Bayer sign up hot-shot Kiessling until 2017
BERLIN, Germany, July 26, 2013 (AFP) - Champions League side Bayer Leverkusen on Friday extended the contract of Bundesliga top-scorer Stefan Kiessling until 2017, with boss Rudi Voeller having labelled the striker “unsellable”.
“I feel really good here, my heart belongs to this club,” said the 29-year-old Kiessling, who scored 25 Bundesliga goals last season to help Bayer finish third in the German league.
Bayer's director of sport Voeller revealed they had earlier this year turned down an offer for Kiessling from Italian side Fiorentina, who eventually bought Germany striker Mario Gomez from Bayern Munich.
Despite scoring 98 goals in 220 Bundesliga mathes for the Werkself, Kiessling won the last of his six caps for Germany off the bench at the 2010 World Cup.
German coach Joachim Loew has previously stated either Lazio forward Miroslav Klose or Fiorentina's Gomez was his preferred choice to fill the single striker role for the national side and has said he has no plans to bring Kiessling back into the squad.