France midfielder Franck Ribery has joined Bayern Munich on a four-year deal, Olympique Marseille chairman Pape Diouf said on Thursday.

'We have helped Franck to get where he is today and we are not really happy to let him go,' Diouf told the club's website.

Bayern will have to pay a 26.0 million euro ($35.09 million) transfer fee and then an additional 4.0 million if the German club qualify for the Champions League at the end of next season, sources close to the matter said.

'It's a good financial operation for the club, which proves Marseille can adapt to a market that is not easy,' Diouf said.

Ribery, 24, had joined Marseille in 2005. One of the revelations of last year's World Cup, he has played 18 matches for France, scoring two goals.

Other leading European clubs, including Arsenal and Real Madrid, had also expressed an interest in him.

The player was expected to pass a medical on Thursday in Munich and to hold a news conference there later in the day.

Ribery is the latest piece in a significant rebuilding process at Bayern after they finished the Bundesliga season in fourth place, missing out on a place in the Champions League.

The club have already signed Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni, who was presented as a Bayern player on Thursday, Turkish midfielder Hamit Altontop, Germany internationals Marcell Jansen and Jan Schlaudraff, and Argentine midfielder Jose Ernesto Sosa.

Bayern also want to bring in Miroslav Klose before the new season, although they may have to wait until 2008, when his contract is up, if they cannot agree a fee for the Germany striker with his current club, Werder Bremen.

The signing of Ribery has been financed by the sale of England midfielder Owen Hargreaves to Manchester United for a reported fee of 25 million euros.

Claudio Pizarro has left to join Chelsea on a free transfer, Hasan Salihamidzic is joining Juventus and Ali Karimi has been told he can leave.

Germany striker Miroslav Klose has confirmed he will join Bayern Munich.

The 28-year-old, who has been linked to a string of Premier League clubs, revealed his decision after Germany's 2-1 win over Slovakia last night.

The only uncertainty, however, remains when he will actually make the switch, since he still has a year left on his contract with Werder Bremen.

'The fact is I have decided to play for FC Bayern in 2008,' he said.

'I would prefer for it to happen as quickly as possible and to have everything clear, but if I have to stay one more year in Bremen, then I will still give everything to Werder.

'I would be delighted if I were able to play for Bayern this year.'

Thomas Hitzlsperger was delighted to fire Germany five points clear at the top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group as his first-half goal sealed a 2-1 win over Slovakia on Wednesday. The VfB Stuttgart midfielder's well-taken header two minutes from the break was his first goal since he netted in Germany's 13-0 win at San Marino last September.

The win at Hamburg's World Cup Arena takes Germany to 19 points at the top of group D, five points clear of the Czech Republic in second, to leave Joachim Loew's side in pole position to qualify for next June's European Championships in Austria and Switzerland.

Germany took the lead after 10 minutes. After German defender Marcell Jansen slid his pass through the visitors' defence, Klose looked to have put his side 1-0 up but replays showed it was Slovakian defender Jan Durica who stabbed the ball home. Slovakia pulled level less than ten minutes later when Germany's Christoph Metzelder tried to clear the danger after a superb run from Matej Krajcik, but only suceeded in putting the ball past his own goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. Hitzlsperger then gave Germany back the lead just two minutes before the break with a header which turned out to be the game winner.

Germany scored six times in a brutal 22-minute spell either side of the interval to destroy San Marino 6-0 and move clear at the top of Euro 2008 qualifying Group D on Saturday.

San Marino, still smarting from a 13-0 defeat by Germany at home in September, put up stiff resistance before succumbing to a Kevin Kuranyi header in the final minute of the first half.

Marcell Jansen made it 2-0 early in the second and the sending-off of Davide Simoncini when he gave away a penalty opened the floodgates.

Torsten Frings converted from the spot, Mario Gomez scored two in quick succession and Clemens Fritz rounded off the scoring in the 67th minute.

Victory gave Germany 16 points from six games and took them two clear of Czech Republic, who drew 0-0 in Wales earlier on Saturday.

Joachim Loew's side play Slovakia in Hamburg on Wednesday when another victory would take them a long way towards their goal of reaching the finals in Austria and Switzerland next year.

'Really they were a sparring partner for us,' Loew told reporters. 'It was important for us to get in rhythm ahead of the Slovakia game.'

After September's demolition job, the talk before the return match was about the chances of a record victory to beat Germany's 16-0 win over Russia in 1912.

Germany's appalling finishing in the first half made a mockery of such predictions.

SIMPLE CHANCES

After Kuranyi, Miroslav Klose and Thomas Hitzlsperger wasted simple chances, San Marino nearly caused a shock in the 42nd minute.

Jens Lehmann was far too casual as he came out to clear near his right touchline. He gave the ball straight to Manuel Marani and the Arsenal keeper looked fortunate to get away with handling outside the area as he dived to keep out a shot that flashed across goal.

A couple of minutes later Germany settled their nerves when Kuranyi's header looped over keeper Aldo Simoncini.

Germany came out with a new spring in their step in the second half and the second goal from Jansen was a poke from the far post after Simoncini pushed out a corner.

Frings stroked in his penalty two minutes later before substitutes Gomez and Fritz wrapped things up.

Gomez got his first on the rebound in the 63rd minute before the VfB Stuttgart striker netted the pick of the goals two minutes later with a deft flick from Jansen's cross.

The sixth from Fritz was also nicely taken after a one-two with Frings.