Bundesliga stars on holiday
Munich - With the domestic season over for another year and the FIFA World Cup in Brazil drawing ever closer on the horizon, countless Bundesliga stars have jetted off for a well-earned break.
Ever wondered what they get up to whilst on holiday? bundesliga.com finds out...
Legends: Hamburger SV striker , who was ruled out of the Dutch 2014 FIFA World Cup squad due to a , made use of his unwanted free time to meet up with Argentina legend Diego Maradona. Whether the Dutch international learnt any tricks from the 1986 FIFA World Cup winner will only be seen in the 2014/15 Bundesliga season.
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Meanwhile,
of Bundesliga newcomers SC Paderborn, announced that he was heading off the beaten track to visit family members in Africa...
Parisienne walkways: VfB Stuttgart winger has been soaking up a bit of Parisienne culture in the French capital alongside club team-mate . The Guinean international, who will join Borussia Mönchengladbach next month, might have to negotiate a teary au revoir if this brotherly snap on Twitter is anything to go by...
Spanish Spartan: Borussia Mönchengladbach defender found a novel way of keeping up his fitness on the off-season by taking part in Spain's Spartan Race - a series of obstacle races of varying distance and difficulty. Dominguez missed a large chunk of the season due to a shoulder injury and was limited to just 21 Bundesliga appearances in 2013/14, but he clearly showed no averse reaction to a gruelling run...
The 25-year-old subsequently crossed the Atlantic where he has been enjoying the sights of New York:
Hot stuff: Hertha Berlin forward played a pivotal role in the club's first season back in the top flight, grabbing nine goals and three assists to help secure their Bundesliga status for another year. With no World Cup on the agenda for the Tunisia international, he jetted off to Dubai, posting the following picture on Instagram:
Brazilian flavour: The Bundesliga has long been the preferred destination of many a Brazilian, yet as the old adage goes, there's no place like home. Taking advantage of the summer break, Eintracht Frankfurt's opted for some warm-weather training with a spot of beach football, while his compatriot, Hannover 96's headed back to Santos to sample some of the local cuisine:
Capital gains: America was also the destination of choice for (Hamburger SV) and his fellow Turkish internationals (Dortmund) and (Bayer 04 Leverkusen). The trio were stateside for Turkey’s friendly victory of Honduras in Washington D.C., the third of four post-season friendlies for the Crescent Stars, and wasted little time in seeing the sights on offer…
Turkish roots: of recently promoted SC Paderborn 07 was one of the star performers in the unfancied side's senational promotion to the Bundesliga. Scoring 15 goals in just 29 appearances in Bundesliga 2, the Paderborn-raised striker paid homage to his Turkish roots when visiting Istanbul.
Asian delights: FC Bayern's veteran forward celebrated a successful season - in which he grabbed ten Bundesliga goals and was awarded a one-year contract extension at the Bundesliga champions - by flying eastwards to Singapore, where he paid a visit to the local botanical garden, taking this snap of some flora native to his homeland Peru:
Comfort food?: Pizarro's club-mate may have been left disappointed at not being called up to the Brazil squad for the World Cup, but the 28-year-old full-back is evidently not one to wallow in self-pity, instead enjoying a get-together with friends...
Far-flung nuptials...: Hamburg defender embarked on a long-haul flight in the close-season, making a beeline for Bali to attend the wedding of his agent. Let's hope some sun, sea and relaxation will help the English defender and HSV have a less frantic season in 2014/15...
...speaking of which... FC Bayern head coach Pep Guardiola tied the knot with his partner of over 20 years, Cristina Serra, in the Catalan municipality of Matadepera. The couples' parents and their three children were present at the ceremony at the end of May. Congratulations!
Grand Prix: One of Guardiola's charges, , started his holidays with a trip to southern France last week to take in the Monaco Formula 1 race. As can be seen from the 20-year-old's Instagram video below, he had quite a spectacular view of events...
Liberty Lars: Another player who visited the Big Apple was Hannover 96's . The 25-year-old thought New York City was an 'awesome city' and is sad to leave but certain to return in future holidays.
New Yorker: The Big Apple really seems to be a popular vacation spot for Bundesliga players this summer. Eintracht Frankfurt's visited Times Square and the Rockefeller Center, striking a fitting pose in front of the Atlas Statue.
Aubameyang in NYC: Dominguez may well have bumped into Bundesliga colleague while in the Big Apple, with the Borussia Dortmund star keeping his army of social media followers regularly updated on Twitter and Instagram, including this handy collage providing an overview of his activities...