P. Littbarski
Well-Known Member
Dortmund join chase for Klose
BERLIN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - German champions Borussia Dortmumd have added their name to the long list of clubs chasing Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who looks likely to leave crisis-hit Kaiserslautern shortly.
Klose, 24, has a contract with Kaiserslautern until 2005 but the four-times German champions will probably let him go earlier because they need cash to avoid financial collapse.
Kaiserslautern, who are being investigated by the German tax authorities after alleged irregularities by the club's former management, could even have to let Klose go during the Bundesliga break starting at the weekend.
'If such a player is on the market, we would be stupid if we had no interest,' Dortmund commercial manager Michael Meier told Monday's Bild daily.
Bayern Munich, Hertha Berlin and several top European clubs have also expressed interest in Klose, who helped Germany reach this year's World Cup final with five goals in the tournament.
'If we can have such a player, then we should get him,' said Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Kaiserslautern, who are second from bottom in the Bundesliga standings, had to partially sell the transfer rights for Klose to the regional branch of lottery company Lotto last October to escape ruin.
Lotto are guaranteed five million euros from his transfer fee. The rest would go to Kaiserslautern, who said they expected additional tax claims but declined to confirm reports in the German media that they would have to pay back 20million euros worth of tax.
BERLIN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - German champions Borussia Dortmumd have added their name to the long list of clubs chasing Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who looks likely to leave crisis-hit Kaiserslautern shortly.
Klose, 24, has a contract with Kaiserslautern until 2005 but the four-times German champions will probably let him go earlier because they need cash to avoid financial collapse.
Kaiserslautern, who are being investigated by the German tax authorities after alleged irregularities by the club's former management, could even have to let Klose go during the Bundesliga break starting at the weekend.
'If such a player is on the market, we would be stupid if we had no interest,' Dortmund commercial manager Michael Meier told Monday's Bild daily.
Bayern Munich, Hertha Berlin and several top European clubs have also expressed interest in Klose, who helped Germany reach this year's World Cup final with five goals in the tournament.
'If we can have such a player, then we should get him,' said Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Kaiserslautern, who are second from bottom in the Bundesliga standings, had to partially sell the transfer rights for Klose to the regional branch of lottery company Lotto last October to escape ruin.
Lotto are guaranteed five million euros from his transfer fee. The rest would go to Kaiserslautern, who said they expected additional tax claims but declined to confirm reports in the German media that they would have to pay back 20million euros worth of tax.
