January.
"Playing against Kaiserslautern, BVB midfielder Mario Gotze incurred a torn muscle in his [front] thigh," a Dortmund press release revealed.
"Thus, the 19-year-old international player will be missing for the two remaining games this year [Freiburg in the Bundesliga, Dusseldorf in the DFB Pokal]."
Gotze, who was already a doubt prior to the Kaiserslautern encounter, entered the fray as a substitute in the second half and seemingly aggravated the injury.
The German star's absence will be a huge blow to the reigning Bundesliga champions, who have profited immensely from his six goals and eight assists in 22 appearances so far this season.
Hertha Berlin coach Markus Babbel has rejected suggestions that he could be on his way to Schalke.
The 39-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Olympic Stadium outfit after he guided the club to the Bundesliga in his first season in charge in the German capital.
A report in Berliner Zeitung am Sonntag claimed that Babbel met with Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt at the Berlin Ritz Carlton hotel one day after his side's 2-1 league defeat at the hands of the Gelsenkirchen outfit.
Babbel confirmed that he did meet Heldt at the hotel, but stressed that his situation was not discussed.
"A celebration for the loss? Nonsense, I am not that dumb," Babbel is quoted by Bild as saying.
"The truth is that I had a drink with Horst in Munich on Saturday to celebrate his birthday."I never signed or promised to sign a contract."Hertha are 11th in Bundesliga, while Schalke are third.
Cologne came from behind to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw against Mainz in the Bundesliga on Tuesday.In front of another packed crowd at the RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne entered the match in high spirits after a 4-0 win over Freiburg on Saturday while Mainz also had every reason to feel confident.
They had gone four matches unbeaten ahead of their trip to Cologne, indicating that an exciting match was on the cards.But at half-time there had been no goals scored and it looked like the match could be decided by one moment.
That looked to have happened when Tunisian attacker Sami Allagui converted Julian Baumgartlinger's assist with just 20 minutes to play as Mainz took the lead.An equaliser did come though, with in-demand Cologne forward Lukas Podolski levelling proceedings with five minutes left.
Podolski's late strike was his 14th for the season and his fifth in three games as Cologne remained in 10th, while Mainz sit 12th.
Bayern Munich sporting director Christian Nerlinger has backed defender Breno his backing, saying the 22-year-old will succeed in 2012.
The centre-back has endured a tumultuous season, and has not played a game yet, but Nerlinger has given the player a vote of confidence, and scuppered speculation linking the Brazilian with a move away from the club in January.
"It's clear that he will remain with us," Nerlinger told TZ."I have a positive feeling that in January, Breno's time will come."I am confident that Breno will have a successful time at Bayern. Remember these words."
Nurnberg and Hertha Berlin have recently been linked to the former Sao Paulo man, who was imprisoned on remand earlier this season under suspicion of arson.
Breno has since undergone therapy sessions at the famous Max Planck Institute and returned to training.However, he is not expected to play in either of Bayern's two remaining matches before the Bundesliga's winter break.
Tim Hildebrand is expected to make his debut for Schalke in the club's Europa League match away to Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday.Bundesliga club Schalke have already qualified from Group J of the Europa League with three wins and two draws from five matches played.And they look set to rotate their squad in the final group-stage match against Israeli champions Haifa.
Hildebrand is likely to make his first appearance for Schalke in the match at the Kiryat-Eli'ezer Stadium.The former Stuttgart and Valencia goalkeeper signed for the club on October 21 as cover for first-choice stopper Ralf Fahrmann.
"I am looking forward to play in the Europa League and to have my debut in the first team," Hildebrand, 32, said."I've gained experiences with the second team, so I'm not nervous about it.""There is always a bit of tension, but the game isn't about much anymore. The players who haven't played lately can prove themselves and show their best performances."
"I think Haifa have to win, so therefore there will be a lot for me to do in the match."Victory for Haifa would see them secure second spot behind Schalke in Group J, booking their place in the round of 32.They sit one point ahead of Steaua Bucharest and AEK Larnaca, who are third and fourth respectively on five points, and meet in the Romanian capital on Wednesday.
Schalke defeated Haifa 3-1 at home in the first meeting between the teams on September 29, but defender Benedikt Howedes is expecting a more testing encounter in Israel."We must take it seriously even though we are already group winners and through," Howedes said.
"We are taking the game seriously, especially those players who don't play that often who will take their chance tomorrow. Of course we want to win the game.""Haifa are at home. We ... found out in the first leg that they are a very tough opponent.
The result, 3-1, didn't properly reflect the way the game went, so we have to expect a good performance from them. It won't be a walk in the park."The draw for the last 32 of the competition will take place on Friday.
Following Bayern Munich's 2-1 win away to Stuttgart on Sunday, a debate has emerged as to whether or not Arjen Robben was guilty of play-acting.The Dutchman was twice fouled by Cristian Molinaro in the match, prompting the Italian defender's dismissal after 30 minutes.
"Robben acted and was very theatrical," the left-back told Bild.Team-mate Martin Harnik also voiced his opinion on the matter, claiming that the Bayern winger anticipates contact and reacts pre-emptively."Robben is someone who goes to ground fairly easily and is in the air even before contact," he said.
Even Germany sporting director Matthias Sammer weighed in on the issue, accusing the ex-Chelsea man of unfair play."It is clear that Robben waits for such situations (fouls) and makes the most of them," he told Sky.Robben did gather some support, particularly from Bayern sporting director Christian Nerlinger, who defended the 27-year-old.
"Arjen is clearly not an actor or a provocateur," he said."The fouls were clear. Whoever says otherwise is attempting to distance himself from his own problems."Throughout his career, Robben has struggled with injuries.This season, a pelvic injury and groin hernia have limited him to 10 appearances in all competitions.
Klinsmann rules out Bundesliga, for now 13 December 2011
USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann has no plans to make an immediate return to club management in the Bundesliga.
Speaking to Bild on Tuesday, the 47-year-old, who took charge of the US national team in the close season, expects to remain in his role for the foreseeable future.
"Currently, I am not thinking about a return to the Bundesliga," Klinsmann said.
However, the 47-year-old maintains it is likely that he will have another crack of the whip at coaching in the German top-flight later in his coaching career.
My life is being carried out in the USA and I think that (a return) will happen in the future," he said.
"In football, I've learned to never take anything for granted, but I certainly won't be going back soon."
Klinsmann has so far had mixed results in management, having lead Germany to third place at the 2006 World Cup, before enduring a difficult six-month spell at Bayern Munich between July 2008 and January 2009.
Wolfsburg will not exercise their option to sign Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb on a permanent basis before his loan deal expires.
Hleb, 30, joined Bundesliga club Wolfsburg on a six-month loan at the start of the season, and a long-term in the January transfer window was a possibility if all parties were satisfied.
However, the Belarus international has been struggling with injuries since his arrival at the Volkswagen Arena, making only four league appearances.He will now return to parent club Barcelona when the loan deal ends on December 31.
"This is all very sad," Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath told the club's website."I would really have liked to keep him at Wolfsburg, but his ongoing injury problems simply don't allow it."
Hleb joined Barcelona from Arsenal in 2008 but has failed to make an impact on the first team at the Camp Nou, going out on loan to Stuttgart and Birmingham City before Wolfsburg.
His contract with the La Liga champions expires at the end of the season.
Injured Ribery in doubt for Bayern 3 December 2011
Bayern Munich may be without France international Franck Ribery for their final match of 2011 before the winter break.
Ribery suffered a thigh injury in his side's 2-1 Bundesliga win over Stuttgart last Sunday.
The winger picked up the knock in the closing stages of the second half and was replaced by David Alaba in the 79th minute.
"I gave a pass and felt something in my thigh," Ribery commented to TZ.
Ribery missed Monday's training session with the injury as he had to undergo further tests to clarify the extent of the problem.
It's not yet known exactly how long the 28-year-old will be out of action for, but it is doubtful whether he will be fit for Friday's home game against Cologne, which will be Jupp Heynckes' side's last Bundesliga game of 2011.League leaders have 34 points from 16 games.
Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath admitted his side are interested in signing Bayern Munich striker Ivica Olic in the January transfer window.The Volkswagen Arena outfit are eager to add more firepower to their team and they see the 32-year-old Olic as a valuable addition to their squad.
However, Magath acknowledged that it all depends on whether Bayern want to sell."He (Olic) would fit in here. And as far as I'm aware of the situation, he is open to a move," Magath told German newspaper Bild.
"He will probably play at his last big tournament at Euro 2012 this summer, and he wants to play in the build-up. However, the question is whether Bayern are ready to sell him."Magath also acknowledged the skills of Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky, who comes out of contract in the summer.
"He (Rosicky) is a good player, no question. A few years ago, the top clubs were chasing him," Magath said of the Czech Republic international.But the Wolfsburg boss admitted he did not know who would join his side next month."But I'm not a dreamer who believes that we can play with this team for our European mission," he said.
"We lack a top player, one who stands out through performance or personality."Bayern Munich have so far insisted that they are not off-loading any players in the winter transfer window, meaning that Wolfsburg could face a tough task attempting to lure Olic away from the Allianz Arena.
Lukas Podolski claims he has set his sights on a move abroad and is unlikely to join another Bundesliga club - if he leaves Cologne.
The Germany international has been in impressive form in the 2011-12 campaign and he has reportedly attracted the attention of Schalke.Nevertheless, Podolski - who struck a late equaliser in Cologne's 1-1 draw with Mainz on Tuesday - has made it clear that a move to another German club is not an option for him.
"Moving to another club within the Bundesliga is something I can hardly imagine. If I decide to leave Cologne, it will be to move abroad," Podolski told German magazine Sport Bild.Podolski, who has a contract with the club until the summer of 2013, stated that he was keen to prove his worth at another club in order to show that he can also perform outside of Cologne.
"It annoys me that some people think I can only perform at Cologne and only when I live in this city. That gets on my nerves. They claim something that is simply not right. I can also feel well and perform at my best in other surroundings," he said.Podolski has already netted 14 goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances, as well as providing four assists.
Bayern chief hands Reus career advice Despite their interest in Marco Reus, Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admits it may be best for the player to stay at Borussia Monchengladbach.
The 22-year-old is currently one of the hottest properties in Europe following a blinding start to the season, where he has scored ten goals in fourteen appearances for Gladbach.
Bayern have previously expressed their interest in him, while Barclays Premier League outfits Manchester City and Arsenal are both reportedly monitoring his progress.
However, Rummenigge has quite curiously suggested that it might be best for Reus to remain at his current club, at least for another season.
"Sometimes for younger players it is not a bad decision to stay [at their club for] one more year and make further progress," Rummenigge said on Liga Total Lounge.
"Because the pressure at a club like Monchengladbach or Borussia Dortmund is lower than that at Bayern Munich."
Nonetheless, Rummenigge admitted his side would continue to monitor Reus' progress, although he reiterated Bayern's previous stance that the player's €17.5million release fee may prove a stumbling block in their pursuit.
Just last month, City technical director Mike Rigg admitted the Citizens were interested in Reus.
Schalke determined to keep Huntelaar Schalke general manager Horst Heldt admits the club are looking to tie down Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
Huntelaar has already netted fourteen goals in fifteen Bundesliga appearances this season, and with his contract due to expire next summer, there is plenty of speculation regarding his future.
And while the Holland international has been linked with a move to some of Europe's top sides, the player has had forgettable spells at both Real Madrid and AC Milan, something Heldt believes will aid Schalke's hopes of keeping him.
"We want to prematurely bind him [Huntelaar] to us beyond 2013," Heldt said, according to Bild. "If Klaas-Jan keeps playing as he has, offers will probably come from top clubs.
"But he has had negative experiences at Real Madrid and AC Milan. This could be to our advantage." Schalke also face a nervy wait over the future of Raul, who has recently been linked with a lucrative move to Qatar.
Nonetheless, Heldt is also confident the legendary Spaniard will be willing to remain at Gelsenkirchen beyond his current deal. "We will speak [with Raul] in January," Heldt added. "I do not think Raul will move to Qatar.
"Raul has not played football so long just to earn money. "He will not go anywhere without his family; they will decide his future with him."
Heldt is equally optimistic in Schalke's chances of keeping Peruvian winger Jefferson Farfan at the club, despite recent interest from Serie A giants Juventus.
"We still want to extend [our deal] with him [Farfan]. Over the next month or two, a decision will come. "We do not intend to sell him in the winter."
Schalke are currently third in the Bundesliga, and confirmed their place in the last-32 of the Europa League on Wednesday night with a 3-0 win over Maccabi Haifa.
Gomez bewildered by Cologne tactics 17 December 2011
Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez revealed his disbelief at Cologne's negative approach in the Bundesliga leaders' 3-0 win on Friday.Jupp Heynckes' team were reduced to 10 players after Franck Ribery was sent off midway through the first half, but responded brilliantly after the break at Allianz Arena, with strikes from Gomez, David Alaba and Toni Kroos.
Despite their numerical advantage, Cologne kept several players behind the ball, much to the disbelief of Bayern Munich."You always enjoy it, when you win. It's a shame there are still teams who choose to play the way Cologne did today," Gomez said."I've never experienced that before. They strung 10 across the back, but we invested a lot and we were rewarded for it. It was hard work."
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness agreed with Gomez."I can understand Cologne playing so defensively when it was 11-a-side, but I didn't get it when they kept on defending at a man up but a goal down.""Our second half display was terrific, and you wouldn't necessarily have expected it at half-time."
"Last summer, Jupp Heynckes came in as the right coach for this football club's bruised soul. Since he's been here, it's been totally calm at FC Bayern. We're currently in the best possible shape."The win over Cologne means Bayern Munich are six points clear of champions Borussia Dortmund, who play Freiburg on Saturday.
Bundesliga wrap: Dortmund edge closer to Bayern 18 December 2011
Borussia Dortmund recorded an emphatic 4-1 win over Freiburg in the Bundesliga to move within three points of leaders Bayern Munich.The reigning champions opened the scoring through Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who bookended the win with goals, while Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin Grosskreutz rammed home Dortmund's advantage with goals in the second half.
Jan Rosenthal had restored parity for Freiburg after 35 minutes but the hosts were blown away at the Badenova Stadion thereafter.Schalke jumped to third after they hammered Werder Bremen 5-0 at the Veltins-Arena, with Spanish ace Raul netting a hat-trick.Raul found the back of the net twice in the first 20 minutes to give Schalke an early lead at home before completing his treble on 63 minutes.
There were more goals to come from the hosts as well, with Kiriakos Papadopoulos and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar adding further strikes to complete the rout.Nurnberg stunned Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 at the BayArena with the visitors undoing their opponents from set pieces to end their losing streak.
First-half goals from Daniel Didavi and Jens Hegeler followed by a late strike from Tomas Pekhart gave the strugglers a well-earned win.Roman Hubnik rescued a point for Hertha Berlin in a 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim that saw both sides reduced to 10 men.
Sejad Salihovic opened the scoring 21 minutes in with a goal of some quality, hammering the ball into the top corner from 20 yards out for Hoffenheim before Raffael was given his marching orders for a push on Salihovic during a scuffle.The hosts were themselves down a man shortly after the hour mark when Isaac Vorsah was dismissed, giving Hertha the impetus to go on and equalise through Roman Hubnik deep into injury time.
Augsburg followed up their win over Borussia Moenchengladbach last weekend with a 1-1 draw against Hamburg at the Imtech Arena.After a goalless first half, the game sprang into life in the 63th minute with Augsburg opening the scoring through Torsten Oehrlein but Hamburg were soon back on level terms through Jose Guerrero's header from Dennis Aogo's free kick.
A solitary second-half goal from Sebastian Polter was enough to see Wolfsburg pick up all three points in a 1-0 win over Stuttgart.
Schalke determined to keep Huntelaar Schalke general manager Horst Heldt admits the club are looking to tie down Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
Huntelaar has already netted fourteen goals in fifteen Bundesliga appearances this season, and with his contract due to expire next summer, there is plenty of speculation regarding his future.
And while the Holland international has been linked with a move to some of Europe's top sides, the player has had forgettable spells at both Real Madrid and AC Milan, something Heldt believes will aid Schalke's hopes of keeping him. "We want to prematurely bind him [Huntelaar] to us beyond 2013," Heldt said, according to Bild.
"If Klaas-Jan keeps playing as he has, offers will probably come from top clubs. "But he has had negative experiences at Real Madrid and AC Milan. This could be to our advantage." Schalke also face a nervy wait over the future of Raul, who has recently been linked with a lucrative move to Qatar.
Nonetheless, Heldt is also confident the legendary Spaniard will be willing to remain at Gelsenkirchen beyond his current deal. "We will speak [with Raul] in January," Heldt added. "I do not think Raul will move to Qatar. "Raul has not played football so long just to earn money. "He will not go anywhere without his family; they will decide his future with him."
Heldt is equally optimistic in Schalke's chances of keeping Peruvian winger Jefferson Farfan at the club, despite recent interest from Serie A giants Juventus. "We still want to extend [our deal] with him [Farfan]. Over the next month or two, a decision will come. "We do not intend to sell him in the winter."
Schalke are currently third in the Bundesliga, and confirmed their place in the last-32 of the Europa League on Wednesday night with a 3-0 win over Maccabi Haifa.
Dortmund promise 'top' summer signing Borussia Dortmund team manager Fritz Lunschermann has promised the fans a big-name player will arrive at the club this summer.
More often in recent months, players have been linked with a move away from the Signal Iduna Park, especially considering the wealth of talent Dortmund currently have amongst their ranks.
Mario Gotze, Mats Hummels and Shinji Kagawa have all been regularly linked with a move to some of Europe's top clubs, but Lunschermann insists it will be Dortmund that do the buying this summer.
"We will sign a top player for next season, with him our play will be even more offensively-oriented," Lunschermann said, according to Neue Presse Coburg.
Rumours emanating from Germany have linked BVB with a move for youngster Maximilian Beister, who is currently playing at Fortuna Dusseldorf, on loan from Hamburg.
However, despite confirming Dortmund's interest in the player, Beister's agent, Carsten Kuhn, admits the youngster could be keen on returning to Hamburg and playing under newly-appointed coach Thorsten Fink.
"There are several inquiries," Kuhn told Bild. "We will meet with one or two of the clubs - Dortmund, for example.
"Maxi wants a coach who likes to work with young players. Fink does this very well, [so] that's a plus."
Dortmund have already secured the services of young playmaker Leonardo Bittencourt, who will join the club from Energie Cottbus at the end of this season.
Babbel confirm Hertha Berlin departure Hertha Berlin coach Markus Babbel has confirmed that he will not be extending his contract beyond the end of the season, although he still hopes to see the job through until May.
Only hours before Berlin's Bundesliga clash with Hoffenheim, rumours surfaced that Berlin's director of sport Michael Preetz had met with former Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt coach Michael Skibbe to discuss him taking over from Babbel in January.
After the 1-1 draw in Hoffenheim, Babbel decided to bring an end to the speculation about his future by announcing his departure. "In my eyes, I informed him (Preetz) of my decision in good time," Babbel told Sky television. "That was back in November during the international break.
"What I don't understand is all the commotion. I am an employee of this club and I have always stuck to what I have been told, which is to keep things quiet and calm. "Things just got carried away and it was terribly difficult for the lads and also for me."
Babbel has not revealed why he has decided to walk away from the club he led into the Bundesliga in his first year in charge last season, other than to say he "wanted a change". "I told him (Preetz) that I am firmly committed to fulfilling my contract, but that for reasons that I will not go into now, I wanted a change," added Babbel.
"I want to finish what I started with the lads and it is just a shame because I cannot understand all of the commotion in Berlin. "I would be delighted if I could remain with the team until the end of my contract. "We could see again today that the team wants to take this through to the end, but at the end of the day, I cannot influence that."
