Kaiserslautern gain Freund

Tottenham move
The 33-year-old defensive midfield player arrives at the 2002/03 German Cup runners-up from England's Tottenham Hotspur FC, whom he had joined in 1999 after spells with FC Schalke 04 and BV Borussia Dortmund. He won 21 caps for Germany and was in the victorious 1996 UEFA European Championship squad.

'Super atmosphere'
A free agent, Freund is likely to take the place of Ciriaco Sforza, who is out for several months after an achilles tendon operation. He said: "After a very good time in England, I am glad to be back. The atmosphere at the club is comparable to at Schalke and Dortmund. For me, it is something special to play for Kaiserslautern."

'The right player'
Coach Eric Gerets, whose side have already been deducted three points after being found guilty of licensing irregularities, said: "We believe we have found the right player." Freund will not be in the squad for Saturday's Bundesliga opener against TSV 1860 München, but will be part of Kaiserslautern's UEFA Cup campaign when it starts at the first-round stage.