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German Roundup Struggling Bayern Munich in the spotlightPosted: Thursday October 31, 2002 1:34 PMFRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Oliver Kahn should be back in goal this weekend and that's about the only good news for Bayern Munich as the Bundesliga powerhouse tries to overcome the shock of the early ouster from the Champions League. Kahn has been making headlines during his 10-day absence because of a thigh injury and they were not to his liking. "Just look at all the exaggerations that this story produced, just because I went to a disco," said Kahn, Germany's World Cup hero and Bayern's captain. "I've seldom seen such grotesque tabloid stories." Kahn tore fibers in his right thigh muscle and had to miss last weekend's match against lowly Hannover that ended in a 3-3 draw. He chose to play golf at the time of the match, during a weekend visit to his parents in Karlsruhe that also included a late-night visit to a local disco. The round of golf and the disco trip made the newspapers, just as Bayern was preparing for the crucial Champions league match at Deportivo La Coruna. Bayern, which won the title in 2001 for its fourth triumph in Europe's biggest club competition, lost 2-1 without Kahn and was eliminated, even missing out on the UEFA Cup. Kahn stayed home because of the injury and had to fight against what newspapers said was a crack in his image as a perfect professional. "I have no problems with being criticized for my performance, but my private life is of no concern to anyone," Kahn told the Kicker magazine on Thursday. "You think I never went out before? I am not the Pope," the 33-year-old superstar star said. Kahn said he shouldn't have to justify going to a disco nine days before his next game but would accept the fine of 10,000 euro (US$9,800) imposed by Bayern -- and not 50,000 euro as reported by some newspapers. As for the round of golf, that had been approved by coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who thought Kahn a few days' break would be good for his goalkeeper. Kahn should be back in the lineup on Sunday, when Bayern travels to fourth-placed Werder Bremen, one of the more entertaining sides in the Bundesliga this season. Bremen will be trying to rebound from a 4-1 drubbing by defending champion Borussia Dortmund in the next round. Bayern goes into the match with a three-point lead over Dortmund, which is at struggling Hamburger SV on Saturday. Kahn said he was "massively disappointed" by the ouster from the Champions League, "but now we can concentrate on national competitions." "The team is in transition and the process can be painful," Kahn said. After winning the Champions League in May 2001, Bayern went without a title last season. Coach Hitzfeld, in his fifth season with Bayern, is beginning to feel the heat. Bild, the mass-circulation newspaper, said Thursday the Bayern management was already sounding out other coaches and that Hitzfeld and the club would part ways at the end of the season although his contract runs through 2004. Another defeat or two could even hasten Hitzfeld's departure. After traveling to Bremen, Bayern has to host Dortmund. Bayern will be without midfielder Michael Ballack and striker Roque Santa Cruz, who were both injured in Spain. Striker Giovane Elber, leading Bundesliga marksman with 10 goals, is complaining of knee problems and midfielders Mehmet Scholl and Hasan Salihamidzic are also questionable. Bremen didn't deserve to lose by such a big score against Dortmund and the team hopes it can secure a place at the top of the Bundesliga under its new French midfield playmaker Johan Micoud. "Now we have to show whether we can live up to higher expectations," said coach Thomas Schaaf. Dortmund is the only undefeated team after 10 rounds and will be bolstered by the 2-1 win over Arsenal on Wednesday that secured its place in the second stage of the Champions League. Hamburg has been erratic so far in the season and went through a turbulent management shake-up earlier in the week. Other Saturday matches: Energie Cottbus vs. Schalke; Nuremberg vs. Moenchengladbach; 1860 Munich vs. Arminia Bielefeld; Hannover vs. Wolfsburg; Hansa Rostock vs. Kaiserslautern; Bayer Leverkusen vs. Stuttgart. In the second Sunday match, Bochum hosts Hertha Berlin. Bayern will have the last laugh, says captain KahnBERLIN (Reuters) -- Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn is confident his team will recover from their shock Champions League exit and win the league title and the German Cup. "Now we will be able to concentrate on the [two] national competitions and at the end of the day Bayern Munich will be the team laughing at everyone else," Kahn told Kicker magazine on Thursday. Bayern have faced a blizzard of derision after Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Deportivo Coruna led to their first elimination before the quarterfinals in six years. They have lost four matches and drawn just one in Group G to leave them six points adrift of third-placed RC Lens and without even the chance making the UEFA Cup. Bayern had lured Michael Ballack and Brazilian Ze Roberto from Champions League finalists Bayer Leverkusen and Sebastian Deisler from Hertha Berlin in the close season. The signings prompted Bayern chairman Karlheinz Rummenigge to hail the new side as Bayern's best ever, while Kahn boasted the Champions League would be one of three titles the Germans would win. Bayern won the European Cup three times in a row between 1974 and 1976 and the Champions League final in 2001, beating Valencia on penalties. They were also losing finalists to Manchester United in 1999. Bayern are three points clear at the top of the German league but their defense has been showing nerves, most notably in Saturday's 3-3 draw with newly promoted Hanover 96. "I assume that the team managers know that the team is in a period of transformation and realize there can be some pain," Kahn continued. "I'm nevertheless deeply disappointed." The Bayern captain also said that he had been fined 10,000 euros -- and not 50,000 euros as widely reported -- by coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for spending a night in a disco last weekend while he was supposed to be recuperating from an injury. Reuters contributed to this report. |
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