Bundesliga

  • 'They realised against Liverpool they ne...

    Lothar Matthaus backed Bayern Munich's spending ahead of next season and thinks it can stop the Bundesliga giants slipping further behind the rest of Europe's elite. Bayern on Wednesday announced Lucas Hernandez will arrive from Atletico Madrid for a fee of €80 million (£68m/$90...

    'They realised against Liverpool they need to invest' – Matthaus backs Bayern spending as Lucas signs

    Lothar Matthaus backed Bayern Munich's spending ahead of next season and thinks it can stop the Bundesliga giants slipping further behind the rest of Europe's elite. Bayern on Wednesday announced Lucas Hernandez will arrive from Atletico Madrid for a fee of €80 million (£68m/$90m) at the end of the season, while the club in January shelled out a reported €35m (£31m/$40m) to secure the signature of Benjamin Pavard from the 2019-20 campaign. The Bavarian side have won six consecutive Bundesliga titles but are being pushed harder by Borussia Dortmund this term, while Niko Kovac's men were knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool at the last-16 stage. Bayern were outclassed in a 3-1 loss at home to the Reds on March 13 and club great Matthaus identified a clear gap between the teams. However, he feels Bayern moving for a pair of World Cup-winning defenders represents a step in the right direction. "I believe it is right to invest in players who can make the difference," he said. "Bayern failed to get this quality in the transfer market before this season. "They realised against Liverpool that they need to invest. That's why I think it's right that the club is now spending money to get new, high-quality players to compete internationally with the big English, Spanish and Italian clubs." Despite the supposed limitations of the class of 2018-19, however, Matthaus is still backing Bayern – who only sit top of the Bundesliga on goal difference – to pip Dortmund to the title. "Dortmund still have to replace Bayern after six championships in a row," he said. "But I believe more in Bayern, because the team has more experience and knows such situations. "Above all, they have successfully prevailed during such situations. The pressure that you must deal with in such a situation is very large and the experience speaks for Bayern. "That's why I think - despite the lead Dortmund had - that the greater experience of Bayern means their seventh championship in a row will be achieved."

  • FICCI Goal 2019: Robert Klein - India is...

    Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein considers India as an important market for football. Delivering his keynote at the FICCI GOAL 2019 in Delhi on Tuesday, Klein said, "I have been following Indian football closely for the past 12 months and you can tell that it is now at ...

    FICCI Goal 2019: Robert Klein - India is an important, emerging market for Bundesliga

    Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein considers India as an important market for football. Delivering his keynote at the FICCI GOAL 2019 in Delhi on Tuesday, Klein said, "I have been following Indian football closely for the past 12 months and you can tell that it is now at a crucial stage. I completely back Mr. Subroto Dutta’s vision and believe India can qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup." He stated the reasons why Bundesliga is succesful and explained how the German league will use its experience and knowledge to make a mark in Indian football. "At Bundesliga, the main reason we are so successful is that we put the fans at the centre. We believe fans are the most important aspect of a football club and they are the ones which allow clubs to dream big and then achieve those goals. We have the highest average attendance in the world with our stadiums are generally 90 per cent packed. "One of the reasons for that is our ticket pricing, which is once again the lowest on an average among the major football league "India is an important emerging market for us. It is, for this reason, we have entered into a partnership with IMG Reliance due to their vast network and local knowledge. Apart from that, we will be bringing Bundesliga legends on tours to interact with their Indian fans." Klein further talked about various ventures initiated by German clubs in India. He said, "Then there is football and grassroots development. Bayern Munich have already been coming to India for some time to organize the Bayern Youth Cup and then taking back budding Indian footballers back to Germany for a chance to train there. "This year (2019), Eintracht Frankfurt have held a program in the Darjeeling district where over 300 children received training under the guidance of the German club. From these children, the best 20 will be selected by coaches of E Frankfurt before they are sent to Germany in the summer. There, they will train at world-class facilities while also playing against the local teams."

  • Bayern Munich complete club-record €80m ...

    Bayern Munich have completed a club-record €80 million (£68m/$90m) deal to sign Atletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez. The full-back, who was part of the France team to win the 2018 World Cup, has signed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions having completed a me...

    Bayern Munich complete club-record €80m Lucas Hernandez signing

    Bayern Munich have completed a club-record €80 million (£68m/$90m) deal to sign Atletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez. The full-back, who was part of the France team to win the 2018 World Cup, has signed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions having completed a medical over the international break. He becomes the second defensive reinforcement to have agreed to join Bayern this summer, with international team-mate Benjamin Pavard also on his way to Bavaria from Stuttgart after a €35m (£31m/$40m) deal was agreed in January. "Today is a very important day in my football career," Hernandez said in a statement released by his new club. "Bayern Munich is one of the best clubs in Europe and the world. I am proud to be able to fight for all titles for Bayern in the future. "I would like to thank Atletico, the management, the coaches, my team-mates and the fans for a wonderful 12 years. Atletico will always be part of me. Now I'm happy that I'm taking the next step at Bayern." Hernandez leaves Atletico having formed a key part of their defence under Diego Simeone in the Spanish capital. Since making his debut for the Rojiblancos in 2014 he has made 110 appearances for the club, though he will play no further role for Simeone's side this season as he requires knee ligament surgery. "In our sports medical examination, we found damage to the inner ligament of the right knee, which must be repaired surgically," Bayern club doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt revealed. "In my experience, Lucas Hernandez will be available to FC Bayern for the start of the 2019-20 Bundesliga season." Hernandez, who can also play at centre-back, has made 15 appearances for his country and played every match for Didier Deschamps' side as they lifted the World Cup for the second time in Russia last summer. "I am very happy that in Lucas Hernandez we have been able to sign one of the best defensive players in the world and a world champion," said Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. "Lucas can be used both in central defence and on the left of defence. In addition, Lucas will continue our tradition of outstanding French players and strengthen our team." Hernandez's arrival continues Bayern's rebuilding project after an indifferent campaign for the giants of German football. A sluggish start to the season under new manager Niko Kovac saw them slip behind Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga title race, though Bayern have since made up a six-point gap since the winter break and top the table on goal difference with eight matches to play. In the Champions League, however, they failed to make the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2011 following a last-16 defeat to Liverpool. Those disappointments, combined with an ageing squad that is set to lose Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery this summer, means Hernandez is unlikely to be the last new addition to the Bayern squad ahead of next season.

  • ‘I want to stay in Berlin for another ye...

    Liverpool loanee Marko Grujic has no immediate plans to return to Anfield as he is enjoying life at Hertha Berlin. Grujic joined Liverpool in 2016 but has only made a handful of appearances for the Merseyside club after being sent out on loan to both Cardiff City and Hertha in t...

    ‘I want to stay in Berlin for another year or two’ - Liverpool loanee Grujic not eyeing Anfield return

    Liverpool loanee Marko Grujic has no immediate plans to return to Anfield as he is enjoying life at Hertha Berlin. Grujic joined Liverpool in 2016 but has only made a handful of appearances for the Merseyside club after being sent out on loan to both Cardiff City and Hertha in the past two seasons. The Serbian now seems to be honing his craft in the Bundesliga after becoming a regular starter for his current club and he is progressing as a player. With lots competition in midfield at Liverpool, Grujic is hoping he can extend his stay in Germany before he battles for a first-team spot at Anfield. "I feel very comfortable in Berlin. Hertha gave me a great opportunity to play in the Bundesliga," Grujic told Bild. "I'm still pretty young, for me this time at Hertha - with the exception of injuries - has been brilliant so far to show my qualities. "But, ultimately, I cannot decide. But, if I could choose myself, I would stay with Hertha for another year, or maybe even two years, to make a very good name for myself by improving all my qualities. And that's only possible if you play every game." Grujic was described by Hertha's head coach Pal Dardai as "by far the best midfielder at Hertha Berlin in 20 years" last year. The 22-year-old has been enjoying his football at the Olympiastadion and has reiterated the fact that he hopes to remain at the club after his initial loan spell. He added: "Hertha is my favourite. I would love to stay here longer. And if Liverpool ever wanted to sell me and I could decide, it would be great if Hertha made an offer. "Most of all my self-confidence has increased due to the match practice. My defensive behaviour has also improved a lot because of the games." With Liverpool challenging for the Premier League title, Grujic reaffirmed that personal development is the most important thing at this point in his career rather than picking up a winners’ medal whilst not playing many games. He said: "Of course it would be great to be there. But for the development of my career at this time it is much more important to always be in the starting XI than to be mentioned by name." 

  • Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klei...

    While foreign ownership has become a common occurrence in many of Europe’s top leagues including the Premier League and Ligue 1, the Bundesliga remains immune to it with its 50+1 rule. In short, the rule states that the clubs – and by extension, the fans – hold the majority of t...

    Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein hails Germany's club ownership model

    While foreign ownership has become a common occurrence in many of Europe’s top leagues including the Premier League and Ligue 1, the Bundesliga remains immune to it with its 50+1 rule. In short, the rule states that the clubs – and by extension, the fans – hold the majority of their own voting rights. Foreign ownership has seen the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain shake up the European footballing landscape in the past few years but Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein isn’t complaining. Speaking to Goal exclusively on the sidelines of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry's (FICCI) convention on the business of football in India – GOAL 2019, Klein insisted that the Bundesliga model remains the sustainable one. “I do not think Germany is losing out (on foreign ownership). First thing, you cannot buy success. If that was the case then PSG would not have dropped out in the round of 16 for three years in a row I think. And Manchester City would have won the Champions League four or five years ago but they haven’t done that yet,” the Bundesliga International CEO stated. “Certainly, money helps. The structure we have now has served us well since we have clubs who are absolutely financially sustainable. They have good budgets and the focus is more on how they use that to be more efficient in both the Bundesliga and in Europe. “There are discussions as to where the league is going to go. It is more about the clubs finding the way with the budget they have.” Bundesliga has quickly become the breeding ground for England’s young talent Jadon Sancho who is turning heads with his debut season at Borussia Dortmund after making the move from Manchester City. The next in line to do so could be Chelsea youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi who is being coveted strongly by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. Explaining why the Bundesliga is the place to be for Europe’s youngest football stars, Klein said, “It tells that the Bundesliga is a league which encourages youth.” “We have a strong youth development history with German players and now more and more with international players. They know that they will get game time and the chance to develop and star in the Bundesliga. “I think it is very exciting and the mix that we have with youth stars and international superstars allows for great football to watch week in and week out. We now need to do a better job to bring this football to our fans in India.” The Bundesliga was threatening to become a one-horse race when Bayern Munich were racking up six titles on the trot but the ongoing season has seen the German giants being given a serious run for their money by Borussia Dortmund. The two sides are now tied at 60 points apiece after 26 rounds with Bayern ahead on the basis of their superior goal-difference. Bayern have been the traditional powerhouse of the Bundesliga and their dominance over their rivals has only gotten stronger in the past decade. With ‘Der Klaasiker ’ between Bayern and Dortmund coming up in less than two weeks, Klein is confident that the nail-biting title race will give a big boost to the Bundesliga’s popularity. “Bayern is a great club and ambassador for us. They do a great job in the Bundesliga and internationally and the other clubs have their work cut out. They must catch up,” he said. “This year we are very happy because we have an exciting title race with Bayern and Dortmund separated just by goal difference heading into Der Klassiker. I think this will pull the whole league upwards.”

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