[olafgb]

The last but (unfortunately ) not least team to start. The NT players arrive on July 6. Not a lot has to be said. Sovereign champion, unimportant players lost, some talents won – the giant favourite to win the championship again. The most interesting question will probably be if Schweinsteiger & Co only got playing time due to the never endangered success last season or if Bayern relies on them also in competitive moments. The only dangers for Bayern Munich are energy wasting success in the Champions League and internal trouble, that might occur when all players are healthy (last season Kuffour was mourning for his daughter and got time off for that; Scholl, Ballack, Salihamidzic, Deisler, Zickler and Santa Cruz were often injured and now want to have playing time as well as those who played instead of them). Bayern is still looking for a forward – Makaay is a topic as well as Tevez, who rather would be a second choice as Hitzfeld wants a striking forward (and not assisting as Hitzfeld rates Tevez) to prepare an Elber replacement for the next season, but nobody has to wonder if this just was a summer theatre (current situation: Makaay would come, Bayern offers 15 M, Deportivo demands 60 M).


GM: Uli Hoeneß
Head Coach: Otmar Hitzfeld (2005, since 7/98)
Main sponsor: T-mobile (cell phones)
Internet: www.fcbayern.de
Budget : 150 M
Season Aim: Championship, Champions League Title

New: Martin Demichelis (River Plate, 4.5 M), Michael Rensing, Piotr Trochowski (both own reserves), Tobias Rau (Wolfsburg, 2.5 M)

Leaving: Thorsten Fink (own reserves), Michael Tarnat (Manchester City), Stephan Wessels (Cologne), Bernd Dreher (career end), Niko Kovac (Hertha)


Goalies: Oliver Kahn, Michael Rensing

Defence: Willy Sagnol, Bixente Lizarazu, Sammy Kuffour, Robert Kovac, Martin Demichelis, Tobias Rau, Thomas Linke

Midfield: Mehmet Scholl, Michael Ballack, Ze Roberto, Jens Jeremies, Hasan Salihamidzic, Owen Hargreaves, Sebastian Deisler, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Markus Feulner, Piotr Trochowski

Offence: Giovane Elber, Claudio Pizarro, Alexander Zickler, Roque Santa Cruz, Zvejzdan Misimovic


Training Camps: July 6-10 in Leipzig, Germany; July 14-18 in Rottach-Egern/Germany
Scheduled Friendlies: July 25, Kiel; August 5, Newcastle
League Cup: July 22, winner of Berlin/Hamburg in Jena

[scd84]

I was beginning to think you didn't care

[panicfc]

I really hate this team, you all know that - but I have to say I applaud them for not changing Deisler's number from # 26 to #10 this season.

Too many clubs try to sell shirts and that may have cause a spike in the sales and they didn't do it. It isn't often I applaud Bayern Munich, but this is great that they thought of their supporters.

Second, the signing of Demichelis is fantastic. Damn! I love this kid and would have liked to see him at BL.04 instead.

Now I can go back to hating the Devil's club, Pure evil, and all things normally wrong with the world.

[dutchboy39]

I would not be surprised at all if Bayarn complete their goal of completed the treble. They have an outstanding squad as it is and have a lot of talent ready to prove themselves after last years champions leauge exit. If they can manage to get Maakay I would not be surprised if they ran away with the leauge early and concetrated on the Champions Leauge. As long as injuries dont ravage the squad, look for Bayarn to be celebrating come May.

[Syncope]

I ofter wonder how non-Bayern fans (or haters), and especially those from outside Germany, and extra especially those who support other mega-clubs, view Bayern's squad. What does a ManU, Juve, or Madrid fan actually think of Bayern's players.

I know how I feel about other teams, which is sometimes quite different from what I think of their players. I can openly admit to glee when Madrid or ManU fails, but I actually quite enjoy watching them, as they have great squads.

Does Bayern have a great squad? I sure think they have a good squad, but compare to clubs that spend themselves into oblivion, do they have a great squad?

I think Bayern's great weakness is that everyone is injured all the time, and that they don't have a world class striker (like a Vieri, Van Nistelrooy, Henry, Raul, etc.).

[Saint]

but outside these 5 dtrikers there <re ne mor "world class strikers"

and if, a big IF, Santa Cruz can stay healthy a complete season, he has the talent to be a really great striker!

[Basti]

Supposedly Deportivo want 21million for Makaay but Bayern have offered only 15-18million.

I doubt he will come, he's dutch and he's already playing in a more glorified league.

I would like to see him play for Bayern, it would take the team to a new level and possibly a Champions League Final victory... but I highly doubt he will be signed.

Concerning Tevez, Bayern don't need him. He's an attacking midfielder, we need a world class striker

[Excape Goat]

No big name to join bayern Munich this season. Elber is going to stay???

[Syncope]

Yes, Elber is staying, for two reasons. If he stays, he's a free transfer at the end of the season, and can thus collect a nice "personal" transfer fee. Second, he's still the best striker in the BL--and if he's not, he's at least the most consistent when measured over a whole season.

Elber might have never figured in the Brazilian NT, but for Munich's style of play he was perfect, and he proved it numerous times in international play. I hope he will have a great season for Bayern, but to achieve that he will have to work twice as hard as ever before.

[Texan]

Anybody want to venture a guess on Bayern's opening match starting XI?