Bundesliga

Bayern Munich legend Bastian Schweinsteiger said he can envision Jose Mourinho managing in Germany amid links with the vacant manager's role at the club.

Mourinho has been touted as one of several potential replacements for Niko Kovac, who was sacked on Sunday after Bayern were thrashed 5-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

Schweinsteiger told Bild (h/t Goal's James Westwood):

"I can imagine Mourinho in Germany.

"I remember he was always asking me about Bayern and the Bundesliga. During our away games, there was always Bundesliga on TV.

"He really knew every single player, even from the smaller teams. He was also learning German.

"He has not worked in the Bundesliga, so I can well imagine that he would be tempted by a commitment in Germany."

Saturday's defeat left Bayern fourth in the Bundesliga, four points behind leaders Borussia Monchengladbach having won just five of their 10 matches.

Kovac guided Bayern to their seventh consecutive Bundesliga title last season and the DFB-Pokal. However, the manager was under pressure throughout the campaign, having been nine points behind Borussia Dortmund at one stage.

The Bavarians eventually finished the season on 78 points, two ahead of Dortmund. It was their lowest points total and the smallest winning margin in their seven-year run of titles.

Mourinho is one of several top coaches out of work:

Football journalist Carl Anka suggested the Special One would not be a good fit at the Allianz Arena, but writer Kaustubh Pandey could see it being a success:

Schweinsteiger worked with Mourinho at Manchester United in the 2016-17 season, although he made just four appearances under him before joining Chicago Fire.

The 56-year-old has won eight top-flight league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, as well as 13 other domestic honours. In Europe, he has won two UEFA Champions League titles, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Europa League.

Just one of those league titles has come since 2012, though—his final Premier League win with Chelsea in 2014-15.

Although he won three pieces of silverware and finished second in 2016-17—the only time United have collected more than 70 points since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013—his time at Old Trafford was characterised by negativity on and off the pitch.

He was eventually sacked in December last year after a poor start to last season, in a similar parallel to the end of his Chelsea career in 2015-16.

Mourinho is a serial winner, so in that sense, he could fit in at Bayern, but it would not be a surprise if his recent history were a turn-off to the club.  

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski will reportedly undergo minor surgery on a groin issue during the international break.

According to German outlet Kicker (h/t Onefootball's Lewis Ambrose), the procedure will alleviate pain the Pole has been feeling in his groin for some time, but it is not expected to keep him out of club action.

The operation has a recovery period of around 10 days, but the international break brings a 14-day gap between Bayern's clash with Borussia Dortmund on November 10 and their game with Fortuna Dusseldorf on November 23.

Poland have already qualified for UEFA Euro 2020, so it's of little consequence to them if he's absent for their games with Israel and Slovenia during the break.

Bayern can ill afford for Lewandowski to miss any time at present, though.

The Bavarian outfit sacked Niko Kovac on Sunday after they lost 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

Although it's tight at the top of the table in the Bundesliga, they're four points off the lead before their crucial meeting with Dortmund:

Lewandowski's form has been the consistent highlight in an otherwise mediocre start to the campaign for the German giants.

DAZN's Cristian Nyari put the 31-year-old's sensational form in perspective:

He continued his remarkable run of finding the net in every Bundesliga match this season against Frankfurt with a superb effort (U.S. only):

The striker's numbers this season are unrivalled, and in recent years, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been more prolific than him at the top level, as he's netted at least 40 goals in each of the last four full campaigns.

Lewandowski has evidently been able to continue performing while carrying this injury, but it will be good for Bayern to get the issue resolved.

If the club are to win their eighth consecutive Bundesliga title, they'll need Lewandowski fit and still able to fire on all cylinders.  

Niko Kovac has left Bayern Munich after the Bundesliga champions were thrashed 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

Bayern confirmed the decision on Sunday:

Kovac, 48, took over at Bayern ahead of the 2018-19 season and led them to a domestic double in his debut campaign in charge.

In Europe, though, he had less success. The German giants were knocked out of the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League by Liverpool at the last-16 stage.

Saturday's crushing defeat against Kovac's former club left Bayern sitting fourth in the Bundesliga after 10 games of the new season, four points back from leaders Borussia Monchengladbach:

The Frankfurt defeat was clearly the final straw for the Bayern hierarchy.

Despite winning silverware at the Allianz Arena, Kovac never seemed like an ideal fit at the club:

Former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has been tipped as Kovac's potential successor, per Bild (h/t Football Italia).

Tottenham Hotspur's Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax's Erik ten Hag have also been linked, per Corriere dello Sport (h/t Perform via AS).

Bayern are back in action on Wednesday when they meet Olympiacos in the Champions League. 

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has expressed regret about committing tax evasion, which led to a prison sentence in 2014, but he believes supporters know he has always given everything for the club.

Hoeness will step down from Bayern on November 15 and has reflected on his time at the club.

He told Bayern's official magazine, 51, (h/t Goal's Stephen Crawford):

"When I look out the window in the morning, I'm happy with my 49 years at Bayern. I have not regretted a single day and I owe everything to this club—not even as an employee but I've always felt like the number one fan. I feel nothing but gratitude.

"I can only smile about [criticism]. I think the fans know that, deep down, I have always ripped open my ass and given everything for them."

Aside from a loan spell at Nurnberg, Hoeness spent his entire senior footballing career at Bayern when he signed for them in 1970.

He scored 108 goals in 329 appearances for the club, winning three Bundesliga titles, three European Cups and the DFB-Pokal.

After injury cut short his career in 1979 when he was just 27, he became the club's general manager and later deputy chairman. He was elected president in 2009. 

He has continued to fight in the Bavarians' corner, even if doing so has required some outlandish statements:

However, football writer Raphael Honigstein believes the 67-year-old's authority has diminished in recent years, as he said on the Euro Leagues podcast:

Hoeness was convicted on seven counts of tax evasion in 2014 and he was imprisoned from June that year until February 2016. He was elected president again that November after running unopposed for the position.

"My biggest mistake was my taxation," he added. "I deeply regret it and criticism of it is highly justified."

Despite his imprisonment, the German retained the support of many of the club's fans. "Some of the letters I got in prison were so touching that I cried like a baby in my cell," he said.

In the years since he was first elected president, the team have won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokals and the UEFA Champions League once, having reached three finals.  

Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac hit out at his players following their DFB-Pokal win over Bochum on Tuesday, questioning their "attitude." 

Bayern fell behind against the second-tier outfit after an own goal from Alphonso Davies, and for long spells it looked as though they were set to exit the competition. However, Serge Gnabry equalised in the 83rd minute before Armel Bella-Kotchap was sent off for the hosts and Thomas Muller scored a winner with 89 minutes on the clock.

Despite the dramatic win, Kovac was far from happy with his players and criticised their mindset for the match, per James Willoughby of Goal:

"It was all wrong for 60, 70 minutes. The fact that we played so many bad passes, in my opinion, has something to do with the attitude...it has nothing to do with tactics. It has to do with the attitude. There were too many players who played bad passes.

"... After Philippe Coutinho and Thomas Muller came on, things improved. And in the end we got that little bit of luck against Bochum, who really played so well."

Bochum are only off the bottom of the second tier in Germany on goal difference, but they were able to match Bayern for long spells. In the end, Kovac needed to call on Coutinho, Muller and star striker Robert Lewandowski from the bench.

Per OptaFranz, despite the poor performance, it was a landmark win for Bayern in the cup competition:

After criticising his players following the game, Kovac was also asked about who he thought the best supporters in Germany were, and he didn't choose the Bayern fans:

The campaign has been one of inconsistency for the Munich giants so far.

In the Bundesliga, they sit in second place in the table, having battled to an unconvincing 2-1 win over Union Berlin in their most recent top-flight encounter. They are a point behind leaders Borussia Monchengladbach after nine matches.

Overall, Bayern have been dependent on Lewandowski this season, and the Poland international has been sensational in front of goal. Without him at the point of the attack for the first half on Tuesday, the side struggled.

Per the Bayern Twitter account, Lewandowski has had a record-breaking start to the season:

Kovac will hope the stinging words will trigger a response from his players. After all, he knows they are capable of playing excellent football, as was the case earlier in the campaign when they were 7-2 winners over Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League.

On Saturday, it's a trip to Frankfurt in the Bundesliga for Bayern, where you sense Kovac and the toiling champions will have a fiery reception waiting for them.

Bayern Munich have shut down the latest round of speculation involving forward Thomas Muller, making it clear there are no plans to let anyone leave in January.

In response to a question about a possible Muller exit, sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic told Sky Sports (h/t Goal) the makeup of the squad and injury concerns won't allow for departures: "We have two long-term injuries, and you're trying to convince us that we're giving someone up. This is a novel you write all the time. We are not thinking about the players we should give up but looking to bring the team back to running again and playing stable football."

The comments came after this report from SportBild's Christian Falk, regarding Manchester United's interest in Muller:

Speculation has been rampant since Muller suggested he could leave the club if his playing time didn't increase earlier this month. But chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Welt am Sonntag (h/t Goal's Michael Plant) a January switch is not likely.

Since he made the complaint, the 30-year-old has seen an increase in minutes. He started Saturday's 2-1 win over Union Berlin, as well as the midweek win over Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League.

Muller has spent his entire professional career in Bavaria, winning an incredible eight Bundesliga titles and the 2012-13 Champions League. He's fast closing in on 500 career appearances for the club and has scored over 180 goals.

His rare playing style as a loose forward, darting in and out of space in the attacking third, makes him a tricky player to fit into a system. Manager Niko Kovac hasn't fully figured it out yet, often opting for a more conventional attacking midfielder in loanee Philippe Coutinho instead.

Earlier this month, Kovac suggested Muller would not regain his spot in the team, per Raphael Honigstein:

The manager appears to have changed his mind since then, however, and found a way to fit both Muller and Coutinho into his team against Union.

Should Muller leave, the Manchester Evening News believes a switch to Old Trafford would make sense:

United lack veteran leadership in the attacking third following the sales of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to Inter Milan. The likes of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial are all talents for the future who could benefit greatly from Muller's guidance.    

Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski scored in his ninth straight match to start the Bundesliga season on Saturday, breaking the record he previously shared with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 2-1 win over Union Berlin:

He also scored in his 13th straight match for the Bavarians across all competitions:

The 31-year-old doubled Bayern's lead at home on Saturday after Benjamin Pavard had opened the scoring. Sebastian Polter pulled one back for Union from the penalty spot, but the defending Bundesliga champions held on for the win.

With the victory, Bayern moved into the Bundesliga lead, one point ahead of Freiburg.

Lewandowski's remarkable consistency is nothing new:

The former Borussia Dortmund man has played for Bayern since 2014, and he became the Bundesliga's all-time top scorer in Bavaria.

According to Transfermarkt.com, he has scored 210 career goals for Bayern in all competitions after smashing 103 goals for BVB.

His strong start to the season has been sorely needed for Bayern, who have been far from their best as a team. With the exception of the Pole, not a single player has scored more than two goals in the Bundesliga so far, and they have already dropped points in four of nine matches.

Just four points separate leaders Bayern from 10th-placed Hoffenheim in what has been the most thrilling start to a Bundesliga season in years.  

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has shot down reports linking Jose Mourinho with the club.

Mourinho was said to be under consideration by Dortmund if they part with current boss Lucien Favre:

However, Zorc told Sky Deutschland (h/t Goal's Chris Burton): "Those Mourinho rumours are without any substance. There is no discussion around our coach. We are delighted Lucien Favre is our coach."

Favre took charge of the side last year, and BVB missed out on the Bundesliga title by two points.

It was the closest they've been to Bayern since they last won the title in 2012, but Favre's side had led the race by nine points in December.

This season, Dortmund are fourth after eight games, level on points with Bayern and one off the top.

Sports journalist and broadcaster Lucy Zelic questioned the links with Mourinho when they emerged, but Ryan Taylor of the Express suggested he could be a good fit:

Mourinho, who has never managed in Germany, has won a total of eight league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.

He has also won the UEFA Champions League twice and the UEFA Europa League once, among many other honours.

However, since winning his third Premier League title with Chelsea in 2015, Mourinho's career has been in decline.

The 56-year-old was sacked by the Blues in December that year after losing nine of their first 16 matches in the 2015-16 season.

He joined Manchester United the following season, and although he won the Europa League and the League Cup in his second campaign, in which he also guided United to second with 81 points, the side's negative style of play was routinely criticised.

The negativity came to a head last season, and he was relieved of his duties in December after a poor start to the campaign.

While many clubs would likely be willing to overlook his recent decline given the volume of trophies he's delivered in his coaching career, Dortmund might also be concerned by his poor track record of developing young players.

With the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jacob Bruun Larsen in their ranks, the club would likely prefer a coach who will look to prioritise their growth as much as silverware.  

Mourinho isn't likely to be out of work for too long, but it seems Dortmund will not be a likely destination.

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Dietmar Hamann has been unimpressed with Philippe Coutinho's start to life at the club.

Coutinho joined Bayern in the summer on a season-long loan, and the German club have the option to make his stay permanent for €120 million.

The 46-year-old Hamann, who spent the bulk of his career at Bayern and Coutinho's former club, Liverpool, told Sport Bild (h/t Goal's James Westwood):

"For me, he is a stranger in the team. I cannot remember a good situation [he's produced] in attack.

"If you have such a player in the team and he does not show any special moments, then, of course, you get problems because in the defence he only counts as half a player.

"He has 30 or 35 games left so he has to start sometime [to show good performances]. He is still on loan from Barca until the end of the season."

Coutinho had a quiet game on Tuesday in Bayern's 3-2 UEFA Champions League win over Olympiacos, but Bayern boss Niko Kovac said he was "very satisfied" with the Brazilian's showing and that he is lacking "a little bit of luck," per Westwood.

The 27-year-old was sent out on loan after a difficult 18-month spell at Barcelona following his £142 million move from Liverpool.

While it's early days for Coutinho at the Allianz Arena, Hamann's criticism of his performances is perhaps somewhat harsh.

The midfielder may not have hit top form yet, but he has contributed two goals and four assists in 10 appearances for the club.

The Brazil international has been creating plenty of opportunities for his team-mates:

Dominic King of the Daily Mail enjoyed his assist to Robert Lewandowski in Bayern's 7-2 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur three weeks ago:

He was impressing in September, too, as his performances saw him nominated for the Bundesliga's Player of the Month award.

Football writer Michael Caley praised him after he scored and assisted in a 3-2 win over Paderborn:

Given how expensive it will be to make his stay in Germany permanent, Coutinho will need to enjoy a sensational season to justify Bayern exercising their option to buy him.

He seems to have settled in better than he did at the Camp Nou, though, and his stronger performances have reflected that.

He's yet to hit the same heights he did at Anfield, but if he can do so, he can help Bayern improve on their third-place position in the Bundesliga as well as enhance their prospects of winning the Champions League.

Borussia Dortmund assistant coach Jorg Heinrich is hoping Jadon Sancho opts to remain with Borussia Dortmund for a little longer amid links to Manchester United and Liverpool.

Per Goal's Kieran Francis, Heinrich acknowledged Sancho is likely to move on at some point, but he said that staying put is his best option for the time being:

"The club is ambitious to keep its players, but it also realises that Jadon might move on in the future.

"He is the biggest talent in the world right now, but it's important that he stays at Dortmund to continue his development, because here he can play in the Champions League."

Sancho joined from Manchester City in 2017 and has become a regular at Dortmund, with 18 goals and 30 assists to his name in 67 first-team appearances for the Bundesliga outfit.

This season, the 19-year-old has returned four goals and seven assists in 12 outings.

"The game time he has received at Dortmund since moving from Man City has helped him to this stage," Heinrich added. "The squad has played to his strengths as a wide attacker."

The coach did note the winger's form is going over a "hurdle" as a result of the game time he has received at such a young age, though, as well as Sancho "getting more attention from the opposition."

Most recently, Sancho played in Dortmund's 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan on Wednesday, in which he made his 10th appearance in the UEFA Champions League:

Despite his age, he's an important player already for Dortmund:

After taking the opportunity to shine with BVB, he's also broken into the England senior team.

Sancho has earned 10 caps for the Three Lions since he made his debut in October last year—England have played 12 games in that time.

He'd likely remain a key player if he moved to United, whose right wing has been neglected for years. He'd be under a much more intense spotlight at Old Trafford, though, particularly as the club would be looking to him to help turn around several years of decline.

Liverpool would bring plenty of scrutiny, too, but rather than be a regular starter, he'd have to compete with the established front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah for game time.

A lucrative move away from Dortmund seems inevitable, but for his development, he's perhaps in the best place he could be.