Ever since Bayern picked themselves up from their slouch at the beginning of the season, they’ve seemed unstoppable. With a consistent back-line (which includes some youngsters), a dominant midfield with Schweinsteiger and Van Bommel, and a deadly front-line with Ribery, Robben, and many dangerous strikers like Olic, Klose, and Muller. But this fantastic team was stopped by Jose Mourinho’s staunch and powerful Inter Milan in the Champions League final, ending Bayern’s dream of a historic treble.

The match began strangely, while we all know that Bayern play a more attacking and creative style, we’ve seen Inter Milan knock Barcelona out. Bayern Munich kept the ball well, but were scared of Sneijder’s quick one-twos with Milito. While Bayern heaped pressure on the Italian champions, Inter Milan was able to defend well, and create dangerous opportunities counter-attacking. Milito scored the first on a counter-attack, and Bayern continued to play the same way, feeding everything through Robben.

While the Dutchman was slippery on the right wing, he was isolated, often having to pass back to van Bommel or the defense. While Olic and Muller tried their best to make themselves dangerous, they were shut down by Lucio and Samuel. It was Altintop that provided spark and direction to the Bavarian’s attack, often cutting in and creating opportunities for himself and his teammates. But the Turkish international was substituted by Louis van Gaal in a strange move to bring Miroslav Klose on. It was soon after that Diego Milito scored again on a counter-attack, the Bayern defense was lethargic, and the midfield was gone on the transition. After that van Gaal tried to put Gomez on to inspire the attack, but he took off the hard-working Olic off, yet another strange move from the Dutch coach in my opinion.

The whole match was strange, it seemed like Bayern Munich didn’t get into the game and they feared Jose Mourinho’s determined side. And while Bayern are full of flair and beautiful attacking football, they were unable to show it against Inter in the most important match. And while this team was denied the chance to make history by completing the treble, next year they could still come strong with the talented youngsters they have.

The Bavarian club achieved a great result after returning from the trip to Bremen with all three points to climb to the top of the Bundesliga standings. Their tenure at the top could be short lived as Bayer Leverkusen will take over the top position if they can win or just tie in their match against TSG Hoffenheim.

Even if Bayern are displaced from the first sport, the last several rounds have seen a remarkable turn in the fortunes of the prestigious club. Since crushing Juventus 4–1 in Turin in the decisive Champions League match, the Bavarians have scored a remarkable 15 times in just four games. As impressive as the score against Juve was, it was the manner Bayern went about dismantling the Old Lady which spoke volumes about the change in fortunes for the German club. Bayern put in a stunning display highlighted by attacking prowess, sheer grit, unwavering passion and unmatched efficiency.

The triumph against the Bianconeri set the club on the right track but also signalled the club’s intent to qualify in the Champions League and challenge for the German title. After a shaky and inconsistent start to the season during which Louis van Gaal was heavily criticised for his tactics and choices, the Bavarian giants have been dismissing their opponents and scoring at will.

The club’s schedule will be both friendly and relatively easy to negotiate prior to the Champions League encounter with Italian side Fiorentina. Bayern will be expected to win the four official matches assigned before the first leg clash against la Viola. The key will be to remain focused on taking the challenges one match at a time without looking far ahead into the schedule.

The following cautious remark might surprise some but van Gaal must be aware of the threat posed by la Viola with players of the calibre of Adrian Mutu, Alberto Gilardino and Stevan Jovetic all capable of scoring goals. The Gigliati are managed by the charismatic and highly influential Cesare Prandelli. The European tie should be evenly balanced with Bayern slightly edging this one due to current form and the players at the Coach’s disposal.

The questions remain whether Bayern can win the league title and make it to at least the semi-finals in Europe. Can van Gaal make sure the club will emerge once again as a force in Germany and Europe?

Last year the winter break lasted six long agonizing weeks. This year it will be seven. The break has been controversial for some time as even the Kaiser has called for the abandonment of this “luxury”. It is too long a layoff for the players and fans.

Meanwhile, this year the Ligapokal was not played due to the Euros. Last summer the Ligapokal was a terrific competition that involved the top four clubs from the previous season, the DFB Cup winner and the Zweite winner. Compared to the meaningless pre-season tournaments such as the Emirates, Amsterdam or Peace Cups, this was a competition that seemed to have purpose.  And that purpose has grown ever since its revamp in 1997. It had a decent payout for the winner and carried prestige. There had been talk, even last summer that the competition might be expanded.

Yesterday, kicker reported that league officials met and have agreed to fix two problems with one solution. They are proposing to scale the break back to two or three weeks, like Spain or Italy. Rather than starting the season back a month earlier, they have decided to expand the Ligapokal and play it completely within this new window. The top 36 clubs (Bundesliga 1 and 2) will participate, with any team in European competition given a bye from the earliest round. While no specifics have been mentioned, it would seem that it would be a five round tournament that would be played over four weeks.

I love the idea, and here’s why.

1. Teams in Europe usually enter the first knock-out round of the UEFA Cup or CL without proper match fitness. This tournament gives them opportunity to be fully fit going into these tournaments, rather than suffering a disadvantage to clubs who have been playing for at least a month.

2. The league will restart with more cohesive squads. While all teams always return on equal footing after the winter break, they all have to get match prepared. This should mean that they return in February at full fitness. Last year, the number of late goals in the first week of return was high, because substitutions were so effective against tired defenses.

3. It gives all clubs an extra chance at silverware. That’s never a bad thing. And if a European spot goes along with it, then it’s all the better. This week I wrote many reasons why the Bundesliga is better than the EPL. But the fact that England has the Carling Cup, which has been won by Blackburn, Leicester City, Middlesboro and Tottenham in the past decade, is advantage England.

4. While this will matter little to fans in Germany, the break takes its toll on oversees interest. When La Liga, Series A and the EPL are all in full swing for a month while German teams are on holidays, it can cause attrition in the second half of the season as viewers are already caught up in the most volatile part of other league’s campaigns. Let’s remember that competing for Asian, African and North American money is important, going forward, if German teams want to keep pace with English counterparts.

5. It’s innovative. Without upsetting the tradition of the Winterpause, the league has found a way to help the league domestically and in Europe, expand a good competition, open a new marketing avenue and give hope to all teams of silverware.

As you may know former longtime Germany and Bayern no. 1 Oliver Kahn had his testimonial exactly a week ago in Munich. The match, between Bayern and Germany, ended 1–1, but the score was less important than the man honored that night. His accomplishments are legion and well-known, including, perhaps most impressively, being the only goalkeeper to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball.

To commemorate his career Adidas released this video to coincide with that match. It is featured as part of its “Impossible is Nothing” series , but is produced in a much more serious tone (in keeping with Kahn’s character) than other “Impossible is Nothing” commercials. Nothing particularly new or shocking is revealed, it’s just a well-made tribute to one of the all-time greats.

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For those of you not conversant in German (I imagine that’s why you’re here in the first place and not reading some fine piece of excellent sports journalism auf deutsch) I’ve provided a little transcript to go along with the video. So, in the words of the man himself:

I didn’t actually approach the ball the first time with my feet, but instead I picked it up right away. Yeah, something could come of me and the ball. Talent is a gift you’re given in life, but it’s useless if you’re not willing, in spite of everything, to work hard.

[Milan on May 23, 2001, the Champions League final. A penalty shootout is needed to settle the 1–1 stalemate. Amedeo Carboni, Valencia’s Italian left fullback, has the opportunity to put Valencia ahead 3–2…]

Kaaaahn! It’s not in! Unbelievable!

Becoming the national team goalkeeper was a marathon task for me. I only became the regular keeper in goal for the German national team at age 28 and by then others already quit playing soccer. I’ve always needed a long, long time in order to reach my goals. Success is what’s important to me. And for me that counts even more than, and I’ll say this in quotes, to be “sympathetic” or “immortal” or to be “the tragic hero”.

It was a long, long path and I always needed lots of perseverance. But that’s just how we are. Being a goalkeeper naturally also implies a bit of craziness.

1. Parity

Okay, let’s not kid ourselves.  Not any team can win the Bundesliga.  But since the inception of the EPL in 1991, four teams have won the title: United, Blackburn, Chelsea and Arsenal, but United has won 11 of those titles.  In that same span, five teams have won the title in Germany: Kaiserslautern, BVB, Bayern, Werder and Stuttgart.   This may not seem huge, but it is if you look more closely.  If you look at contested title races (one’s that have gone to the final weeks), Newcastle’s epic collapse in 1996 and Blackburn’s purchase of the title in 1995 have been the only times that Arsenal, Chelsea or United were not involved in the title race.  Even Liverpool has never come close.   In the Bundesliga, aside from the winners, Schalke has lost the title twice and Bayer Leverkusen thrice (once tied on points with Bayern).  Even Eintracht Frankfurt has been within six points of the title (back in 1992).   And never forget that Kaiserslautern won their one title in this era the year they were promoted from Zweite.   Anyone think Hull has a chance of doing that? 

The big four is truly the big four in England.  They have only been piped for a slot in the group stages of the UCL by Leeds and Newcastle since United’s Treble saw England pass Germany in coefficient and get four slots compared to Germany’s 3.  During that same time, Germany has sent Hertha, 1860, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Schalke, Stuttgart, HSV and BVB to the group stages.  All this was accomplished with one less spot.  And unlike Leeds, none of those teams were ruined by the efforts to get there.

In addition, while Bayern is the most successful and richest club in Germany, Schalke, Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg, BVB, Stuttgart, Leverkusen and HSV are quite capable of winning the title this year (some more so than others).  Meanwhile apart from Cottbus, Bielefeld and Bochum, every team can confidently hope for a run into European.   In the EPL, there are only two possible champions.   While other than the big five, only Everton, Tottenham and Villa can hope to squeeze into one of the extra slots.  For the rest, the only hope of Europe is to get to the finals of the FA Cup and lose to a big four club.

2. Support

Maybe you saw Tottenham’s win over Arsenal last year in the Carling Cup and could hear the power of the chant that was repeated over and over, “Que Sera Sera, Whatever Will Be, Will Be.  We’re going to Wem-be-ley”.  It was as breathtaking as the game.  The EPL can have amazing crowds, but it can have rather dull ones too.  Arsenal isn’t called the Library for nothing.  Wigan is a rugby town.  Roy Keane’s comments about the Prawn Sandwich brigade at Old Trafford were a damning statement on gentrification in the game as it becomes the vice of the old and wealthy in England. 

In Germany, where stadiums are significantly bigger and seats cheaper, the young and the avid attend virtually every team’s games.   The same power I remember from that Carling Cup song could be heard at Wolfsburg in a game against Stuttgart last year in a midtable/ midseason clash.   And Wolfsburg’s stadium is small and one of the few stadiums that hosts empty seats.

The crowds are amazing.  They are spectacle unto themselves.  Think about a Bombanero in Buenos Aires without the fear of losing your life.  And this can be had at many of the average teams in Germany.

Last year 1860 Munich averaged 44,000 people for Zweite games.  That would have made them the third highest attended team in Spain and Italy.  They would be the second highest attended team in France and fourth in England.   Meanwhile they were 8^th in Germany.  And Köln and Borussia Möchengladbach both had 40K+ average attendances as well in the Zweite.  Just for the record, Borussia Dortmund virtually equaled both United and Real in attendance with a putrid side last campaign.

They are loud, they are relentless and they never stop waving the flags or singing the songs.   And is there any site more beautiful than the post game acknowledgments between the players and the fans?

3. Fan Power

Thanks for supporting the team, now shut up and give us your money.  Increasingly that has become the feeling of the supporters of clubs in England.   And while some supporters are finding solace in the lower leagues, for example through F.C. United, many English fans are now seeking it in Germany.

Because in Germany, fans still have a say due to ownership rules and tradition.   Fans have forced issues such as standing terraces, which are one of the reasons for the wonderful crowds and atmosphere, reasonable seating prices, use of flags and banners and the continued presence of Sportschau, think Match of the Day, on free television. You can get seats for as little €5, even at the Allianz.  At Old Trafford, that money wouldn’t even get you their infamous prawn sandwiches.

The fans aren’t a profitable inconvenience in Germany; they are part of the makeup of the league.  And their tireless work has led to many of the wonderful aspects of the league that make it the most compelling league in the world.  

But if you think they are sitting on their haunches, you need only look back to an article by Raphael Honigstein last year, which shows how the Ultras still feel the league is too commercialized.  The Ultras of Italy throw bricks.  The Ultras of Spain make monkey noises.  The Ultras of England can’t afford to go and have to meet up in dark alleys for a punch up.  The Ultras of Germany* actually have a political statement. 

*This is not to suggest that there isn’t a minority of these Ultras in Germany who aren’t capable of the same.

4. 50+1

A term used to refer to rules regulating that no individual can own more than 49% of a club.  The remainder has to be owned by the Verein, which is the original sporting club, which derives its purpose and finances through its members, which spawned the football team.  Think of your local YMCA owning the Boston Red Sox. 

With this rule, there are not any worries about oil tyrants and human rights abusers taking over clubs for a quick return on investment.   There are concerns that these rules might be relaxed in the future, but there is doubt that fans, who have a say through their memberships in the Vereins, will allow for this, even at the expense of watching English clubs dominate Champions League.

But that’s not to say that teams can’t be bankrolled.  Bayer Leverkusen has the backing of the Bayer Group pharmaceutical giant, Wolfsburg has Volkswagon and Hoffenheim has Deitmar Hopp of SAP.  There could be an increase in the number of rich owners who have a 49% stake, which would allow Germany to still compete in Europe without giving its league to bandits, as has happened in England.

5. All Teams Solvent

What is the most profitable league in Europe?  Wrong! (I know you said the EPL).   You’re not even close.   While revenue is greater in England (by almost double), the Bundesliga profited €250 million last year, over €100 million more than the EPL.  In the meantime, the Bundesliga is now 2^nd in revenue to England, outclassing both Italy and Spain in revenue and profit.   The major factor in this is player costs.  While all the talk in England revolves around player power and transfer deals, the Bundesliga keeps player costs to 45% of revenue (compared to 66% in England).  Meanwhile, television money continues to increase, shirt sponsorship is greater than England and bigger stadiums all help to keep teams revenue rich.

Pick a team! Any team!  Tomorrow they will still be solvent.   Yes, Borussia Dortmund recently had a financial crisis, but it was a crisis.  It was not administration.   The number of teams that would be denied a license under Germany’s Lizenzierungsordnung, which regulates finances, would be staggering, as it is much stricter than in England.  Each March clubs are required to put a financial plan to the league to show their liquidity. They have to budget based on that submission.  In fact, it was BVB’s missing out of the group stages of the UCL in 2003, which they had budgeted upon that caused much of their financial worries recently.  Hopefully Schalke had contingency plans for their failure this year.  

The last time a team was denied a license in Germany was 1982 to 1860 Munich.  Twelve teams have been near or in administration in England over the past 2 years.   And Chelsea have recorded losses of £140. 

6. Youth Development and Scouting

Want to see who the stars of Euro 2012 or WC 2014 will be.  A good place to start is the Bundesliga.   Italy is housing fewer and fewer young stars, especially ones that aren’t Italian.   Spain is loaded but is mostly the domain of the Spanish and Argentine.   England puts an overvaluation on youth but rarely produces the young stars.  The exception is Arsenal, where Arsene Wenger has made a cottage industry of buying young kids from outside of England and developing them.  England may buy talented teenagers, but these players were almost always developed elsewhere.   In fact, even with English talent, rarely does the EPL develop it, other than Manchester City and West Ham.  The lower leagues develop most English talent. 

While that may change is FIFA is able to implement the proposed 6+5 rule, the fact is that money has allowed England to give up on the academic system.  Bayern Munich is as big as any of the clubs in England.  Their squad includes Lahm, Ottl, Rensing and Schweinsteiger, who they developed from their youth system.  Compare that with Manchester United, who haven’t developed a player of note on their own squad since the golden generation.  Any kid with a modicum of talent in their youth system is bound for Belgium or Sunderland.   It begs the question as to why they even incur the expense.

It’s the Bundesliga that houses most of the young international talent in the world.  The fact is that Spain has limits on foreigners and England has work permit regulations.   Meanwhile Germany has few restrictions other than a player must learn German.

This is why every team at Euro 2008, except for Spain, had a representative in the Bundesliga.  And this was done without a detriment to the German national team, which is exactly the opposite effect that a slew of internationals are having in England.  And the league also had the most players at this year’s tournament.   Meanwhile, they were the hardest hit by the Olympics, where 16 of the league’s players, most starters for their club, were in Beijing while the German team wasn’t.   

The stars of the future play in the Bundesliga: Kroos, Adler, Marin, Renato Augusto, Fenin, Breno, Thiago Neves, Alex Silva, Arturo Vidal, Said Huseinovic, Neven Subotic, Sosa, Demba Ba, Kuba, Nuri Sahin, Rakatic, etc.

7. Tactics

How many true #10’s are there in England?   Joe Cole who will never be allowed to play the role and Elano at Manchester City.

Werder has Diego, Bayern has Ribery, BVB has Hajnal, Hannover has Bruggink and the league lost two in Wolfsburg’s Marcelinho and Hamburg’s van der Vaart recently.   It is a very common position that is the pinnacle of technical football; yet, it doesn’t exist in England, because it slows the game down.

Nonetheless, the Bundesliga is no slower than the EPL.   In fact if you compare distance covered, the Bundesliga and the EPL are slightly behind France as players cover 10km per game.  While much more time is spent sprinting in the EPL (210m vs 169m), when it comes to high intensity runs the EPL is barely above the Bundesliga with each player running 241m at high intensity compared with 224m. But for the slight advantage they have in sprinting, English teams don’t even complete 60% of their passes, while the Bundesliga compares with La Liga at 63.5% completion rate.

Another telling problem for England is that there are 50 more challenges per game, which is due to the defensive nature of the league.  Even worse is that the EPL has 10 more air challenges per game, proving that “Rt. 1” football is far from dead.  Meanwhile England has the lowest number of touches per game and Germany the most. 

And all of that leads to the most telling factor: For 19 straight years, the Bundesliga has had the most goals per game of any of the five biggest leagues in Europe (2.81 last year).   England, who claims that Italy is the land of defensive football, has managed to average more goals than Italy just three times this decade.  The last time England even came close to the Bundesliga was 1999–2000 when they scored 2.78 vs 2.80 gpg.  Most years, the most “exciting” league in the world is statistically more like Ligue 1, which is desperately trying to get its clubs to play offense.  It has many less shots on goals, significantly less goals, and many more challenges.   In effect, take an Englishman’s worst stereotype of Italian football and it describes his league perfectly.

Germany on the other hand, seems to be the middle ground between the highly technical Spanish and Italian leagues and the fast-paced, physical English and French leagues.  And that seems to me to be the perfect place to be in a tactical sense.

Schalke, currently sitting at the top of the Bundesliga, have surged ahead to the peak of another, less prestigious table — the goalkeeper injury table. First choice keeper Manuel Neuer has yet to make an appearance this season, having broken his fifth metatarsal during a pre-season friendly against SpVgg Erkenschwick (currently playing in the equivalent of Germany’s sixth tier). Thankfully teams are prepared for these kind of eventualities by keeping reserve keepers on hand. The hope is that in the absence of the usual no. 1, that the man who takes his place between the sticks won’t do more harm than good. That is the situation Mathias Schober, Hansa Rostock’s former first choice goalkeeper, currently finds himself in at Schalke. He’s been doing a great job, too, conceding only once so far (against Torsten Frings and Bremen) this Bundesliga season. I say Bundesliga season because the 4–0 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League qualifying tie wasn’t a stellar performance, but it doesn’t seem to have impacted his domestic form.

Now Mathias Schober is off to see team doctor Bernd Brexendorf and his team of physiotherapists after picking up the injury in training. The diagnosis is not good. Schober will be out at least two to three weeks due to a torn left calf muscle. He will definitely miss this week’s clash against Revierderby rivals Dortmund and the following weeks’ games against Frankfurt and Köln. At the absolute earliest he might be available to play Wolfsburg on matchday 7. The problem is Schober’s opportunity to cement his position as Schalke’s new no. 1 will likely have passed by then because Manuel Neuer has already begun light training this week. While it is unlikely that he will be declared fit in time for Saturday’s game, his return will almost certainly coincide with Schober’s absence. Even an unfit Manuel Neuer should have little to worry when it comes to competing with the third choice keeper for playing time. But who’s left to play goal this week (and possibly longer if Neuer’s recovery should suffer an unfortunate setback)?

Two 19-year olds are the only remaining fit first team goalkeepers at Fred Rutten’s disposal. The first is Mohamed Amsif, a German-born Moroccan who only signed a professional contract earlier this May. The more likely choice, however, is Chemnitz-born Germany Under-21 international Ralf Fährmann. Last year he started 28 games for Schalke 04 II, keeping a clean sheet 14 times. Now the level of competition he’ll be facing is vastly greater than the Oberliga foes he faced, but the biggest challenge will be staying healthy.

What do you think, will Schalke be able to draw or defeat their rivals Dortmund this week with an untested 19-year old in goal?

The unexpected bookend to yesterday’s surprising transfer of Marcell Jansen to Hamburg is Bayern’s acquisition of right back Massimo Oddo on a season-long loan from AC Milan. The 32-year old brings both international class and a warm body to shore up the team’s dangerously thin defense. According to Bayern’s general manager, Uli Hoeneß, the team had kept tabs on Oddo for six days before making their move. “We believe,” Hoeneß said, “that he is a player who can help us.” Not exactly informative, but the underlying message is clear. The goal set out by Klinsmann upon his arrival was to translate domestic dominance into European success. A Champions League-winner like Oddo would know how to handle the biggest matches and perform well (consistently!) in high-pressure situations.

That being said the move is, in my estimation, an odd one. While Bayern acquired a World Cup– and Champions League-winning defender, they replaced a 22-year old starlet with a player 10 years his senior. This is clearly not a long-term solution and begs the question, “What is the solution?” or rather, more specifically, “What is Christian Lell to do?” Is this move designed to give Lell another year to develop? Or is he destined to be an eternal backup (formerly to Sagnol now to Oddo), at least until he leaves Munich?

1st

Schalke

What You Know: If baseball’s Chicago Cubs had a baby with the Red Sox prior to 2004, Schalke would be the offspring.

What You Don’t: All things both good and bad must end.

What to Expect: Yes, Campeones! I say that, bucking all trends, and knowing full well that Schalke could be leading the league by 6 points going into the last week and still pull a fubar.

But I look at this team, and quite frankly, it’s just better than Bayern Munich. Rakatic, Farfan and Jones are an amazing attacking three with Zé Roberto, Streit, Varela and PPA (poor people’s Altintop) to provide options. In Engelaar and Ernst they have the perfect double pivot, with Ernst the ball winner and Engelaar the deep-set passer.

Bordon, Westermann and Krstajic? (a fantastic man marker) are bookended by two of the best fullback in the Bundesliga in Olympiad Rafinha and D.J. Christian Pander. Behind them sits Manuel Neuer, who while prone to a young mistake on occasion is brilliant 98% of the time.

And with Kuranyi they have a forward that can hold, distribute, release, find space and finish. They can switch mid-contest to a 4–4-2 and play Farfan with Kuranyi, and Rutten can even call upon Asamoah, Lovenkrands or Sanchez.

So along with the talent, they have new attack-minded trainer Fred Rutten, who has at his disposal the most versatile side in the league. They can move from a 4–2-3–1 to a 4–1-4–1, 4–4-2 or 4–3-3 in one move. If the tactical acumen that we are led to believe exists in Rutten, they will win the league. No blowing it on the last weekend.

2nd

Bayern Munich

What You Know: Jurgen Something. I forget.

What You Don’t: It’s F.C. Bayern. What could you possibly not know about a team that has more press coverage that Lindsay Lohan.

What to Expect: I am alone on this, which will make me either a genius or quickly forgotten, but I don’t think they have what it takes for the Bundesliga this time around. I think the UCL they may well win, but Jurgen hasn’t proven to anyone he can handle a year-long schedule. On top of that, will he see that the team is built for a 4–2-3–1 or will he continue to force, as Ottmar Hitzfeld did, two lone forwards into a dual attacking line. He will be granted amnesty on this choice while his talisman returns from his Euro injury, but he is in for a headache when Ribery returns.

Also putting your faith in a kid at goalkeeper is a big gamble. Rensing could be the bomb. He could also fold under the pressure and demands of Germany’s biggest club. Also does Jurgen have the will-power to keep Lucio from exposing his defense. It was Hitzfeld’s greatest accomplishment last year, but I doubt someone Lucio would call “the kid” is going to keep him from leaving Demichelis wishing he had stayed a DM.

3rd

Wolfsburg

What You Know: Felix Magath won two doubles as manager of Bayern. After a slow start two seasons ago, he took up the position at Wolfsburg, but he has done so as the one true English manager in the Bundesliga. He guided Wolfsburg to 5th place last year.

What You Don’t: He has a Puerto Rican father and thus he’s the most famous person on this list who hasn’t won a Grammy.

What to Expect: Christian Zaccardo and Andrea Barzagli would be a massive signing for any team not in Milan or Turin. The fact that a factory town has two world cup winners should make everyone pay attention. The fact that Magath has taken over and built a young squad with good chemistry and excellent conditioning should scare them. I think this team is going to be in Champions League next year.

With Misomovic already to take the mantle of playmaker, the move of Marcelinho to Flamengo has me even more convinced. Too much went through the aging captain, and that might have been fine when the squad was dodgy, but not with all the talent the have now. They should benefit from an attack that doesn’t have to go through one man.

4th

Bayer Leverkusen

What You Know: I heart Rene Alder

What You Don’t: No court order will keep us apart.

What to Expect: I joke about Rene Adler, but seriously, he is the only keeper in the world who I watch a game just to see his exploits. When he’s on his game, he’s impossible to beat. Add to the best keeper in the world (I mean that), a young talented squad with the likes of Simon Rofles, Tranquillo Barnetta, Gonzalo Castro, Arturo Vidal and Stefan Kiessling. Add to that mix new signings Patrick Helmes, Henrique and Renato Augusto, and they have the makings of a team that will slip in and out of the top three for most of the season.

This biggest question mark for the Werkself is new trainer Bruno Labbadia. If the up and coming manager has the personality to focus this young team and the tactics to win games, there’s no reason they can’t be playing for Champions League this season. I personally think he will be up to the task, but they won’t have enough to get to their traditional spot of #2.

5th

Werder Bremen

What You Know: Diego is off to the Olympics, which sucks for Werder, but has meant that nobody came in with offers for the highly sought after midfielder.

What You Don’t: The Team Motto is “Defense Schmefense”

What to Expect: We know they can score. That’s not an issue. Werder’s problem is always a lack of defense. They are capable of thrashing teams, but are also able to lose focus at home to the likes of Bochum. With Per Mertesacker out for the beginning of the season, Sebastian Prodl will have to step in and partner Naldo in central defense. The problem is that Prodl was most likely brought in to be the understudy for the erratic Naldo. Putting a promising kid with Naldo, when Torsten Frings plays a loose version of a DM, is a recipe for disaster, especially when the keeper Tim Wiese is prone to blunders. Additionally their two fullbacks, Fritz and Pasanen are more attack minded than defense minded. With all of that in mind, Werder’s defense could cause them massive headaches this season.

6th

Hamburg

What You Know: Rafael van der Vaart has left, taking his bad attitude and hot wife with him.

What You Don’t: His teammates aren’t distraught.

What to Expect: Martin Jol’s ability to turn a squad of crap into a good side is being proven on a daily basis as Spurs are stripped of the players that Juande Ramos doesn’t consider good enough. Jol got that squad to two 5th place finishes, by some miracle, over in the Premiership. At Hamburg, Jol actually has a lot more talent than he did at Tottenham. Perhaps he lacks the superstar quality of Dimitar Berbatov, but his midfield, even with the loss of van der Vaart, is better. Piotr Trochowski, Jonathan Pitroipa and Romeo Castelen (when healthy) can open up most defenses while de Jong and Jarolim can lock down a midfield. A solid defense and the most underrated keeper in the league will keep them in most games.

The worry for HSV is the strikeforce of Ivica Olic, Paulo Guerrero and Mohamed Zidan. They haven’t been the most productive strikers and if they can’t finish, HSV will become nil-draw specialists.

7th

Hannover 96

What You Know: Robert Enke is the heir apparent to Jens as Germany’s #1.

What You Don’t: Their nickname is die Rotten, which sounds really cool until you translate it and it becomes “the Reds”. Commies!

What to Expect: Here’s a name you don’t know, but should: Arnold Bruggink. The 31 year old Dutch playmaker has been leading Hannover’s turn of fortunes as they have finished 12th, 11th and 8th since he joined. Overshadowed by the likes of Ribery, Diego, van der Vaart and Marcelinho, he has been one of the most creative forces in Germany since he moved. Surrounded by the likes of Jan Rosenthal, Szabolcs Huszti, Sergio Pinta and Altin Lala, while Hanno Balitsch cleans up behind him, Hannover’s midfield is an obvious strength.

By upgrading the defense in front of the solid Robert Enke by adding Mario Eggimann to replace an aging Michael Tarnat to go along with work-horse Steve Cherundolo as well as Frank Fahrenhorst, Valerien Ismael and Christian Schultz, Dieter Hecking’s side have strengthened significantly in a weak area.

In addition, the two new forwards in Jan Schlaudraff and Mikael Forssell is a huge upgrade on the hot and cold Mike Hanke and should take the impetus off the midfield to provide goals as well as service. Last week I did a “best transfer” list and leaving Jan Schlaudraff off of it will be a huge mistake.

8th

Eintracht Frankfurt

What You Know: Come on. Be honest. You don’t know anything about Frankfurt.

What You Don’t: Friedhelm Funkel, who henceforth will be referred to as da Funkenshizzle, has steadily improved this once yo-yo team and they can contend for Europe.

What to Expect: Da Funkenshizzle has built a team that has an equal measure of youth and experience. But the young guns are where all of the excitement is coming from. Since last January, Frankfurt have added Markus Steinhöfer, Umit Korkmaz, Habib Bellaid and Martin Fenin. All of them are highly regarded youth players. Capturing Fenin was one of the biggest coups by a smaller club in a long time.

If these kids can start to gel with the existing spine that includes holder Junichi Inamoto, captain Amanatidis, the underrated Markus Proll, playmaker Alexander Meier and defender Christoph Spycher; Frankfurt could be more than a mid-table team this year. Add to that the free transfers of veterans Zlatan Bajramovic from Schalke and Nikos Liberopoulos from AEK and da Funkenshizzle has had one of the most impressive off-seasons of any trainer in the Bundesliga.

9th

Stuttgart

What You Know: Jens Lehmann is a douche bag and a crap keeper.

What You Don’t: Knowing that, he’s still a 100 fold improvement over Rafael Schaefer, who might have had one of the worst seasons ever in the Bundesliga. I mean the word awful doesn’t do his performance justice.

What to Expect: Welcome to mid-table mediocrity. The Swabians may have one of the hottest commodities on the planet in Mario Gomez, but while good at developing talent, they have proven themselves to be poor purchasers of talent. Adding a couple of questionable EPL castoffs isn’t reason to believe that they can be any better this year, than they were last year. While Pardo is a great holding mid, he’s getting old. Letting their best player from last year, Fernando Meira, go is not the best way to shore up a defense that doesn’t impress. Bouhlarouz has been a shell of the player he was at Hamburg. While they have been making questionable choices in the market, Schalke, Wolfsburg, Bayern and Bayer have been signing quality. If things go right, like it did two years ago, they could push for a UEFA Cup slot, but I am not confident of this. I think that Armin Veh will be the first trainer to lose his job this campaign.

10th

Hertha Berlin

What You Know: If Marko Pantelic gets hit by a bus, the league has been instructed to drop them to Zweite immediately.

What You Don’t: They are changing their name to Herta Berlinho. They now have five Brazilians. Their fortunes ride on how many of them are “talented” Brazilians.

What to Expect: They are in the UEFA Cup through the Fair Play rule. I’d advise them to avoid red-cards again. This is a team that might be a year away from being the real deal, and if the management gives trainer Lucien Favre time to mold this very young team with a lot of potential, then it could pay dividends by next season. If they put undo pressure on him to deliver the goods, they will surely fire him as Hertha should run hot and cold as the kids gel as a unit. And all the hard work to get rid of the trash (such as Dejegah, Minero and da Prince) and bring in a new core, such as Cicero, Kaka, Domovchiyski, Goyko, Rodnei, Amine Chermiti and Marc Stein, will be for naught. Chermiti signed too late to make my best transfer list, but by all accounts the Tunisian Maradonna is lights-out and this 20 year old kid will make you want to watch Hertha this year.

11th

Borussia Dortmund

What You Know: The first club publicly traded on the German stock exchange, financial mismanagement has seen this powerhouse turn into a laughing stock of German football. Things look set to change.

What You Don’t: With their colors, one might think an official nickname like the Bee’s would be on the cards; however, their official name is Die Schwarzgelben, which goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller does not like one bit.

What to Expect: Jürgen Klopp’s enthusiasm gets even me excited. And I have no specific feelings about Germany’s second biggest team. But I do feel that BVB has turned a corner financially, and have brought in a coach that could take them back to their former glory. This man took Mainz to the Bundesliga and kept them up for three years. That’s a phenomenal achievement.

And who did Klopp bring with him from Mainz? The internationally sought best defender in Zweite last year Neven Subotic. He’s already a vast improvement over the ancient Worms, who showed his age last year. It would seem they hope to make him the cornerstone of their defense with loanee Mats Hummels, if they can make his move from Bayern permanent. That is a juicy sounding U20 pairing. Time will tell how good it can be.

If the keep hold of winger Jakub Blaszczykowski, they have a vastly improved midfield over last season with the additions of playmaker Hajnal and the return of FM legend Nuri Sahin. With Federico, Kehl, Tinga and Marc-André Kruska, they are loaded in the middle. Up front, they have depth with Alexander Frei, Nelson Valdez and Mladen Petric.

I see BVB improving over last year’s performance. Klopp and his young defense will need time to settle, and I hope the management will have as much patience as I am willing to give. They are still in dire need of a decent keeper; otherwise, I would have them higher. By next year, Dortmund fans could be very happy indeed.

12th

Borussia Mönchengladbach

What You Know: Borussia has turned into the biggest yo-yo club in the world. However their new state of the art stadium should provide them with the footing to rebuild their reputation in the coming years.

What You Don’t: How to pronounce their name. Don’t worry…we all fake it.

What to Expect: The only move that mattered in this off-season was holding onto 19 year old phenom Marko Marin. His arrival to the Bundesliga dwarfs any of the big transfers, as everybody wants to see how he performs at the highest level. But Jos Luhukay and Christian Ziege, the training duo, do not preside over a one man team.They have a deep squad with youth and experience. Most of that experience comes in the form of Oliver Neuville, the ageless wonder. He partners Canadian Rob Friend up top and the pair chipped in 33 goals combined last year. The service of Marcel Ndjeng, Sascha Rösler and Marin is top notch and they can be expected to score a few this year as well.

Their biggest concern is their defense, which has significant changes, from the best defense in Zwei last year. If Callsen-Bracker and Juares settle in quickly, they should be fine.

13th

Karlsruhe

What You Know: They were the surprise package of last campaign, flirting with Europe before dragging across the finish line in 11th.

What You Don’t: I want chicken every time I look at their crest.

What to Expect: I think they have what it takes to avoid the sophomore slump. They were unfortunate to lose playmaker Tamás Hajnal to BVB and CB Mario Eggimann to Hannover. Both were integral parts of the team that won the Zweite and did so well last year. However, they shrewdly picked up Antônio da Silva to replace Hajnal as a creator. In addition, they raided Hansa for Tim Sebastian to replace Eggimann. They lost very little in talent, although a bit in cohesion, but it should be enough to keep them up for another year.

They held onto some of the key components of last year’s team, such as Joshua Kennedy, who they picked up in January and immediately started building the team around. It’s no coincidence that their late season dip corresponded to his injury. Markus Miller turned out to be a top notch goalkeeper, and holding onto him is basically the difference between relegation and staying up. Freekick specialist Massimilian Porcello, highly underrated fullback Christian Eichner, the versatile Iashvilli and Michael Mutzel all return to Edmund Becker’s side. While I can’t see them pushing as high as they did last year, they look to be a fixture in the league for years to come with this progressive trainer.

14th

Köln

What You Know: Christoph Daum, the disgraced manager that lost out on a chance to coach the German nationals, has rebuilt his reputation and has pledged himself to the club that first game him a chance after playing. Having won trophies in Turkey and Austria, and being one of the biggest also-rans in Bundesliga history, he has as much pedigree as any manger outside of Magath.

What You Don’t: Three times they have secured promotion recently. Three times they have made a hasty retreat. Also goats seem to be very gigantic in that region.

What to Expect: A team that barely won promotion used its resources wisely to add an international holder in Petit, the Superliga’s best defender in Pedro Geromel and Duisburg’s Ishiaku. The latter unfortunately takes the place of their “chubby” captain Patrick Helmes, who has joined Bayer Leverkusen. Overall they have a solid defensive spine, which kept Karlsruhe up last year. With the Columbian Mondragon in goal the Canuck Kevin McKenna to partner the highly anticipated Geromel, they are looking solid in this area. That alone will make them capable of surviving the year. How their attack survives without Helmes will indicate their ability to move beyond 15th.

15th

TSG Hoffenheim

What You Know: SAP. Yeah that SAP, the world’s largest business software provider. Dietmar Hopp, the former Hoffenheim youth player is one of the founders. He has been the team’s backer since 1990 when they were in the eighth tier of German football.

What You Don’t: Hoffenheim (pop 3K) is a suburb of the tiny town of Sinsheim (pop. 33K), which is essentially a suburb of Camryn Manheim (pop 325K), who hasn’t been able to get work in Hollywood due to her gravitational force. So when people call it the world’s richest village team, they aren’t kidding.

What to Expect: I want them to succeed. I really do. I think it would be one of the best stories in football. I think I am going with my heart when I pick them for 15th, rather than my brain. However, I can point to their phenomenal infrastructure and the new stadium in January as reasons to believe they can survive.

They have not enhanced much over last season’s side. Admittedly, they already had some solid midfield play in Carlos Eduardo and Sejad Salihovic, and the fact that they held onto them might be more important than who they brought in. Mostly it comes down to their strike force of Demba Ba and Chinedu Obasi. Are they good enough for this level? Or will goals be like Camryn’s feet: Not often spotted.

Relegation

Bochum

What You Know: Bochum is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Germany. I typically feel older just watching them.

What You Don’t: If you pronounce the “ch” in the middle of their name as a hard “k” sound rather than a guttural “h” sound, rabid spider monkeys will attack your genitals with a hammer. I’ve seen it happen and it ain’t pretty.

What to Expect: Not good. I know they seem like a mid-table side, but their comfortable position last year had much to do with the under-performance of bigger sides like Nuremburg, BVB and Hertha as well as the large number of poor sides that resided in the bottom half. The newly promoted sides this year are one of the strongest crops in a while. And Dortmund are getting better.When your best players are Stanislav Sestak and Shinji Ono, and you can point to keeping them as being a sign of progress, you are bound for a rough ride.

Arminia Bielefeld

What You Know: The King is dead. We will miss Zuma the Puma (much like he missed the net). Long live the new King: Katongo the Tsunami!

What You Don’t: There is not one Armenian on their squad. What’s up with that?

What to Expect: Trainer Michael Frontzeck is highly experienced in easing a team into the Zweite after doing it with Aachen. His experience should be helpful this year. However, one can never predict with confidence the demise of Arminia, as they will inevitably bring back Ernst Middendorp, who could save them this year.…AGAIN.

Energie Cottbus

What You Know: Their squad wasn’t raided this year by bigger clubs.

What You Don’t: There’s a reason their squad wasn’t raided by bigger clubs.

What to Expect: Hey, if they give us another great match like their home victory over Bayern Munich, it will be a fantastic parting gift before returning to Zweite.

The new Bundesliga season is just days away, so Bundesliga Talk writers Mark Moll and Double Pivot decided to interview one of the preeminent writers and authors on the topic of German soccer, Raphael Honigstein.

Many readers may know Honigstein best from his appearances on the Football Weekly Podcast by The Guardian. Here’s the transcript of the interview. Enjoy.

The Gaffer: What goals do you have with Footbo.com?

Raphael Honigstein (RH): We’d like to be the natural destination site for people who love football and want to discuss/enjoy/experience it with others online. You’ll see big new features in the next month or so that will radically expand our scope. Social networking is only the start for us.

Mark Moll (MM): Growing up in Munich, did you ever appear for a local youth side?

RH: My football education was somewhat unusual because I never liked the idea of organised sport as a kid. My parents didn’t push me towards that direction either, so instead of joining a club, we literally played football seven days a week with friends in parks and on school pitches — until the janitor kicked us out. We also formed a team that took part in Munich’s biggest amateur tournament every year. I only played my first game for a proper club when I was 18, in Munich’s lowest league (C-Klasse). A year later, I moved to London where I played for UCL (University College London) but I think it’s fair to say I found their interpretation of the football rules a little disturbing. In 90 minutes, there’d be perhaps one free-kick. I’m not exaggerating. After a few more years in a London Sunday league and three ACL surgeries later, I called it a day in 2002.

MM: You’ve been living in London now for 15 years, how did you get your start covering football?

RH: I started writing music features for Süddeutsche Zeitung’s youth supplement while at college. When my predecessor, the legendary Ronald Reng, decided to move to Barcelona in 2002, I inherited his job.

MM: Having written for English, German, and American audiences do find that you write in a distinct style for each?

RH: It’s not so much a case of different audiences in different countries — more important is the type of publication. In a broadsheet, you have to explain things a bit more because you can’t be sure about the detailed knowledge of the reader. The opposite is true for football or sports magazines, where you can concentrate more on the details. And writing for the Guardian online is obviously a writer’s dream assignment — there are no rules, apart from filing on time. That’s the most difficult part of it.

MM: If the Premiership is noted for its tough, uptempo play and La Liga for its technical virtuosity on display, how would you characterize the Bundesliga?

RH: I think the Bundesliga has traditionally tried to blend the controlled aggression and physical side of the English game with good technique. We’ve also had good input tactical input from Eastern European coaches in the 60s and 70s.
It’s an interesting time now. After years of neglect, most teams are waking up to a more scientific approach when it comes to fitness and tactics. The stadiums are always full and cheap prices have insured that the core audience of young males hasn’t been alienated. I think the league is well poised to challenge La Liga and Serie A for second spot in the long term.

Double Pivot (DP): Last year, after a seemingly very successful Ligapokal, there was talk of expanding the pre-season tournament to as many as 32 teams. Yet this year, we find it canceled. What is the situation with that tournament, and how do you see it evolving in the coming years?

RH: Due to the Euros and the late return of the German internationals, they simply couldn’t find suitable dates this season. Its future is under review right now. There has been talk about staging it abroad, but I don’t see that happening in the coming years.

DP: Felix Magath has really turned around Wolfsburg and seems poised for a very successful campaign. If he does have success, could you see the Bundesliga moving from trainers to English style managers?

RH: It’s possible, but most clubs are naturally reluctant to give too much power to a single individual. I think it’s more likely that the continental model — coach + sporting director — will make headway in England rather than the other way round. A few PL clubs are already run that way because they’ve found that the task is too big for one individual. Even Ferguson or Wenger delegate a lot of work.

The continental model is also better at avoiding George Graham-type situations of “conflict of interest” when it comes to signing players.

DP: I would love to get your opinion on the capabilities and weaknesses of Germany’s bumper crop of young keepers: Rene Adler, Manuel Neuer and Michael Rensing. And when do you think Low will give these kids the chance they deserve?

RH: Adler is the best by far. He doesn’t have any obvious weaknesses. He’ll be a very serious contender for the World Cup, along with Hildebrand and Enke. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bayern had already secretly talked to him. I don’t think they’re really sold on Rensing, who is good but not outstanding in my view. He doesn’t dominate the box enough, lacks presence and is suspect when it comes to long-range shots. He’ll be given six months to prove himself. Neuer, on his day, is an incredible shot-stopper, with good instincts. But he seems to suffer from nerves and still makes too many mistakes.

DP: The well has dried up as far as Europe is concerned with Bundesliga sides. What do you think needs to happen for Germany to start catching up with the big three leagues in UEFA/UCL?

RH: In the Champions League, it will be a while before German clubs can compete on equal terms. The financial power of the big four in England, the top two in Spain and the top three in Italy is just too big. Bayern can and should make some sort of an impact, but for a more sustained attack, we simply need more TV money or oligarchs. In a way, the Bundesliga has also been a victim of its competitiveness: the top five, with the exception of Bayern, are very fluid, and without regular CL money, clubs like Hamburg or Stuttgart find it hard to sustain the challenge in Europe.

As for the UEFA Cup, I think there’s actually a good chance a German team will win it this season. Results notwithstanding, Bayern and Werder were the best teams in the competition last year, and decent results over-all have seen us over-take France in the UEFA rankings. Significantly, the Bundesliga clubs also got better results collectively than Italian teams last season. That hasn’t happened before in the last ten years. Similar results this season would put us on course to wrestle third spot from Italy in the UEFA rankings in two years time.

Visit Raphael Honigstein’s page at Footbo.com.

This week we make the short trip west on the A40 from Dortmund past Bochum to Gelsenkirchen, home to Schalke 04 and their new coach, Fred Rutten. Much like his new Ruhr rival, Jürgen Klopp, Rutten has been a one club man for almost his entire 30-year playing and coaching career, all with FC Twente (five years at PSV notwithstanding). His first exposure to German football will be as part of the Revierderby, arguably the country’s best rivalry.

In the Bundesliga era (since 1963) the tie has been finely balanced. With 26 wins Dortmund currently lead Schalke by one, with 21 draws between them. Over the past four and a half decades Schalke and Dortmund have tended to alternate periods of success. Expect a shift in Schalke’s favor this upcoming season, although not as a direct result of Rutten’s appointment. The 2003/2004 season saw the two teams decisively diverge and that should continue on into the 2008/09 season. Dortmund’s position has, to put it diplomatically, nosedived. Schalke, in the meantime, have bounced between 2nd and 4th over those same four years:

To continue this run of form, the club’s best since the halcyon days of 1933–1945 (six championships under the Nazis), Schalke must contend with personnel issues. Trite but true. Three in particular stand out: the injury to Manuel Neuer, and the integration of Orlando Engelaar and Jefferson Farfan into the lineup.

Manuel Neuer — Out until Mid-September with a broken foot suffered in a preseason friendly against SpVgg Erkenschwick. Neuer stands, alongside Rene Adler and Michael Rensing, as the likeliest candidate to take over long-term goalkeeping duties for Germany after Lehmann’s international retirement. His immense potential is already being realized, having been voted goalkeeper of year in 2007 in a kicker poll. His best performance was undoubtedly his one man show against Porto in the Champions League. Mathias Schober is the natural replacement, having been Hansa Rostock’s first choice keeper the six years (2001/02 — 2006/07) prior to arriving at the Veltins-Arena. No one will confuse Schober for Lev Yashin or Sergio Goycochea when it comes time to repeat Neuer’s penalty heroics. Having Neuer back fit and healthy is like a new signing.

Orlando Engelaar — He was hugely impressive for the Netherlands over the summer at Euro ’08. His signature was a major, but understandable, coup given that Rutten was his manager at FC Twente. A relative late bloomer to fame the 28-year old’s stock has risen considerably since his international debut last year against South Korea. His preferred position is as a defensive midfielder, although his scoring touch and passing skill are more reminiscent of a deep-lying playmaker than a Dutch Makélélé or Gattuso.

Jefferson Farfan — Continuing the Dutch theme is the Peruvian Jefferson Farfan, brought to Schalke from PSV to replace the oft-injured and ineffective Søren Larsen. Farfan is looking to continue the good run of form Peruvian strikers have shown in the Bundesliga, like Claudio Pizzaro and Paolo Guerrero. Over the last four years he scored almost every other game, which bodes well for his new club.

Finally a major concern for Schalke fans must be Rutten’s coaching experience. Although he has spent three decades around football in playing and coaching capacities, his time alone in charge is actually quite meager. He was the sole gaffer of FC Twente on three separate occasions for a total of only five years before switching to Schalke 04. The rest of this time was spent in various other functions, mostly as an assistant manager. How prepared is he? PSV did well when he was there (2002–2006, Champions League semifinalists in 2004/05), but this can be attributed to Guus Hiddink, who has found success at every stop.

Like Jürgen Klopp (the two intimately linked as long as they remain with their Revierderby clubs), Rutten is being given a chance to shine on one of the brightest stages in German football. His task is comparatively easier, although the expectations may be too high. Mirko Slomka, the previous manager (ignoring the interim Michael Büskens) was the Bundesliga’s second most successful trainer behind Ottmar Hitzfeld in his two years at Schalke. Failing to advance in Europe or to end the club’s 50 year championship drought cost Slomka his job.

Will Rutten end up like Slomka as just another victim of Schalke’s neverending quest to replace Huub Stevens? He is the team’s 9th trainer since the end of the 2001/02 season and the end of Stevens’ affiliation with the club. Does Rutten have the players now in Engelaar and Farfan to finally capture the Bundesliga crown and bring peace of mind to Gelsenkirchen? Or are Schalke destined to continue being second best?

Next week: Martin Jol at Hamburg