Football United

SV Werder Bremen launch the defence of their 1. Bundesliga title at home to FC Schalke 04 on Friday fully warned of the size of the task ahead.

Early warning
Bremen might have run away with the silverware last season, but they were second best on Monday as FC Bayern München showed their intent with a convincing League Cup triumph over the double winners.

Magath arrival
The departure of coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has certainly not altered Bayern's focus, and new man Felix Magath has set about laying his own foundations for success by strengthening a squad that looks capable of making up for last year's disappointments at home and abroad.

Cashed in
This summer, the 18 Bundesliga clubs have spent €65.13m on 121 players; Bayern have paid a third of that on two signings alone. While their rivals have been tightening belts and hunting for bargains, Bayern have cashed in. Brazilian FIFA World Cup winner Lucio is the most expensive transfer at €12m from Bayer 04 Leverkusen, while Torsten Frings has arrived for €9m from BV Borussia Dortmund.

Deisler return
Magath's squad is further bolstered by striker Vahid Hashemian and defender Andreas Görlitz. But the key to his first season in charge may come from closer to home - the return to form of Sebastian Deisler whose brilliance against Bremen suggests he is ready to fulfil his undoubted potential.

Klose comfort
Bremen hope Miroslav Klose can refind the form that yielded 16 Bundesliga goals in 2001/02 after signing the Germany striker for €5m from 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Klose has big boots to fill following the departure to Schalke of last term's 28-goal hero Ailton. But the arrivals of Frank Fahrenhorst, Gustavo Nery, Daniel Jensen and Petri Pasanen should soften the blow.

New recruits
Ailton and fellow Bremen old boy Mladen Krstajic have already made their presence felt, scoring in Schalke's run to the UEFA Intertoto Cup final, and will be looking for more of the same on Friday when they return to Bremen's Weserstadion. The Gelsenkirchen club will want to improve on last season's seventh place after also recruiting Brazilians Lincoln and Marcelo Bordon.

Looking up
Expect improvements too from Hamburger SV, who have signed internationals Emile Mpenza, Benjamin Lauth and Daniel Van Buyten, and VfL Wolfsburg, who have gone for proven quality in Thomas Brdaric, Marian Hristov and Kevin Hofland.

Calmund goes
Of the three main contenders, Leverkusen have been quietest on the transfer front, though Roque Junior's arrival from AC Milan helps fill the hole left by Lucio's departure. Harder to gauge will be the effect of managing director Reiner Calmund's decision to step down after 27 years at the helm.

Dortmund disappointment
There have also been changes at Dortmund, but new coach Bert van Marwijk missed a chance to lift the Westfalenstadion gloom by losing to KRC Genk in the Intertoto Cup. Matthias Sammer has replaced Magath at Stuttgart and brought in fellow EURO '96™ winner Markus Babbel to help mastermind the club's UEFA Cup campaign.

Veterans return
Other veterans back in the Bundesliga are Carsten Jancker and Christian Nerlinger at Kaiserslautern, while Christian Ziege joins VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach at their new Borussia-Park stadium. Their return contrasts with the arrival of 1. FSV Mainz 05, who will seek survival in their first season in the top flight.

Source: Uefa.com