Bremen Head to Champions League, 'Lautern to Second Division
May 13, 2006
Werder Bremen clinched second place and direct entry to the Champions League with a 2-1 win at SV Hamburg on Saturday in the Bundesliga's closest-watched game of the week, since Bayern Munich claimed the league title last week.
A draw would have been enough for Hamburg to stay second, and they looked to have done it when Sergei Barbarez cancelled out Ivan Klasnic's opener, but German international Miroslav Klose scored a vital 72nd minute winner to lift Bremen to second.
In addition to putting Bremen on the list for next season's Champions League, Klose earned himself the Bundesliga's Golden Boot for the 2005/2006 season with a total of 25 goals.
"Miro has the ability to be one of the top stars at the World Cup," said Bremen manager Thomas Schaaf. "German fans can expect a lot of joy from him at the finals. He is the most complete striker in Germany."
Kaiserslautern relegated with Cologne, Duisburg
In the German top flight's other high-stakes game, Kaiserslautern's Halil Altintop found the back of the net against Wolfsburg and put himself two spots behind Klose on the top scorer list with 20 goals, but he couldn't save his team from relegation.
Knowing that whoever lost the relegation duel would join Cologne and Duisburg in the second division next season, neither side held back in the physical match that left Kaiserslautern's players with tears in their eyes after the 2-2 tie.
Corks continue popping in Munich
It wasn't tears but champagne that was flowing in Munich as Bayern took hold of their 20th league title.
Bayern sealed the crown last weekend and made history by becoming the first team to win league and cup doubles in consecutive seasons.
They finished the season with a 3-3 draw against Borussia Dortmund with Czech international Jan Koller scoring twice to peg Bayern back after they had taken a 3-1 lead.
"It is a unique experience to lift the cup in front of almost 70,000 spectators in the new Allianz Arena," Bayern coach Felix Magath said after a champagne shower. "It is extraordinary how we took control of such a difficult season. We can be proud of what we did."
Bayern says goodbye to Ballack
German international captain Michael Ballack scored in his swansong for Bayern before he joins English champions Chelsea on a free transfer.
"I want to stress that it is not, and never has been, about money," Ballack said. "I am not 23 or 24, have a great contract at Bayern and my family and I are comfortable in Munich. I just want a new challenge and the time is right."
France's 1998 World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu, 36, and former German international Jens Jeremies, 32, were also playing their final games for Bayern with both retiring.
It was certainly a day for fond farewells, with Bulgarian international striker Dimitar Berbatov scoring his 21st goal of the season in Bayer Leverkusen's 2-2 draw with Hannover.
Bayer are to sell Berbatov to Tottenham Hotspur for close to 16 million euros ($20.6 million).
Leverkusen qualified for the UEFA Cup with fifth place and join Schalke 04 in Europe's secondary club competition. Schalke will go into the tournament on a good note after beating Stuttgart 3-2 in the season's last game.
Promoted Eintracht Frankfurt, who lost to Mönchengladbach 2-0 on Saturday, are also in European competition after losing 1-0 to Bayern in last month's German Cup final.