Simon Kjaer is a Danish center-back, who has played for Danish club Midtjylland, Italian club Palermo and Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, and spent last season on loan at Roma in Italy. Simon Kjaer Danish International center-back Two years ago this 6'2″ defender who was born in Horsens, Denmark, has played for all the Danish Youth sides [.

Featuring Germany World Cup 2006 and 2010 star Lukas Podolski, 1. FC Köln finished the 2011/12 German Bundesliga season in 17th place and were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga. As...

Soothing hearts the immediate task

Yesterday I kicked off the Euro 2012 theme on the blog and started with the favourites, Spain. Moving on, today we'll have the joint favourites, Germany (in the eyes of the bookmakers, at least).

Germany

In terms of the top 6 teams earmarked with the best chance to win the tournament, Germany has the lowest average age in their squad.

Man Utd are very close to signing Shinji Kagawa, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder, as they prepare for a post Scholes - Giggs era (read apocalyptic). He will cost close to £18m. Kagawa is not the star power Utd fans would seek out but at this point getting suckered into competing with City and Chelsea and depleting their financial reserves further is just as important.

The VDVs As you may have noticed, the latest story to be doing the rounds in the British gutter press is Van Der Vaart to Schalke.
You'll notice various English papers are quoting Van Der Vaart with this:
"I don't want to say anything at the moment, as all my focus is on the European Championships.

After a brief return to the Bundesliga during the 2011/12 season, Hertha Berlin were relegated back to the second tier of German soccer, the 2. Bundesliga, at the end of...

Doherty Soccer is an independent site that covers the Rochester Rhinos and US Soccer. The following article is one half of a two part article on the strengths, weaknesses, players to watch and storylines for tonight's game. For the rest, visit Doherty Soccer.

Strengths:
The team is very strong in defense.

This mini-serial has a new episode today. The exposition points: Thanks to sources, I can now definitively confirm that there will be no loan spell for hot USMNT topic Terrence Boyd. Borussia Dortmund have decided they are amply stocked with strong prospects at that position. They are only accepting buy offers and he will definitely be leaving the Bundesliga champs this summer.

Liverpool must move quickly or risk missing out on long-term target Matias Suarez, with Bayern Munich reported to be readying a bid for the Argentine striker.
Anderlecht hitman Suarez has been on the Merseyside club's shortlist for some time and they had looked set to lure him from Belgium to Anfield this summer.

By Chris Wright

Bayern Munich have just opened their snazzy new 'FC Bayern Erlebniswelt' ('The Bayern Munich Experience) museum at the Allianz Arena for the first time, which has over 400 exhibits representing the entire history of the club including vintage tickets, matchballs, a scale cutaway model of the stadium, replicas of every trophy the club have ever won and this corking display of every shirt the club has ever worn in one huge glass case (click thumb for brilliant full-size image).

Image: AP Photo/Polfoto/Lars Poulsen. It's that awkward time of year when recently awarded trophies are already shelved in their new oak cabinetry homes, international team are already looking ahead to the next big thing and everyone journo, agent, club manager and momma is speculating about who will stay put or flee for pastures greener next season.

According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner is getting closer to the Arsenal exit door as Borussia Dortmund prepares for a transfer swoop.

Based on the report, the Bundesliga club has already officially inquired about the targetman, and with his loan spell at Sunderland over a move away from the Emirates is likely.

By Chris Wright

"Bugger, probably should've scored that"

Last night Bayern Munich played Holland in an unfortunately timed and largely meaningless friendly at the Allianz Arena which was set up in order to compensate the German side for the hamstring twang that Arjen Robben aggravated at the 2010 World Cup an injury which forced him to miss the first two months of the following season, despite Bayern pleading with the KNVB not to play him in South Africa.

Lewandowski perfect for Arsenal? by CB After winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal with Borussia Dortmund, Robert Lewandowski seems ready to try on a new challenge. Although Lewandowski has only played for Dortmund since 2010, he rapidly managed to get noticed by some of the biggest clubs in the Premiership, such as Manchester [.

Lewandowski perfect for Arsenal? by CB After winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal with Borussia Dortmund, Robert Lewandowski seems ready to try on a new challenge. Although Lewandowski has only played for Dortmund since 2010, he rapidly managed to get noticed by some of the biggest clubs in the Premiership, such as Manchester [.

It is no secret that most of Bayern Munich's squad endured a sleepless night following the penalty shoot-out defeat to Chelsea in Saturday's UEFA Champions League final. But after hours of reflection, at least some are able to put it all into perspective.

Bayern had 43 shots to the Blues' nine, while also delivering 20 corners to the Premier League outfit's one.

All of the Jose Mourinho departure talk can be put on hold. The Special One is not going anywhere.

Mourinho signed a new four-year deal with Real Madrid that will extend the manager's time with the club until 2016. Two years into his original deal with Madrid, Mourinho guided the club to the first 100-point season in La Liga history, dethroning Barcelona to capture the league championship and adding a title in Spain to ones that he has already claimed in Portugal, England and Italy.

After his penalty miss on Saturday night, Bastian Schweinsteiger hasn't been in the best of moods. Naturally, the German tabloids decided to stalk the defender on Sunday morning as he walked his dog wearing the worst outfit ever assembled. Well, to be fair, after you've lost such a painful Champions League final 15 wasted corners and all the last thing you'll care about is your shirt or the fact you look like Eminem's hobo brother.

By Chris Wright

Here we see Bayern Munich fans attending the Champions League Final dressed as Franck Ribery with an impressive attention to detail...

My morale compass ain't quite sure if this is funny or offensive so I ain't saying a goddamn thing.

Photo: Getty

Bayern Munich vs Chelsea Champions League Final Betting Preview is a post from: Just Football

It's been a while. Truth be told the stresses of a relegation battle for my team in the rarefied atmosphere of the Premier League was a little too much. Well, that and getting a new sporting business up and running, but with the small matter of the Champions' League and then the Euros your ever humble (with good reason) betting blogger is back.

Lukas Podolski likely can't wait to pull on an Arsenal shirt.

His final game for FC Köln saw the team relegated, and his thank-you lap-of-honour was spoiled by scenes of unrest on the terraces. It was far from a fitting end to a career that had seen Podolski break into the Köln side at the tender age of 18, before returning to the club in 2009 after a three-year stint at Champions League finalists Bayern Munich.

Welcome to your Champions League Final Bumper Post, brought to you by the squinting Fernando Torres and his post-flight mop. He brought just enough clothes for the post-match dinner in Munich, so it looks like that epic house rave and beer fountain party Jupp Heynckes has planned will only be attended by Mario Gomez (2 more goals, tipo, "zwei tore!

Members of Bayern Munich's squad and staff have aimed to settle debate surrounding whether or not they are favorites for tomorrow's Champions League final against Chelsea.

In recent days, the likes of Michael Ballack and Petr Cech have stated that Bayern have an emotional advantage as hosts, while Bastian Schweinsteiger has argued that the Blues' determination to erase their 2008 heartbreak gives them the emotional edge.

Defender Gina Lewandowski, who received her first-ever WNT call-up for this training camp, will not be joining the U.S. team after all as her club, FFC Frankfurt, has decided to keep her in Germany to play in several upcoming Bundesliga matches. Lewandowski played the entire match for Frankfurt on Thursday as it fell 2-0 to Olympic Lyonnaise in the UEFA Women's Champions League Final, played in front of more than 50,000 fans in Munich.

By JOHN BOSCHINI

There hasn't been any shortage of excitement on the road to Munich, and Saturday marks the final chapter in what has been a UEFA Champions League that will be remembered as one of the more unpredictable tournaments in recent years.

Bayern Munich and Chelsea broke up what was seemed as an inevitable Clasico final and dispelled the myth of a two-team power rising in the Champions League.

Arsene Wenger's negotiations to retain the services of skipper Robin van Persie did not go ideally today but the club's new forward Lukas Podolski is confident about the club's silverware prospects in the near future.

Podolski's signing was confirmed towards the end of last month before he was even done playing in the Bundesliga with FC Cologne.

It's not Real Madrid versus FC Barcelona as many expected, but we'll take it. In an improbable matchup, FC Bayern Munich will host Chelsea FC in the Champions League final on Saturday. Bayern Munich finished runners up to a dominant Borussia Dortmund in both the Bundesliga and the German Cup. Chelsea finished sixth in the [.

By Max Grieve

Jupp Heynckes was, to a point, playing the fool, but there was a grim undertone to his comments. "I have watched and coached in the Spanish League," he declared earlier in the week. "I know how hard it is to beat Barcelona. And now I'm left to wonder if Barça can't beat Chelsea, how can we?

One question that often pops up in the English football themed chatter that I have with my mates in the pub is "Which country should we go to, to watch a football game?" Whenever this has been posed in the past, the answer that we usually settle on before our plans ultimately fizzle out due to lack of funds or the inability to get the time off work, is Germany.

Danny Califf has been traded to Chivas USA, awaiting Major League Soccer approval, Peter Nowak told reporters at his weekly press conference today.

"Soon. There's nothing from us to release the stuff," Nowak said. "That's, as I said, it's the league process of confirming some stuff."

"We are still in the process of concluding this trade, Nowak said.

By Chris Wright

The Bundesliga relegation/promotion play-off (the third-bottom team in the Bundesliga play two legs against the side which finished third in 2. Bundesliga) between Fortuna Dusseldorf and Hertha Berlin ended in chaos last night when hordes of Fortuna fans invaded the pitch, let of flares and began tearing up the turf before the final whistle had actually sounded.

By Chris Wright

The Bundesliga relegation/promotion play-off (the third-bottom team in the Bundesliga play two legs against the side which finished third in 2. Bundesliga) between Fortuna Dusseldorf and Hertha Berlin ended in chaos last night when hordes of Fortuna fans invaded the pitch, let of flares and began tearing up the turf before the final whistle had actually sounded.

Fortuna Dusseldorf's Bundesliga promotion/relegation playoff against Hertha Berlin teetered on the edge of mayhem before eventually succumbing to a premature pitch invasion that probably helped them hold on for the victory.

Dusseldorf won the first leg 2-1 and took a quick lead in the second leg by scoring in the first minute.

Regarding Americans in Europe: - Playing without Alfredo Morales, Hertha Berlin were relegated to the 2.Bundesliga tonight by Fortuna Düsseldorf. - Hapoel Tel Aviv took the State Cup final in the 90th minute, meaning Leo Krupnik and Maccabi Netanya are in the Europa League. - Ahead of their Europa League playoff tie, Gent loan midfielder Mikkel Diskerud has publicly stated his desire to have

On this week's podcast, languagecaster takes alook at the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Remember, you can also: Listen only to the main report here complete with transcript and vocabulary Learners of English can review the footballing news from around the world in our good, the bad and the ugly [.

Travolgenti. Con questo aggettivo si possono definire, in maniera inequivocabile, i ragazzi di Jurgen Klopp, i calciatori ddi un giovane e talentuoso Borussia Dortmund che, dopo aver conquistato lo scudetto bis in Bundesliga, a spese del Bayern Monaco, lo travolgono anche nella finale berlinese della Coppa di Germania (Dfb Pokal), con un sonoro 5 aContinua a leggere .

Travolgenti. Con questo aggettivo si possono definire, in maniera inequivocabile, i ragazzi di Jurgen Klopp, i calciatori ddi un giovane e talentuoso Borussia Dortmund che, dopo aver conquistato lo scudetto bis in Bundesliga, a spese del Bayern Monaco, lo travolgono anche nella finale berlinese della Coppa di Germania (Dfb Pokal), con un sonoro 5 aContinua a leggere .

Travolgenti. Con questo aggettivo si possono definire, in maniera inequivocabile, i ragazzi di Jurgen Klopp, i calciatori ddi un giovane e talentuoso Borussia Dortmund che, dopo aver conquistato lo scudetto bis in Bundesliga, a spese del Bayern Monaco, lo travolgono anche nella finale berlinese della Coppa di Germania (Dfb Pokal), con un sonoro 5 aContinua a leggere .

Travolgenti. Con questo aggettivo si possono definire, in maniera inequivocabile, i ragazzi di Jurgen Klopp, i calciatori ddi un giovane e talentuoso Borussia Dortmund che, dopo aver conquistato lo scudetto bis in Bundesliga, a spese del Bayern Monaco, lo travolgono anche nella finale berlinese della Coppa di Germania (Dfb Pokal), con un sonoro 5 aContinua a leggere .

TweetBorussia Dortmund smashed Bayern Munich 5-2 to win the DFB Pokal (German Cup) in an extraordinary match in Berlin. The result of course gives much food for thought for Chelsea with Roberto Di Matteo's men set to face the Germans in the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena on 19, May.