Relegation already looms for troubled Kaiserslauten after latest defeat

Kaiserslautern suffered a 5-3 defeat at Werder Bremen yesterday that they will struggle to recover from this season.

It summed up all that is rotten about Eric Gerets' team, as they opened up a 3-1 lead, but were then swept away once the home side got into gear.

Making matters worse, Ciriaco Sforza, the man Kaiserslautern supporters and the German media have blamed for the team's slump this season, was sent off after being booked twice in three first-half minutes.

Goncalves Ailton scored two goals for Bremen, who climbed to third as a result, with Kaiserslautern languishing in bottom place and looking doomed to relegation even at this early stage of the season.

Bayern Munich, who beat VfL Wolfsburg 1-0 on Saturday, announced that the club's income rose 3.7 per cent last year to a record €176m (£112.5m), but profits took a downturn because of the loss of television revenue and transfer fees paid.