thumb is down to Sir Nick Faldo for scolding the British Open and clim

LONDON -- Follow that, Pep. Jupp Heynckes is leaving Bayern Munich having set the bar for Pep Guardiola as high as the Wembley Stadium arch. In Englands national stadium Saturday, on the penultimate step of Heynckes farewell tour, the coach delivered Bayerns fifth European Cup with a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund. That comes after the Bundesliga trophy was already collected in a record-breaking league season, and Heynckes can sign out next Saturday by completing the treble in the German Cup final before stepping down. "FC Bayern will have to prove that they can continue to achieve these things but it is quite possible ... that a new era might have begun under the aegis of Bayern Munich," Heynckes said through a translator. An era of dominance, perhaps, to match the Bayern team that won a hat trick of European Cups between 1974 and 1976. Success in the first all-German Champions League final came a year after the tearful defeat on home soil to Chelsea. On a night of redemption, Arjen Robben, who missed a penalty in extra time in last years game, pounced with the winner in the 89th minute in London. "You dont want the stamp of a loser," Robben said. And it was Heynckes who picked up Bayern from its lowest ebb last May. "We didnt resign ourselves to our fate," Heynckes said. "No, we upped the ante and tried even harder. You have seen the result." Although Bayerns players were overwhelmed for much of the first half, they imposed their authority on their tiring rivals after the break. After Ilkay Gundogans penalty kick cancelled out Mario Mandzukics opener on the hour for Bayern, the energy in Heynckes side proved decisive as Robben ensured the European Cup would be returning to Bavaria for the first time since 2001. "We have been changing things, improving things, adapting things," Heynckes said. "We have team spirit, an ability to work together, which I have never experienced in the championship before, because we have 22, 23 top-class professionals ... all of whom played their weight. "Not one of them fell by the wayside. When you have such high calibre players thats pretty incredible. Thats the hallmark of our success: the ability to work together -- the collective." Heynckes wont be part of it for much longer. He leaves under blurred circumstances, having distanced himself from the clubs claims that he planned to retire when Guardiolas services were secured in January for next season. But on Saturday, Heynckes said he had no regrets about handing over the reins, insisting that he had planned to stay just one more season after the Chelsea setback last May. Guardiola is ending a one-year sabbatical from football after turning Barcelona into the dominant team in Europe. Bayern shattered Barcelonas aura of invincibility, however, beating the Spanish team 7-0 on aggregate in the Champions League semifinals. And Heynckes sent out the message to Guardiola that everything at the club is primed for further success. "My successor will of course be able to take over a perfectly functioning team," Heynckes said. "We know Mario Goetze will be joining us and I dont think (striker Robert) Lewandowski will be hanging about too much either (at Dortmund)." Heynckes pointed to how the investment before the season in several players -- including defenders Dante and Javi Martinez, and striker Mario Mandzukic who all started tonight -- had paid off. "The players have been a bulls-eye success," Heynckes said. The 68-year-old German never mentioned his Spanish successor by name despite repeated questions referring to him after the final. But he was clear in outlining the challenge facing Guardiola at Bayern. "You have to lead a team, a group, and you have to be very sensitive, very tactful with very high-calibre footballers," Heynckes said. "Today with the environment, the media, the expectations, it is incredibly difficult." Saturdays win means Guardiolas first shot at a trophy with Bayern will be the UEFA SuperCup in August against Europa League winner Chelsea -- and a likely chance to renew his rivalry with Jose Mourinho. The outgoing Real Madrid coach is expected to return to Chelsea next month. But whats next for Heynckes? Former Bayern midfielder Michael Ballack thinks Heynckes still has much to offer in football -- and he will be in even greater demand after replicating his 1998 Champions League triumph with Real Madrid. "The Bundesliga is an option or Real Madrid, but it must be a special club otherwise it makes no sense," Ballack said at Wembley. Cheap Jaguars Jerseys . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Authentic Custom Jaguars Jersey . Siddikur, whose previous win on the circuit came in Brunei three years ago, finished his bogey-free round with a birdie on the 18th for a total of 17-under 199. Indias Shiv Chowrasia, who has finished runner-up in this tournament twice, was in second place after a 66. http://www.customjaguarsjersey.com/ . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Josh Allen Jersey Large . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Authentic Custom Jaguars Jersey . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss Chris Froomes victory at the Tour de France, Mariano Riveras final appearance at the All-Star Game, Nick Faldos criticism of Rory McIlroy and the retractable roof at Rogers Centre. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to Chris Froome for winning the Tour de France in unbelievable fashion, or maybe too believable. He made it look so easy. Hes going to have the biggest winning margin since Lance Armstrong in 2004. Hes going to have the most stage wins for a champion since Lance Armstrong in 2004. He climbed the hard part of Mont Ventoux, the really gut-busting stuff, faster than anyone in history except for Lance Armstrong in 2002. He looked a lot like Lance Armstrong, which of course means that thats not very good. Lance Armstrong doesnt exist as far as the Tour de France is concerned anymore. All those accomplishments have been wiped from history. Chris Froome has won the Tour de France, which means now we wait. So its a thumbs up until proven otherwise. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up to Mariano Rivera, who not only saved the MLB All-Star Game without registering a save but he brought us a view of something we otherwise wouldnt have seen. There wasnt much reason to watch the game on Tuesday, frankly theres little reason anymore to do so, but the story was Rivera in his 13th and final All-Star Game. When was he going to pitch, how was he going to pitch, hhow was manager Jim Leyland going to use him.ddddddddddddAnd all eyes, fans, media, ball players were on him the entire game. When he pitched his scoreless inning in the eighth and was named Most Valuable Player, even though he was only one of 13 pitchers to pitch one scoreless inning in the All-Star Game, no one questioned the choice. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is down to Sir Nick Faldo for scolding the British Open and climbing all over Rory McIlroy for his work ethic. Its unfortunate because McIlroy is having a tough year, no doubt, and Faldo was right when he said McIlroy shouldnt have changed a winning game, shouldnt have changed clubs, switching to Nike, but McIlroy puts in the work. In his criticism, Faldo sounded like the old man yelling a kids to get off his lawn. And in this case, the lawn was storied Muirfield. Dave Hodge, TSN: Every once in a while, theres a reason to praise Rogers Centre, specifically for its retractable roof. Friday was one of those times. A mammoth storm hit southern Ontario and the Rogers roof allowed a baseball game to be played and baseball fans to be dry and safe, albeit with a stadium evacuation plan ready if needed and displayed on the Rogers Jumbotron. Circumstances forced me to leave the Blue Jays and the Tampa Rays in the early innings to deal with matters at home. It was a wild night, but pretty normal inside the Rogers Centre. Insert a line here if you want about the Blue Jays 8-5 loss adding to the normalcy. ' ' '