Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka Out after Operation on Fractured Hand

Munich's Leon Goretzka celebrates after scoring the 3-1 lead during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and FC Bayern Munich in Mainz, Germany, 21 October 2023.  EPA/RONALD WITTEK
Munich's Leon Goretzka celebrates after scoring the 3-1 lead during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and FC Bayern Munich in Mainz, Germany, 21 October 2023. EPA/RONALD WITTEK
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Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka Out after Operation on Fractured Hand

Munich's Leon Goretzka celebrates after scoring the 3-1 lead during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and FC Bayern Munich in Mainz, Germany, 21 October 2023.  EPA/RONALD WITTEK
Munich's Leon Goretzka celebrates after scoring the 3-1 lead during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and FC Bayern Munich in Mainz, Germany, 21 October 2023. EPA/RONALD WITTEK

Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka will miss the team’s upcoming matches after fracturing his hand during the 3-1 win at Mainz in the Bundesliga.
Bayern said Sunday that a scan confirmed the extent of the injury and the player “underwent a successful operation.” The club did not say how long the player will be out.
Goretzka, who returned from international duty with Germany with an ankle injury, suffered the hand injury shortly after scoring Bayern’s third goal in Mainz.
Defender Bouna Sarr replaced Goretzka with Konrad Laimer pushing up into central midfield. The Austrian midfielder will likely take Goretzka’s place beside Joshua Kimmich while the Germany midfielder is absent.

Bayern visits Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday.



Hamburg Fires Steffen Baumgart as Coach after Five Games without a Win

08 November 2024, Lower Saxony, Brunswick: Hamburg coach Steffen Baumgart gives an interview before the German Bundesliga 2 soccer match between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hamburger SV. (dpa)
08 November 2024, Lower Saxony, Brunswick: Hamburg coach Steffen Baumgart gives an interview before the German Bundesliga 2 soccer match between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hamburger SV. (dpa)
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Hamburg Fires Steffen Baumgart as Coach after Five Games without a Win

08 November 2024, Lower Saxony, Brunswick: Hamburg coach Steffen Baumgart gives an interview before the German Bundesliga 2 soccer match between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hamburger SV. (dpa)
08 November 2024, Lower Saxony, Brunswick: Hamburg coach Steffen Baumgart gives an interview before the German Bundesliga 2 soccer match between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hamburger SV. (dpa)

Former Bundesliga heavyweight Hamburger SV has fired Steffen Baumgart as coach after five games without a win across all competitions.

The second-division club said Sunday it was letting Baumgart go because of a “crisis of performances and results” after the team’s 2-2 draw at home with Schalke on Saturday.

That left Hamburg eighth in the 18-team division, four points behind early leader Paderborn after 13 rounds.

“Steffen gave everything with great passion, energy and commitment right up to the end for HSV. However, our analysis of the current situation and yesterday’s game has once again made it clear that we believe a new impetus is necessary,” Hamburg sporting director Stefan Kuntz said.

The club said Baumgart, who was a Hamburg fan as a child, took the news “calmly” on Sunday morning.

“It was an exciting and very intense time,” the former Cologne coach said. “I remain connected to the club and hope that HSV achieves its goals.”

Hamburg has been bidding to return to the Bundesliga since its demotion from the top flight in 2018. It had been the only ever-present team in the league since it was founded in 1963, earning the nickname “der Dino.”

But every season since relegation has ended in disappointment. Hamburg rival St. Pauli was promoted last season to add to Hamburg fans’ woes.

Baumgart, a former Hansa Rostock and Union Berlin forward, took over as Hamburg coach in February, when the team was third, but ultimately it was unable to improve and finished fourth – one place behind Fortuna Düsseldorf in the promotion playoff spot.

Hamburg said Baumgart’s assistants Rene Wagner and Kevin McKenna were also let go, and that assistant coach Merlin Polzin will prepare the team for its next game at Karlsruher SC.

There was no mention of a permanent successor.