BundesLiga:
Stuttgart sign young midfielder
German side VfB Stuttgart have secured the services of Under-19 international Timo Gebhart from TSV 1860 Munich.
The 19-year-old midfielder has been playing for TSV since 2004 and broke through to the first team last season. With 37 appearances and five goals, he attracted the interest of several Bundesliga sides.
“Timo has several offers from rival sides, but we are delighted he chose us,” said Stuttgart’s sporting director Horst Heldt.
Gebhart himself praised Stuttgart’s habit of giving young players a chance: “They have always trusted in young players, and I want to improve and be part of their first team.”
Stuttgart haven’t been able to convince this season and currently occupy tenth place in the Bundesliga. They did manage to reach the UEFA Cup round of 32, in which they are to face Zenit St Petersburg.
Zambrano wants to leave Schalke
Peruvian Carlos Zambrano no longer wants to stay at Bundesliga side Schalke 04. The defender revealed this in an interview with German newspaper Bild.
The talented 19-year-old came to Europe to join Schalke 04’s youth team from Academica Deportivo Cantalao in 2006 and conquered a spot in the first team two years later. Uptil now though, he hasn’t been given a chance to show his skills.
“I don’t feel good at Schalke. The trainer should know why I don’t play,” the Peruvian said, referring to manager Fred Rutten. “I lost desire in the last few months.”
Bild goes on to report that a large amount of clubs may be interested in signing the player, including Borussia Dortmund, River Plate and Alianza Lima.
Hoffenheim aim to get active on transfer market
German Bundesliga leaders TSG Hoffenheim aim to strengthen their squad during the January transfer window, according to club owner and billionaire Dietmar Hopp.
In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Hopp revealed that Hoffenheim might well sign one or more players this winter, on top of the recent acquisition of Valencia goalkeeper Timo Hildebrandt.
“Trainer Ralf Rangnick has already talked with a few players that we are thinking about,” said Hopp. “It would be great if they arrived this winter.”
Moreover, the owner stressed the importance of keeping key players at the club for next season: “We don’t have the illusion that this team will be together forever, but we do intend to keep it together for next year. We don’t want to let anybody go.”
Hoffenheim earned promotion to the Bundesliga last summer and currently lead Germany’s top flight ahead of Bayern Munich.
Atouba to quit Hamburg at season´s end
Cameroon international Thimotee Atouba is to quit Hamburg at the end of the season, according to the German club.
Atouba, currently recuperating from a ruptured Achilles tendon, turned down an extension to his contract which expires at the end of this season.
“He has not accepted our offer,” Hamburg general manager Dietmar Beiersdorfer told Bild newspaper. “We cannot do anything againsat that and our offer is now no longer standing.”
Atouba, 26, arrived in Hamburg from English Premiership club Tottenham and has played 81 Bundasliga matches.
Bayern must not take Lisbon lightly, insists Rummenigge
Bayern Munich avoided a European heavyweight in Friday's draw for the last 16 of the Champions League, but chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge warned against taking Sporting Lisbon lightly.
While the Bundesliga champions avoided the likes of current Champions League holders Manchester United, English giants Chelsea or Spain's Real Madrid, Rummenigge says they must make a good start in Portugal.
The first leg will be played at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon on 25 February next year with the return at Munich's Allianz Arena on 10 March 2009.
“I think it's a good draw for us, but I want to caution against underestimating this team,” Rummenigge warned.
“I'd like us to lay the groundwork for success in Lisbon.”
Although the Portuguese runners-up and domestic Cup winners represent a significant hurdle for Bayern, the men from Munich were spared a daunting tie against the likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea or Real.
“It could have been a lot harder for us,” Rummenigge acknowledged.
The last sixteen draw has thrown up no fewer than three England v Italy clashes, including the meeting between holders United and ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho's Inter.
“We'll take each round as it comes, but we're aiming to make the quarter-finals at the very least,” Rummenigge said.
But Rummenigge is refusing to dream about the German giants reaching the final at Rome's Olympic Stadium on May 27.
“It would be fantastic if we could make it to the semi-finals again, but I'm not even dreaming of the final just yet,” added Rummenigge.
The last team Bayern and Lisbon met in Europe's elite club competition was in the group phase two years ago.
Bayern won 1-0 in the Portuguese capital, with a goalless draw at the Allianz Arena.
Sporting currently lie fourth in their domestic league while Munich are second in the German table.
Bayern´s Oddo hit with three-match ban
Italian World Cup winner Massimo Oddo was handed a three-match ban on Wednesday by the German Football Federation (DFB) after the Bayern Munich defender was sent off against Stuttgart last weekend.
The 32-year-old was shown a straight red card for kicking Stuttgart midfielder Christian Traesch in the head in the 85th minute of Bayern's 2-2 draw with Stuttgart last weekend.
“The club and the player accepted the sanction,” said a DFB press release.
The Italian will now miss Bayern's Bundesliga games against Hamburg, Dortmund and Berlin, but will be able to contest the German Cup quarter-final against Stuttgart on January 27.