SOCCER-GERMANY/WOLFSBURG/BAYERN Wolfsburg and Bayern gear up for Super Cup clash, de Bruyne not for sale

Record ID: 145691

  • Title: SOCCER-GERMANY/WOLFSBURG/BAYERN Wolfsburg and Bayern gear up for Super Cup clash, de Bruyne not for sale
  • Date: 30th July 2015
  • Summary: WOLFSBURG, GERMANY (JULY 30, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF VOLKSWAGEN ARENA SPORTING DIRECTOR OF VFL WOLFSBURG, KLAUS ALLOFS ARRIVING TO TALK TO MEDIA JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPORTING DIRECTOR OF VFL WOLFSBURG, KLAUS ALLOFS, SAYING: "Both teams will not be 100 percent fit. We can say say this for sure. It would be very unusual two weeks before the start of the Bundesliga but on the other hand it is the champions against the runners-up. The champions against the cup-winners against. Both teams met last year, Bayern won once and we won the other time. So, it is a duel of prestige and neither of the two teams wants to lose such a game." ALLOF'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPORTING DIRECTOR OF VFL WOLFSBURG, KLAUS ALLOFS, SAYING ON THE FUTURE OF KEVIN DE BRUYNE: "I cannot remember saying that he is not for sale. You would have to prove this to me but it doesn't change anything about our attitude. We expect Kevin de Bruyne to be with the team for the Super Cup but also afterwards during the championship. That is our plan: to keep our players here and that is not just the case for Kevin de Bruyne but also for Ivan Perisic, Bas Dost, for Riccardo Rodriguez, etc. These are all names which have been named by other clubs and for whom there has been speculation." VARIOUS VFL WOLFSBURG TEAM STANDING TOGETHER ON TRAINING PITCH FANS LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF TEAM RUNNING AROUND PITCH PLAYERS INCLUDING MIDFIELDER KEVIN DE BRUYNE (RED HAIR) ON PITCH PLAYERS ON PITCH COACH DIETER HECKING KICKING BALL AND WALKING AWAY PLAYERS INCLUDING DE BRUYNE (SECOND FROM RIGHT) STRETCHING DE BRUYNE TAKING SHOT AT GOAL TEAM ON PITCH MUNICH, GERMANY (JULY 27, 2015) (REUTERS) BAYERN MUNICH PLAYERS TRAINING GOALKEEPER MANUEL NEUER AT TRAINING PLAYERS TRAINING VARIOUS OF COACH PEP GUARDIOLA WATCHING TRAINING FORWARD THOMAS MUELLER AT TRAINING, KICKING BALL AND LAUGHING PLAYERS TRAINING GUARDIOLA GIVING INSTRUCTIONS PLAYERS TRAINING MIDFIELDER ARJEN ROBBEN AT TRAINING PLAYERS TRAINING ROBBEN JUMPING DURING TRAINING PLAYERS TRAINING GUARDIOLA PLAYING WITH BALL AT TRAINING FORWARD DOUGLAS COSTA AT TRAINING PLAYERS TRAINING MUELLER TRAINING WITH WEIGHTS FANS WATCHING TRAINING PLAYERS TRAINING MUNICH, GERMANY (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) MIDFIELDER AND NEW SIGNING ARTURO VIDAL AT PRESENTATION
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2KQJQNM2TC8OE98MQK9S0FD2Q
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: German club VfL Wolfsburg prepared on Thursday (July 30) for their upcoming Super Cup clash against German giants Bayern Munich.
    The Wolves, who finished second in the Bundesliga in the 2014/15 season, will take on champions Bayern at home on Saturday (August 1).
    Wolfsburg will be hoping to continue their latest success after also winning their first German Cup final in May.
    It was their first trophy since winning the Bundesliga in 2009 and came 20 years after their only previous German Cup final appearance.
    But they could do nothing to stop a third straight league Bundesliga title going to Bayern Munich.
    Wolfsburg's sporting director said Saturday's match would be testing as neither side had a completely fit squad.
    "Both teams will not be 100 percent fit. We can say say this for sure. It would be very unusual two weeks before the start of the Bundesliga but on the other hand it is the champions against the runners-up. The champions against the cup-winners against. Both teams met last year, Bayern won once and we won the other time. So it is a duel of prestige and neither of the two teams wants to lose such a game," said Klaus Allofs, speaking at the team's Volkswagen Arena.
    This is Bayern's fourth straight Super Cup appearance and fifth out of the last six years, but they have lost in both Super Cup appearances under Pep Guardiola.
    Asked about media rumours of a possible move by midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to English club Manchester City, Allofs said he did not expect any departures in the near future.
    "We expect Kevin de Bruyne to be with the team for the Super Cup but also afterwards during the championship. That is our plan: to keep our players here and that is not just the case for Kevin de Bruyne but also for Ivan Perisic, Bas Dost, for Rodriguez, etc. These are all names which have been named by other clubs and for whom there has been speculation," he told journalists.
    For Bayern it may also be the first match for new signing, Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal.
    On Tuesday (July 28), Bayern confirmed the transfer from Italian club Juventus which was reported in the media to be worth 40 million euros.
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