Dutch coaches head to head in the Bundesliga

Saturday 18 October 2008

The biggest game of this weekend in the German Bundesliga was overshadowed during the week by a row between Schalke forward Kevin Kuranyi and the management of the German national team.

But when Schalke 04 take on HSV Hamburg on Sunday (16h00 GMT) Kuranyi will be in the team of Fred Rutten no matter what he did during the week.

Rutten and player Orlando Engelaar will take on the team of that other Dutch coach in the highest German league, Martin Jol and Dutch players Joris Mathijsen, Nigel de Jong and Romeo Castelen.

Hamburg have been sensational so far this season, winning five of their first seven league games and being top of the table as a consequence.

"When all players keep developing themselves we can hold on to that top spot," Martin Jol says.

In Hamburg the fans are also very proud of international Piotr Trochowski, who scored the only goal for the national team in a 1-0 win over Wales.

Jol: "He is now a regular with us and with the national team."

Felix Maggath was the last Hamburg player to score for the national team in 1985. And the city's been waiting for a league title since 1983."

At Schalke they have their own worries.

Kuranyi row with the national team has left it's marks in the Ruhrgebiet and the pressure on the player is mounting.

In Hamburg the striker wants to show that it was unjust how he was tarred and feathered around Germany's match against Russia.

Kuranyi fled the stadium when it turned out he wasn't even on the bench for the World Cup qualifier.