Bundesliga News: Week Five
September 16, 2004
Schalke 04's dismal start to the season has cost coach Jupp Heynckes his job at the Gelsenkirchen club. The former European Cup winning Real Madrid coach became the first casualty of the Bundesliga season after presiding over a start to the season which has seen the Royal Blues lose three of their four league matches and lie third from bottom of the Bundesliga, although they have reached the first round of the UEFA Cup through the Intertoto Cup and host Liepajas Metalurg of Latvia on Thursday.
"After talking with all those involved, we felt that the relationship between the coach and the team was not sufficient to lead to improvement in the foreseeable future," executive manager Rudi Assauer said in a statement.
Assistant coaches Eddy Achterberg and Oliver Reck will take over the team while the club looks for a replacement for 59-year-old world cup winner Heynckes, who has also coached Bayern Munich, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, Spanish sides Real, Athletic Bilbao and Tenerife and Portugal's Benfica in his career.
Dede fit for Bayern clash
Borussia Dortmund captain Leonardo Dede will be available to coach Bert van Marwijk for the "play of the day" match in the Bundesliga this Saturday. BVB take on Bayern Munich at the Westfalen Stadion and will be glad to welcome back their 26-year-old Brazilian skipper after he returned to training on Wednesday after a thigh strain. Dede is expected to take part in full training on Thursday and will be in contention for a return to the Dortmund side.
Baumann, Charisteas out after Milan defeat
Werder Bremen's captain Frank Baumann (photo) will miss the Bundesliga clash with Hanover 96 on Saturday after sustaining an injury in the 2-0 Champions League defeat against Inter Milan on Tuesday night. The 28-year-old German international suffered a ligament injury in his right leg in Milan and will be out of action for ten to 14 days. Another Werder player who got crocked in the San Siro is European champion Angelos Charisteas. The Greek international forward suffered a cartilage break in the left ear against Inter and is a major doubt for the Hanover clash. He is expected to be out of action for several days.