Berlin: France winger Franck Ribery Monday said he is eager to extend his Bayern Munich contract past 2015 having already spent nearly six years at the Champions League finalists. The 30-year-old joined Bayern in July 2007 from Marseille and has scored 51 goals with 74 assists in his 154 league games for the Bavarians to become a fan favourite at the Allianz Arena and was a key factor in Bayern...
05:57 PM, May 06, 2013
Madrid: UEFA president Michel Platini refused to jump on the German soccer bandwagon on Friday, saying it was too soon to draw conclusions from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund reaching the Champions League final. Looking for explanations after Bayern and Borussia knocked out Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, pundits have heaped praise on the German clubs for their efforts in developing home-grown talent. "Conclusions are made every year...
10:16 PM, May 03, 2013
Madrid: The failure of Barcelona and Real Madrid to reach the Champions League final on May 25 has allowed La Liga to rearrange the penultimate round of matches, the Spanish league (LFP) said on Thursday. Leaders Barcelona were hammered 7-0 on aggregate by Bayern Munich in their semi-final while second-placed Real went down 4-3 against Borussia Dortmund. "In line with a prevision made in the calendar... that if no Spanish...
10:54 PM, May 02, 2013
Munich: Borussia Dortmund boss Hans-Joachim Watzke and his colleagues will not have lunch with their Bayern Munich counterparts before Saturday's Bundesliga match, saying relations between the Champions League finalists had gone cold. Watzke admitted he had been irritated by the recent behaviour of Germany's biggest club who last week signed Dortmund's Mario Goetze. "I have always spoken about Bayern with great respect and admiration. But I must say now that...
10:47 PM, May 02, 2013
Barca suffered their worst ever European defeat over two legs in the last-four clash against Bayern Munich in Champions League semi-finals. ...
09:00 PM, May 02, 2013
Madrid: The manner of the Champions League semi-final exits of Barcelona and Real Madrid have set in motion likely overhauls at both clubs, and is forcing La Liga to re-evaluate itself in the face of a resurgent German Bundesliga. Barcelona were humbled 7-0 on aggregate by German champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday, the day after Real almost overturned their shock 4-1 first leg defeat away to outsiders Borussia Dortmund, to...
03:39 PM, May 02, 2013
Barcelona: Barcelona's Champions League humbling by Bayern Munich on Wednesday will not prompt wholesale changes to the squad and the 7-0 aggregate reverse would have been avoided had the team not been decimated by injury, coach Tito Vilanova said. Barca suffered their worst ever European defeat over two legs in the last-four clash against the German champions, but were missing their Argentine World Player of the Year Lionel Messi for...
08:54 AM, May 02, 2013
Barcelona: Bayern Munich began to lay the foundations for this season's impressive run to the Champions League final immediately after their defeat to Chelsea in last year's showpiece, coach Jupp Heynckes said on Wednesday. After Bayern inflicted the biggest aggregate defeat on Barcelona in European competition, a jubilant Heynckes said the painful reverse on penalties to Chelsea at their own Allianz Arena in Munich had given him the motivation to...
08:41 AM, May 02, 2013
Barcelona: Bayern Munich's stunning 7-0 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League will count for nothing if they do not go on to win the competition at Wembley later this month, Arjen Robben said on Wednesday. "We said immediately after the game 'now we need to win it'," Robben, who curled home Bayern's first in the 3-0 win at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, said in...
08:30 AM, May 02, 2013
Barcelona: Bayern Munich advanced to the Champions League final for the third time in four years, routing Barcelona on 7-0 aggregate and setting up the first all-German final against Borussia Dortmund. Coasting from a 4-0 win in the first leg at home last week, Bayern beat Barcelona 3-0 Wednesday night in the second leg on goals by Arjen Robben in the 49th minute and Thomas Mueller in the 76th around...
02:03 AM, May 02, 2013
London: Closing in on the Europa League final, Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata seems ill at ease in the continent's second-tier knockout competition. Chelsea dropped out of the Champions League when their title defense ended in the group stage, and is yet to be assured of a place among Europe's elite next season by finishing in the Premier League's top four. "Chelsea are a club which deserves to be in the...
12:49 AM, May 02, 2013
CNN-IBN's football expert Novy Kapadia reviews the Champions League semi-final second leg between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night. ...
08:43 PM, May 01, 2013
Madrid: Jose Mourinho's possible departure from Real Madrid at the end of the season would leave club president Florentino Perez in a tricky position as he seeks an adequate replacement for the man he has constantly lauded as "the best coach in the world". Obsessed with winning the 10th continental crown that has eluded Real since 2002, construction magnate Perez hired the controversial Portuguese at great expense in 2010 after...
03:54 PM, May 01, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho dropped another hint he was considering his future by saying he might not be with the Spanish giants next season after they lost in the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday. Following Real's 4-3 aggregate defeat by Borussia Dortmund, the former Chelsea manager was asked if he would remain in Madrid next term and said: "Maybe not. I don't know but I want to be...
09:16 AM, May 01, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho lashed out at English referee Howard Webb after they were denied a place in the Champions League final on Tuesday and dropped another hint he was considering his future at the club. Real came within a whisker of pulling off a remarkable comeback after losing their semi-final first leg 4-1 away to Borussia Dortmund last week, but came up just short with a 2-0...
09:02 AM, May 01, 2013
Madrid: Borussia Dortmund relish their status as underdogs for the Champions League final and are determined to prove they belong among Europe's elite, coach Jurgen Klopp said after they knocked out Real Madrid on Tuesday. The Germans successfully protected their 4-1 first leg lead until the 83rd minute on Tuesday, after which Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos scored in a frantic finale to get Real within a goal of reaching...
08:50 AM, May 01, 2013
Madrid: Borussia Dortmund survived a stirring Real Madrid fightback to book their place in the Champions League final on Tuesday when they conceded two late goals to lose 2-0 at the Bernabeu but went through 4-3 on aggregate. Real looked down and out before substitute Karim Benzema scored from close range in the 83rd minute and Sergio Ramos struck five minutes later but with the home fans going wild in...
02:11 AM, May 01, 2013
Barcelona: Barcelona were dealt a blow as they prepare for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg at home to Bayern Munich when midfielder Sergio Busquets and defender Eric Abidal were ruled out through injury. "Sergio Busquets and Eric Abidal will not feature in tomorrow's match," Barca said in a statement on their website on Tuesday. "The midfielder has not recovered from the (groin) injury that kept him from playing ......
12:24 AM, May 01, 2013
Barcelona: Last week's thumping Champions League wins for German teams at home to Spanish opponents prompted talk of a power shift in the European game but Bayern Munich midfielder Thomas Mueller believes it is too early to draw such a conclusion. Mueller struck twice in Bayern's 4-0 victory against Barcelona last Tuesday, a day before Robert Lewandowski netted all four of Borussia Dortmund's goals in their 4-1 humbling of Real...
11:37 PM, Apr 30, 2013
