Dortmund rule out Schneider swoop

PARIS, July 19 (AFP) - Borussia Dortmund general manager Michael Meier has insisted the club will not make a bid for Bayer Leverkusen's German international Bernd Schneider, the German press reported on Saturday.

Torsten Frings and Evanilson are both sidelined for six months after picking up knee injuries in a pre-season League Cup win over VfL Bochum, leaving coach Matthias Sammer short of options.

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"We are under pressure to go into the market," admitted Meier, referring to the injury crisis at the Westfalen Stadium.

"But it is difficult to find a player who must sit on the substitutes' bench in six month's time."

World Cup star Schneider would certainly strengthen the team, but Dortmund are unwilling to meet Leverkusen's reported asking price of eight million euros (nine million dollars).

"We are aware of Bayer's demands and we can not match them," said Meier.

Head coach Sammer also knows he has no real chance of capturing Schneider but left the door open.

"If Leverkusen have some sympathy for us and send him (Schneider) to us as a gift, we would willingly accept," joked Sammer.

This seems very unlikely with the return of the homesick Argentine Juan-Ramon Fernandez, whom Dortmund had been thinking of letting go on-loan, a more feasible option.

"Normally nothing more would come of it but there are two important reasons: Our situation and the fact that Ferandez is a young player," explained Sammer.

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