Hamann slams game in Germany

The German midfielder on the verge of joining Liverpool has launched a volley of abuse at the game in his homeland.

Dietmar Hamann is about to complete an £8 million move from Newcastle United where he has played for one season after a move last summer from Bayern Munich.

Newcastle fined him £30,000 two weeks ago after he gave an interview criticising the club and saying he wanted to move to Arsenal.

Now the German international has told the excellent 'Kicker' magazine that he is "sick of watching" the game in his native country and described it as "awful".

Hamann is never likely to look for a diplomatic posting once his playing career has finished and was linked several times in the last year with heated clashes with Newcastle coach Ruud Gullit over tactics and said last January that he wanted to quit the club after a training ground row. The last big bust up came in the dressing room at Wembley at half time in the dismal FA Cup final of last season in which Manchester United completed an easy win against his side. Hamann claimed he was injured and refused to come out for the second half causing a delay to the restart while Newcastle staff 'persuaded' the German to take his place on the pitch.