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Rummenigge slams German federation
MUNICH, Germany -- Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is claiming that his side are being penalized because players are returning from international duties with injuries. Rummenigge told SportBild on Wednesday that the German champions would be top of the Bundesliga if the German Football Federation (DFB) had not forced some Bayern stars to play with niggling injuries. "I just want to point out that we lose out because of the DFB," he said. Bayern suffered a 3-2 defeat by VfL Wolfsburg leaving Rummenigge furious at German stars coming back injured after the Euro 2004 qualifier with Scotland. "Without this defeat we would be top of the table," Rummenigge told SportBild. Bayern sit fourth in the German top-flight two points adrift of leaders Werder Bremen. A World Cup runner-up in 1982 and 1986, Rummenigge also attributed Bayern's premature Champions League exit last season to the German national side. "I know what problems Michael Ballack played with in the World Cup," he said. "Who pays the price? Bayern. Until December with the Champions League exit." Rummenigge's comments come ahead of Germany's Euro 2004 qualifier with Iceland on Saturday in Hamburg when Bayern will be crossing their fingers that their stars come back unscathed and ready for Bundesliga action. German national coach Rudi Voller is sweating on the fitness of midfield trio Ballack, Carsten Ramelow and Bernd Schneider ahead of the Euro 2004 qualifier with Iceland in Hamburg Saturday. The trio, who are all first team regulars, missed Wednesday's training session with the World Cup finalists but Voller is confident they will recover in time for the clash at the AOL-Arena in three days time. "I am sure that all three will be available to play on Saturday," said an upbeat Voller. "The players took it easy as a security measure." Voller has every right to be cautious with the septet of Christian Ziege, Jens Jeremies, Sebastian Deisler, Tobias Rau, Christoph Metzelder, Torsten Frings and Paul Freier all on the sidelines. Germany need a point to qualify for the Euro 2004 finals.
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