There is concern in the Austria national team about the fitness of David Alaba ahead of their important World Cup qualifier against Ireland in Dublin on June 11. The Bayern defender has only been able to train on his own in recent days because of a knee problem, according to the Austrian FA. “We still have a few days to sort it out and make sure he’s able to train with the whole team,” said coach Marcel Keller in the hope that Alaba would be fit in time. With seven points from five games, Austria are just fourth in Group D and are in desperate needs of points against second-placed Ireland if they want to ensure their place at the World Cup in Russia next year.
2017 Supercup scheduled
The timings for the first competitive match of the new season have now been announced. FC Bayern will contest the Supercup against Borussia Dortmund at their SIGNAL IDUNA PARK on August 5 at 20:30 CEST. The schedule was announced by the Deutsche Fußball Liga on Friday. The Supercup traditionally signifies the start of the new season when the Bundesliga champions face off against the winners of the DFB Cup. In the case of a team winning both, the league runners-up contest the cup. FCB and BVB met last season in the Supercup, with Bayern winning 2-0.
Tarnat returns to Hannover
Former Bayern player Michael Tarnat will take up a new position as the head of promoted Hannover 96’s development centre from July 1. The 47-year-old has signed a three-year contract until 2020 with the Lower Saxony club. It sees Tarnat return to Hannover, where he made a total of 102 league appearances between 2004 and 2009 before retiring. Tarnat then returned to Munich as a youth scout and was then in charge of the Bayern youth teams until January 2016.
Baunach moves to Wolfsburg
Katharina Baunach will also be setting up home in Lower Saxony now. The long-time FC Bayern women’s player will join Wolfsburg on a free for the new season. The 28-year-old has received a two-year contract with the double winners until 2019. Baunach was with FCB from 2016 until the end of the current campaign, winning two Bundesliga titles and a DFB Cup.
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