Germans fret over boring Bundesliga

When Borussia Dortmund became the fifth different team to win the Bundesliga in eight seasons back in 2011, the league was widely proclaimed as the most open and competitive in Europe.

Three years on, many German fans are stifling the yawns as Bayern Munich run away with the title for the second year in a row with the other 17 teams floundering in their wake.

Last year, the Bavarians clinched the championship with a record six games to spare as part of an unprecedented treble that also included the German Cup and Champions League.

This time, they are threatening to improve on even that performance. Bayern have dropped only four points all season, have won their last 14 league games and have a 19-point lead.

Even more worryingly for the other teams, Bayern are set to get stronger at the expense of bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund.

In less than a year, Bayern have lured Dortmund’s prize assets Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski, with the Poland striker joining from next season, to Munich, leaving their rivals demoralized and disorientated.

“They want to destroy us,” Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said in January.

Everything has been achieved without the help of tax breaks from a friendly government or huge cash injections from an ambitious owner.

Over the years, Bayern have been a model of good management and UEFA’s financial fair play policy, which is being introduced to force clubs to live within their means, looks set to make them stronger rather than weaker.

“The current situation does not do the Bundesliga any good,” Watzke told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung this week.

“In Germany, no club has managed to build a similar platform to Bayern Munich in the last 30 or 40 years,” he said

“What Bayern have done is definitely not reprehensible,” he added. “It’s just what every business in Germany tries to do to their rivals.

“We can all see in the Bundesliga that the gap between them and the rest of us is extreme.”

Watzke, however, is a rare voice of dissent. The general view is that Bayern’s dominance will not last forever and that such cycles are part of the game.

“There is no reason for envy, we can just congratulate them. As long as we play against Bayern twice a year, the world is in order for us,” Freiburg chairman Fritz Keller told Kicker magazine.

“Naturally, their domination this season is extreme, but I don’t see any danger that it will stay like this,” added Klaus Allofs, sporting director of VfL Wolfsburg.

“The Bundesliga is still exciting, and Bayern have always been among the teams that everyone else are chasing.”

It is certainly not the first time the Bundesliga has become predictable. Between 1969 and 1977, only Borussia Moenchengladbach (five times) and Bayern (four) won the title.

The second half of the 1980s saw Bayern crowned champions five times in six seasons, while the Munich side and Borussia Dortmund shared the title spoils between 1994 and 2003, apart from Kaiserslautern’s surprise triumph in 1998.

The period between 2004 and 2011 was something of an exception as Werder Bremen, Bayern, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg and Dortmund all won the title.

But, as German football league chief executive Christian Seifert pointed out, that period also coincided with a barren run in the Champions League with no German triumphs between Bayern’s titles in 2001 and 2013.

“In the Bundesliga, any team can beat any other team, it’s only for the time being can nobody beat Bayern,” he said on Sky. “We should not underestimate the supporters. The Bundesliga lives off lots of sporting decisions, ranging from surprising defeats to surprising wins, each with its own story.

“It’s not just about who will win the championship. I don’t think any Moenchengladbach fans have torn up their season tickets or canceled their Sky subscriptions this season.

“At the moment, Bayern are running away. Sometimes it happens, but it will not carry on like this in the coming years.”

“For my first eight years in this role, I was asked why German teams didn’t win the Champions League,” he said. “Now we’ve won it, and some people are still not happy.”

*http://ift.tt/1jGYHiJ

Read more ...

Rafinha named best player of La Liga in February

Read more ...

English Premier League failures in Uefa Champions League not a reflection of …

In other circumstances, Chelsea’s 1-1 draw away to Galatasasary in the Uefa Champions League on Wednesday might have been greeted with more circumspection.

Why hadn’t they finished off a team who had been there for the taking in the opening half hour?

What went wrong with the marking for the equaliser?

As it was, most in English football were just glad that they had not, like the other three Premier League teams in action, been beaten 2-0.

Chelsea should go through and Manchester United might overcome a 2-0 deficit at home to Olympiacos, but it is hard to see Manchester City coming back against Barcelona or Arsenal doing so against Bayern Munich.

So the likelihood is that the Premier League will have one, maybe two sides in the quarter-finals. Which is an improvement on last season, when no Premier League teams made it through, but nothing like the period from 2007 to 2009 when, three seasons running, three of the four semi-finalists were based in England.

The decline of those years of dominance has prompted much hand-wringing in England and no little glee elsewhere in Europe.

But is the Premier League really in decline? For each club a specific case can be made to explain away disappointing performances.

City, as a relative newcomer to the Champions League, have a low coefficient which means they are seeded lower than their actual ability; that in turn led them to be drawn with Bayern Munich and so they finished second in their group, meaning they faced a group-winner in the last 16. They then got one of the harder draws, meeting Barcelona, who they were matching before the game was turned by an unfortunate bounce, a superb pass from Andres Iniesta and a moment of rash defending that brought a penalty and a red card.

Arsenal made a mess of things late when away to Napoli and Borussia Dortmund scored a last-gasp goal to push Arsene Wenger’s side into second place in the group, after which they drew the reigning European champions, Bayern, who are well on their way to establishing themselves as one of the greatest teams ever seen.

United, meanwhile, have their own problems to do with the succession to Sir Alex Ferguson.

Of course, similar excuses were made last year and the majority of countries could probably make similar arguments about individual moments of ill-fortune or particular reasons why certain clubs have fallen flat.

But here’s the nub: it doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter because, although England might fall from second to third in the coefficient table, that still permits it four teams in the Champions League. The gap to Italy in fourth is so vast that it would take years of English failure and years of Italian achievement to close it.

But most of all it doesn’t matter because the flaws that make the best English sides vulnerable in Europe has created the most fascinating title race in years.

Even now, with 11 games to go, four teams are locked within four points at the top of the table – and one of them, Liverpool, did not qualify for any European competition at all this season.

Compare that to Europe’s other four major leagues: 16 points separate first from fourth in Spain and France, 21 in Germany and Italy. And consider how poorly Germany’s third and fourth sides fared in their last-16 ties, losing by an aggregate 10-1. At home.

That’s just one metric and in itself it means little, but it does highlight a wider issue: which is better, to have one or two super clubs who dominate everything, play to an extremely high standard and have a good chance of winning the Champions League? Or to have a handful of good-but-not-brilliant clubs who make the domestic league title race enthralling but struggle to impose themselves in Europe?

Would you sacrifice a little quality among the very best side for more competitiveness?

There’s no right answer; to a large degree it’s a matter of personal preference. But with that in mind, it is worth considering the other major trend of the last 16 so far, which is the almost complete domination of the sides who topped their groups: six won away, Chelsea drew and only United lost.

The suggestion is that process that has been seen across domestic leagues is beginning to happen in continental competition: the best are moving away from the rest, becoming an unchallengeable elite whose position is reinforced by the economic structures of European football.

The consequences of that can be seen in the fact that five of the eight ties feel over before the second leg.

sports@thenational.ae

Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE

Read more ...

Back to gravel: Kubica takes on Rally Mexico

Robert Kubica will take on his third new rally in succession with the Ford Fiesta RS WRC next week as the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) returns to gravel for the 2014 edition of Rally Mexico.

Despite some exposed gravel at the previous outing in Sweden, next week’s adventure will be a completely new challenge as crews swap sub-zero temperatures for those as high as 30˚C. The blistering heat places huge demands on man and machine alike, as do the high altitudes witnessed nowhere other than the Mexican fixture.

Photo by: M-Sport

Stages climb over 2,500 meters above sea level which make precision driving paramount. With the oxygen-starved air reducing power by as much as 30 per cent, even the smallest of mistakes are hard to rectify and a considered recce coupled with all-out commitment on the stages are a must.

Thankfully, commitment is something Robert and co-driver Maciej Szczepaniak are not lacking. Determined to make the most of another new challenge, the RK M-Sport World Rally Team pairing will be looking to make it through all 22 stages unscathed – taking maximum knowledge and experience from the first long-haul event of the year.

The gravel tracks offer more consistent grip levels than those witnessed in the championship to date and will provide the perfect opportunity for the Formula One race winner to get more accustomed with the Fiesta RS WRC.

The Pole also has form on gravel. In his WRC 2 championship winning year, he claimed dominant victories on the loose-surface stages of Greece and Sardinia – as well as the mixed surface speed tests of Spain – and will be hoping to carry that momentum forward as he embarks on a new campaign across the Atlantic.

Having contested a full day’s testing in the mountains of Northern Spain, Robert and Maciej are well prepared for the task ahead. Simulating the power and performance expected at next week’s event, the Polish pairing are determined to achieve their goals in Mexico.

Robert Kubica said:

“From what I know, the stages of Rally Mexico are contested at very high attitudes. This means that there is a significant reduction in power which also influences the driving.

“This year there will be a lot of long, very demanding stages and I think it will be a challenging rally for a newcomer. It will be my first time on gravel with the [Ford] Fiesta RS WRC and my first time in Mexico so my aim is to finish the event with some good experience – hopefully without mistakes like those in Sweden.

“The approach is exactly the same as always. I will try to gain as much information as I can, but I also need to discover the rally for myself. Hopefully Maciej [Szczepaniak, co-driver] and I can have a smooth recce and enjoy the stages as we look to learn as much as we can.

“From what I can see, some parts of the route are very similar to the stages in Greece. I don’t know how hot it will be inside of Fiesta, as I haven’t yet had the opportunity to drive in such conditions, but last year I did not have any issues on the longer stages.

“Of course they are more demanding then the short stages, but I am used to being in a car for long periods of time and the races in Formula One are much longer then the stages we’ll encounter next week. The approach and the grip levels are different, but from a physical point of view I have no concerns about driving a 50 kilometre stage.

“I’m really looking forward to this new challenge and discovering these unknown stages for the first time. It’s a great opportunity to discover how the Fiesta performs on gravel.”

RK M-Sport World Rally Team

http://ift.tt/OKcNWo

Read more ...

Bayern make no apologies for Bundesliga dominance

“Nobody suggested to the Dutch speed skating team in Sochi, who cleaned up all the medals, that they should race in ski boots to make it more interesting.”

“Bayern Munich will neither make excuses nor apologise for our good work,” Rummenigge said.

“It should be remembered that this is a sporting competition, which is about achieving the best conditions and putting on the best performances and imposing yourself on the opponent, whether it be at the Winter Olympics or the Bundesliga.”

Bayern have won their last 14 Bundesliga matches to open up a 19-point lead at the top and are running away with the title for a second season running after winning it by 25 points last year.

(Reporting by Brian Homewood, editing by Ed Osmond)

*http://ift.tt/1bSeaMB

Read more ...

Motorsport: Paddon’s WRC prep in full throttle

Hayden Paddon’s preparations for a breakthrough year in the WRC are already well in full throttle.

The 26-year-old Kiwi’s joined Hyundai Motorsport to race in seven WRC rally events through this year.

Co-driver John Kennard says Paddon’s already been familiarising himself with many aspects of being on the circuit full time.

He says Paddon’s been doing some shakedown work and will be doing testing prior to each event, to make sure nothing takes him by surprise with the new car when he begins properly racing.

Hayden Paddon will link up with his new team at Rally Mexico next week as an observer, with his first WRC race set down for June.

http://ift.tt/1eEjcaz

Read more ...

Wide World of Sports TV partners

Honda’s Dani Pedrosa set the pace day two of MotoGP testing in Malaysia as injured teammate and world champion Marc Marquez said he would also miss next week’s Phillip Island test.

Marquez, who is absent from the Sepang circuit testing due to a broken leg, said his surgeon had advised him against taking “unnecessary risk” so that he is fit for the season’s opening race on March 23.

The 21-year-old Spaniard, who last year became the youngest rider ever to win the world title and the first rookie in 35 years, suffered the broken leg during dirt bike training last week in Spain.

“I’m obviously disappointed that I’m not in Sepang at the moment and to miss Phillip Island is also unfortunate,” Marquez said in a statement.

“So I will take time to rest and get myself as fit as possible to return to Qatar for the first race.”

Since 2009 no premier-class rider has won the MotoGP title back-to-back.

It was a solid Thursday for Pedrosa, who is seeking to capture an elusive first MotoGP world title, after hitting the top of the timesheet in 2 minutes 00.039 seconds and ahead of Yamaha pair Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

“My performance today was better than yesterday. The bike was stable on the corner. We will work on the rear tyre tomorrow,” Pedrosa said.

But the Spaniard’s best lap time was 0.5 seconds slower than the marker set down by Marquez in the previous Sepang test as riders again complained the track was greasy forcing the 22 riders to throttle back.

Yamaha’s Aleix Espargaro who dominated early testing came in second at 2:00.320 while Honda’s Alvaro Bautista who posted the fastest time on day one of a test session in this notoriously tricky circuit was in third position – 0.461 seconds behind Pedrosa.

Nine-time Italian world champion Rossi came in fourth, 0.566 seconds slower than rival Pedrosa.

Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso who came in fifth with a time of 2:00.787 was again the fastest in the Italian team.

Lorenzo – a two-time MotoGP champion – came ninth with 2:01.049.

The current session ends on Friday. Another three-day session follows at Phillip Island from Monday, followed by another at Qatar’s Losail circuit.

The new season kicks off at Losail on March 23. Malaysia will host the championship on October 26.

http://ift.tt/1hp73v7

Read more ...

Frank Lampard adds to unrest over Premier League’s fixture scheduling

Frank Lampard has bemoaned a perceived lack of support offered to English clubs in Europe by the domestic game’s governing bodies as Chelsea seek to cope with a disrupted recovery and training schedule before Saturday’s west London derby at Fulham, following the 1-1 Champions League draw at Galatasaray.

Chelsea had hoped that the match would be put back to Sunday but the game was not selected for television coverage. The team arrived at Gatwick at 4am on Thursday and José Mourinho is in effect left with one full session, late on Friday afternoon at Stamford Bridge rather than at Cobham, to prepare for the fixture.

“It’s not ideal,” said Lampard, who played the whole game in Istanbul but would be expected to drop to the bench on Saturday as a result. “We don’t expect any favours and certainly know we won’t get them. It’s about resting up and getting ready to go.

“I don’t know about the Premier League but other countries seem to look after their teams representing them in the Champions League. I’m not sure we do so much here. I’m not trying to get one over on other Premier League teams. It just seems a general rule: a bit of common sense would be nice if you are getting back at 6am. We can’t moan. We’ve got a fantastic squad with fit young players, so we have to get on with it.”

Mourinho has made great play of the cluttered nature of the club’s schedule , with domestic fixtures effectively dictated by television coverage, and has support among the other managers still involved in European competition. Arsène Wenger was dismayed to see Arsenal‘s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Liverpool pushed back to Sunday earlier this month for live broadcast, three days before his team hosted Bayern Munich in the Champions League. They had initially hoped the domestic cup tie would be played on the Saturday and the Frenchman has called on Uefa to harmonise domestic fixture schedules around Champions League matches.

In competing European leagues, clubs are sometimes able to reschedule their matches so that players have additional recovery around midweek Champions League ties. Asked this month if enough was done to help English teams in Europe, Wenger said: “You cannot do less because they do nothing. In the other leagues they do help teams. I’ve already suggested in Uefa meetings to make sure that in Champions League competitions that the teams before have the same amount of rest.”

The Fulham fixture provides Chelsea, who will welcome Nemanja Matic back to the starting lineup and may hand Mohamed Salah a first start, with an opportunity to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League against the division’s bottom club. Indeed, Mourinho’s side can move nine points clear of third-place Manchester City, who play in the Capital One Cup final on Sunday, if they win their next two league games, with Manuel Pellegrini’s side not due to play again in the league until 15 March.

“It’s up to us,” added Lampard. “We could have done with Fulham being on a Sunday considering the journey we’ve had, but you don’t get too many favours. We won’t make excuses before the game, but we need to get our heads down and concentrate on ourselves. It’s tight and that would be a nice gap. Regardless of whether City are playing or not, with Arsenal in there we have to keep winning. It’s crunch time where you have to develop a winning mentality that, even if you play badly, you win.

“We didn’t play particularly well against Everton but it was desire that got us over the line. If you relax for a game you will lose. Look at Fulham, they are fighting for their lives. It would be a lot better if they were mid-table and cruising. You have to be ruthless week on week to get those results.”

*http://ift.tt/1hoTDiP

Read more ...

Motorsport: Paddon’s WRC prep in full throttle

Hayden Paddon’s preparations for a breakthrough year in the WRC are already well in full throttle.

The 26-year-old Kiwi’s joined Hyundai Motorsport to race in seven WRC rally events through this year.

Co-driver John Kennard says Paddon’s already been familiarising himself with many aspects of being on the circuit full time.

He says Paddon’s been doing some shakedown work and will be doing testing prior to each event, to make sure nothing takes him by surprise with the new car when he begins properly racing.

Hayden Paddon will link up with his new team at Rally Mexico next week as an observer, with his first WRC race set down for June.

http://ift.tt/1eEjcaz

Read more ...

Quality of the Premier League scuppers English clubs’ chances in the …

Inevitably, looking back at the Champions League performances in the last two weeks of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, not to mention Bayern Munich’s win against Arsenal and Barcelona’s at Man City, people will be asking ‘what has happened to the Premier League?’

I’ve heard people on phone-ins saying: ‘All the world class players are playing elsewhere’, and when you look at Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben you can see the point they’re making.

But on the other hand I think it would be wrong to think that the Premier League isn’t still a huge force in European football.

Nobody can tell me that Sergio Aguero isn’t world-class, or Yaya Toure for that matter, and then there’s Eden Hazard who has the potential to be a world superstar. Next season it looks like you’ll see Luis Suarez playing in the Champions League and in terms of quality Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard aren’t that far behind.

We have plenty of top quality players in the Premier League and it’s still a fantastic league.

Intense

One of the reasons that the English sides suffer when it comes round to this phase of the Champions League is because of the intensity of our league.

Week in, week out we see the top sides being beaten by clubs at the bottom of the table and this doesn’t happen in Spain, this doesn’t happen in Germany; if you look at the positions of their leading teams they’re light-years clear whereas here, Chelsea lost to Stoke who are battling against relegation, Manchester City lost at Cardiff who are second from bottom of the table, Arsenal lost at home to Aston Villa – those sort of results don’t happen in the continental leagues.

When it comes to this stage of the season our sides are not at their best any longer simply because of the competitiveness of the Premier League and that intensity.

Our players have picked up a myriad of injuries along the line, while others such as Mesut Ozil are finding it difficult to cope playing week in, week out at such a high physical level. That puts us one step behind.

Ahead

It’s not the only reason, of course. I’m not pretending that Bayern and Real Madrid aren’t ahead of us at the moment – because they are, there’s no doubt about that – but I don’t think the Premier League should be written off.

Bayern broke something like 25 different Bundesliga records last season and it looks like they’re going to break a lot of those again this season because they are so dominant which, from the club’s point of view is a wonderful position to be in. But if you are a fan of the league, is that what you really want?

“When it comes to this stage of the season our sides are not at their best any longer simply because of the competitiveness of the Premier League and that intensity.”

Jeff Stelling

<!–

Quotes of the week

–>

Do you really want to see the top teams thrashing sides every week because they’ve got such a huge squad that they can effectively put out two different teams and still beat everybody in Germany?

Bayern haven’t dropped a point at home this season, they’re 19 points clear at the top now, and we’re not even in to March.

This season they’ve been to Werder Bremen and won 7-0 away, they’ve been to Hamburg and won 5-0, they beat Frankfurt 5-0, they beat Freiburg 4-0 and they beat Hannover 4-0 in their last match; I don’t think anyone would want the Premier League to be that uncompetitive.

Borussia Dortmund have had a slightly harder time this season but they’re still a fine footballing team – but outside of those two clubs you’d expect any of the elite Premier League teams to beat any of the other Bundesliga teams and I think if you take away the top three in Spain you’d say exactly the same thing.

To be honest, if you put a mid-table side in Spain or a mid-table German club up against an equivalent side in the Premier League my money would be on the English club nine times out ten, I just think we are that much stronger in terms of depth.

But that of course doesn’t win you European Cups and doesn’t win you Champions Leagues.

I’m happy to be watching one of the most exciting Premier League seasons ever with the bonus of seeing four of our sides in the last 16 of the Champions League – that’s not a bad effort.

JEFF’S GEM OF THE WEEK

Brentford 0-3 Wolves

I have to pick Wolves for winning at Brentford – it was a key a game at the top of the table.

The Bees were unbeaten under Mark Warburton but Kenny Jackett has proved an inspired appointment at Wolves; I imagine that Millwall fans are regretting the fact that he’s not there any longer because he did a great job and they’re on a fantastic unbeaten run at the moment. They’ve also survived selling Leigh Griffiths to Celtic without breaking a stride.

That’s six straight league wins for Wolves now and the latest featured a couple of goals from Michael Jacobs as well – and they were right ‘crackers’!

They’ve put themselves in pole position for an automatic promotion spot and that’s some achievement because – I know it’s a cliché – every team that plays Wolves feels like it’s a cup final because Wolves are such a big club.

It’s nice that after so many years of abject misery their fans have got something to shout about.

*http://ift.tt/MyU8ed

Read more ...

Quality of the Premier League scuppers English clubs’ chances in the …

Inevitably, looking back at the Champions League performances in the last two weeks of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, not to mention Bayern Munich’s win against Arsenal and Barcelona’s at Man City, people will be asking ‘what has happened to the Premier League?’

I’ve heard people on phone-ins saying: ‘All the world class players are playing elsewhere’, and when you look at Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben you can see the point they’re making.

But on the other hand I think it would be wrong to think that the Premier League isn’t still a huge force in European football.

Nobody can tell me that Sergio Aguero isn’t world-class, or Yaya Toure for that matter, and then there’s Eden Hazard who has the potential to be a world superstar. Next season it looks like you’ll see Luis Suarez playing in the Champions League and in terms of quality Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard aren’t that far behind.

We have plenty of top quality players in the Premier League and it’s still a fantastic league.

Intense

One of the reasons that the English sides suffer when it comes round to this phase of the Champions League is because of the intensity of our league.

Week in, week out we see the top sides being beaten by clubs at the bottom of the table and this doesn’t happen in Spain, this doesn’t happen in Germany; if you look at the positions of their leading teams they’re light-years clear whereas here, Chelsea lost to Stoke who are battling against relegation, Manchester City lost at Cardiff who are second from bottom of the table, Arsenal lost at home to Aston Villa – those sort of results don’t happen in the continental leagues.

When it comes to this stage of the season our sides are not at their best any longer simply because of the competitiveness of the Premier League and that intensity.

Our players have picked up a myriad of injuries along the line, while others such as Mesut Ozil are finding it difficult to cope playing week in, week out at such a high physical level. That puts us one step behind.

Ahead

It’s not the only reason, of course. I’m not pretending that Bayern and Real Madrid aren’t ahead of us at the moment – because they are, there’s no doubt about that – but I don’t think the Premier League should be written off.

Bayern broke something like 25 different Bundesliga records last season and it looks like they’re going to break a lot of those again this season because they are so dominant which, from the club’s point of view is a wonderful position to be in. But if you are a fan of the league, is that what you really want?

“When it comes to this stage of the season our sides are not at their best any longer simply because of the competitiveness of the Premier League and that intensity.”

Jeff Stelling

<!–

Quotes of the week

–>

Do you really want to see the top teams thrashing sides every week because they’ve got such a huge squad that they can effectively put out two different teams and still beat everybody in Germany?

Bayern haven’t dropped a point at home this season, they’re 19 points clear at the top now, and we’re not even in to March.

This season they’ve been to Werder Bremen and won 7-0 away, they’ve been to Hamburg and won 5-0, they beat Frankfurt 5-0, they beat Freiburg 4-0 and they beat Hannover 4-0 in their last match; I don’t think anyone would want the Premier League to be that uncompetitive.

Borussia Dortmund have had a slightly harder time this season but they’re still a fine footballing team – but outside of those two clubs you’d expect any of the elite Premier League teams to beat any of the other Bundesliga teams and I think if you take away the top three in Spain you’d say exactly the same thing.

To be honest, if you put a mid-table side in Spain or a mid-table German club up against an equivalent side in the Premier League my money would be on the English club nine times out ten, I just think we are that much stronger in terms of depth.

But that of course doesn’t win you European Cups and doesn’t win you Champions Leagues.

I’m happy to be watching one of the most exciting Premier League seasons ever with the bonus of seeing four of our sides in the last 16 of the Champions League – that’s not a bad effort.

JEFF’S GEM OF THE WEEK

Brentford 0-3 Wolves

I have to pick Wolves for winning at Brentford – it was a key a game at the top of the table.

The Bees were unbeaten under Mark Warburton but Kenny Jackett has proved an inspired appointment at Wolves; I imagine that Millwall fans are regretting the fact that he’s not there any longer because he did a great job and they’re on a fantastic unbeaten run at the moment. They’ve also survived selling Leigh Griffiths to Celtic without breaking a stride.

That’s six straight league wins for Wolves now and the latest featured a couple of goals from Michael Jacobs as well – and they were right ‘crackers’!

They’ve put themselves in pole position for an automatic promotion spot and that’s some achievement because – I know it’s a cliché – every team that plays Wolves feels like it’s a cup final because Wolves are such a big club.

It’s nice that after so many years of abject misery their fans have got something to shout about.

*http://ift.tt/MyU8ed

Read more ...

Quality of the Premier League scuppers English clubs’ chances in the …

Inevitably, looking back at the Champions League performances in the last two weeks of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, not to mention Bayern Munich’s win against Arsenal and Barcelona’s at Man City, people will be asking ‘what has happened to the Premier League?’

I’ve heard people on phone-ins saying: ‘All the world class players are playing elsewhere’, and when you look at Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben you can see the point they’re making.

But on the other hand I think it would be wrong to think that the Premier League isn’t still a huge force in European football.

Nobody can tell me that Sergio Aguero isn’t world-class, or Yaya Toure for that matter, and then there’s Eden Hazard who has the potential to be a world superstar. Next season it looks like you’ll see Luis Suarez playing in the Champions League and in terms of quality Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard aren’t that far behind.

We have plenty of top quality players in the Premier League and it’s still a fantastic league.

Intense

One of the reasons that the English sides suffer when it comes round to this phase of the Champions League is because of the intensity of our league.

Week in, week out we see the top sides being beaten by clubs at the bottom of the table and this doesn’t happen in Spain, this doesn’t happen in Germany; if you look at the positions of their leading teams they’re light-years clear whereas here, Chelsea lost to Stoke who are battling against relegation, Manchester City lost at Cardiff who are second from bottom of the table, Arsenal lost at home to Aston Villa – those sort of results don’t happen in the continental leagues.

When it comes to this stage of the season our sides are not at their best any longer simply because of the competitiveness of the Premier League and that intensity.

Our players have picked up a myriad of injuries along the line, while others such as Mesut Ozil are finding it difficult to cope playing week in, week out at such a high physical level. That puts us one step behind.

Ahead

It’s not the only reason, of course. I’m not pretending that Bayern and Real Madrid aren’t ahead of us at the moment – because they are, there’s no doubt about that – but I don’t think the Premier League should be written off.

Bayern broke something like 25 different Bundesliga records last season and it looks like they’re going to break a lot of those again this season because they are so dominant which, from the club’s point of view is a wonderful position to be in. But if you are a fan of the league, is that what you really want?

“When it comes to this stage of the season our sides are not at their best any longer simply because of the competitiveness of the Premier League and that intensity.”

Jeff Stelling

<!–

Quotes of the week

–>

Do you really want to see the top teams thrashing sides every week because they’ve got such a huge squad that they can effectively put out two different teams and still beat everybody in Germany?

Bayern haven’t dropped a point at home this season, they’re 19 points clear at the top now, and we’re not even in to March.

This season they’ve been to Werder Bremen and won 7-0 away, they’ve been to Hamburg and won 5-0, they beat Frankfurt 5-0, they beat Freiburg 4-0 and they beat Hannover 4-0 in their last match; I don’t think anyone would want the Premier League to be that uncompetitive.

Borussia Dortmund have had a slightly harder time this season but they’re still a fine footballing team – but outside of those two clubs you’d expect any of the elite Premier League teams to beat any of the other Bundesliga teams and I think if you take away the top three in Spain you’d say exactly the same thing.

To be honest, if you put a mid-table side in Spain or a mid-table German club up against an equivalent side in the Premier League my money would be on the English club nine times out ten, I just think we are that much stronger in terms of depth.

But that of course doesn’t win you European Cups and doesn’t win you Champions Leagues.

I’m happy to be watching one of the most exciting Premier League seasons ever with the bonus of seeing four of our sides in the last 16 of the Champions League – that’s not a bad effort.

JEFF’S GEM OF THE WEEK

Brentford 0-3 Wolves

I have to pick Wolves for winning at Brentford – it was a key a game at the top of the table.

The Bees were unbeaten under Mark Warburton but Kenny Jackett has proved an inspired appointment at Wolves; I imagine that Millwall fans are regretting the fact that he’s not there any longer because he did a great job and they’re on a fantastic unbeaten run at the moment. They’ve also survived selling Leigh Griffiths to Celtic without breaking a stride.

That’s six straight league wins for Wolves now and the latest featured a couple of goals from Michael Jacobs as well – and they were right ‘crackers’!

They’ve put themselves in pole position for an automatic promotion spot and that’s some achievement because – I know it’s a cliché – every team that plays Wolves feels like it’s a cup final because Wolves are such a big club.

It’s nice that after so many years of abject misery their fans have got something to shout about.

*http://ift.tt/MyU8ed

Read more ...

Five clubs still harbour ambitions of joining runaway league leaders FC Bayern …

Read more ...

Quality of the Premier League scuppers English clubs’ chances in the …

Inevitably, looking back at the Champions League performances in the last two weeks of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, not to mention Bayern Munich’s win against Arsenal and Barcelona’s at Man City, people will be asking ‘what has happened to the Premier League?’

I’ve heard people on phone-ins saying: ‘All the world class players are playing elsewhere’, and when you look at Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben you can see the point they’re making.

But on the other hand I think it would be wrong to think that the Premier League isn’t still a huge force in European football.

Nobody can tell me that Sergio Aguero isn’t world-class, or Yaya Toure for that matter, and then there’s Eden Hazard who has the potential to be a world superstar. Next season it looks like you’ll see Luis Suarez playing in the Champions League and in terms of quality Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard aren’t that far behind.

We have plenty of top quality players in the Premier League and it’s still a fantastic league.

Intense

One of the reasons that the English sides suffer when it comes round to this phase of the Champions League is because of the intensity of our league.

Week in, week out we see the top sides being beaten by clubs at the bottom of the table and this doesn’t happen in Spain, this doesn’t happen in Germany; if you look at the positions of their leading teams they’re light-years clear whereas here, Chelsea lost to Stoke who are battling against relegation, Manchester City lost at Cardiff who are second from bottom of the table, Arsenal lost at home to Aston Villa – those sort of results don’t happen in the continental leagues.

When it comes to this stage of the season our sides are not at their best any longer simply because of the competitiveness of the Premier League and that intensity.

Our players have picked up a myriad of injuries along the line, while others such as Mesut Ozil are finding it difficult to cope playing week in, week out at such a high physical level. That puts us one step behind.

Ahead

It’s not the only reason, of course. I’m not pretending that Bayern and Real Madrid aren’t ahead of us at the moment – because they are, there’s no doubt about that – but I don’t think the Premier League should be written off.

Bayern broke something like 25 different Bundesliga records last season and it looks like they’re going to break a lot of those again this season because they are so dominant which, from the club’s point of view is a wonderful position to be in. But if you are a fan of the league, is that what you really want?

“When it comes to this stage of the season our sides are not at their best any longer simply because of the competitiveness of the Premier League and that intensity.”

Jeff Stelling

<!–

Quotes of the week

–>

Do you really want to see the top teams thrashing sides every week because they’ve got such a huge squad that they can effectively put out two different teams and still beat everybody in Germany?

Bayern haven’t dropped a point at home this season, they’re 19 points clear at the top now, and we’re not even in to March.

This season they’ve been to Werder Bremen and won 7-0 away, they’ve been to Hamburg and won 5-0, they beat Frankfurt 5-0, they beat Freiburg 4-0 and they beat Hannover 4-0 in their last match; I don’t think anyone would want the Premier League to be that uncompetitive.

Borussia Dortmund have had a slightly harder time this season but they’re still a fine footballing team – but outside of those two clubs you’d expect any of the elite Premier League teams to beat any of the other Bundesliga teams and I think if you take away the top three in Spain you’d say exactly the same thing.

To be honest, if you put a mid-table side in Spain or a mid-table German club up against an equivalent side in the Premier League my money would be on the English club nine times out ten, I just think we are that much stronger in terms of depth.

But that of course doesn’t win you European Cups and doesn’t win you Champions Leagues.

I’m happy to be watching one of the most exciting Premier League seasons ever with the bonus of seeing four of our sides in the last 16 of the Champions League – that’s not a bad effort.

JEFF’S GEM OF THE WEEK

Brentford 0-3 Wolves

I have to pick Wolves for winning at Brentford – it was a key a game at the top of the table.

The Bees were unbeaten under Mark Warburton but Kenny Jackett has proved an inspired appointment at Wolves; I imagine that Millwall fans are regretting the fact that he’s not there any longer because he did a great job and they’re on a fantastic unbeaten run at the moment. They’ve also survived selling Leigh Griffiths to Celtic without breaking a stride.

That’s six straight league wins for Wolves now and the latest featured a couple of goals from Michael Jacobs as well – and they were right ‘crackers’!

They’ve put themselves in pole position for an automatic promotion spot and that’s some achievement because – I know it’s a cliché – every team that plays Wolves feels like it’s a cup final because Wolves are such a big club.

It’s nice that after so many years of abject misery their fans have got something to shout about.

*http://ift.tt/MyU8ed

Read more ...

Real Madrid turn focus to Atletico meeting in La Liga this weekend after …

Atletico stunned their bitter local rivals 2-1 at Real’s own Bernabeu stadium in last season’s King’s Cup final and followed up with a 1-0 success at the same venue in La Liga at the end of September.

However, Real have greatly improved as the season has progressed and they dumped holders Atletico out of this term’s Cup 5-0 on aggregate in their two-legged semi-final this month.

Unbeaten in 27 matches in all competitions, Real are in ominous form before Sunday’s trip across town to Atletico’s Calderon stadium and will be buoyed by their 6-1 success at German side Schalke 04 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

They took over from Barcelona, who host promoted Almeria on Sunday, at the top of La Liga last weekend when both Barca and Atletico suffered surprise defeats.

Real have 63 points with 13 games left, with Barca, chasing a fifth title in six years, and Atletico on 60.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, who took over from Jose Mourinho at the end of last term, has eliminated the defensive lapses that cost his team earlier in the season.

With Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale in a three-pronged attack, the Italian has one of the most lethal forward lines in football and each scored twice in Wednesday’s romp in Gelsenkirchen.

“We have a lot of potential up front,” midfielder Xabi Alonso, whose composure and passing ability help Real control their opponents, told reporters after the Schalke game.

“We create a lot of chances and it’s good news that the three forwards are fired up,” added the Spain international.

“Sunday’s game is very important for us and it is going to be very tough.

“We are confident but we know that each match is a different story. If we don’t go out with the same focus as today any team is capable of giving us a scare.”

GENUINE CHALLENGE

Atletico, who are also through to the last 16 of the Champions League, are mounting a genuine challenge for the La Liga title for the first time since they won a league and Cup double in 1996.

Diego Simeone, a former Argentina midfielder, was part of that team and has transformed the club since he took over as coach at the end of 2011, leading them to a Europa League triumph in 2012 and the Cup success last season.

However, last weekend’s shock 3-0 reverse at Osasuna, when Simeone left a number of key players out of his starting lineup, suggested they may not have a deep enough squad to cope with a gruelling calendar.

Fullback Juanfran said the team are keen to put last week’s stumble behind them and reignite their title challenge.

“We are keen to prepare the match well and if we beat Madrid things will be different,” he said on Atletico’s website (http://ift.tt/19V8Jdu).

“We are playing at our stadium, where we are unbeaten (in La Liga this season) and I am convinced we will play a good match and win,” he added.

Reuters

*http://ift.tt/1cUrjDa

Read more ...

No let up for Schalke, Bayern next in Bundesliga

BERLIN — Runaway leader Bayern Munich can take another step toward the Bundesliga title with a win at home over Schalke, chastened by Wednesday’s 6-1 rout at home by Real Madrid in the Champions League. Bayer Leverkusen hopes to end its alarming slump against Mainz while Borussia Dortmund hosts improving Nuremberg, and Werder Bremen clashes with Hamburger SV for the Bundesliga’s 100th northern derby. Here are five things to know ahead of the 23rd round of games this weekend:

—

NO RESPITE FOR SCHALKE

Schalke needs to get over its Champions League humiliation quickly to avoid more at Bayern on Saturday. Schalke general manager Horst Heldt believes Bayern is “maybe even a tick better” than Madrid and he called on his young side to take lessons from losing to the Spanish league leader. It was Schalke’s heaviest ever defeat in Europe but the players want to forget it as quickly as possible.

“We have no choice but to write off the game,” Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler said. “We have to get it out of our heads and prepare for the duel with Bayern.”

Schalke’s woe was compounded by injuries to attacking midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng and defender Sead Kolasinac.

—

UNSTOPPABLE BAYERN

Defending champion Bayern is well on its way toward wrapping up its 22nd Bundesliga title. Pep Guardiola’s side enjoys a 19-point lead over Leverkusen, is unbeaten in a league record 47 games and has only dropped points twice in 22 games so far this season. No other side has had such an advantage at this stage in 51 seasons of the Bundesliga. Bayern can theoretically seal the title on March 15, though the end of the month looks more likely. Either way, Bayern looks set to better last year’s quickest ever title won after 28 games on April 6, 2013.

Bayern is also in a good position to become the first side to complete a Bundesliga season unbeaten and the first Bundesliga side to win all its home games. It can also set records for points gathered, fewest goals conceded, the most clean sheets, the most wins within a season, and — depending on further slip-ups from Leverkusen and Dortmund — the biggest gap over the runner-up.

—

HIGH-STAKE NORTHERN DERBY

Bremen hosts Hamburg with pride and — more importantly — points at stake on Saturday, with both sides fighting relegation. Bremen has one win from 11 games and hasn’t won any of its last five, leaving it just three points above Hamburg in the relegation playoff place. Hamburg looked doomed after seven successive league losses but revived hopes under new coach Mirko Slomka last weekend with a 3-0 win over Dortmund.

“It will be a very special game,” said Bremen coach Robin Dutt, who has to adjust for suspended defenders Felix Kroos and Luca Caldirola.

Slomka intends to build on last week’s surprise win. “It’s the result of hard work,” Slomka said. “We’re not going to stop working now or relax any day.”

—

RELEGATION SIX-POINTER

Eintracht Frankfurt hosts Stuttgart for another relegation six-pointer on Sunday. Stuttgart has lost seven in a row and coach Thomas Schneider is in danger of sharing his predecessor Bruno Labbadia’s fate. Labbadia was fired after three league games.

“The trust is absolutely there,” Stuttgart sports director Fredi Bobic insisted. “It’s essential to think from game to game, nothing else. The ultimate indicator is how the team presents itself.”

Frankfurt is arguably paying the price for its good Europa League run. Last week’s frustrating 0-0 draw with Bremen came after a commendable 2-2 draw at Porto. The return leg is to be played Thursday, and will likely affect preparations for Stuttgart. Frankfurt is already without Pirmin Schwegler (suspended) while fellow midfielder Sebastian Rode has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a right knee injury.

—

LEVERKUSEN AT A LOSS

Bayer Leverkusen is undergoing a crisis of faith after four successive defeats across all competitions, seven losses in nine games.

“They were the worst 10 days,” said striker Stefan Kiessling, referring to the German Cup loss to second-division Kaiserslautern, the 2-1 league defeat to Schalke, the 4-0 humiliation at home by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and last weekend’s 3-1 loss at Wolfsburg.

Individual mistakes, a lack of concentration and a shaky defense have all contributed to make Leverkusen’s best-ever start to a Bundesliga season all but a distant memory.

“We haven’t lost our belief,” said defender Philipp Wollscheid, who won’t be accompanied by Gonzalo Castro or Emir Spahic against Mainz due to suspension.

Mainz has lost only one of its last eight games, putting it firmly in the running for a Europa League qualification place.

• Read more articles by CIARAN FAHEY

Order Reprint

*http://ift.tt/1ccjvid

Read more ...

La Liga: Atletico desperate to stop rampant neighbours Real

If Atletico Madrid fail to stop the Real Madrid juggernaut on Sunday, then the race for La Liga will have a clear favourite.

Los Blancos have taken an intimidating total of 41 points from their last 15 league matches, overtaking stuttering Atletico and Barcelona in the process.

Real were five points behind Atletico and Barca at Christmas but are now three points ahead of them. They confirmed their devastating form on Wednesday with an impressive 6—1 romp at Schalke in the Champions League.

“It’s true that they are playing well at the moment, but no one should doubt that we will be trying to win,” said Atletico president Enrique Cerezo on Wednesday.

“I don’t know whether we will see good football but it will be a hard match, that I am sure of.” Atletico — who won 1—0 at Real’s Estadio Bernabeu in September — will be without injury victims Tiago and Javier Manquillo. Neither team has suspensions now that Cristiano Ronaldo has served his controversial three-match ban.

Ronaldo is just one goal ahead of Atletico’s Diego Costa in the scorers’ chart.

Barcelona will be hoping for an Atletico win in El Derby then to go back on top themselves — albeit on goal difference — by beating lowly Almeria at home.

It should have been a peaceful week for Barca, without a midweek match for the first time in four months.

However, it turned out to be a week of tension and rumours, not only because of the Neymar scandal but also because of last Saturday’s 3—1 meltdown at Real Sociedad.

For the first time all season, the Catalan media have been whispering that coach Gerardo Martino might not continue beyond June, amid speculation and online polls about a possible successor.

Veteran playmaker Xavi came to Martino’s defence on Wednesday, saying: “The coach is being blamed at the moment but that is not fair. We are all to blame, we are a team…I see him (Martino) sure of himself and well motivated.

“Now we have no margin for error left, we cannot fail again. But I actually think we are well placed to win trophies at the end of the season.” Xavi added that Neymar was not affected by the court case about his transfer. “I see him well, smiling, happy, training well, like all the team.”

Sunday’s other games are Villarreal vs. Real Betis, Sevilla vs. Real Sociedad and Rayo Vallecano vs. Valencia.

Saturday will see Malaga vs. Valladolid, Levante vs. Osasuna, Getafe vs. Espanyol and Elche vs. Celta Vigo, while Friday’s game brings together fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao and Granada.

*http://ift.tt/1cUrjDi

Read more ...

South Korean icon Bum

Read more ...

Sepang II MotoGP Test: ‘F****d!’

MotoGP star Valentino Rossi gave a ‘colourful’ description of his surprise at Bridgestone’s decision to go ahead and change the rear tyre specification.

Both the 2013 and 2014 specification rears had been evaluated during the first Sepang test earlier this month, after which it was decided that only the 2014 tyres will be made available.

“The general consensus is that our 2014 specification tyres are working well,” Bridgestone’s Shinji Aoki had commented. “However, there is still a lot of work to do to help the teams get the most out of our new generation of tyres before the season starts.”

Following the opening day of this week’s return Sepang visit Rossi, Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso were among those who spoke of a general lack of grip – especially edge grip – with the 2014 tyres, something Rossi suspects is due to a stiffer construction.

Rossi, who set the seventh fastest lap time, explained: “The big issue for us at this test is to try and adapt the M1 to the new tyres, because in the first test we had some problems with the 2014 tyres.

“Especially with the soft tyre. But the situation is like this. They have already decided [to change the tyres] so we have to adapt the bike.

“Today we worked a lot on the soft and it was already better – not very good like the tyre of last year, but not so bad.”

Asked by Crash.net if he had been surprised by the decision to change to the 2014 tyres, given the issues he and some others reported at the first test, Rossi replied:

“Yes. As always… Something happened that we cannot understand [laughs]. We just understand when it is already done. So when you are already f**ked! And it is very bad when you are f**ked and you don’t feel nothing before – it is a bad surprise [laughs]! But anyway it is like this.”

Lorenzo – who was fifth fastest on Wednesday – may have used tamer language, but the former world champion appeared even more disappointed than his team-mate.

“We don’t find any solution for the [2014] tyres that Bridgestone gave to all the riders. It seems that for Yamaha it is much worse and they don’t want to provide other tyres,” he said.

“At the moment we are trying everything – all the set-ups we can – but the feeling is always the same on the track.”

The Spaniard added: “We are trying to speak to Bridgestone to make them change the tyre, but at the moment they have a very closed mind about that and they don’t want to change. They think this tyre is safer. For me it is the opposite. It is more dangerous.”

Despite his dislike of the new tyres, Rossi believes he had the pace to claim a top three place on the Wednesday timesheets, having finished just half a second behind surprise leader Alvaro Bautista (Honda Gresini).

“At the end I am down in the ranking because I didn’t put in the soft tyre at the end, because we were concentrating with the hard tyre to do a long run – ten laps – because of the problems at the last test.

“I am seventh, but if I used the soft I think I could have done a 2m 0s, so inside the first three.

“Also with the rhythm, I was constant. I did some good lap times. I am quite happy, but we have to go fast. Especially for Marquez.”

Repsol Honda’s reigning champion Marc Marquez, who dominated testing earlier this month, is missing this week’s outing after fracturing his leg in a training accident last week.

http://ift.tt/1caClX0

Read more ...

Mourinho: Oscar must get tough

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes that attacking midfielder Oscar needs to add more physicality to his game.

————————————————————

Predict result and win big with Soccer6

————————————————————

The Brazil international has experienced a dip in form as of late and while Mourinho still backs the midfielder, he has attributed the slump to the 22-year-old’s lack of physicality.

Mourinho believes that if the Blues’ star can become more physical he will possess the full package, which will set him up to become a true legend of the game.

“Oscar has a fantastic talent, he plays his second year in Chelsea, he plays more or less second year also in the Brazilian national team so he is coming step by step,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.

“Physically he needs time to put himself in a top condition. Tactically he is a very open boy that wants very much to learn and obviously technically he is the typical Brazilian talent, so Oscar also has everything to make some history in the competition [the Champions League],” he added.

*http://ift.tt/1hka67J

Read more ...

Germans fret over ‘boring’ Bundesliga

(Reuters) – When Borussia Dortmund became the fifth different team to win the Bundesliga in eight seasons back in 2011, the league was widely proclaimed as the most open and competitive in Europe.

Three years on, many German fans are stifling the yawns as Bayern Munich run away with the title for the second year in a row with the other 17 teams floundering in their wake.

Last year, the Bavarians clinched the championship with a record six games to spare as part of an unprecedented treble which also included the German Cup and Champions League.

This time, they are threatening to improve on even that performance. Bayern have dropped only four points all season, have won their last 14 league games and have a 19-point lead.

Even more worryingly for the other teams, Bayern are set to get stronger at the expense of bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund.

In less than a year, Bayern have lured Dortmund’s prize assets Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski, with the Poland striker joining from next season, to Munich, leaving their rivals demoralised and disorientated.

“They want to destroy us,” Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said in January.

Everything has been achieved without the help of tax breaks from a friendly government or huge cash injections from an ambitious owner.

Over the years, Bayern have been a model of good management and UEFA’s financial fair play policy, which is being introduced to force clubs to live within their means, looks set to make them stronger rather than weaker.

“The current situation does not do the Bundesliga any good,” Watzke told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung this week.

“In Germany, no club has managed to build a similar platform to Bayern Munich in the last 30 or 40 years.

“What Bayern have done is definitely not reprehensible,” he added. “It’s just what every business in Germany tries to do to their rivals.

“We can all see in the Bundesliga that the gap between them and the rest of us is extreme.”

BARREN RUN

Watzke, however, is a rare voice of dissent. The general view is that Bayern’s dominance will not last forever and that such cycles are part of the game.

“There is no reason for envy, we can just congratulate them. As long as we play against Bayern twice a year, the world is in order for us,” Freiburg chairman Fritz Keller told Kicker magazine.

“Naturally, their domination this season is extreme but I don’t see any danger that it will stay like this,” added Klaus Allofs, sporting director of VfL Wolfsburg.

“The Bundesliga is still exciting and Bayern have always been among the teams that everyone else are chasing.”

It is certainly not the first time the Bundesliga has become predictable. Between 1969 and 1977 only Borussia Moenchengladbach (five times) and Bayern (four) won the title.

The second half of the 1980s saw Bayern crowned champions five times in six seasons while the Munich side and Borussia Dortmund shared the title spoils between 1994 and 2003, apart from Kaiserslautern’s surprise triumph in 1998.

The period between 2004 and 2011 was something of an exception as Werder Bremen, Bayern, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg and Dortmund all won the title.

But, as German football league chief executive Christian Seifert pointed out, that period also coincided with a barren run in the Champions League with no German triumphs between Bayern’s titles in 2001 and 2013.

“In the Bundesliga, any team can beat any other team, it’s only for the time being can nobody beat Bayern,” he said on Sky.

“We should not underestimate the supporters. The Bundesliga lives off lots of sporting decisions, ranging from surprising defeats, to surprising wins, each with its own story.

“It’s not just about who will win the championship. I don’t think any Moenchengladbach fans have torn up their season tickets or cancelled their Sky subscriptions this season.

“At the moment, Bayern are running away. Sometimes it happens but it will not carry on like this in the coming years.”

“For my first eight years in this role, I was asked why German teams didn’t win the Champions League,” he added. “Now we’ve won it and some people are still not happy.”

(Reporting by Brian Homewood; editing by Ken Ferris)

*http://ift.tt/1dBJsmn

Read more ...

Sepang II MotoGP Test: ‘F****d!’

MotoGP star Valentino Rossi gave a ‘colourful’ description of his surprise at Bridgestone’s decision to go ahead and change the rear tyre specification.

Both the 2013 and 2014 specification rears had been evaluated during the first Sepang test earlier this month, after which it was decided that only the 2014 tyres will be made available.

“The general consensus is that our 2014 specification tyres are working well,” Bridgestone’s Shinji Aoki had commented. “However, there is still a lot of work to do to help the teams get the most out of our new generation of tyres before the season starts.”

Following the opening day of this week’s return Sepang visit Rossi, Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso were among those who spoke of a general lack of grip – especially edge grip – with the 2014 tyres, something Rossi suspects is due to a stiffer construction.

Rossi, who set the seventh fastest lap time, explained: “The big issue for us at this test is to try and adapt the M1 to the new tyres, because in the first test we had some problems with the 2014 tyres.

“Especially with the soft tyre. But the situation is like this. They have already decided [to change the tyres] so we have to adapt the bike.

“Today we worked a lot on the soft and it was already better – not very good like the tyre of last year, but not so bad.”

Asked by Crash.net if he had been surprised by the decision to change to the 2014 tyres, given the issues he and some others reported at the first test, Rossi replied:

“Yes. As always… Something happened that we cannot understand [laughs]. We just understand when it is already done. So when you are already f**ked! And it is very bad when you are f**ked and you don’t feel nothing before – it is a bad surprise [laughs]! But anyway it is like this.”

Lorenzo – who was fifth fastest on Wednesday – may have used tamer language, but the former world champion appeared even more disappointed than his team-mate.

“We don’t find any solution for the [2014] tyres that Bridgestone gave to all the riders. It seems that for Yamaha it is much worse and they don’t want to provide other tyres,” he said.

“At the moment we are trying everything – all the set-ups we can – but the feeling is always the same on the track.”

The Spaniard added: “We are trying to speak to Bridgestone to make them change the tyre, but at the moment they have a very closed mind about that and they don’t want to change. They think this tyre is safer. For me it is the opposite. It is more dangerous.”

Despite his dislike of the new tyres, Rossi believes he had the pace to claim a top three place on the Wednesday timesheets, having finished just half a second behind surprise leader Alvaro Bautista (Honda Gresini).

“At the end I am down in the ranking because I didn’t put in the soft tyre at the end, because we were concentrating with the hard tyre to do a long run – ten laps – because of the problems at the last test.

“I am seventh, but if I used the soft I think I could have done a 2m 0s, so inside the first three.

“Also with the rhythm, I was constant. I did some good lap times. I am quite happy, but we have to go fast. Especially for Marquez.”

Repsol Honda’s reigning champion Marc Marquez, who dominated testing earlier this month, is missing this week’s outing after fracturing his leg in a training accident last week.

http://ift.tt/1caClX0

Read more ...

Germans fret over ‘boring’ Bundesliga

Last year, the Bavarians clinched the championship with a record six games to spare as part of an unprecedented treble which also included the German Cup and Champions League.

This time, they are threatening to improve on even that performance. Bayern have dropped only four points all season, have won their last 14 league games and have a 19-point lead.

Even more worryingly for the other teams, Bayern are set to get stronger at the expense of bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund.

In less than a year, Bayern have lured Dortmund’s prize assets Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski, with the Poland striker joining from next season, to Munich, leaving their rivals demoralised and disorientated.

“They want to destroy us,” Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said in January.

Everything has been achieved without the help of tax breaks from a friendly government or huge cash injections from an ambitious owner.

Over the years, Bayern have been a model of good management and UEFA’s financial fair play policy, which is being introduced to force clubs to live within their means, looks set to make them stronger rather than weaker.

“The current situation does not do the Bundesliga any good,” Watzke told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung this week.

“In Germany, no club has managed to build a similar platform to Bayern Munich in the last 30 or 40 years.

“What Bayern have done is definitely not reprehensible,” he added. “It’s just what every business in Germany tries to do to their rivals.

“We can all see in the Bundesliga that the gap between them and the rest of us is extreme.”

BARREN RUN

Watzke, however, is a rare voice of dissent. The general view is that Bayern’s dominance will not last forever and that such cycles are part of the game.

“There is no reason for envy, we can just congratulate them. As long as we play against Bayern twice a year, the world is in order for us,” Freiburg chairman Fritz Keller told Kicker magazine.

“Naturally, their domination this season is extreme but I don’t see any danger that it will stay like this,” added Klaus Allofs, sporting director of VfL Wolfsburg.

“The Bundesliga is still exciting and Bayern have always been among the teams that everyone else are chasing.”

It is certainly not the first time the Bundesliga has become predictable. Between 1969 and 1977 only Borussia Moenchengladbach (five times) and Bayern (four) won the title.

The second half of the 1980s saw Bayern crowned champions five times in six seasons while the Munich side and Borussia Dortmund shared the title spoils between 1994 and 2003, apart from Kaiserslautern’s surprise triumph in 1998.

The period between 2004 and 2011 was something of an exception as Werder Bremen, Bayern, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg and Dortmund all won the title.

But, as German football league chief executive Christian Seifert pointed out, that period also coincided with a barren run in the Champions League with no German triumphs between Bayern’s titles in 2001 and 2013.

“In the Bundesliga, any team can beat any other team, it’s only for the time being can nobody beat Bayern,” he said on Sky.

“We should not underestimate the supporters. The Bundesliga lives off lots of sporting decisions, ranging from surprising defeats, to surprising wins, each with its own story.

“It’s not just about who will win the championship. I don’t think any Moenchengladbach fans have torn up their season tickets or cancelled their Sky subscriptions this season.

“At the moment, Bayern are running away. Sometimes it happens but it will not carry on like this in the coming years.”

“For my first eight years in this role, I was asked why German teams didn’t win the Champions League,” he added. “Now we’ve won it and some people are still not happy.”

(Reporting by Brian Homewood; editing by Ken Ferris)

*http://ift.tt/1cQOQ81

Read more ...

Germans fret over ‘boring’ Bundesliga

(Reuters) – When Borussia Dortmund became the fifth different team to win the Bundesliga in eight seasons back in 2011, the league was widely proclaimed as the most open and competitive in Europe.

Three years on, many German fans are stifling the yawns as Bayern Munich run away with the title for the second year in a row with the other 17 teams floundering in their wake.

Last year, the Bavarians clinched the championship with a record six games to spare as part of an unprecedented treble which also included the German Cup and Champions League.

This time, they are threatening to improve on even that performance. Bayern have dropped only four points all season, have won their last 14 league games and have a 19-point lead.

Even more worryingly for the other teams, Bayern are set to get stronger at the expense of bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund.

In less than a year, Bayern have lured Dortmund’s prize assets Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski, with the Poland striker joining from next season, to Munich, leaving their rivals demoralised and disorientated.

“They want to destroy us,” Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said in January.

Everything has been achieved without the help of tax breaks from a friendly government or huge cash injections from an ambitious owner.

Over the years, Bayern have been a model of good management and UEFA’s financial fair play policy, which is being introduced to force clubs to live within their means, looks set to make them stronger rather than weaker.

“The current situation does not do the Bundesliga any good,” Watzke told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung this week.

“In Germany, no club has managed to build a similar platform to Bayern Munich in the last 30 or 40 years.

“What Bayern have done is definitely not reprehensible,” he added. “It’s just what every business in Germany tries to do to their rivals.

“We can all see in the Bundesliga that the gap between them and the rest of us is extreme.”

BARREN RUN

Watzke, however, is a rare voice of dissent. The general view is that Bayern’s dominance will not last forever and that such cycles are part of the game.

“There is no reason for envy, we can just congratulate them. As long as we play against Bayern twice a year, the world is in order for us,” Freiburg chairman Fritz Keller told Kicker magazine.

“Naturally, their domination this season is extreme but I don’t see any danger that it will stay like this,” added Klaus Allofs, sporting director of VfL Wolfsburg.

“The Bundesliga is still exciting and Bayern have always been among the teams that everyone else are chasing.”

It is certainly not the first time the Bundesliga has become predictable. Between 1969 and 1977 only Borussia Moenchengladbach (five times) and Bayern (four) won the title.

The second half of the 1980s saw Bayern crowned champions five times in six seasons while the Munich side and Borussia Dortmund shared the title spoils between 1994 and 2003, apart from Kaiserslautern’s surprise triumph in 1998.

The period between 2004 and 2011 was something of an exception as Werder Bremen, Bayern, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg and Dortmund all won the title.

But, as German football league chief executive Christian Seifert pointed out, that period also coincided with a barren run in the Champions League with no German triumphs between Bayern’s titles in 2001 and 2013.

“In the Bundesliga, any team can beat any other team, it’s only for the time being can nobody beat Bayern,” he said on Sky.

“We should not underestimate the supporters. The Bundesliga lives off lots of sporting decisions, ranging from surprising defeats, to surprising wins, each with its own story.

“It’s not just about who will win the championship. I don’t think any Moenchengladbach fans have torn up their season tickets or cancelled their Sky subscriptions this season.

“At the moment, Bayern are running away. Sometimes it happens but it will not carry on like this in the coming years.”

“For my first eight years in this role, I was asked why German teams didn’t win the Champions League,” he added. “Now we’ve won it and some people are still not happy.”

(Reporting by Brian Homewood; editing by Ken Ferris)

*http://ift.tt/1dBJsmn

Read more ...

Germans fret over ‘boring’ Bundesliga

Last year, the Bavarians clinched the championship with a record six games to spare as part of an unprecedented treble which also included the German Cup and Champions League.

This time, they are threatening to improve on even that performance. Bayern have dropped only four points all season, have won their last 14 league games and have a 19-point lead.

Even more worryingly for the other teams, Bayern are set to get stronger at the expense of bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund.

In less than a year, Bayern have lured Dortmund’s prize assets Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski, with the Poland striker joining from next season, to Munich, leaving their rivals demoralised and disorientated.

“They want to destroy us,” Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said in January.

Everything has been achieved without the help of tax breaks from a friendly government or huge cash injections from an ambitious owner.

Over the years, Bayern have been a model of good management and UEFA’s financial fair play policy, which is being introduced to force clubs to live within their means, looks set to make them stronger rather than weaker.

“The current situation does not do the Bundesliga any good,” Watzke told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung this week.

“In Germany, no club has managed to build a similar platform to Bayern Munich in the last 30 or 40 years.

“What Bayern have done is definitely not reprehensible,” he added. “It’s just what every business in Germany tries to do to their rivals.

“We can all see in the Bundesliga that the gap between them and the rest of us is extreme.”

BARREN RUN

Watzke, however, is a rare voice of dissent. The general view is that Bayern’s dominance will not last forever and that such cycles are part of the game.

“There is no reason for envy, we can just congratulate them. As long as we play against Bayern twice a year, the world is in order for us,” Freiburg chairman Fritz Keller told Kicker magazine.

“Naturally, their domination this season is extreme but I don’t see any danger that it will stay like this,” added Klaus Allofs, sporting director of VfL Wolfsburg.

“The Bundesliga is still exciting and Bayern have always been among the teams that everyone else are chasing.”

It is certainly not the first time the Bundesliga has become predictable. Between 1969 and 1977 only Borussia Moenchengladbach (five times) and Bayern (four) won the title.

The second half of the 1980s saw Bayern crowned champions five times in six seasons while the Munich side and Borussia Dortmund shared the title spoils between 1994 and 2003, apart from Kaiserslautern’s surprise triumph in 1998.

The period between 2004 and 2011 was something of an exception as Werder Bremen, Bayern, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg and Dortmund all won the title.

But, as German football league chief executive Christian Seifert pointed out, that period also coincided with a barren run in the Champions League with no German triumphs between Bayern’s titles in 2001 and 2013.

“In the Bundesliga, any team can beat any other team, it’s only for the time being can nobody beat Bayern,” he said on Sky.

“We should not underestimate the supporters. The Bundesliga lives off lots of sporting decisions, ranging from surprising defeats, to surprising wins, each with its own story.

“It’s not just about who will win the championship. I don’t think any Moenchengladbach fans have torn up their season tickets or cancelled their Sky subscriptions this season.

“At the moment, Bayern are running away. Sometimes it happens but it will not carry on like this in the coming years.”

“For my first eight years in this role, I was asked why German teams didn’t win the Champions League,” he added. “Now we’ve won it and some people are still not happy.”

(Reporting by Brian Homewood; editing by Ken Ferris)

*http://ift.tt/1cQOQ81

Read more ...

Rally Finland chooses four

Rally GB’s hopes of retaining a four-day route for 2014 have been bolstered after Rally Finland unveiled a similar plan.

The Jyvaskyla-based event (which runs from July 31-August 3) includes competitive mileage on four days from Thursday to Sunday morning – mirroring the approach taken by GB organisers last year.

The World Rally Championship promoter recently stated that it wanted a more formulaic approach to rallies, with a ceremonial start on Thursday evening and a Sunday lunchtime finish.

FIA rally director Jarmo Mahonen admitted there was still flexibility on the timetabling of events.

“We don’t want to force anybody to run out of money,” said Mahonen.

“The promoter wants to see how this works this year, but if it is bad for the business then of course we will change it for next season.

“We still have flexibility for this season, if rallies really have a reason why they want to finish [at a different time other than Sunday] then we will look at that.”

Rally GB chief executive Andrew Coe had already stated he would be applying for a waiver to maintain the itinerary introduced last November.

The route issued by Rally Finland is dramatically different, with only four stages surviving from last year’s route.

The highlights of the new timetable include a potential return of the city centre stage last run through the middle of Jyvaskyla in 1998 and the classic Myhinpaa test.

As expected, Ouninpohja goes in its full glory, replaced by a shorter version centred around Kakaristo.

http://ift.tt/1c9oh03

Read more ...

Germans fret over ‘boring’ Bundesliga

Last year, the Bavarians clinched the championship with a record six games to spare as part of an unprecedented treble which also included the German Cup and Champions League.

This time, they are threatening to improve on even that performance. Bayern have dropped only four points all season, have won their last 14 league games and have a 19-point lead.

Even more worryingly for the other teams, Bayern are set to get stronger at the expense of bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund.

In less than a year, Bayern have lured Dortmund’s prize assets Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski, with the Poland striker joining from next season, to Munich, leaving their rivals demoralised and disorientated.

“They want to destroy us,” Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said in January.

Everything has been achieved without the help of tax breaks from a friendly government or huge cash injections from an ambitious owner.

Over the years, Bayern have been a model of good management and UEFA’s financial fair play policy, which is being introduced to force clubs to live within their means, looks set to make them stronger rather than weaker.

“The current situation does not do the Bundesliga any good,” Watzke told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung this week.

“In Germany, no club has managed to build a similar platform to Bayern Munich in the last 30 or 40 years.

“What Bayern have done is definitely not reprehensible,” he added. “It’s just what every business in Germany tries to do to their rivals.

“We can all see in the Bundesliga that the gap between them and the rest of us is extreme.”

BARREN RUN

Watzke, however, is a rare voice of dissent. The general view is that Bayern’s dominance will not last forever and that such cycles are part of the game.

“There is no reason for envy, we can just congratulate them. As long as we play against Bayern twice a year, the world is in order for us,” Freiburg chairman Fritz Keller told Kicker magazine.

“Naturally, their domination this season is extreme but I don’t see any danger that it will stay like this,” added Klaus Allofs, sporting director of VfL Wolfsburg.

“The Bundesliga is still exciting and Bayern have always been among the teams that everyone else are chasing.”

It is certainly not the first time the Bundesliga has become predictable. Between 1969 and 1977 only Borussia Moenchengladbach (five times) and Bayern (four) won the title.

The second half of the 1980s saw Bayern crowned champions five times in six seasons while the Munich side and Borussia Dortmund shared the title spoils between 1994 and 2003, apart from Kaiserslautern’s surprise triumph in 1998.

The period between 2004 and 2011 was something of an exception as Werder Bremen, Bayern, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg and Dortmund all won the title.

But, as German football league chief executive Christian Seifert pointed out, that period also coincided with a barren run in the Champions League with no German triumphs between Bayern’s titles in 2001 and 2013.

“In the Bundesliga, any team can beat any other team, it’s only for the time being can nobody beat Bayern,” he said on Sky.

“We should not underestimate the supporters. The Bundesliga lives off lots of sporting decisions, ranging from surprising defeats, to surprising wins, each with its own story.

“It’s not just about who will win the championship. I don’t think any Moenchengladbach fans have torn up their season tickets or cancelled their Sky subscriptions this season.

“At the moment, Bayern are running away. Sometimes it happens but it will not carry on like this in the coming years.”

“For my first eight years in this role, I was asked why German teams didn’t win the Champions League,” he added. “Now we’ve won it and some people are still not happy.”

(Reporting by Brian Homewood; editing by Ken Ferris)

*http://ift.tt/1cQOQ81

Read more ...

Exclusive: Liverpool Join Chelsea In Race For In

Read more ...

Sepang II MotoGP test times

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez is not present, after fracturing his right leg in a dirt-track training accident.

The PBM team (Michael Laverty and Broc Parkes) is also absent, having decided to focus on machine development back at its UK base. Iodaracing (Leon Camier and Danilo Petrucci), having skipped the first Sepang test, is again missing.

Testing began at 10am and concludes at 6pm.

CLICK HERE for live updates…

1. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 2m 1.349s (Lap 28/36)

2. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 2m 2.012s | +0.663s (18/25)

3. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 2.052s | +0.703s (29/34)

4. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 2m 2.080s | +0.731s (12/22)

5. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 2.484s | +1.135s (16/24)

6. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 2m 2.664s | +1.315s (14/16)

7. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 2m 2.698s | +1.349s (12/17)

8. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) 2m 2.785s | +1.436s (12/25)

9. Colin Edwards USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR-M1) 2m 3.069s | +1.720s (21/25)

10. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 2m 3.154s | +1.805s (16/17)

11. Cal Crutchlow GBR Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 2m 3.207s | +1.858s (17/23)

12. Yonny Hernandez COL Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) 2m 3.740s | +2.391s (9/12)

13. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki) 2m 3.877s | +2.528s (23/23)

14. Aleix Espargaro ESP NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR-M1) 2m 4.064s | +2.715s (5/8)

15. Scott Redding GBR Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RCV1000R) 2m 4.133s | +2.784s (21/29)

16. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 2m 4.147s | +2.798s (20/28)

17. Randy De Puniet FRA Suzuki Test Rider (XRH-1) 2m 4.460s | +3.111s (19/38)

18. Nicky Hayden USA Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 2m 4.607s | +3.258s (9/11)

19. Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Test Rider (Desmosedici) 2m 4.881s | +3.532s (11/16)

20. Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki) 2m 4.885s | +3.536s (27/32)

21. Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) 2m 5.157s | +3.808s (9/20)

22. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (RCV1000R) 2m 6.082s | +4.733s (20/21)

Factory/Open status is as listed on the provisional MotoGP entry list. However a final decision on Factory or Open class does not need to be made until February 28. Are the Ducati Team testing with Factory or Open software? “We are testing the exact same spec bike as at Sepang 1…”

Blue = Factory class – Control ECU hardware, but manufacturer software.

20 litres of race fuel, five engine changes for the season. All engines must be identical throughout the year, within the same team (development freeze).

Red = Open class – Full control ECU system, hardware and software.

24 litres of race fuel, twelve engine changes for the season. No engine development freeze, plus a softer rear tyre allocation relative to the Factory class.

Black = Test Rider .

Fastest Sepang I lap time (and unofficial Sepang record):

Marc Marquez ESP Honda 1m 59.533s

Fastest Sepang I lap times by manufacturer:

Marc Marquez ESP Honda RC213V1m 59.533s

Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha YZR-M1 1m 59.727s

Aleix Espargaro ESP FTR-Yamaha 1m 59.998s

Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Desmosedici 2m 0.370s

Nicky Hayden USA Honda RCV1000R 2m 1.514s

Randy de Puniet FRA Suzuki XRH-1 2m 2.486s

Michael Laverty GBR PBM-ART 2m 3.187s

Hector Barbera ESP FTR-Kawasaki 2m 3.204s

Official Sepang MotoGP records:

Best lap:

Marc Marquez ESP Honda 2m 0.011s (2013)

Fastest race lap:

Marc Marquez ESP Honda 2m 1.415s (2013)

Click here to visit the NEW Crash.net MotoGP Twitter feed!

http://ift.tt/1ewkzYI

Read more ...