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Home , Arturo Vidal, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Bernd Leno, Christoph Kramer, Claudio Pizarro, David Alaba

SoccerNews Issue # 1, 3rd June 2016

Continental/Division Tires Buettnerstraße 25 | 30165 Hannover Alexander Bahlmann Phone: +49 511 938 2615 Head of Communications & E-Mail: [email protected] Public Relations PLT www.contisoccerworld.de Soccer News # 1/2016 2

News mels in the dressing rooms of the time-hon- oured Olympic Stadium, while party noises could be heard in the background from the Bayern rooms. Hummels’s last shift for The Winners black-yellow ended early in the 78th minute, with the groggy 27-year-old sitting on the Wept for Joy bench for a further 60 minutes wearing a sad expression. “I had cramps on and off again. You then can’t play on that level”, said the The match won’t go down in defender, who had announced his move to Bayern on May 10. His conclusion of history as a classic, but the the unsuccessful day: “Shit!“ emotional output following the It was even more emotional in the Munich Cup final made the encounter dressing room. After his last match with Bay- between FC Bayern Munich and ern, cried incessantly, much to the amazement of his team. “Previously Borussia ultimately he had to execute his job, now he can be hu- something very special. It was man”, Thomas Mueller said. The coach, who previously didn’t like to be celebrated, ran world champion Mats Hum- to the fan corner together with the players mels’s last match for the BVB, and celebrated with the supporters. Pep flew upwards as the players tossed the Spaniard and Bayern’s farewell to coach in the air several times. The coach was as Pep Guardiola. But much more happy as a child, dancing, singing and crying. Captain spontaneously added a happened in . nice touch during the Cup award ceremony. He called up the coach, and the team cheered Guardiola on as he finally agreed to hold the The atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium “Pott” with Lahm. But then Lahm backed off, was once again fantastic, with the German Pep Guardiola stood alone at the forefront on Tackling Thomas Mueller pushed over the edge. Shortly afterwards the Dortmund captain Wembley shaking. However, breathtaking the podium and kissed the golden Cup in a had to be substituted. Photo: Imago scenes and brilliant play remained a rarity dur- shower of confetti, cheered on by the team. ing the 120 goalless, but passionate minutes. The penalty shoot-out proved the highlight When Brazilian netted the three years and seven titles to join Manches- Guardiola: “Many thanks Germany!” of this still exciting fourth final encounter be- decisive shot, Munich’s rejoicing was limitless, ter City, cried without restraint. tween the best two German teams. With a 4-3 while in Dortmund’s group Hummels and The Catalan achieved seven titles with the success Bayern won the DFB Cup for the 18th Tuchel particularly struggled to accept defeat. Naked emotions: sad Hummels, sobbing Bavarians: three national championships, two time, and thus the double after achieving the Tears were also flowing with the winning side. Guardiola DFB Cup titles, the World Club Champion- 2016 championship title. Guardiola, who has left the Bavarians after “I am unbelievably sad today”, said Mats Hum- ship and the UEFA Super Cup. The dream of Soccer News # 1/2016 3

winning the Champions League did not quite had a go at the leaving captain. Asked about come true; under his direction the Bavarians Hummels’ performance in the final, Tuchel were eliminated by Spanish teams in the said shortly: “He can play better”. Tuchel gave semi-final on three occasions. Guardiola re- the impression he didn’t approve of the de- ceived a worthy farewell on the big occasion fender’s substitution. Hummels wanted to be of the DFB Cup final, something not neces- replaced “because he was exhausted”. The sarily expected after his decision to leave the BVB coach roasted his key players as well as club. “I shall miss my players”, he disclosed, himself. deeply moved. The following day the 45-year- old even made a speech in front of thousands The second and third takers, and of fans in Munich’s Marien Square: “It was an Sokratis, missed for Dortmund in the penalty unbelievably good time. On behalf of my fam- shoot-out, prompting an early indication of ily I say many thanks Germany! Particularly to the final result. Tuchel regretted their nomina- Munich and its people“. tion after the match. He queried that the key players had not volunteered during his search No wonder Dortmund’s mood was less jubi- for takers. Only with the second whistle of referee lant. But in Berlin the losers always celebrate, Marco Fritz, pushing for the start of the shoot- with the previously organised winning party out, had it been possible to persuade Sokratis turned into a seasonal conclusion party. The and Bender. It then became his mistake to put Pep Guardiola, who said farewell after three years with Bayern, cries deeply moved after the Cup triumph. 2015-16 certainly wasn’t a disappoint- them second and third. The coach is leaning against Jerome Boateng. Photo: Imago ing one for the Westphalians, but ended frus- tratingly on a national level. After losing 4-3 to On the night the Bavarians also achieved Liverpool in the Europa League, Dortmund the “triple“, by winning the party title. It was a became the best runners-up in the long Bun- stormy affair at the club restaurant The Grand; desliga history – behind Bayern. Dortmund fin- celebrations were wild and rompish, marking ished second in the DFB Cup – behind Bayern. Championship, Cup and ’s birth- And Dortmund lose their captain Hummels – to day. A highlight came with Thomas Mueller Bayern. “It was an incredibly good time”, said and belting out the suitable song a deeply moved Hummels in a speech during for the occasion together with the Austrian the party at Kreuzberg. “I shall miss all the band Seiler & Speer – “Last night was a heavy guys very much. Definitely”. He will earn the one for me.” A drying out period was neces- club a transfer sum of 35 million Euros. sary after the heavy weekend as many of the players had to join their national teams. Tuchel criticised key players because they didn’t want to take penalties

That didn’t interest coach much on this for him also a bitter evening. He failed to win his first title as a professional coach, reacted contritely and bad-temperedly Mats Hummels, honoured as a loser at the Berlin final, leaves the podium sadly. After eight and a half years with Dortmund he moves to FC Bayern. Photo: Imago Soccer News # 1/2016 4

on Sunday (May 29, 17.45hrs) will be fiercely follow the recommendations of naming a few competitive. For on May 31, Loew must cut his players who attracted particular attention by number to 23 players for participation at the their strong performances in the final phase of European Championship and hand the list to the season, such as Moenchengladbach’s Andre the European Football Association (UEFA). Con- Hahn. Besides Schweinsteiger, sequently Loew must decide on the four field is another deserving veteran in the squad. It will players who will be discarded. The last test for be the fourth European Championship partici- the final European Championship squad against pation for both the former Munich and Hungary will take place at at players. 18.00hrs on June 4. Loew dismissed critics who nagged that “Poldi” “We are strong but not invincible” was no longer good enough for the national The hotel Giardino at Ascona. Foto: Getty Images (left) and Lukas Podolski team. The national coach stressed that the Photo: Getty Images “A joint start of the preparations for a tourna- offensive player enjoyed a good season in Istan- News ment has always been our ideal vision”, Loew bul and points out that Podolski plays an impor- pions Andre Schuerrle and . But explained. “But this situation only came about tant role in the team’s social structure. Loew also , the high flyer of two years Countdown to the European through Bayern’s regrettable elimination in the remained faithful to the flagging world cham- ago who showed only average performances Champions League semi-finals”. Only Lukas with , fell by the wayside. Compared Championships for the World Cup Podolski, who still has to play the to the 2014 World Cup, Loew executed an alter- champions final with Galatasaray , and , nate generation among the goalkeepers. Manuel Champions League finalist with Real Madrid, Neuer remains the number one, of course, but need to join the team later. Mario Goetze suf- behind him replaces Ron-Robert The top hotel on Lago Maggiore, located in the fered a broken rib the day before the Cup final Zieler and Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen southern-most part of Switzerland and the Ital- between FC Bayern and . supersedes . ian-speaking zone covering the entire canton of But Loew is quite confident that the scorer of Ticino, will be reached by a 40 km bus journey. the winning goal in the World Cup final will be Loew and his assistant Thomas Schneider have Some of the older German internationals and quickly fit again – thanks mainly to the excellent contrived the training schedules meticulously; many staff of the German Football Association treatment by the DFB’s medical department. the organisation under the direction of team (DFB) know the location very well. For the “Gi- The physicians and physiotherapists will also manager and Georg Behlau will ardino” was the base for the DFB team at the have to take intensive care of captain Bastian hopefully run as perfectly as most recently at 2008 European Championship and the starting Schweinsteiger, as Manchester United’s mid- the World Cup. Top rank preparation of the play- point for the participation in the final in . fielder was recently forced to break for several ers for the major tournaments after a hard and The practice pitch is new, however, now nearer weeks due to injury. long season is a specialty of the DFB. “We know to the team hotel thus avoiding driving through that there is still some work to do in order to an 8 km tunnel to Tenero. After arrival, practice “We are strong but not invincible”, said Loew play at a top level in France”, Loew said after the has been scheduled at Stadio Comunale, the when he presented his tentative squad at the tests against England (2-3) and Italy (4-1) at East- small site of FC Ascona, in the evening. French Embassy in Berlin. The national coach er. The German U20 juniors will be the sparring surprised by nominating three young debu- partners for the A team in Ascona for several National coach Joachim Loew has nominated tants. But calling up (Leverkusen), New faces in the German national team: goalkeeper days. The squad will leave the Giardino on June 27 players, among them 14 of the World Cup (Dortmund) and Bernd Leno (above right), Julian Brandt (above left), 3, will take two days off after the international squad who won Germany’s fourth World title (Bayern Munich) goes with his philosophy of Joshua Kimmich (below right) and Julian Weigl. friendly against Hungary at Gelsenkirchen, be- two years ago. The training sessions and the specific support for young talents. He did not Photo: Getty Images fore moving into the European Championship international test against Slovakia in Augsburg base camp at Evian on Lake Geneva. Soccer News # 1/2016 5

ALLEZ BOOM!

Yawn, Sigh, Grumble…

What have cup-winners Bayern Munich got to do with the Duckburg Dynamos? Why do the champions ride to the title on broomsticks? Our author knows the answers.

By Freddy Boom

Boy, oh boy, am I shattered. Completely shattered. A Cup Final that went on all night, at the end of a seemingly never-ending season … head drooping, eyelids propped open with match- sticks, tired digits tapping out tiresome digits. As you can see, fellow Knights of the Round Ball Game, I’m running out of steam and I have to resort to wistful word-play involving digits. Dig it? What I really need..is...is...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...... Intermission. Do not adjust your set. Normal service will be resumed as soon The champions of Germany wear blue – or at least the Quidditch players do. Rheinos Bonn in action on their broomsticks. Photo: Volker Lannert as possible. …………...... Dum-dee-dum, cue Mozart’s 40th on a xylophone, irritating elevator music…………...... gone-and-thankfully-forgotten Canadian hard rock band Harem esque ground provided the backdrop for the match against the Scarem who, again, should not be confused with the epony- mighty . Despite a raucous 90-minute ren- 30 minutes later mous Scottish folk combo whose work included such gems as dition of the club’s battle-cry “Volle Lotte!” (“hit the gas!”) from “Let Them Eat Fishcake” … But I digress. Anyway, here it is, in the more than 7,000 throats, Lotte lost 3:0. If you’re wondering why By Jove, readers, I needed that. A quick forty winks – or power- right order this time: I’m mentioning this, it’s because, to my mind, FC Bayern Munich nap, as it’s known internationally by men (and women) of the winning the DFB Cup is about as relevant as Scrooge McDuck’s world. The European Championship is looming, you’ll need all 1.) Cup: Since the media, who always seem to be as late as a Duckburg Dynamos beating Goosetown United. Yawn, sigh, the stamina you can get. You don’t want to be cracking open Nobby Stiles tackle when it comes to keeping up with events, grumble … And because the amateur teams in the competition that magnum bottle of energy drink just to get through the have spent every minute since the weekend claiming that FC usually return to blissful provincial obscurity after the first or, if opening game. Anyway, now the little grey cells have been Bayern Munich was the most important team in this season’s they’re really lucky, the second round, at the latest. Which is a reset, the cranial cavity’s contents carefully washed, waxed DFB Cup competition, I feel duty bound to interrupt with a cry pity, because Lotte in Westphalia is well worth a second look. and polished to perfection, it’s time for you fans of the PDF of “Non, mesdames et messieurs!” and rally to the cause of a Or did you know that the sporting minnows from Lotte are to download to prick up your ears. Because here comes a quick little club called Verein für Laufspiele Sportfreunde Lotte e.V. be thanked – or blamed, depending on how you look at it – for run-down of the entire 2015-16 Bundesliga season and DFB founded in 1929 in the fair town of Lotte (rhymes more or less Afri-Cola winning promotion to the Bundesliga? Yessiree, Cup action. In the trade, this is known as Karma Cleansing – not with “otter” as pronounced in Britain, with a virtually silent “r”) in welcome to Freddy Boom’s fabulous free research workshop! to be confused with the 1997 album of the same name by the Westphalia. In the first round of the DFB Cup, VfL Lotte’s pictur- For you, the honorable members of SoccerNews reading circle, Soccer News # 1/2016 6

Quotes of the season: Easy: Phew! crash, bang, wallop.

Bremen’s hat-trick hero Claudio Pizarro after his club’s 4:1 away win over Bayer Leverkusen, in answer to Headline on Spiegel Online following Werder Bremen’s nail-biting 1:0 victory over Eintracht on the question of how he had done it. the last day of the season. The winning goal, which secured Werder’s Bundesliga survival and consigned Frankfurt to the relegation play-offs, came just two minutes before the end of the season.

I have, with my unerring telepathic trawling google it yourself, I’ve still gotta Lotte tell you. about the 2016 World Cup! As an international the Foxes winning the title at odds of 5,000 talent, dragged up from the internet equivalent pursuit, Quidditch is the craft beer of trend to 1, which eventually left him 112,500 pounds of the Mariana Trench (look it up), the following: 2.) Bundesliga: Right then, friends of the hal- sports; around the globe, young people on better off. Just to put those odds in context ‘Twas in the early summer of 2013 that Lotte, lowed turf, the season’s over and I’d like to broomsticks are running (they only fly at Hog- for you: British bookmakers considered that the newly-crowned champions of the Regional- congratulate this year’s German champions: warts) in pursuit of the elusive Golden Snitch Leicester City winning the title was less likely liga West (the fourth tier of Germany’s football Rheinos Bonn. Although they were only found- which, due to the limitations of Muggle tech- than the Pope turning out to play for the tradi- pyramid) were pitted against Regionalliga ed in summer 2015, the young team managed nology, can’t fly either. Instead it wings its way tional (Protestant) Scottish club Glasgow Rang- North-West champions Leipzig in the promo- to beat rivals such as the Three River Dragons around the pitch concealed in a sock attached ers (4,000 to 1), Elvis still being alive (2,000 to 1) tion play-off for a place in League 3. Lotte lost from Passau to win the German Quidditch to the waistband of a neutral but nippy Snitch and Barack Obama confirming that, in fact, the the away leg 2:0, but were leading 2:0 at home Championship. For me, that’s so much more Runner. Apollo moon landings had never taken place in the second leg after 90 minutes and only remarkable than the 26th Bundesliga title – (500 to 1). lost after Leipzig scored twice in extra time. which was a foregone conclusion after their But, dear readers, what review of the season The rest, as they say, is recent RB-Leipzig Bun- 5:0 thrashing of on the opening day could be complete without a last, lingering look I just love giant-killing stories about rank out- desliga promotion history. But let me conclude of the season – of the Munich Monsters under at England’s madcap season, siders who win through against the odds – and by drawing your attention to the VfL Lotte web- Supreme Mugwump Pep Guardiola. Not least or rather at Gary Lineker’s underpants. At the in case you’re wondering, I’m about to prove site: www.sf-lotte.de. We city-dwelling sophisti- because Quidditch is played with a confusing start of the season, in his dual function as foot- that my little excursion into the obscure Scot- cates, urban trendsetters, craft beer quaffers, number of balls, as well as with three goals ball guru and presenter of BBC TV’s “Match tish folk rock scene was not (as it no doubt and tattooed Taliban-style-beard-sporting par- at either end and the added handicap of a of the Day”, the former England international seemed) the product of a tired mind. No, be- ents in SUVs on the school run, would be well broomstick between your legs. If this sounds promised he would present the first show of cause now, on behalf of all Leicester City fans, advised to look to the provinces for a change. familiar to you, it’s because Quidditch is played the new season in his underpants if his old Sportfreunde Lotte lovers and others on the In Lotte, for example, they don’t just play a not only by Harry Potter and his pals at Hog- club Leicester City won the Premiership. A footballing fringe, I have a message for the mean game of football, they also go in for such warts, but all over the world. There’s even an different footballing prophet, who shall remain members of the mainstream establishment, pastimes as creative dance for kids, a tradition- International Quidditch Association. Don’t be- nameless, was more pragmatic: this visionary and it’s: Let Them Eat Fishcake! al parkrun event and Wavesy. Wossat? Please lieve me? Try http://iqaquidditch.org and read fan from Guildford in Surrey bet 75 pounds on Soccer News # 1/2016 7

Did you know … er the score was 2:1 – for Bayer 05 Uerdingen! The form book … that the cup went was turned on its head, Bay- ern struggled in the heat, and missing after the after 90 minutes, Uerdingen 1985 DFB Cup Final were, sensationally, DFB Cup winners. It was a historic vic- in Berlin? tory for the small club from North Rhine-Westphalia – with post-match celebrations May 26, 1985 was hot, a real that went down in history, scorcher. The temperature too. The team travelled down was 36°C in the shade at the the famous Kurfürstendamm Olympic Stadium, the sort of in an open-topped bus to weather in which most peo- show the trophy to the ad- ple would prefer to be at the miring crowds. But soon beach. But professional foot- after, disaster struck: the 5.7 ballers – and fans – are made kilogram cup, 52 centimeters of stronger stuff. It was only a high, made of sterling silver, bit of sunshine, after all. And decorated with 250 grams of this was DFB Cup Final day. gold plate and worth around Played in Berlin for the first 100,000 euros, went missing. time. Well … not really! Actual- Uerdingen’s players, coaching ly, six cup finals had already staff and officials were at their been held at the Olympic wits’ end. But the feverish Stadium, but 1985 was the search eventually bore fruit: year that the “German Wem- The cup was discovered in bley“ became the permanent Wolfgang Schäfer’s bed, next Cup Final venue. Until then, to the obliviously snoring the venue had always been scorer of the winning goal. It fixed at short notice once the The traditional chant since 1985: “Berlin, Berlin, we’re going to Berlin” – to the Olympic Stadium to be precise. Photo: JoJan was a match made in heaven, finalists were known. But then even if it was only short-lived, Germany applied to stage the because the cup was never 1988 European Champion- to win the votes of Eastern race chant, which translates occasion were Bundesliga a flying start, taking the lead intended to be a long-term, ship. This was a bit tricky, be- European members of UEFA. as “Berlin, Berlin, we’re going champions FC Bayern Munich after less than eight minutes. live-in companion. And the cause European opinion was In return, Berlin was chosen to Berlin”, has become the and Bayer 05 Uerdingen, However, Uerdingen hit back cup-kidnapper’s excuse, after divided on whether or not as the permanent venue for triumphal marching song who had finished in 11th place. immediately, equalizing only a being caught in flagrante de- West Berlin was part of the the DFB Cup Final. And so it for winning semi-finalists’ The result appeared to be a minute later. The second half licto, as it were? “I was totally Federal Republic of Germany. was that May 26, 1985 was fans – the German equivalent foregone conclusion, even began with more drama: a legless, but can you blame In the end, the decision was the day of the first real “Berlin, of England’s “We’re on our in these Saharan conditions, Bayern player was shown the me?” taken not to stage any Euro Berlin, wir fahren nach Berlin” way to Wembley.” The teams and the match started as red card with 47 minutes on 1988 games in Berlin in order final. This now-traditional ter- facing each other on this expected: Munich got off to the clock, and ten minutes lat-