Latest Football & Transfer News 09-08-2012

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Wiese too old for Germany at 30

Goalkeeper Tim Wiese, 30, has been left out of Germany's squad for next week's friendly with Argentina and told he is to old.



"We have had an in-depth conversation with Tim and... informed him that for the World Cup qualifiers, we want to base our plans around the younger goalkeepers," said goalkeeping coach Andreas Koepke.
"However, he is not completely written off," he said on the German FA's website.
The Hoffenheim goalkeeper was in the squad for Euro 2012 and has played six times for Germany, all in friendlies.
However, 34-year-old Miroslav Klose was included.
Germany's 19-man squad for the match in Frankfurt next Wednesday included 17 players who took part in Euro 2012, where they were surprisingly knocked out by Italy in the semi-finals.
Forward Lukas Podolski was excused from playing to give him a chance to settle at Arsenal following his move from Cologne.
"The English season begins three days after the match," said Germany coach Joachim Loew.
"For Lukas, who is playing for a regular place in the team, it is a little more important to spend the last days before the start of the season preparing with his team."
Bayern Munich trio Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Gomez and Philipp Lahm were left out. Schweinsteiger has been plagued by nagging injuries, Gomez underwent ankle surgery this week and Lahm has been left out for personal reasons.
Squad:
Midfielders Julien Draxler and Sven Bender were the only additions to the squad.
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hanover 96)
Defenders: Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Benedikt Hoewedes (Schalke 04). Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund)
Midfielders: Sven Bender (Borussia Dortmund), Julian Draxler (Schalke 04), Mario Goetze (Borussia Dortmund), Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Andre Schuerrle (Bayer Leverkusen)
Forwards: Miroslav Klose (Lazio) (Reporting By Brian Homewood, editing by Mark Meadows)

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Joselu leaves Real for Hoffenheim

Spain U21 striker Joselu has joined Hoffenheim for an undisclosed fee from Real Madrid, the Bundesliga club confirmed.



Joselu, 22, returns to the country of his birth after three years at Madrid. He scored 26 goals for their B team in Spain’s third division last season.
He has signed a four-year contract
“Joselu has already proved his class at Real,” Hoffenheim coach Markus Babbel said.
“He is young, but with great potential. He will adapt well to the team.”
Born in Stuttgart to Spanish parents, he moved to Spain aged four.
He joined Real from Celta Vigo in 2009 but only made two appearances for the first team, scoring both times.

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O'Neill in no rush to strengthen

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Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill will take his search for reinforcements to the wire if he has to.
The Ulsterman's efforts to strengthen his squad this summer have to date proved frustrating, with no new arrivals since the capture of free agent Carlos Cuellar last month.
His pursuit of Wolves striker Steven Fletcher, however, appears to be coming to a head with the 25-year-old Scotland international having handed in a transfer request after growing frustrated with his club's stance over his future. O'Neill said: "Unfortunately, I have been involved in late scrambles before, so it's nothing new to me in that sense."
O'Neill knows from experience just how long these things can take and while he would ideally like to have had all his targets on board long before the start of the new season, at Arsenal on August 18, he knows he may find himself anxiously awaiting news as the summer transfer window draws to a frenzied conclusion.
O'Neill added: "Obviously, the most important issue is to try to get them in before the deadline finishes. Ideally it would be great to get them in and be part of the club before you kicked off the season, and we will do our utmost to do that.
"But unfortunately, I am unable to promise anything other than that we do have players in mind and we are trying our best to get them."
O'Neill has studiously avoided commenting on his targets and his public stance is still to confirm only that a series of bids have been lodged and that the club is busily trying to push home its interest on several fronts. However, it is known that Fletcher's name features high on, if not at the top of, his wish-list.
Sunderland have made a series of offers for the former Hibernian and Burnley frontman, the latest thought to amount to £12million, but relegated Wolves are yet to receive a bid which meets their valuation of the player - with some reports suggesting they could want as much as £15million.
The Black Country club insisted early this summer that their star men were simply not for sale as they plan for an immediate promotion push, although they are realistic enough to know that every player has his price. Fletcher's situation is complicated by the fact that Burnley are due a proportion of any fee and Wolves are understandably keen to maximise the return they will receive from a sale.
However, Press Association sport understands the Scot, who cost the Midlanders £7million when he moved from Turf Moor in June 2010, fears their approach could price him out of a return to the Barclays Premier League.

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Lille-PSG 'high risk' for violence

Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 clash at Lille on September 2 has been deemed a "high risk" threat for hooliganism, the French Football League announced.



The DNLH, a national organisation for the prevention of hooliganism, advised the LFP that “grievances exist between the hardcore fans of both clubs, a result of incidents at Lille during their last match in April”.
The Ministry of the Interior demanded that the LFP ensures that “only PSG fans, accompanied and protected from their departure from Paris, can access the away end” and that “tickets may not be sold or distributed in the home areas outside of the previously allocated season tickets”.
Before last season's match on April 29, 12 people were arrested after a fight between supporters in Lille’s city centre.
Seven Lille fans and five away supporters were taken into custody after a mass brawl saw rival hooligans hurl chairs at each other.
There were no serious injuries.

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Leeds transfer list Pugh and Rogers

Leeds manager Neil Warnock has transfer-listed Danny Pugh and Robbie Rogers as he attempts to finance a move for a new striker.



Defender Pugh, 29, is in his second spell at Elland Road having initially signed from Manchester United in 2004 while American winger Rogers, 25, has made a solitary start for United since his move from Columbus Crew in January.
The duo join Billy Paynter, Paul Rachubka, Paul Connolly and Ramon Nunez in being made available for transfer.
Warnock told the club's official website: "We're looking at forward players and it might be that we have to move one or two on so we're going to circulate the names of Robbie Rogers and Pughy on the transfer list.
"I've had a chat with both of them. In Pughy's case he's had a good pre-season and he's a bit unlucky but in the areas I think he's good in I don't think he'll get much of a look in.
"He needs to be playing games. It's not closing the door but if we can generate some income it helps me with priority positions."

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Kyle thrilled to be back on pitch

New Rangers striker Kevin Kyle was delighted to make a 10-minute cameo in the victory over East Fife on Tuesday evening and silence the doubters who thought he would never play again.



The 31-year-old Kyle has been struggling with injury problems over the last 18 months, mainly nursing a hip complaint that has required two operations to fix. Now he has been given an opportunity to prove he can stay fit and help Rangers in their quest to return to the Scottish Premier League as soon as possible.
After leaving Hearts in March, it was simply getting back out on the pitch that made Kyle happy, especially as it was at Ibrox in front of over 38,000 fans. "I'm still in shock about the whole thing," he told The Sun.
"I really enjoyed my debut and it was a long time coming. I've waited 19 months to kick a ball again so I'm delighted.
"It's great to be here at Rangers, what an opportunity. I only got 10 minutes, but it was great to be on the park again.
"It was a proud moment being out there playing for Rangers. It was an even prouder moment for myself that I never gave up and kept going."
The Scotland international revealed he was sent for hernia and groin operations before getting the necessary treatment on his troublesome hip.
All of those procedures led to him missing a year and a half of football but he was always determined to prove the doubters wrong.
"It's hard when you're sent to dummies who tell you that you will never play again," he said.
"But it's amazing what happens when you work with the right people - you get back playing football."

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Dremmler lands top Bayern youth job

Former Germany star Wolfgang Dremmler has been appointed head of youth development at Bayern Munich.



Midfielder Dremmler, who played in the 3-1 1982 World Cup final loss to Italy as part of his 27-cap haul, succeeds Hans-Jorg Butt in the position.
“I find this challenge very appealing, no question about it," said Dremmler. "My heart has always been in youth development work, and now I’m devoting this to my new position with FC Bayern. I’m supported by a very good team, and we’ll try and complete the tasks assigned to us by the club in the best possible way.“
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressed his contentment. “With Wolfgang Dremmler, we’re very pleased to have found a convincing and also internal solution for the position of head of the youth department.
“Wolfgang played for FC Bayern, and was a successful international. He returned to the Säbener Strasse in 1995 and set up the FC Bayern junior team, after which he spent 17 years responsible for the club’s scouting, both in the junior and senior areas. Now, with all his experience, he’s coming back to the FC Bayern elite youth academy as its head. We’re extremely pleased with this decision.“