Hitzfeld to stay on as Bayern Munich coach

Ottmar Hitzfeld will stay on as coach of Bayern Munich for at least another season, the Bundesliga club announced yesterday.

Bayern said in a statement that Hitzfeld had reached agreement with the club on a new one-year deal at a meeting on Wednesday.

"We are delighted we could reach such a quick and easy agreement," Bayern manager Uli Hoeness said.

"It was a mutual decision to make the new contract just for one year. In due course we'll review the situation and agree on whether to extend it into the middle or long term."

Hitzfeld, who led Bayern to victory in the Champions League in 2001, returned for a second spell in place of Felix Magath at the start of February.

Early results were not good, with Bayern losing their first match 3-0 away to Nuremberg and managing just one win in the first four games.

They have since won two and drawn one of the last three Bundesliga games to revive hopes of a third successive league title, with the gap from leaders Schalke 04 now down to six points with nine games to play.

The team also made up a 3-2 deficit in the Champions League to beat Real Madrid and clinch a place in the quarter-finals, where they will face Milan.

Ballack tips Effenberg for future coaching role

Meanwhile, Germany captain Michael Ballack has tipped former midfielder Stefan Effenberg as an ideal choice for the job of Bayern coach in the future.

"Effenberg has expert knowledge, he is identified with the club and he would come to the job fresh," Ballack said in an interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung magazine to be published today.

Now 38, Effenberg has no experience as a coach but Ballack said that should not rule him out.

"Juergen Klinsmann didn't have any experience before he became Germany coach," Ballack said.