Americans Abroad

Work permit denied, Friedel is headed for Germany's Energie Cottbus.

WUERZBURG Germany (Thursday, October 6, 2000) -- United States national team goalkeeper Brad Friedel is on his way to German Bundesliga side Energie Cottbus on loan from England’s Liverpool following another denial of his new work permit application by the United Kingdom's Department of Employment.

A second denial of his work permit application has United States national-team goalkeeper Brad Friedel headed for the German Bundesliga and last place Energie Cottbus

Friedel, the starter for the U.S. Olympic team which finished fourth in the recent Summer Games, had hoped to move to Blackburn in the first division. Energie Cottbus, newly-promoted to Germany's top league, is struggling and desperate to avoid relegation back into the Second Bundesliga. Currently, Cottbus is in 18th and last place in the Bundesliga standings with a 1-5-1 record.

The club has spent the past few days frantically searching for a keeper after starter Thomas Kohler suffered a knee injury which will have him out for at least four weeks. Backup keeper Tomislav Piplica has also had recent physical problems -- muscle strains -- so Friedel might get his first start in Cottbus' next match October 14 against power Bayern Munich. Since the team currently lists only two other non-European Union players, Friedel would not be sidelined by the Bundesliga limit on dressing only three non-EU players for any match.

Christopher Courtney is an American living in Wuerzburg, Germany where he follows the fortunes of American players in Europe. He can be contacted at yanksgermany@yahoo.com.