Goalkeeper Robert Enke will not form part of the German squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Moscow against Russia (October 10, 5.00 pm) and in Hamburg against Finland (October 14, 6.00 pm).

It’s the result of a recent conversation between National Coach Joachim Löw and the eight-time international. “Robert will only be able to train lightly in accordance with the team doctors and will have to ingest antibiotics. This means, that he won’t be totally fit for the qualifiers and therefore will not be eligible. We are happy though, that there finally is a diagnosis for his health problems and that Robert is on the mend.”

After lengthy medical examinations and lab tests, Enke’s club Hannover 96 had told on Friday, that bacterias, which can appear with gastro-intestinal diseases, had been detected in his body.

[DFB.de]…

Stuttgart’s former Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been dropped from the first-team squad for paying a visit to Oktoberfest.

The 39-year-old was spotted at Munich’s beer festival only hours after his side had been beaten 2-0 by Cologne in the Bundesliga, although he had not been given permission to attend.

”[Director of sport] Horst Heldt and I will talk with Jens about this on Thursday and then we will see where to go,” coach Markus Babbel said on the club’s website.

Stuttgart confirmed Lehmann would not be part of the squad which travels to face Lubeck in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.

The keeper had gifted Cologne their second goal when he raced out of his area only to lose possession and allow Wilfried Sanou to shoot into an empty net from 45 yards out.

Lehmann apologised for breaking club rules, accepted the suspension, but claimed his motives were good.

”The visit to [Oktoberfest] was part of a charity event and it had been planned for a long time,” he said. ”However, it was not agreed with the club. Of course I accept the measures taken by the sporting management.”

[Soccernet]…

Bochum have apologised after news of coach Marcel Koller’s sacking was announced on their website on Sunday before it had been confirmed at a board meeting.

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Marcel Koller led Bochum into the German top flight in 2006.

The Swiss coach was dismissed but, four hours before the meeting took place, a press release was posted on the club’s website announcing his departure.

“This is embarrassing,” a club spokesman told Bild. “This press release had only been prepared in case it was needed. It appeared on our site due to a misunderstanding.”

Koller did not see the announcement, which appeared just ten minutes after he had finished leading his final training session at the club.

However, he remained disappointed to be told by club chief Werner Altegoer that his four-and-a-half year spell at the club was over.

“It is now official, I have been dismissed,” he told the Basler Zeitung newspaper. After a discussion with chairman Werner Altegoer, we both decided together to terminate the contract. I could feel that this dismissal was not easy for him. It is also painful for me.”

Koller led Bochum into the Bundesliga at the second attempt in 2006 and has established them in

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Germany saw off a valiant challenge from England to secure their fifth consecutive European Women’s Championship crown with a resounding 6-2 victory in an entertaining match in Helsinki on Thursday.

Germany took an early lead at the Olympic Stadium through all-time leading scorer Birgit Prinz, who slotted home adroitly from Inka Grings’s clever reverse pass, before Melanie Behringer made it 2-0 with a stunning 40-yard drive into the top-left corner.

England, though, responded immediately and halved the deficit two minutes later when Karen Carney tapped into an empty net after a slaloming run into the penalty area from Boston Breakers star Kelly Smith.

Germany, the reigning world champions, re-established their two-goal advantage shortly after half-time with a goal that will have disappointed England coach Hope Powell. A German corner wasn’t dealt with and when Annike Krahn’s shot bounced back off the right-hand post, Kim Kulig was on hand to slam the ball into the roof of the net.

Again England fought back, Smith firing an expert left-foot shot across Nadine Angerer and into the bottom-right corner, but Grings brilliantly headed home Kerstin Garefrekes’s right-wing cross to kill off England´s comeback hopes and become the first player to score five goals …

Miroslav Klose kept Germany on course for a place at next year’s World Cup with two second-half goals to seal a 4-0 win over Azerbaijan on Wednesday night.

The 31-year-old Bayern Munich star has now scored 47 goals for his country to put him joint third amongst Germany’s goal-scorers and level with legends Jürgen Klinsmann and Rudi Völler.

With Russia winning 3-1 against Wales in Cardiff, Germany lead Group Four by a point from their rivals – who they face in Moscow on October 10. “We have done what we set out to do, now it will go down to the wire,” said Ballack. “The game in Russia will be the most difficult of the whole qualification campaign.

The best chance of the opening stages fell to Werder Bremen’s Özil when the 20-year-old broke through but fired his shot at goalkeeper Kamran Aghayev. It was only a matter of time before Germany got the first goal and it came soon after when Bayern’s Gomez threaded a pass through the defence for Köln’s Podolski. He was brought down by the Azerbaijan defence and Ballack slotted home the spot kick on 13 minutes.

After the break, Löw made a change with Klose …

Image: DFB.de

Defending Champions Germany booked their place in the final of the European Championship in Finland against England on Thursday after beating Norway 3-1 (0-1) in the semifinal in Helsinki.

The Germans had the better start, but it was Norway, who took the lead after Isabell Herlovsen headed home from short distance after a corner in the 10th minute. Germany never came into the match, while Norway defended brilliantly before the break.

With three new players brought on after the break, Germay struck back in the second half. The first of them, Simone Laudehr, slotted the ball in after 59 minutes to tie the game and only two minutes later, substitute number two, Celia Okoyino da Mbabi, scored with a header to make it 2-1. In the dying minutes of the match, the third sub, Fatmire Bajramaj, netted the third one to secure the victory.

[DFB.de]…

With Germany facing Azerbaijan on Wednesday in Hanover with World Cup qualifier points at stake, Hannover keeper Robert Enke will not be eligible due to a common cold. Meanwhile Bayern Munich’s Mario Gomez returned to training after having complained of pain in his right knee and receiving treatment on Sunday.

The rest of the squad trained without problems and Germany coach Joachim Löw said he was happy with Saturday night’s performance, having played a 4-3-3 system rather than the traditional 4-4-2 formation.

Germany lead Group Four by a single point and face their most important game of the qualification campaign so far when they take on Russia in Moscow on October 10.

[DFB.de]…

Image: DFB.de

The six-time champions Germany beat Italy 2-1 (1-0) and advance to the semifinals at the 2009 European Championships in Finland. Two quick strikes by forward Inka Grings at the beginning of each half helped the German team to a comfortable cushion, but then Patrizia Panico’s goal reduced the German lead to 2-1 and German keeper Nadine Angerer had to save her team with an unbelievable parry in the final seconds. Germany now moves on to meet the winner of the Sweden-Norway match in the semis on Monday.

“Most things went according to plan. But we should have decided the outcome much earlier in the game, as we did have many scoring chances”, said German coach Silvia Neid following the win over Italy.

The win comes with a sour taste, as defender Ariane Hingst had to leave the game during halftime. The two-time World Champion might have torn her meniscus, according to an initial medical examination.

In front of 2,500 fans in Lahti, the German team did not waste any time. With barely four minutes played, Melanie Behringer kicked the ball into the penalty-box, where Inka Grings converted the opportunity. One quick turn, a strike into the left corner, …