Germany not to bid to host Euro2020

The German Football Association (DFB) has decided against bidding to host the 2020 European Championships. The reason behind the decision was that the DFB thinks that other countries should have the right to host the continental football championship after the nation successfully hosted the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.

"The thought of having the best teams from across the continent and their fans in Germany is of course very attractive. But after we have hosted the World Cups in 2006 and 2011, it is the good right of other countries to take on the role of hosts," DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach explained the decision by the federation.

So far only Turkey has formally bid to host Euro2020 with the application phase for national football associations set to end on May 15. And with Germany pulling out this does increase Turkey's chances of hosting the tournament for which the nations has bid thrice unsuccessfully in the past.

But surely Germany could be a candidate to host the European Championship in 2024 or 2028 if the DFB thinks it suits its plans.

VIDEO: Turkey vs Germany

Some of you have been asking me about the goals from the Turkey vs Germany 2012 European Championship qualifier on Friday in Istanbul. Here you can see all four goals in Germany's 3-1 away victory!






Here the match report: Germany win in Turkey, make it nine wins in a row

Germany win in Turkey, make it nine wins now

Former champions Germany continued their impressive run in the qualifiers for the 2012 European Championships in Poland and the Ukraine. They won 3-1 away to Turkey to score their ninth win in the qualifiers to now stand at 27 points with a chance to maintain an all win qualifying campaign next Tuesday against Belgium, something which no team has achieved so far in the history of the tournament.

At the Turk Telekom Arena, the new home of Galatasaray in the European part of Istanbul, a loud Turkish home crowd edged their team on knowing that points from this vital game were important in the quest to reach the playoffs.

Turkey made a good start with captain Hamit Altintop testing Manuel Neuer in only the fifth minute in a match-up of two Gelsenkirchen born players with Neuer making a sensational save. Thereafter it was a match often played in the midfield with Germany using their superior passing game and tactical knowledge to outwit the Turks. The Germans went ahead in the 35th minute when a Neuer long-throw reached Thomas Müller on the right wing, he crossed the ball across to Mario Gomez who rather easily beat Turkish defender Servet Cetin and then placed the ball into the far corner of the net. It stayed 1-0 for Germany at the break.

After the break Germany had more of the ball as they took full control of the proceedings, while Turkey had only one real chance as striker Burak Yilmaz broke free with Jerome Boateng chasing him down for a corner. Germany doubled the lead in the 66th minute through a perfect counter-attack following a Turkey corner with Neuer's perfect long-ball reaching Mario Götze, who squares the ball into the middle for an onrushing Thomas Müller, who is there to place the ball into the net. The match came to live for a few minutes when Berlin-born Hakan Balta reduced the deficit in the 79th minute, but Germany never looked like dropping points on the night. Germany were awarded a penalty when Gökhan Gönül brought down Thomas Müller and Bastian Schweinsteiger stepped-up to make it 3-1 in the 86th minute.

With another win Germany have now won nine out of nine to move towards a historic first, winning all qualification matches for a European Championship. They now only need to beat Belgium on Tuesday, October 11 in Düsseldorf to achieve that record.


MATCH STATS

Turkey 1-3 (0-1) Germany - Goals: 0-1 Mario Gomez (35'), 0-2 Thomas Müller (66'), 1-2 Hakan Balta (79'), 1-3 Bastian Schweinsteiger (86' pen)

Turkey
Volkan Demirel; 7-Gökhan Gönül, 2-Servet Cetin, 19-Egemen Korkmaz, 3-Hakan Balta; 15-Mehmet Aurelio (86' 9-Umut Bulut), 8-Selcuk Inan (46' 20-Gökhan Töre); 6-Hamit Altintop [C], 14-Arda Turan (70' 18-Kazim Kazim), 21-Sabri Sarioglu; 17-Burak Yilmaz
Unused Substitutes: 12-Sinan Bolat, 4-Gökhan Zan, 5-Emre Belözoglu, 16-Mehmet Topal

Germany
1-Manuel Neuer; 20-Jerome Boateng (73' 3-Benedikt Höwedes), 17-Per Mertesacker, 14-Holger Badstuber, 16-Philipp Lahm [C]; 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 6-Sami Khedira; 13-Thomas Müller, 19-Mario Götze (90' 21-Marco Reus), 10-Lukas Podolski (62' 9-André Schürrle); 23-Mario Gomez
Unused Substitutes: 12-Tim Wiese, 2-Simon Rolfes, 5-Mats Hummels, 18-Cacau

Referee
Martin Atkinson (England)

Germany vs Turkey: The Fight over Talent

The Turkish community is the largest immigrant community here in Germany. Integration and its problems are often a topic, but football is one area where integration has worked better then in the general society. At the professional level it is a real success story!

For many young footballers of Turkish origin it is a question of Half Moon or Eagle? Turkey or Germany? For most it is a difficult decision then growing up in Germany with Turkish roots many feel they could play for both teams, but there are others who make an own decision at a young age.

The best examples are Real Madrid duo Mesut Özil and Nuri Sahin. Both come from the Ruhr Valley area from rival clubs in FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund. While Özil took the decision to play for Germany, Sahin at the young age of 17 decided to play for Turkey.

Other names which come to mind are former Bundesliga players Yidiray Bastürk, Hamit and Halil Altintop plus recently Werder Bremen's Mehmet Ekici and Leverkusen's Ömer Toprak. The last two have come through the German youth system and have represent Germany at youth level before switching to play for Turkey, where the competition at international level isn't as tough as it is for Germany.

Turkey has been making a coordinated effort to get young footballers of Turkish origin to play for the country of their forefathers. For that they have an office in Cologne run by former Bundesliga player Erdan Keser, who has 25 scouts under him across Germany. They look at young boys from the age of 15 and if of interest, they and their families are approached about playing for Turkey.

A difficult situation sometimes with youngsters having to decide which way their career can go, then playing for Germany and making it is a bigger career option then playing for Turkey with many boys ending up playing in the Turkish Süper Lig.

Tomorrow Turkey host Germany in a Euro2012 qualifier with Mesut Özil a doubtful starter. Otherwise the Real Madrid star would be getting a rough welcome from the country of his forefathers, who still are disappointed that he chose Germany over Turkey. Surely he won't be the last...

Hamburg sign third Chelsea talent

Bundesliga side Hamburger SV yesterday signed Turkish junior international Goekhan Toere, who is now the third youth or reserve team player from English Premier League giants FC Chelsea London under contract. Earlier the North Germans had signed English U-21 international Michael Mancienne and Italian junior international Jacopo Sala.

The 19 year old Toere is Cologne born and had joined Chelsea only in January 2009 from Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Toere is an attacking midfielder and has been given a contract until 2014. Toere is looking forward to be back in Germany after the 30 months in London with his aim to establish himself in the Bundesliga.

New Director of Sports at HSV Frank Arnesen is said to be in talks with further players at his former club FC Chelsea. Dutch international Jeffrey Bruma is said to be the top candidate whom Arnesen would like to tempt to come to Hamburg, while other names like English teenager Joshua McEachran, French midfielder Gaël Kakuta and Italian Fabio Borini had been linked earlier to a move to Hamburg.

Hamburg under new Director of Sports Arnesen and young coach Michael Oenning are banking on young, talent players as Hamburg are cutting down on their wage bill which had grown over the last few years as the club pushed for UEFA Champions League and Europa League spots, but they haven't been able to ensure regular European competitions.

Already people in Hamburg are questioning Arnesen's signings. The people knew Arnesen would bring players from Chelsea, but they would have hoped for bigger names and not players to develop.

Dortmund's Sahin leaves for Real Madrid

New Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund called for a press conference along with Nuri Sahin yesterday and one of German footballs worst kept secrets became public. The German-born Turkish international Sahin is leaving the west German club to join Spanish giants Real Madrid for a fee of 10 Million Euros.

The Luedenscheid born son of Turkish immigrants started playing football at local club RSV Meinerzhagen before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2001. He was the youngest ever Bundesliga player in August 2005 at the age of 16 years and 335 days, but thereafter it wasn't always easy as Sahin was send on loan to Feyenoord Rotterdam in the 2007/08 season.

But this last season under influential coach Juergen Klopp Sahin grew to be one of the most influential players in the champion side, marshalling the midfield which drew attention from Europe's top clubs. Sahin is leaving before the end of his contract in 2013 due to a clause which allows him to leave for a certain fee. And for the 22 year old the transfer to Real Madrid is a dream move.

At the press conference Sahin said, "I am very proud of this step. The decision was hard to take. I am Borussia and will remain Borussia. I will miss Dortmund."

"I will miss the Bundesliga and my home country and I would like to thank everybody who has helped me along my way," he added.

"Saying goodbye to my team-mates was very, very difficult. They are all so close to my heart and it was a very emotional goodbye. Everybody did everything for each other in this team and this is a fantastic team which has won a fantastic title."

As a mark of thanks Sahin has invited his soon former team mates to visit him and his new team Real Madrid for the next El Clasico against FC Barcelona.

Real Madrid said on their website about Sahin that he "has a knack for distributing the ball as well as recovering it. With a powerful left foot and an eye for ball placement, he is also a master at free-kicks."

It will be interesting to see if Sahin can adopt to live in Madrid. The same scepticism was there when Mesut Oezil left the Bundesliga to join the Spaniards, but it has been a big successful story so far.

Besiktas Istanbul sign Portuguese duo

Ambitious Turkish SüperLig side Besiktas Istanbul have been quite active in the transfer market by signing two Portuguese internationals in Simao Sambrosa and Hugo Almeida, who will join them once the transfer market opens in January. They join fellow Portuguese Ricardo Quaresma at the Bernd Schuster coached club.

31 year old Simao has been signed for a fee of 900,000 Euros from current Europa League champions Atletico Madrid of Spain and has signed a contract until summer 2013. He leaves Atletico after two and a half years and would earn up to 7,2 Million Euros.

On leaving Atletico Simao said, "It is difficult for me, I can hardly speak because since I came to Atletico I have grown and become a better professional. When I arrived I said I would do my best to win a title and I eventually ended up with two in Europe (the Europa League and the European Super Cup)."

26 year old Hugo Almeida leaves German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen and has signed a contract until 2014, which would guarantee him a salary of 9,15 Million Euros. At Bremen Almeida was their top scorer of the season with nine goals, but had recently been send off due to indiscipline against St. Pauli which forced the club to rethink their offer to extend his contract. Almeida joins Besiktas for a transfer fee of 2 Million Euros.

Besiktas' president has money to spend and wants to be the top club not only in Istanbul, but across Turkey and also target the UEFA Champions League. Currently they are only fifth in the Turkish league and had already spend money in the summer to bring in former Real Madrid star Guti, Portuguese talent Ricardo Quaresma, former German international Roberto Hilbert and Turkish international Mehmet Aurelio amongst others. The club had appointed former German international and Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster as their manager.

From Football Star to the Olympic Ice Skating Ring?

Our own Baichung Bhutia wasn't the only footballer to take part in a reality dancing show. Besides the international acclaimed "Dancing with the Stars" there is another show called "Dancing on Ice" where stars have to do ice skating with former professionals. One such star was footballer Ilhan Mansiz in the Turkish version of the show. And now Mansiz, who started ice figure skating only a couple of years back, wants to go to the 2014 Sotchi Winter Olympics with his partner Olga Bestandigova.

If you think about it, it sounds like a crazy idea, but for Mansiz it has developed over a period of time. Ilhan Mansiz and his Slovak partner in the show Olga Bestandigova got to compete, then know and love each other through "Dancing on Ice". And Bestandigova, who took part in the 2002 Saltlake City Winter Olympics, wanted to once more participate in the Olympics. Her partner off the ice Mansiz liked the idea and the duo are now practicing in Obersdorf, Germany to get to compete in tournament ahead of the games.

In Turkey Ilhan Mansiz is not just another footballer. Mansiz was a national hero after scoring three of Turkey's goals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup which took Turkey as far as the semifinals. The season thereafter he was top scorer of the Turkish Süper League for Besiktas Istanbul. But Mansiz is born in the southern German state of Bavaria, so he knew from a young age was snow and ice was. And now he is back in Bavaria to prepare for what would be a dream come true if the duo can participate in the 2014 Sotchi Winter Olympics.

Talking about how it all happened Mansiz said, "We had so much fun and trained for between six and eight hours a day. We came on in leaps and bounds so we decided to train for the Olympics."

"I started playing football very late too. I didn't start playing for a club until I was 14. If you're really determined to achieve something and you believe you can do it or you work hard at it, it's possible no matter how old you are," Mansiz added.

But the duo could face one major problem. Mansiz is a Turkish national, while Bestandigova is still Slovak; but the pair want to represent Mansiz's home country Turkey. The issue of nationality would have to be resolved and then the duo could be seen on the ice of Sotchi at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

And that would really be a fairy tale story, from a reality show to the Olympics...

Germany win away at home

Germany retained their 100% record in the 2012 European Championship qualifiers with a rather unchallenged 3-0 win against Turkey at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Infront of a capacity crowd in the German capital it was a derby kind of atmosphere with around half the spectators in the stadium being Turks. Sometimes the atmosphere was more of an away game then a home match, but a brace from evergreen Miroslav Klose and Turkish-origin Mesut Özil sealed the game for Germany.

A lot had been expected from this clash, a possible rematch of the legendary Euro2008 semifinal which Germany won 3-2, but it wasn't to be as Germany had more from the game and were deserving winners.

The first session was often a tactical affair with both sides operating out of a strong defence with the aim of counter attacks rather then proper build-ups. The Turlish midfield looked good and well organised for about 25 minutes until Mehmet Aurelio had to be substituted due to an injury. And that is were Turkey's problems started as Germany slowly gained more and more control of the match. The result was the lead in the 42nd minute of a nice Bayern Munich build-up. It was a Philipp Lahm cross from the right which Thomas Mueller headed goalwards, the Turkish keeper Volkan Demirel got his hands to the ball to deflect it onto the crossbar, but Miroslav Klose was there to nod it in. It remained 1-0 at halftime.

It continued after the break with Germany dominating and Turkey had one good chance in the 53rd minute through a blunder from Lukas Podolski, they could get a cross in from the right and Halil Altintop had only former Schalke team mate Manuel Neuer to beat, but a brilliant reflex from the keeper retained Germany's lead. Turkey tried to get even, but Germany allowed them no more real chances while Germany was slowly looking to double their lead. And it has to be the story of the match that Turkish origin boy Mesut Özil, who was booed by Turkish fans whenever he had the ball, scored Germany's second in the 79th minute. Germany were through and the final nail in the coffin came in the 87th minute once more through Miroslav Klose. This time keeper Volkan messed up a clearance which landed on Klose's feet and the striker tunneled the keeper for Germany's third.

The qualifiers continue for the teams in Group A on Tuesday with Germany having to travel to Astana to face Kazakhstan, while Turkey travel to Baku to face Azerbaijan.

Euro2012 Qualifier: Germany vs. Turkey

When Germany take on Turkey in their 2012 European Championship qualifier tomorrow evening at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin it won't be just another qualifier in the European Championships. Turks happen to be the largest immigrant community in Germany and Berlin is said to be the third largest Turkish town in the world after Istanbul and Ankara. So home advantage might not come Germany's way if Turks are able to buy more of the tickets in the open market. There are expectations that around 30,000 of the 74,000 tickets could go to Turkish fans, maybe even some more.

For coach Joachim Loew and his team the aim is to retain their 100% record in the qualifiers. So far it has been two wins from two matches against Belgium and Azerbaijan. And to move closer to qualification for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine three points against Turkey, thought to be the toughest opponent in the group, would be a big step forward.

But Loew will be missing one of his key players in Bastian Schweinsteiger. The Bayern Munich midfielder injured himself on Sunday in the match against Borussia Dortmund and surely would be missed after his great performances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This means more responsibility on Real Madrid duo Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil. Especially for Özil it will be an emotional game as he is a third generation Turk born in Germany. In Turkey a lot of people have never understood why Özil decided to play for Germany, but those Turks living in Germany especially after the 2010 FIFA World Cup have come to like the German national football team as the team is closer to them then ever before and especially due to the fact that Özil played a key part in it.

Loew will continue to play his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation leaving the question on whom would replace Schweinsteiger open. Loew said it could be Toni Kroos, Christian Traesch or surprisingly even Thomas Mueller. Otherwise the open positions in defence looked to be set with Per Mertesacker and Holger Badstuber in the centre, captain Philipp Lahm on the right and Jerome Boateng looks more likely to play on the left rather then Heiko Westermann.

Turkey meanwhile under new coach Guus Hiddink will be dangerous for Germany, then Hiddink brings a system with him and Turkey have adopted quickly to it. But the Turks will be missing their star midfielder Arda Turan due to injury and for a number of their players it will be playing against the nation in which they where born.