FC Bayern Munich ~ General Chat & Latest News

[Freddy Adu]

FC Bayern München
Top Scorers
2007/08 Season

1/ Luca Toni (8 in Bundesliga, 2 in UEFA Cup) = 10 goals

2/ Miroslav Klose (8 in Bundesliga, 1 in DFB-Pokal) = 9 goals

3/ Hamit Altintop (3 in Bundesliga, 1 in UEFA Cup) = 4 goals

4/ Franck Ribéry (2 in Bundesliga) = 2 goals

5/ Zé Roberto (2 in Bundesliga) = 2 goals

6/ Mark van Bommel (1 in Bundesliga) = 1 goal

7/ Martin Demichelis (1 in Bundesliga) = 1 goal

8/ Bastian Schweinsteiger (1 in Bundesliga) = 1 goal

9/ Andreas Ottl (1 in Bundesliga) = 1 goal

[Freddy Adu]

FC Bayern München
Fixtures & Results
2007/08 Season


Bundesliga

11.08.2007 | FC Bayern 3-0 Hansa Rostock
18.08.2007 | Werder Bremen 0-4 FC Bayern
25.08.2007 | FC Bayern 3-0 Hannover 96
02.09.2007 | Hamburg SV 1-1 FC Bayern
15.09.2007 | FC Bayern 1-1 Schalke 04
23.09.2007 | Karlsruhe SC 1-4 FC Bayern
26.09.2007 | FC Bayern 5-0 Energie Cottbus
29.09.2007 | Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 FC Bayern
07.10.2007 | FC Bayern 3-0 FC Nürnberg
20.10.2007, 15.30h | VfL Bochum vs FC Bayern
28.10.2007, 17.00h | Borussia Dortmund vs FC Bayern
03.11.2007, 15.30h | FC Bayern vs Eintracht Frankfurt
10.11.2007, 15.30h | VfB Stuttgart vs FC Bayern
24.11.2007, 15.30h | FC Bayern vs VfL Wolfsburg
02.12.2007, 17.00h | Arminia Bielefeld vs FC Bayern
08.12.2007, 15.30h | FC Bayern vs MSV Duisburg
15.12.2007, 15.30h | Hertha Berlin vs FC Bayern
01.-03.02.2008 | Hansa Rostock vs FC Bayern
08.-10.02.2008 | FC Bayern vs Werder Bremen
15.-17.02.2008 | Hannover 96 vs FC Bayern
22.-24.02.2008 | FC Bayern vs Hamburg SV
29.02.-02.03.2008 | Schalke 04 vs FC Bayern
07.-09.03.2008 | FC Bayern vs Karlsruhe SC
14.-16.03.2008 | Energie Cottbus vs FC Bayern
21.-23.03.2008 | FC Bayern vs Bayer Leverkusen
28.-30.03.2008 | FC Nürnberg vs FC Bayern
04.-07.04.2008 | FC Bayern vs VfL Bochum
11.-13.04.2008 | FC Bayern vs Borussia Dortmund
15./16.04.2008, 20.00h | Eintracht Frankfurt vs FC Bayern
25.-27.04.2008 | FC Bayern vs VfB Stuttgart
02.-04.05.2008 | VfL Wolfsburg vs FC Bayern
06./07.05.2008, 20.00h | Bayern Munich vs Arminia Bielefeld
10.05.2008, 15.30h | MSV Duisburg vs FC Bayern
17.05.2008, 15.30h | FC Bayern vs Hertha Berlin


UEFA Cup

20.09.2007 | FC Bayern 1-0 CF Belenenses
04.10.2007 | CF Belenenses 0-2 FC Bayern
25.10.2007, 21.15h | Red Star Belgrade vs FC Bayern
08.11.2007, 19.00h | FC Bayern vs Bolton Wanderers
29.11.2007 | SC Braga vs FC Bayern
19.12.2007, 20.45h | FC Bayern vs Aris Thessaloniki
13./14.02.2008 | Round of 32, 1st leg
21.02.2008 | Round of 32, 2nd leg
06.03.2008 | Round of 16, 1st leg
12./13.04.2008 | Round of 16, 2nd leg
03.04.2008 | Quarter-finals, 1st leg
10.04.2008 | Quarter-finals, 2nd leg
24.04.2008 | Semi-finals, 1st leg
01.05.2008 | Semi-finals, 2nd leg
14.05.2008, 20.45h | Final (in Manchester)


DFB-Pokal

06.08.2007 | Wacker Burghausen 3-4* FC Bayern *pens
31.10.2007, 20.30h | FC Bayern vs Borussia Mönchengladbach
29./30.01.2008 | Round of 16
26./27.02.2008 | Quarter-finals
18./19.03.2008 | Semi-finals
19.04.2008 | Final (in Berlin)


Ligapokal

21.07.2007 | Quarter-final: SV Werder Bremen 1-4 FC Bayern
25.07.2007 | Semi-final: VfB Stuttgart 0-2 FC Bayern
28.07.2007 | Final: FC Schalke 04 0-1 FC Bayern

[Oscar Cardozo]

Is the DFB Pokal like a league cup?

[D. Stankovic]

Klose has been really good this season, deserves to be at the top. Magician.

Ze Roberto is a great player as well, but needs to score more goals.

[GloriousReds]

klose-toni at the front= one of the best strike partnerships in the world. Both are clinical scorers.

[D. Stankovic]

Only if Toni is this good for Italy.

[Freddy Adu]

26th September 2007 // Bundesliga, Matchday 7
FC Bayern München 5-0 FC Energie Cottbus

GOAL: Miroslav Klose, 59th minute
GOAL: Martin Demichelis, 63rd minute
GOAL: Luca Toni, 69th minute
GOAL: Miroslav Klose, 75th minute
GOAL: Miroslav Klose, 89th minute

[D. Stankovic]

Klose's Hattrick really was great, what a legend!!

[Oscar Cardozo]

Add up Luca Toni again from today

[Freddy Adu]

29th September 2007 // Bundesliga, Matchday 8
Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 FC Bayern München

GOAL: Luca Toni, 40th minute

[GloriousReds]

klose should have another one....

[Freddy Adu]

FC Bayern München

Nickname(s) :
- Der FCB (The FCB)
- Die Bayern (The Bavarians)
- Die Roten (The Reds)

Founded: 27 February 1900
Stadium: Allianz Arena
Capacity: 69,901

Club’s official website: FCB.de

Chairman: Franz Beckenbauer
Manager: Ottmar Hitzfeld
League: Bundesliga

Honours:

German Championship: 20
> 1932, 1968/69, 1971/72, 1972/73, 1973/74, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1993/94, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2005/06

DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 13
> 1957, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006

European Cup / Champions League: 4
> 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001

European Cup Winners Cup: 1
> 1967

UEFA Cup: 1
> 1996

Intercontinental Cup: 2
> 1976, 2001

German Super Cup: 3
> 1983, 1987, 1990

German League Cup: 6
> 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007



History:

Bayern Munich was founded in 1900 by members of a Munich gymnastics club. The club played its first games in the regional Bayern league. Bayern’s first success came in 1926 in the form of the championship of southern Germany, an achievement repeated two years later. Their first national honour was gained in 1932, winning the German championship by defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 in the final. The advent of the Hitler regime put an abrupt end to Bayern’s development. The president and the coach, both of whom were Jewish, left the country. Many others in the club also saw themselves purged. In the following years, Bayern, taunted as the “Jew’s club”, decayed into irrelevance.

After the war Bayern became a member of the southern conference of the German first division, which was split five ways at that time, the Oberliga Süd. Bayern struggled, and in 1956 suffered the ignominy of relegation. The following season the club returned to the Oberliga and even won the German Cup for the first time, beating Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-0 in the final. The club progressed to become one of the better sides of the league, but struggled financially, verging on bankruptcy at the end of the 1950s. Manufacturer Roland Endler provided the necessary funds and was rewarded with four years at the helm of the club. In 1963 the Oberligas in Germany were consolidated to one national league, the Bundesliga. Bayern were denied membership, but gained promotion two years later, fielding a team with young talents like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier - who would later be collectively referred to as the axis.

In their first Bundesliga season Bayern finished third and also won the German Cup, qualifying for the European Cup Winners Cup, which they won in the following year in a dramatic final against Scottish club Rangers, when Franz “the Bull” Roth scored the decider in a 1-0 extra time victory. In 1967 Bayern retained the German Cup, but slow overall progress saw a new coach, Branko Zebec take over. He replaced Bayern’s offensive style of play with a more disciplined approach, and in doing so achieved the first league and cup double in Bundesliga history, using only 13 players throughout the season.

1970 saw a new coach, Udo Lattek, taking charge. After winning the cup in his first season he led Bayern to their third German championship. The deciding match in the 1971-72 season against Schalke 04 was the first match in the brand new Olympic Stadium, and was also the first live televised match in Bundesliga history. Bayern swept Schalke away 5-1 and thus claimed the title, also setting several records, including points gained and goals scored. Bayern also won the next 2 championships, but the zenith was the triumph in the 1974 European Champions Cup final against Atlético Madrid, which Bayern won 4-0 after a replay. In the following season the team was unsuccessful domestically, but defended their European title by defeating Leeds United in the final when “Bull” Roth and Müller secured victory with their late goals. A year later in Glasgow, AS Saint-Étienne were defeated by another Franz Roth goal and Bayern became the third club to win the trophy in 3 consecutive years. The final trophy won by Bayern in this era was the Intercontinental Cup, in which Brazilian club Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte were defeated over two legs.

The 1980s were a period of off-field turmoil for Bayern, with many changes in personnel and financial problems. On the field, the Bundesliga title was won in 1980 and 1981, but two trophyless seasons followed, after which former coach Udo Lattek returned. Bayern won the 1984 cup final, then went on to win 5 championships in 6 seasons, including a double in 1986. However, European success was elusive during the decade; Bayern only managed to claim the runners-up spot in the European Cup in 1982 and 1987. Bayern’s form dipped after their 1990 championship win, the club finishing just five points above the relegation places in 1991/92. Success returned when Franz Beckenbauer took over for the 2nd half of the 1993-94 season, winning the Championship again after a 3 year gap. Beckenbauer was then appointed club president, but his successors as coach did not meet expectations. During this time Bayern’s players frequently appeared in the gossip pages of the press rather than the sports pages, resulting in the nickname FC Hollywood. Franz Beckenbauer returned as coach, and led his team to victory in the 1996 UEFA Cup, beating Bordeaux in the final.

From 1998-2004 Bayern were coached by Ottmar Hitzfeld, who became the most successful Bayern coach of all time. In Hitzfeld’s first season, Bayern won the Bundesliga and came agonisingly close to winning the Champions League, losing 2-1 to Manchester United conceding two goals in injury time after leading for most of the match. The 1999-2000 season resulted in Bayern winning their third league and cup double. A third consecutive Bundesliga title followed in 2001, won in a finish on the final day of the league season. Days later, Bayern won the Champions League for the fourth time after a 25 year gap, defeating Valencia CF on penalties. The 2001-02 season finished trophyless for Bayern in the Bundesliga, but they won the Intercontinental Cup for the second time. But a season later Bayern won their fourth double, winning the league title by a record margin. Hitzfeld’s reign ended in ignominious fashion in 2004, with Bayern underperforming, including a cup defeat by 2nd division Alemannia Aachen.

Prior to the start of the 2005-06 season, Bayern moved from the Olympic Stadium to the new Allianz Arena, which the club shares with TSV 1860. In summer 2006 TSV 1860 Munich had to sell its party of the Allianz Arena to Bayern Munich due to a financial crisis. Bayern Munich now is the single owner of the Arena but both clubs hope that TSV 1860 Munich will repurchase its parts as soon as possible.

The current Bayern manager is Ottmar Hitzfeld, who returned to Munich in January 2007 after Felix Magath was sacked. In his first term at Bayern between 1998 and 2004 he won 4 Bundesliga titles, two DFB Pokals and the 2000-01 UEFA Champions League.


Noted players:

Three Bayern Munich players have been named European Player of the Year; Gerd Müller (1970), Franz Beckenbauer (1972 and 1976) and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (1980 and 1981). Several Bayern players have been named German Footballer of the Year, giving a total of 16 titles, more than any other club. A Bayern player has been the season’s top goalscorer in the Bundesliga on 12 occasions, with Gerd Müller winning the Golden Boot for the top goalscorer in any European league twice.

“Greatest Ever” squad:

On June 1 2005, on the opening of the new Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich announced the results of its online poll for the “Greatest Ever” squad. 66,000 fans voted for players from a shortlist presented to them.

S. Maier
K. Augenthaler - G. Schwarzenbeck - F. Beckenbauer - P. Breitner
M. Scholl - S. Effenberg - L. Matthäus
K. Rummenigge - G. Müller - G. Elber
(coach: O. Hitzfeld)

[Freddy Adu]

4th October 2007 // UEFA Cup, First Round, Second Leg
CF Belenenses 0-2 FC Bayern München

GOAL: Luca Toni, 59th minute
GOAL: Hamit Altintop, 77th minute

[Freddy Adu]

FC Bayern Munich
Full name	FC Bayern München AG
Nickname(s)	Der FCB (The FCB) Die Bayern (The Bavarians) Die Roten (The Reds) FC Hollywood
Founded	27 February 1900
Ground	Allianz Arena
Capacity	69,901
Chairman	Franz Beckenbauer
Head Coach	Ottmar Hitzfeld
League	Bundesliga
2006–07	Bundesliga, 4th
Home colours 　 Away colours

[Freddy Adu]

Zé Roberto is playing some of the best football of his life and after his return to Germany is now seen as one of the key elements to the club’s success this season.

On Sunday he laid on one goal and scored another himself to help Bayern to an emphatic 3-0 win in the Bavarian derby against Nürnberg.

Statistics show that he was the most competitive player on the pitch winning 75% of all his tackles.

“I was very pleased with my performance” he commented after the game.

The Brazilian serves as Bayern’s ball winner, distributor, and goal scorer, which is one of the reasons he has become indispensable this season.

“He is one of the reasons we have come out of the starting blocks so quickly this season” announced Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has also espoused the merits of the ‘new Zé Roberto. “He has shown why he was voted Footballer of the Year in Brazil playing in this position” he said.

The former Brazilian international rejoined Bayern in the summer after returning to his homeland to play for Santos the previous year. While there he reverted to a more central midfield position and revelled in his new role.

“Zé possesses absolute quality and is very important for our defence. He can tackle from behind without fouling, he never stops running, technically brilliant and can instigate attacks. He is an absolute bonus for the team” Hitzfeld added.

At 33, Zé Roberto is entering the final stages of his career, but at this rate the coming years could be his most successful yet.

***

[Freddy Adu]

Schlaudraff feiert Bundesliga-Debüt für FCB

Zwei UEFA-Pokal-Einsätze hatte Jan Schlaudraff in dieser Saison bereits auf dem Konto, jetzt kam er auch in der Bundesliga zu seinem Debüt für den FC Bayern. Am Sonntag wurde der ehemalige Aachener im Heimspiel gegen den 1. FC Nürnberg von Ottmar Hitzfeld in 70. Minute für Hamit Altintop eingewechselt und hatte anschließend noch einige gute Szenen in der Offensive. Insgesamt war es bereits sein 39. Spiel in der Bundesliga.

After two UEFA-Cup appearances, Jan Schlaudraff finally made his Bundesliga debut for Bayern.

On Sunday (7 October 2007, Bayern 3-0 Nürnberg), Schlaudraff was substituted on for Altintop in the 70th minute.

In total, it was his 39th Bundesliga appearance.

[Freddy Adu]

Jubiläumsspiel für Lell

Das Spiel der Bayern am Sonntag gegen Nürnberg war für Christian Lell eine runde Sache. Der 23 Jahre alte Rechtsverteidiger kam im bayrischen Derby zu seinem 50. Einsatz in der Bundesliga. Im Trikot des FCB war es sein 24. Spiel in der deutschen Eliteliga.

The match of Bayern against Nurnberg (3-0) on Sunday was Christian Lell's 50th Bundesliga appearance.

It was however only the 24th Bundesliga apperance for the 23-year-old right back in Bayern's shirt.

[Freddy Adu]

7th October 2007 // Bundesliga, Matchday 9
FC Bayern München 3-0 FC Nürnberg

GOAL: Luca Toni, 31st minute
GOAL: Zé Roberto, 40th minute
GOAL: Luca Toni, 81st minute

[Freddy Adu]

Our league goal difference is 22 now.

25 scored, only 3 conceded.

9 matchdays played.

[Freddy Adu]

The 174th Oktoberfest came to a close on Sunday, breaking new records for turnover and the volume of beer consumed. In the suburb of Fröttmaning, some seven miles from the city centre fairground, thousands of Bayern fans saluted their heroes as the men in red signed off for a two-week international break by setting a record of their own.

“It was a great game and we played fabulous football. We rewarded the crowd again and they’ve enjoyed it. People are going home totally satisfied,“ smiled Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge after Munich completed a stylish 3-0 victory over Bavarian rivals 1. FC Nürnberg and extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga standings.

Beckenbauer impressed

“Five points clear of Karlsruhe, six clear of Bremen, seven clear of Schalke, 13 clear of Stuttgart – that’s a decent lead,” commented Rummenigge after the club’s best start in nine seasons. Bayern have only bettered the current record once, in Ottmar Hitzfeld’s first term at the helm back in 1998-9, when they opened with 25 points from eight wins and a draw, ultimately taking the title by 15 points from Bayer Leverkusen.

“Bayern are very impressive at the moment,” observed club president Franz Beckenbauer, praising the team’s attacking instincts: “25 goals scored and only three conceded - that says it all.“ Bayern’s goal difference of +22 after nine games is a new Bundesliga record. “This team can go far, it has quality and desire,” Rummenigge continued, before adding a warning: “Let no-one think we’re home and dry. No-one’s ever been crowned champions after nine matches.“

Superior in every respect

Nevertheless, few would bet against the Bavarians completing a lights-to-flag run to their 21st domestic championship. Sunday’s 69,000 capacity crowd at the Allianz Arena watched a Bayern side “superior to us in every respect,” seasoned Nürnberg boss Hans Meyer freely admitted. “We had very little chance of taking anything from today’s game, especially not when Bayern simply let the ball do the work in such an amazing fashion.”

After struggling to unpick the visitors’ packed defence for the first quarter of the game, the Reds began firing on all cylinders midway through the first period and could easily have led at half-time by more than the goals from Luca Toni (31) and Zé Roberto (40). “We were flying, we passed very well and piled on the pressure,” Hitzfeld observed, delighted by “one of the best halves of football we’ve played this season.”

So far, so good

Bayern continued to press after the interval, but were a shade careless with their chances and only increased the margin of victory when Toni completed his first brace for the club with nine minutes to go. Hitzfeld was in no mood to criticise his men. “I was very pleased with our approach today, we passed well and put them under pressure. If we can keep winning games like this, we’ll finish as champions.“

Looking back on the first phase of intense activity this season, in which Bayern have recorded six wins and a draw from seven matches, the General declared himself pleased with the opening quarter of the campaign: “The team has emphatically indicated we’re among the favourites for the title,” the 58-year-old remarked. The thousands in Fröttmaning may well have a number of festival days ahead in the months leading up to May 2008.

[Freddy Adu]

According to reports in the Italian media, German giants Bayern Munich have taken a keen interest in Lazio stars Valon Behrami and Goran Pandev.
Goal.com - Transfer Zone - Bayern Linked With Lazio Duo

[Freddy Adu]

And, according to SkySports, Bayern have joined the race for Olympique Marseille's French youngster Samir Nasri.
Sky Sports | Football | Serie A | News | Inter join Nasri hunt

[Freddy Adu]

Following Sunday’s decisive 3-0 victory at home to Nürnberg, Bayern boss Ottmar Hitzfeld praised his team for their focus and discipline from the word go, although he lamented a string of missed chances in the second half which almost allowed the visitors a way back into the match.

Reaction to Bayern v 1. FC Nürnberg

Ottmar Hitzfeld: “We had a difficult UEFA Cup tie in midweek, so it was important to find our rhythm again straightaway. I was delighted with the way we took control of our opponents. We concentrated hard from the start, and we could have been further ahead by half time. I was very pleased with our approach today, we passed well and put them under pressure. The first goal was simply a matter of time, but we still had to find a way through their packed defence. Luca Toni’s goal cleared the way for us. We missed a few chances in the second half, and it was suddenly on a knife-edge when Nürnberg created two or three good openings. But we were very disciplined until the closing stages, although it could have been a close-run thing if they’d pulled one back.“

Michael Rensing: “Getting a chance to play for a few weeks in a row is a great experience. I want us to win every game we play and keep a clean sheet in every match. We’re hoping to pick up a few trophies this season.“

Hans Meyer (Nürnberg coach): “I’m a lot less disappointed than you might think. We’ve lost to a team who are better than us in every respect. It’s incredible how well Bayern played to their individual strengths today. Every football fan should be delighted that Bayern succeeded in signing Ribéry. Andreas Wolf was totally unable to get a grip on him, which is why I took him off. The opening goal was the beginning of the end. You only have a chance of looking good against Bayern when two things happen: everything has to work perfectly for you, and they have to run into trouble. There was only a very slight chance of us taking anything from the game today.“

Zvjezdan Misimovic (Nürnberg, ex-Bayern): “It was tough today, and we showed them too much respect. We had a chance or two, but the win by a three-goal margin is a fair result.“

[GloriousReds]

Bochum vs Bayern

1. Bundesliga 2007/2008 | Campeonato | Day 10

Bochum Bayern

Date 2007-10-20 City Bochum Stadium Ruhrstadion Referee

Last Matches

League	Home	Result	Away	Tournament
D1	Bochum	1-2	Bayern	1. Bundesliga 2006/2007
D1	Bochum	1-3	Bayern	1. Bundesliga 2004/2005
D1	Bochum	1-0	Bayern	1. Bundesliga 2003/2004
D1	Bochum	1-4	Bayern	Liga Alemã 2002/03
D1	Bochum	0-3	Bayern	Liga Alemã 2000/01
D1	Bochum	2-2	Bayern	Liga Alemã 1998/99
D1	Bochum	2-3	Bayern	Liga Alemã 1997/98
D1	Bochum	1-1	Bayern	Liga Alemã 1996/97
D1	Bochum	1-2	Bayern	Liga Alemã 1994/95
D1	Bochum	2-2	Bayern	Liga Alemã 1992/93

[Freddy Adu]

Bayern will approach the UEFA Cup group phase knowing hard work lies ahead against a range of attractive opponents from across Europe, but the Bundesliga leaders will be confident of progressing to the last 32 following Tuesday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland. Munich have been drawn in Group F along with English Premier League side Bolton Wanderers, Braga of Portugal, Serbian cracks FK Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) and Aris Thessaloniki of Greece.

“It’s not an easy group. We’ll have to watch ourselves,“ general manager Uli Hoeneß warned. “We’ve been handed an attractive draw against some very good teams. It’s a demanding group,“ commented head coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

Opener in Belgrade

Bayern open their group campaign in Belgrade on 25 October against Serbian double winners Crvena Zvezda at their stadium of the same name, although the ground is locally known as the “Marakana” for its former capacity of more than 100,000. “We’ve been knocked out by them before,” recalled chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Back in 1991-2, the Bavarians fell to Red Star in the European Champions’ Cup semi-finals by a 4-3 aggregate scoreline.

Two weeks later, Munich take to the Allianz Arena turf against Bolton, rated by Hitzfeld as the chief threat in the section alongside the men from Belgrade. Germany’s most successful club then return to Portugal, where they recently overcame Belenenses in the first round, to face SC Braga on 29 November. “We’re up against Braga, another Portuguese side. Our experience with Belenenses showed that won’t be a stroll,“ Hoeneß admonished.

Klose in confident mood

Bayern are not in action on Matchday 4, rounding off their group fixtures on 19 December at home to Greek outfit Thessaloniki. The top three in each group progress to the last 32. “Provided we concentrate in all our matches, we should definitely get through,“ striker Miroslav Klose declared.

Bayern’s Group F fixtures:

25.10.2007 FK Crvena Zvezda v Bayern Munich
08.11.2007 Bayern Munich v Bolton Wanderers (k-o 7 pm)
29.11.2007 SC Braga v Bayern Munich
06.12.2007 -
19.12.2007 Bayern Munich v Aris Thessaloniki (k-o 8.45 pm)

[Freddy Adu]

The Bayern camp has reacted positively to Tuesday’s UEFA Cup draw, grouping the men from Munich with opponents from Belgrade, Bolton, Braga and Thessaloniki. “I like the look of the group," offered Miroslav Klose. “It’s not the most difficult group, some of the others are groups of death. But they’re all good teams," Mark van Bommel reckoned.

Reaction to Tuesday’s UEFA Cup draw:

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “I don’t want to start debating whether this is a more or less difficult group. We’ve been given attractive opponents, but it’ll be anything but a stroll, especially against Bolton Wanderers from England and Red Star Belgrade, who knocked us out many years ago. But we’re Bayern Munich. We have a great deal of quality in the team and I’m certain we’ll achieve our target of qualifying for the next round.“

Uli Hoeneß: “It’s not an easy group. We’ll have to watch ourselves. Bolton Wanderers and Red Star Belgrade are big-name clubs. We’re up against Braga, another Portuguese side. Our experience with Belenenses showed that won’t be a stroll. And Werder Bremen know all about the strength of the Greek league after losing to Piraeus. But as third place is enough to get through, a lot would have to go wrong for us to miss out...“

Ottmar Hitzfeld: “We’ve been handed an attractive draw against some very good teams. It’s a demanding group. I rate Bolton Wanderers from England and Red Star Belgrade as our main rivals. But on the other hand, Bayern are favourites whenever we play, and that applies here too. We’ve set our sights high – we’re aiming to make the final.“

Miroslav Klose: “I like the look of the group. I faced Thessaloniki once with Kaiserslautern, we won and I scored. I’m looking forward to Bolton Wanderers, because I always enjoy it against English clubs, and Red Star Belgrade and Braga are interesting too. Provided we concentrate in all our matches, we should definitely get through.“

Mark van Bommel: “It’s not the most difficult group, some of the others are groups of death. But they’re all good teams. However, we can’t be contemplating anything less than getting through!“

Philipp Lahm:“It’s not an easy group, there are some tricky opponents. The away games in Belgrade and Braga will be tough. But we’re Bayern Munich, we’re the favourites.“

Michael Rensing: “I’m happy with the draw. Plenty of interesting opponents. I’m especially pleased about Red Star, my mother is Yugoslav by birth and we used to follow all Red Star’s matches. Bolton Wanderers are a good team too, but looking at the group, we’ve got to be capable of qualifying.“

[Freddy Adu]

Bayern will meet Bolton Wanderers for the first time ever when the sides cross swords in this term’s UEFA Cup, but one face in the English Premier League club’s squad will be all too familiar to Munich diehards: Bolton and France striker Nicolas Anelka, then a promising youngster with Real Madrid, struck twice to send the men in red tumbling out of the 1999-2000 Champions League at the semi-final stage.

Anelka is by no means the only big-name personality in the Trotters’ 35-strong squad, which also features Senegal international El-Hadji Diouf (ex-Liverpool), Spain’s Ivan Campo (ex-Real Madrid), Sweden star Christian Wilhelmsson (AS Rom), Wales veteran Gary Speed (Newcastle) and Greek EURO 2004 winner Stelios Giannakopoulos. Former Liverpool dynamo Sammy Lee took up the managerial reins at the start of the season.

Poor start for Wanderers

Despite the wealth of international experience at the club, Wanderers have made a thoroughly disappointing start to the new campaign: the four-time FA Cup winners (most recently in 1958) currently lie a lowly 19th in the Premier League. Long-term inspiration Jay-Jay Okocha moved on a year ago, and the shock departure of coach Sam Allardyce in late April this year may have hurt the club more than initially estimated.

Nevertheless, the Bolton camp expressed delight at the match-up with Germany’s biggest club. "We all said Bayern Munich in the group would be fantastic, so we're all very happy," declared Bolton chairman Phil Gartside, hoping the plum draw might re-invigorate the Trotters’ campaign this term: “You're looking for signs and things which might start your season off and this could be a great fillip for everybody,” he remarked.

Well-supported Aris boast few trophies

Bayern’s final group fixture sees Aris Thessaloniki visit the Allianz Arena on 19 December. The Greeks, who feature ancient god of war Ares on their club crest and are based in the country’s second city, rate as one of the biggest and most popular clubs in their home nation, but have yet to meet Bayern at any point in their history.

Thessaloniki boast a modest trophy collection, with their three national championships (1928, 1932, 1946) and solitary Cup triumph (1970) all belonging to the distant past. Aris have twice dropped into the Greek second division, most recently in 2004-5, although they immediately bounced back to the top flight and made their last appearance in the UEFA Cup as losing Cup finalists. As so often in the past, they failed to survive the first round.

Star coach

Thessaloniki’s greatest success on the European stage was reaching the UEFA Cup Round of 16 in 1979-80. The Greeks, who qualified for this season’s competition by finishing fourth in the league last term, currently lie eighth in the Super League with just one win in four matches, although the side coached by Dusan Bajevic remains undefeated.

Bajevic, who took the hot seat after former incumbent Carlos Oliva of Spain was dismissed after only one game in early September, is regarded a