Germany's record goalscorer Miroslav Klose is starting a traineeship with the national team as the retired striker looks to kick off his coaching career, the German Football Association said.
Japan head coach Akira Nishino named an experienced final 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia on Thursday.
A round-up of Saturday's football action in La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
Borussia Dortmund stayed top of the Bundesliga by beating Augsburg 4-3, while titleholders Bayern Munich were thumped 3-0 at home by Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The gaze of the sporting world will fall on Germany this weekend as the Bundlesliga becomes the first major soccer league to emerge from the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. All 18 clubs will crank back into action in what could act as a catalyst for other leagues to follow suit.
Former Bayern Munich coach Flick takes over Germany to 2024
Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund struggled to a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg on Saturday that ended their perfect start to the season of five straight league wins.
Leaders Bayern Munich twice surrendered the lead in a 2-2 Bundesliga draw at 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday and Borussia Moenchengladbach missed two penalties in a goalless draw against Hamburg SV.
Atletico Madrid delayed Barcelona's La Liga title celebrations by beating Valencia 3-2 at home in an entertaining game on Wednesday at a sparsely attended Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
Robin Dutt, Indian-origin manager of the German football Bundesliga first division club VfB Stuttgart, has been sacked following the team's relegation from the premier league.
Bayern Munich kept their five-point lead at the top of the table on Saturday, drawing 0-0 at second-placed Borussia Dortmund to stay on track for a record fourth consecutive Bundesliga title.
Kevin-Prince Boateng scored his first goal for Schalke 04 on Saturday to earn his team a 1-0 win at Mainz 05 and champions Bayern Munich beat Hanover 96 2-0.
Atalanta's Josip Ilicic and Robin Gosens scored quickfire second-half goals to give them a comfortable 2-0 win over a toothless Liverpool
New signings Radamel Falcao and Diego scored to give Atletico Madrid a 2-0 win over Celtic as the Europa League group stage kicked off on Thursday.
Striker Yuya Osako scored twice in 11 second-half minutes to help send four-times champions Japan into the final of the Asian Cup with a 3-0 victory over tournament favourites Iran on Monday.
Dortmund now have 14 points, one ahead of champions Bayern Munich, who suffered their first defeat of the season on Friday with a 2-0 loss at Hertha Berlin.
Heavyweight trio Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea kept up their 100 per cent starts to the Premier League season this weekend.
Salzburg won the Austrian Cup with a ruthless 5-0 destruction of second tier Austria Lustenau in the final as the season resumed following the coronavirus stoppage on Friday.
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery scored a sensational volley to lead the German champions to a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday that sent them eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with six matches left. Frenchman Ribery, who has missed most of the season due to injury, took off at the edge of the box and sent his mid-air volley past Lukas Hradecky in the 20th minute after the keeper had initially saved a shot from Mario Goetze. It was the 32-year-old's second goal of the campaign after being sidelined for eight months with an ankle problem and then suffering another injury that kept him out until last month. Bayern found no resistance from Eintracht and Xabi Alonso rattled the crossbar with a free kick early in the second half with the hosts enjoying close to 70 percent possession.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Arjen Robben scored two first-half goals to give Bundesliga leaders and titleholders Bayern Munich a predictable 2-0 win at home to bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday.
Steve McCLaren's VfL Wolfsburg slumped to another Bundesliga defeat on Saturday with a 2-0 loss at Borussia Dortmund while Michael Ballack was injured in Bayer Leverkusen's 2-2 draw at Hanover 96.
Real Madrid will sign Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil from Werder Bremen, the Spanish club said in a statement on their website (www.realmadrid.com) on Tuesday.
In other matches, VfL Wolfsburg edged past Hertha Berlin 2-0; promoted Ingolstadt snatched a last-gasp 1-0 win at Werder Bremen
British media on Tuesday said Chelsea have emerged serious contenders to signing the 21-year-old German playmaker in a possible 13 million deal.
Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke, who committed suicide by jumping in front of an express train, had long suffered from depression and fears of failure, his wife and his doctor said on Wednesday.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Samuel Eto'o scored a scintillating home hat-trick for holders Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday as former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi's magic went missing in a 1-1 draw in Russia.
European champions Inter Milan were grouped with Werder Bremen, Tottenham Hotspur and Twente Enschede in the draw for the Group Stage of the Champions League on Thursday.
Sevilla, who reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season, were handed a shock playoff defeat by unfashionable Braga on Tuesday while Werder Bremen pulled off a spectacular escape act to oust Sampdoria.
Werder Bremen have agreed to sign versatile midfielder Wesley from Brazilian club Santos on a four- year deal, the Bundesliga club said on Saturday.
Real Madrid have completed their pre-season spending by signing Mesut Ozil and have new coach Jose Mourinho's powers of persuasion to thank for luring the Germany midfielder to the La Liga club.
Five-times European champions Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat at Lille after a late goal by forward Eden Hazard while Juventus beat underdogs Fulham 3-1 in Europa League last 16 first leg matches on Thursday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
German champions Bayern Munich clinched the German Cup with a crushing 4-0 win over holders Werder Bremen on Saturday to stay on track for a treble. Bayern, who face Inter Milan in the Champions League final on May 22, took the lead through Arjen Robben's first half penalty before Ivica Olic doubled their lead in the 51st minute. Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger added two more to cap a memorable domestic season for Bayern.
Borussia Dortmund reached the German Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win at VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday as fans protested against high ticket prices by staying away at the start and throwing tennis balls on to the pitch.
Germany and Hanover 96 goalkeeper Robert Enke has died after being hit by an express train in an apparent suicide near Hanover, local police said in Berlin on Tuesday. Enke, 32, won eight international caps and was in the running to play at the World Cup in South Africa next year.
Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller scored a hat-trick as the undefeated champions crushed Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 to open up a seven-point lead at the top.
UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk were knocked out of the Europa League after being held to a 1-1 draw by visitors Fulham in their round of 32 tie Thursday. Former European champions Liverpool and Juventus progressed to the last 16 and Werder Bremen striker Claudio Pizarro scored a hat-trick as his side went through with a 4-1 win over former England manager Steve McLaren's Twente Enschede.
Bayer Leverkusen squandered a chance to go two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga on Sunday when they conceded an injury-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Werder Bremen.
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