Larry Ryan - Treating the week’s sport like scum

Bayern Munich against Arsenal has become a Champions League hardy perennial. Tomorrow night’s match takes on added significance following Philipp Lahm’s announcement that he will retire at the end of the season.

Zinedine Zidane has hinted that Real Madrid are still interested in signing the Manchester United target Paul Pogba, insisting “anything can happen”.

The Bundesliga clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund came to an extraordinary halt after 65 minutes when Roger Schmidt, the Leverkusen manager, refused to be sent off.

WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL:

I’m especially good at expectorating, sings Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, and the hunter’s skill with a well-aimed spit is just one more indication that he’s the villain of the piece.

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed the signing of 18-year-old Poland forward Arkadiusz Milik from Gornik Zabrze.

Frank Lampard today refused to rule out this being his final season at Chelsea.

On the two previous occasions Germany have lost in the final of a European Championship, they have come back four years later to win the tournament.

Oliver Bierhoff has called for his team to break the habit of their traditional second-game slump when the new tournament favourites Germany face the Netherlands in tonight’s Euro 2012 clash.

Bayer Leverkusen director of sport Rudi Voller has condemned the behaviour of Michal Kadlec and Manuel Friedrich following the pair’s over-exuberant efforts to swap shirts with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in their Champions League encounter on Tuesday.

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Michael Ballack has been deprived of a possible start in tonight’s Champions League tie with Barcelona due to an injury picked up in training.

BARCELONA sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta is wary of history repeating itself after his side were drawn against Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Wolfsburg are unlikely to make Michael Ballack their 12th signing of the summer.

THIS has been a record-breaking World Cup for Miroslav Klose whichever way you look at it: he earned his first red card in a Germany shirt against Serbia, his 50th international goal against England, his 100th appearance against Argentina and now, before the semi-final against Spain, he is one goal away from equalling Brazil legend Ronaldo’s all-time record of 15 goals in World Cup matches.

JOE COLE wants to sort out his club future sooner rather than later after claiming an unhappy final season at Chelsea was down to “political rather than footballing reasons”.

Bayer Leverkusen will do “all they can” to bring Michael Ballack back to the club eight years after his first spell in North-Rhein Westphalia ended following the most successful season in the club’s history.

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed their interest in signing Michael Ballack after he was released by Chelsea earlier this week.

HE HAS played for Franz Beckenbauer, Rafa Benitez, Kenny Dalglish, Gerard Houllier, Otto Rehhagel, Berti Vogts and Rudi Voller, but as far as Didi Hamann is concerned Giovanni Trapattoni is simply the best.

THINGS You Don’t Really Want To Hear From Your Pilot, Number 173: “I know this feels uncomfortable but there is no operational or safety problem.”

Veteran Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia will join German side Bayer Leverkusen on a two-year deal in the summer.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN claim Spurs have agreed to match their asking price for Bulgaria striker Dimitar Berbatov.

Jurgen Klinsmann has resigned as coach of Germany. The 41-year-old has decided not to continue in the role despite leading his team to a brilliant third in the World Cup.

TOTTENHAM’S new £10.9 million (€16.1m) signing, Dimitar Berbatov, believes he has joined a club on the “up and up” after moving from Bayer Leverkusen.

Tottenham have revealed initial tests by the UK Health Protection Agency into the suspected food poisoning outbreak are inconclusive, despite the discovery of a virus in one of the affected players.

Bayer Leverkusen claim Tottenham have agreed to match their asking price for Bulgaria striker Dimitar Berbatov.

GERMANY U-21 goalkeeper Rene Adler has signed a new contract with Bayer Leverkusen.

MICHAEL SKIBBE has been named as the new coach of Bayer Leverkusen, becoming the permanent successor to Klaus Augenthaler, who was sacked three weeks ago.

Bayern Munich’s 15-match winning streak in the Bundesliga came to an end today as they went down 2-0 at Hamburg, who themselves are unbeaten in 17 matches in all competitions this season.

Franz Beckenbauer has admitted approaching Arsene Wenger to see if the Arsenal manager was interested in managing Germany.

Rudi Voller has confirmed his decision to step down as coach of struggling Serie A giants Roma.

ARSENAL chairman Peter Hill-Wood is convinced manager Arsene Wenger will sign a new contract and resist any advances from Real Madrid.

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood is convinced manager Arsene Wenger will sign a new contract and resist any advances from Real Madrid.

ROMA coach Rudi Voller has picked out Arsenal as his favourites to win this year’s Champions League.

Paolo di Canio made an immediate impression for new club Lazio tonight - netting the only goal of the game at Sampdoria on the opening weekend of the Serie A season.

ROMA have appointed former Germany coach Rudi Voller as their new boss. Voller, who resigned his post with Germany after Euro 2004, spent the day in the Italian capital discussing the move.

Roma have appointed former Germany coach Rudi Voller as their new boss.

JURGEN KLINSMANN has been named new coach of the German national team.

Jurgen Klinsmann has been named as the new coach of the German national team.

FORMER international striker Jurgen Klinsmann is the latest name to enter the fray for the vacant Germany manager's job.

Greece’s Euro 2004-winning coach Otto Rehhagel has turned down the chance to lead his native country Germany into the 2006 World Cup.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has turned down an approach to become new coach of Germany.

The focus now is not on Greece but Germany. To whom do they turn to lead the team in the World Cup of 2006?

Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side may be out of Euro 2004 but there is still one table at the tournament he tops.

Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Euro 2004 may be out of Euro 2004 but there is still one table at the tournament he still tops.

PITY the Euro 2004 managers whose loyalty to some tired old warriors was misplaced. How it cost them.

FRANCE midfielder Patrick Vieira, who has a thigh strain, is doubtful for tonight's quarter-final against Greece, says coach Jacques Santini.

Rudi Voller has resigned as Germany coach following the team’s first-round exit at Euro 2004.

Rudi Voller has resigned as Germany coach after his side’s meek exit from Euro 2004, according to reports in the German media.

Rudi Voller admitted that his side, once the powerhouse of world football, can no longer compete with the big boys in Europe.