Bayern boss 'going through hell'

Arrest ... Uli Hoeness is out on bail pending tax evasion investigation. Source: PETER KNEFFEL / News Limited

Embattled Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has admitted in an interview that he is going through "hell'' as the tax evasion scandal he has become caught up in shows no signs of abating.

In an exclusive interview with weekly newspaper Die Zeit, the 61-year-old said he has endured sleepless nights since being arrested at his home on Bavaria's fashionable Lake Tegernsee on March 20 before he was bailed for five million euros ($A6.3 million).

"That's when hell started for me,'' he said, while admitting he finds the situation "almost unbearable''.

Since the scandal broke, fuelling a national election-year debate about tax evasion, there have been calls for him to resign, and reports last Friday suggested Bayern's executive board are considering asking him to step down until the investigation is concluded.

Hoeness has said he feels he has been ostracised.

"That's a very big problem for me,'' he said.

"I feel like I have been catapulted to the other side of society and I no longer belong.

"Of course, I blame myself. I have got myself in a load of crap, but I am not a bad person.''

Hoeness has insisted there is no link between his Swiss bank account at the centre of the scandal and the accounts of Bayern Munich, who have been confirmed German champions this season.

In the interview, Hoeness, who won the 1974 World Cup with West Germany, also admitted having been a heavy gambler between 2002 and 2006.

"I gambled really heavily back then,'' he said before insisting he is cured of his former addiction.

"Day and night, involving sums which I find hard to understand now.

"The amounts were pretty extreme: it was a kick, an adrenaline rush.''

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Spurs out on pens, Chelsea through

Heartbreak ... Tottenham are knocked out of the Europa League on penalties. Source: Georgios Kefalas / AFP

Chelsea were the only Barclays Premier League side to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League, as Tottenham Hotspur endured penalty shootout heartbreak and Newcastle United were beaten by Basel.

Ten-man Tottenham crashed out of the UEFA Europa League after going out 4-1 on penalties to Basel on a dramatic night at St. Jakob Park.

It has finished 2-2 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate after extra-time, but Tom Huddlestone and Emmanuel Adebayor missed in the shoot-out to send the north Londoners out at the quarter-final stage.

Chelsea

Basel

Fenerbahce

Benfica

Clint Dempsey's opener was cancelled out by Mohamed Salah before Aleksandar Dragovic gave the Swiss side the lead early in the second half.

However, American Dempsey restored parity with seven minutes remaining before Jan Vertonghen was shown a straight red card in the final minute for bringing down Marco Streller.

The extra 30 minutes failed to produce a goal despite Mohamed Elneny coming closest when he struck the woodwork

Chelsea advanced to the semi-finals with a 5-4 aggregate win over Rubin Kazan despite suffering a 3-2 defeat in Moscow.

The Blues, who held a 3-1 advantage from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, twice took the lead at the Luzhniki Stadium through Fernando Torres and Victor Moses, but second-half goals from Ivan Marcano and Gokdeniz Karadeniz and a Bibras Natkho penalty 15 minutes from time handed the Russians victory on the night

Newcastle bowed out 4-2 on aggregate to Benfica after a 1-1 draw at St James Park.

Papiss Cisse's second half goal reduced the arrears in the tie, but Eduardo Salvio's injury-time strike ended Newcastle's hopes of pulling off a comeback victory.

Cisse also had two goals rightly ruled out for offside as the home side battled to overturn their 3-1 deficit from the first-leg in Portugal, but Benfica did enough to reach the last four.

In the non-English tie, Turkish giants Fenerbahce held off Italian side Lazio to book their spot in the semi-finals.

Read more: http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/284780/report

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Gal to ride naked through Cronulla

NSW origin ... captain Paul Gallen and his new Harley Davidson. Source: John Fotiadis / News Limited

NSW and Cronulla captain Paul Gallen will ride his Harley Davidson motorcycle naked through Cronulla to raise $10,000 for charity.

Sportsbet.com issued the challenge and put up the $10,000 donation, with Gallen later accepting on Triple M radio on Sunday morning.

The development follows a bet this week between Gallen and Parramatta coach Ricky Stuart - Gallen’s former coach at Cronulla and NSW. 

Stuart told the media on Tuesday that Gallen said he would walk down a main thoroughfare in the Sutherland Shire naked if his Sharks lost to the Eels this weekend. 

"He (Gallen) said that if we beat them he's going to walk down the Kingsway naked," Stuart said. 

"I'll hold him to that and I hope we can beat them just so I can be there to see that."

Gallen later said the bet was a "gee-up" by Stuart. 

But the Eels duly ground out a dogged 13-6 win over Cronulla on Saturday night to take out the Jon Mannah Cup, with Sportsbet.com intervening to up the ante on the bet to include the motorcycle and offer a $10,000 donation.

Gallen last month participated in the "Hogs for Homeless" charity Harley Davidson ride, which also featured former NRL stars Nathan Hindmarsh and Brad Fittler.

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Osieck glad Kruse 'got through hell'

What a journey ... it's only happy days now for Robbie Kruse. Source: Martin Meissner / AAP

Socceroos coach Holger Osieck has revealed the anguish Robbie Kruse had to overcome to forge his way into the Fortuna Dusseldorf first-XI - and become one of the Socceroos' key men in the process.

Speaking on Sunday Shootout, Osieck said that he is glad the former Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory flyer has overcome hell to become one of the first men on the national side’s teamsheet. 

"I’m very happy with Robbie’s progress; we had a very tough time together when he was just fringe … in their (Dusseldorf's) second division team. Now they’ve got promoted and he’s a regular starter," Osieck said.

"It took a lot of talks, a lot of … psychological push to keep him on track. He was very frustrated at times, but I think it always helped he was invited to the national team, got some playing time and he was happy being in a familiar atmosphere. All of those aspects helped him.

"He really got through hell and I really hope he enjoys the sunshine a bit more." 

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Who are the A-League contenders for Osieck's squad? Sunday Shootout host Adam Peacock ran the rule over the contenders here.

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With Australia’s squad for the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Oman on March 26 to be announced on Wednesday, Osieck also maintained he has faith in the defenders at his disposal to step up in Lucas Neill’s absence, pinpointing A-League stalwarts Michael Thwaite and Jade North as the top candidates.  

"It’s always good to have some local boys on the radar … and don’t forget about Michael Thwaite, Jade North," Osieck added.

"They have experience; Jado played well in the first-half of the qualifying campaign. 

"Then we have the boys from China who are probably a bit out of your sight, like (Ryan) McGowan, like (Robbie) Cornthwaite, who did very well when I called him in.

"So there are another group of players who could be under consideration."

There have been suggestions that Osieck could draft in the likes of Trent Sainsbury or Nikolai Topor-Stanley into the squad.

But Mark Bosnich suggested another bolter for the backline as due reward for his breakthrough season: Rhyan Grant. Indeed, could he be another option to put forward at left-back? 

For more from Holger Osieck – and to hear who Boz’s other Socceroos bolters are – watch the full interview from Sunday Shootout at the top of the page. 

 

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