Winter of discontent for Van Gaal and Toppmoeller

The golden nights of the Champions League are threatening to spell doom and gloom for Louis Van Gaal and Klaus Topmoeller as their Barcelona...

The golden nights of the Champions League are threatening to spell doom and gloom for Louis Van Gaal and Klaus Topmoeller as their Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen sides continue to slump in their domestic championships.

Mighty Barca slumped to a 0-2 defeat at Celta Vigo yesterday – their eighth league defeat of the season – prompting club vice-president Francesco Closa to announce that Dutchman Van Gaal will learn today whether or not he still has a job.

He faces the sack with his team in 12th place in the Spanish first division and facing the prospect of finishing in the lower half for the first time since 1942.

“Now is not the moment to take a decision,” announced Closa.

“To take heated decisions is not a good idea. We will have a night of reflection. If we have to make decisions, they will be done coolly and calmly,” added Closa.

Real Sociedad stay top with 43 points after their 2-1 winat Atletico Madrid while Real Madrid stay second, five points behind after drawing 1-1 against Athletic Bilbao.

Last year’s champions league runners-up Leverkusen are struggling in 14th place in the Bundesliga and their 0-3 defeat at home to bottom club Energie Cottbus increased speculation that Toppmoeller is about to face the chop.

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However, the club was quick to issue the dreaded vote of confidence.

“There has been no discussion on the subject of the trainer,” said manager Reiner Calmund.

Bayern Munich enjoyed a 3-0 home win against Monchengladbach as the League resumed after its six week winter break with English international midfielder Owen Hargreaves scoring his first goal for the club.

The Bavarian giants broke away from the leading group after reigning champions Borussia Dortmund blew their chance of gaining ground when they were pipped 2-1 by Hertha Berlin.

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Bayern now have 42 points from 18 matches, with nearest challengers Bremen on 34 and Dortmund a further point back.

In Italy, title contenders Inter Milan drew level on points with AC Milan at the top as Christian Vieri’s hat-trick earned an easy 3-0 win at home to Empoli.

Vieri’s treble in 16 second-half minutes took the striker’s league tally to 16 goals for the season and moved inter up to second on 39 points behind Milan who lost 0-1 to 10-man Udinese.

Milan, whose defeat was their third of the campaign, keep first place, however, because of their superior goal difference.

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Juventus marked the passing of honorary president Gianni Agnelli by moving up to third with a 2-0 home win over Piacenza with goals by Alessandro del Piero and Pavel Nedved.

Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho came off the bench to inspire Paris Saint Germain to a 2-1 French Cup extra-time triumph over Marseille.

In a stormy encounter which saw both sides finish with ten men, and where eleven others were booked, it was the Brazilian’s mazy run in the seventh minute of extra-time which proved the difference and gave his side a place in the last 16 of the tournament as he set up the winner for Fabrice Fiorese.