Kahn criticizes club signings
MUNICH - Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has openly criticised the club's new signings for their poor performances in recent weeks.
The 38-year-old believes Bayern's newcomers need to integrate better into the team and the way of life in Munich.
Summer recruits Franck Ribery and Luca Toni were particularly in the firing line in an interview Kahn gave to German sports magazine Kicker.
He said: "The new players need to get used to our high expectations.
"It is not good enough to make a bright start. One or two (players) have got to work out that two or three good games are not enough.
"Bayern is not Marseille or Fiorentina; we are like Real, Man United, Barca or Milan."
After an impressive start to the season in which Ribery and Toni were taking all the plaudits, the performance of both players has dropped along with that of the whole team.
Toni has not scored in the last three Bundesliga games and has netted just once in the last seven while Ribery has openly spoken of his problems getting used to the cold weather in Bavaria.
At the same time, neither have a strong command of the German language, and Kahn admits he is concerned by this.
"It is hard to get a team together because we always need three interpreters," added the former Germany international.
"There is no pleasure in our game anymore, and every player has got to ask themselves why.
"I don't have the precise answer, but every game is getting a bit worse."
Bayern end the calendar year with a Bundesliga game at Hertha Berlin, and need at least a point to guarantee they spend the winter on top of the Bundesliga.
A point is also the minimum aim from their final UEFA Cup game against Aris Salonika next Wednesday to ensure they qualify for the knockout stage.
Bayern book Kahn for comments
MUNICH - Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has been dropped from the squad for the match against Hertha Berlin on Saturday because of "disciplinary reasons".
The 38-year-old has also been fined 25,000 euros (£18,000) by the coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
A statement on the club's official website, www.fcbayern.de, added that the reasons behind the decision would not be made public.
Michael Rensing will replace Kahn in the line-up for Bayern's final Bundesliga game of 2007.
