Some of the most compelling, emotional scenes in football occur when a side has been promoted to a higher division. Sure, a top-flight title or Champions League crown represents the pinnacle of success in the sport at club level, but there’s something altogether more refreshing—more pure—about thousands of home fans rushing the field after the [...]

Penpix of Bayern Munich players ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Chelsea in Munich's Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Our experts rate the Bayern Munich and Chelsea players out of 10 ahead of Saturday's Champions League final.

Borussia Dortmund has made a fine habit out of getting there first -- whether the "there" in question is the ball or a particularly useful player. But for once, the new and old German champions will have to wait. Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa has told the club he will not decide on extending his contract (beyond summer 2013) until after the DFB Cup final against Bayern Munich on May 12.

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MELBOURNE: It was a chilly Thursday morning in Melbourne

As Chelsea prepare to take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, Sportsmail takes an in-depth look at the German side.

MANUEL NEUER (born 27/03/86): Germany's No 1 has enjoyed an impressive first season at Bayern after joining from Schalke.

A scrappy 2-2 draw with Duisburg on the last day of German second division soccer was just enough to earn Fortuna Düsseldorf a chance at promotion. Düsseldorf will face Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin over two legs.

There's a surplus of narratives and rhetoric on a budget day obscured by scandal and sleaze. Read more on the blog... Read more on the blog... Read more on the blog...