BAYERN Munich president Franz Beckenbauer on Sunday blasted French midfield star Franck Ribery for being more interested in his own career than the club.

‘Ribery only came to Bayern to make his name. He’s French and he cares nothing for Munich,’ said former German football star Beckenbauer.

Asked on the possibility of Ribery breaking his contract a year before it ended, Beckenbauer said: ‘Why sign a four-year contract if you only want to stay three years?’

The 26-year-old, a member of the Bayern squad for the past two years, is known to have been attracted by the lure of Real Madrid, but the high-spending Spanish club baulked at the 80 million euro (S$164 million) price tag set for the France international.

AFP via Straits Times…

The first round of ticket sales for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 will begin on 29 October 2009. The day has been specifically chosen to launch the online order form on www.FIFA.com as it coincides with the top women’s international match between Germany and USA in the new FIFA Women’s World Cup Stadium in Augsburg (kick-off at 6pm). This will mark the start of the first sales period which will continue until 31 January 2010, with the “city series” being exclusively on offer during this phase.

There will be around a million tickets available in total for the 32 matches during the tournament, with the sale of tickets representing the most important source of income to cover the 51 million euros of the proposed FIFA World Cup budget and to generate a further 27 million euros.

The second sales period from early 2010 until the summer features specific group quotas and is aimed exclusively at clubs. “The “twenty11″ tickets as they are called are primarily aimed at clubs and teams, from youth sides right up to the veterans,” DFB General Secretary Wolfgang Niersbach explained. “We are offering 20 percent reductions for groups of 11 or more.”

“We are providing …

Coach Silvia Neid is forced to substitute two key players in Wednesday’s game against Japan in Mannheim (4 P.M., live on ZDF). Melanie Behringer and Isabell Bachor returned to their home team FC Bayern München due to an upcoming qualifying game for the newly founded UEFA Champions League.

Wednesday’s match against Japan is the next-to-last test for the German women ahead of the upcoming European Championships in Finland (August 23 – September 10). The defending European champions defeated the Netherlands 6-0 (4-0) in Sinsheim on Saturday. Neid, the German coach, expects a much closer contest tomorrow against Japan: “We’ll try to please the fans as we did on Saturday, but don’t underestimate this team. Japan plays a similar style to France. They prefer a fast-paced passing attack, they are technically sound, and very agile. It should be an interesting game.”

Despite the lopsided outcome, Neid was not satisfied with her team’s performance against the Netherlands. “We need to improve our defensive behaviour. I expect more aggressive tackling.”

The DFB-team has registered only wins in seven games with Japan, scoring 18 goals and giving up five goals.

Silvia Neid has nominated 26 players for the tentative EURO squad that will be …

On their way to the EURO 2009 final tournament in Finland (August 23rd – September 10th) the German Women’s National Team play three international friendlies against the Netherlands (July, 25th), Japan (July, 29th) and Russia (August, 6th).

The first preparatory encounter against the Netherlands is played in Sinsheim on Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CEST.

So far, Germany and the Netherlands have met 15 times. The German squad won nine matches and lost two, four encounters ended in a tie. The latest two matches took place during the EURO 2009 qualification. In April 2007, Germany won 5-1 in Wattenscheid. In November 2007, the team of German coach Silvia Neid also won the return match in Volendam 1-0 thanks to a goal by defender Annike Krahn.

Silvia Neid has nominated 26 players for the tentative EURO squad that will be reduced to 22 players for the final tournament.

“Those who want to take part in the EURO have to show their capacity. I expect my team to show passion on the pitch and to be hungry for success”, Neid says with regard to the international friendlies and her nomination of the final EURO squad.

In Finland, the German women …

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The top duel between defending German champions VfL Wolfsburg and last season’s third-placed club VfB Stuttgart will kick off the 47th Bundesliga season on 7 August at 8.30p.m.

The first match of the new season sees the new Wolfsburg coach, Armin Veh, play against his former club with which he won the German championship in 2007. The opening match will be broadcast live on free-to-air TV (ARD), subscription TV and the internet (SKY) as well as on IPTV (Telekom, Liga-Total).

Record championship holders Bayern Munich will start the 2009/10 season with an away match against 1899 Hoffenheim. Bundesliga 2 champions, SC Freiburg, will play their first match at home against Hamburger SV.

The new Bundesliga 2 season will also be kicked off by two top teams: 1. FC Kaiserslautern will play at home against Spvgg Greuther Fürth. Two newly promoted teams will fight it out as well: Fortuna Düsseldorf will host SC Paderborn 07 in the Düsseldorfer Arena.

[DFB.de]…

Hamburg SV’s Brazilian defender Alex Silva faces knee surgery and will miss most of next season after being injured in a friendly, team doctor Oliver Dierk said on Wednesday.

“Alex will be out of action for between eight and nine months,” Dierk was quoted as saying on the Bundesliga club’s website.

The 24-year-old, who has won two caps for Brazil and joined Hamburg from Brazilian champions Sao Paulo one year ago, suffered the injury early in the second half of a match against Austria’s Wacker Innsbruck on Tuesday.

[Soccernet]…

Franck Ribery has denied he wants to leave Bayern Munich for Real Madrid and insists he doesn’t want a “controversy” with his club.

The midfielder was quoted last week as saying he’d made up his mind to leave Bayern with Real Madrid his intended destination, but he told Munich’s Tz newspaper on Monday: “I have never said that I wanted to go.

“They were not my words, what I said was misinterpreted. I don’t understand the whole discussion. I don’t want a controversy with Bayern Munich. I would gladly clarify the situation.

“We have to wait and see if there is an offer coming and then sit down and talk. I do not want to say anything wrong right now.”

Ribery was reported as telling a French newspaper last week: “I have decided that I want to leave. It will be Real Madrid or nothing. I will wait to see how things pan out but I would like to hold talks with the Bayern management soon.”

Ribery also denied suggestions today he missed training sessions over the weekend so as not to jeopardise a move by picking up an injury.

“That is a lie,” he said. “I have a heel …