Schuster sacked by Bayer Leverkusen

Overseas football

The Bundesliga club, Bayer Leverkusen, parted company with the former German international midfielder, Bernd Schuster, yesterday after a bitter dispute with the player.

The German First Division side said they had told the 35-year-old at a meeting that he no longer played for the club. Bayer said both parties would investigate bringing a legal end to Schuster's contract which, is due to run until June 1997.

Last Friday the Bayer board and the coach, Erich Ribbeck, decided to drop Schuster, claiming that he was threatening legal action against the club. Schuster denied the allegation but lost the captaincy the following day after a players' vote.

Another veteran, however, is close to a comeback. Germany's most capped player, Lothar Matthaus, a long-term absentee with a serious Achilles tendon injury, is to return to full training with Bayern Munich next week. The 34-year-old has not played since January.