Daily Schmankerl: ex-agent sues Lewandowski, Flick suggests transfers, Kahn declines to confirm Dest, and MORE

Robert Lewandowski’s ex-agent accuses him of enrichment, tax evasion (Spiegel, Bild)

Robert Lewandowski’s former agent, Cezary Kucharski, has brought a civil suit against his marketing company RL Management in Warsaw, Poland. According to Spiegel, Kucharski accuses Lewandowski and his wife Anna of diverting several million euros from their marketing company to fund luxury vacations and interior decorating.

Kucharski is demanding 39 million Polish złoty in damages, equivalent to about €9 million. Lewandowski told Spiegel that the suit had not reached him. Spiegel reports that “internal documents” show that a seven-figure sum in euros was deposited to one of the Lewandowskis accounts. They add that it “the tax authorities [in Germany] may not have gotten wind of every transfer,” but that seems to be purely speculative.

Lewandowski told Spiegel that Kucharski’s allegations are “unfounded” and accused Kucharski of defamation.” Lewandowski’s speaker further more told Spiegel that Kucharski “simply could not get over the termination of their collaboration.”

Bild adds that the civil suit also concerns a loan of €2.5 million that RL Management gave Anna Lewandowska in 2015. The suit claims that Anna transferred loan to a company called “Blaue Auster” (“Blue Oyster”) that belonged almost entirely to her. When the company was dissolved, the loan vanished and, with it, the need to repay it.

The Lewandowskis’ spokeswoman told Bild, “All tax computations, both personal and those of Robert Lewandowski’s companies, are carried out legally.” She added, “Mr. Cezary Kucharski is trying to get Robert Lewandowski to pay him money to which he is not entitled. We are treating the depiction of the allegations in the press an an attempt to apply pressure on us, by harming the repuation of Robert Lewandowski.”

The Lewandowksis’ representation said they would produce all their book-keeping and tax documentation to the court.

It is not clear to me, for one, how Kucharski is entitled to damages over money that the Lewandowskis allegedly paid themselves. We will write more if and when more emerges about this case.

Flick talks suggests potential signings post-Thiago (AZ)

Before Bayern played Schalke yesterday, head coach Hansi Flick was asked whether David Alaba would stay at Bayern Munich. His answer suggested that Bayern intends to sign one or more players before the window closes.

Flick said, “I know that David would very much like to stay at Bayern. Because there currently is a very good atmosphere there. We have a great team. We will also still get this or that newcomer. So that way we will then be in a position to play successful soccer. Over an entire season. And those are things that David also simply knows.”

Oliver Kahn cannot confirm Dest ... yet

Well played, Hamburg. Well played.

Amateur team loses 37-0 after COVID-19 scare (CNN)

SG Ripdorf/Molzen — which is a real team and not part of our Computer Generated Bundesliga — lost 37-0 “after practicing social distancing in its game against local rival SV Holdenstedt II.”

What happened? Ripdorf hat tried to have the game postponed, their co-chairman, Patrick Ristow, said after the match, because Holdenstedt had come into contact with a player infected with the coronavirus in its previous game.

Holdenstedt’s players had tested negative, so the club insisted that the game be played.

As for Ripdorf, seven players — the minimum to avoid forfeit and a fine — volunteered to play. But they played while trying to maintain social distancing.

Ristow said after the game, “During the full 90 minutes, our players kept perfect distance so Holdenstedt had enough time to score goals. We didn’t speak about tactics because we all knew that this game would be a big loss. ... We also know that the score is really bad but security is more important than a game for us. For all players this result is okay and [at] the end of the season, it’s important to collect points and not goals.”

Schickeria pledges not to return until all fans come back (AZ)

The Bayern ultras will not be back to the Allianz Arena anytime soon. The ultras group issued a statement on Friday evening:

“We will not be able to imagine appearing again as a group until the Südkurve can stand together again and support the team as usual and someone can sing for the opponent on the opposite side again.”

Photo by Jörg Schüler/Getty Images

Bayern bosses sitting a little too close for comfort

Maybe you noticed something during the match when the camera panned to the Bayern officials in the Ehrentribüne:

So much for the subject of social distancing — that probably doesn’t apply to the Bayern bosses?

Oliver Kahn told ZDF after the match that everyone “followed the Bavarian regulation that allows precisely that.” The Bayern substitute players were also seen sitting relatively close together in the stands. Perhaps that’s really the case.

Still, it struck me as surprising too — not least after watching Germany’s last few international matches, in which the German team lined up for the anthems before the games with six feet between each player, while Spain and Switzerland stood shoulder to shoulder.