Daily Schmankerl: Bayern contacts Firmino, Lewandowski’s injury explained, Bayern celebrates 120 years, and more!

Bayern Munich contacts Firmino’s camp about returning to the Bundesliga (Liverpool Echo here and here)

Soccer consultant Ian McGarry, speaking on the Transfer Window podcast, claims that Bayern Munich has contacted Firmino’s camp to inquire about a move back to Germany in light of the likelihood that Timo Werner will transfer to Liverpool in the summer. McGarry said,

We have accurately and consistently reported that Werner will join Liverpool we believe this summer.

I cannot report anything that I think changes that, although interestingly news is that Roberto Firmino’s representatives have been contacted by Bayern Munich in the last 10 days with regards to ‘would he be willing to leave Anfield?

Would he be interested in a return to the Bundesliga? And would he be interested in becoming part of Bayern’s rebuild? Which of course they have been planning now since the beginning of last season.

Firmino may fit in very well as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski who may well move on, potentially to MLS in the summer.

Firmino, now 28 years old, transferred to Liverpool from Hoffenheim in 2015. He has established himself as one of the best forwards in the game and obviously is an attractive piece. But it is outright preposterous to claim Bayern is about to let Robert Lewandowski transfer to an MLS club this summer!

Liverpool is not likely to let any of its three attacking stars go — Firmino, Sadio Mané, and Mo Salah — but rather add Werner or someone like him to lend them greater depth.

Sports physician explains Robert Lewandowski’s injury (SPORT1)

SPORT1 published a very informative and sober interview with sports physician Dr. Michael Lehnert, who previously worked as the team doctor for VfL Wolfsburg’s Frauenteam and has led the medical division of the Bundesliga team Turbine Potsdam.

Lehnert explained just what Lewandowski’s “fracture” to the tibia, which has also been described as a knee injury, is. He described a type of injury that is conventionally called a “fracture,” but is not actually a fracture. Instead, Lehnert described it as a “precursor” to a fracture:

A hard collision causes a fluid, usually blood, to build up in the bone, which is basically a precursor to a fracture. It’s called an “infraction.” The bones have not split; no piece of bone has come completely loose.

But an MRI can reveal the damage. Lewandowski suffered the injury in an aerial challenge around the 36th minute of the match, but played through to the end — even scoring. Lehnert said, “Lewandowski definitely had pain.” He will have told Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt about it afterward.

According to Lehnert, a return to action in four weeks is “completely realistic.” But Lehnert stressed that Lewandowski will just be returning to training then and will not yet be ready to play, although the club doctors will take various measures, such as electrostimulation, to ensure he does not lose muscle mass while his leg is immobilized.

Once they determine that the injury has healed properly, Lewandowski should be ready to go without fear of re-injury. Fingers crossed that all goes according to plan!

Bayern Munich celebrates 120 years

Bayern Munich celebrated its 120th anniversary yesterday. As the club itself notes (FCBayern.com),

On 27 February 1900, 11 young men, led by Bayern’s future first president Franz John, found FC Bayern at Café Gisela in Munich, laying the foundation stone for a thoroughly successful history of the German record champions.

Bayern compiled a list of the club’s “22 Great Moments” and featured several in full-length articles. Check them out:

1932: Bayern becomes German champion for the first time

1965: Bayern earns promotion to the new Bundesliga

1967: Bayern wins the European Cup — its first international title

1987: Bayern passes Nürnberg as record-champion

2001: Bayern wins it all in Europe after 25-year gap

2013: The Treble Year

Relive 42 very different great moments

At least one good thing happened recently for Hertha Berlin

Joe Bryant, the young English fan of the Bundesliga, was in Berlin to present his wonderful LEGO recreation of the Olympiastadion. He’s currently working on Stuttgart’s park.

Angry fans invade training pitch to critique coach’s tactics (BBC)

Now, I don’t want to give Ineednoname any ideas, but this really happened in the Eredivisie. Alan Pardew took over ADO Den Haag as a caretaker until the end of the season after the departure of Alfons Groenendijk. Pardew secured a win for Den Haag in his first match, but is winless in five games since then, with three losses, two draws, and 13 goals conceded.

Ultras of the club invaded the training pitch armed with a flipboard and the grim determination to tell Pardew and the players what they are doing wrong.

A spokesperson of the club told BBC Sport:

It was about a group of approximately 10 worried fans.

They expressed, in a calm and non-hostile way, their concerns to the staff and players at the start of the training.

Maybe it might help, and it probably can’t hurt. ADO Den Haag is currently 17th in the league and six points from escaping the relegation zone.