Champions Bayern Munich will host Hamburg in the opening match of the 2008/09 Bundesliga on 15 August, the German Football Federation (DFL) has announced. Both clubs will line out with new coaches, with Jurgen Klinsmann and Martin Jol having assumed charge of the teams that finished first and fourth last season.

Other opening-day ties include runners-up Werder Bremen travelling to Arminia Bielefeld and third-placed Schalke hosting Hanover, while Wolfsburg, who recently recruited Italian 2006 FIFA World Cup™ winners Cristian Zaccardo and Andrea Barzagli, take on newly-promoted Cologne. Promoted Hoffenheim will play their maiden Bundesliga match against the only former East German club among the elite, Energie Cottbus.

The German Cup final, won by Bayern Munich last season, has been set for 30 May at Berlin's Olympiastadion.