Daily Archives: February 28, 2025

Bayern Munich at 125: The past, the present and the future of a German powerhouse

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“A few streets from Munich’s Odeonsplatz, away from the marble lions guarding the steps of the Feldherrnhalle and under the shadow of the Theatinerkirche’s sunshine-yellow towers, there is a monument to a place that no longer exists. Much of Munich was damaged during the Second World War. Many of the street names have changed and the buildings that could not be restored have been forgotten, along with whatever took place inside them. Cafe Gisela is long gone. From the few drawings that exist, Gisela was grand, with white tablecloths and high, patterned ceilings. And on the place where it once stood, there is now a bronze plaque mounted on a marble obelisk. It bears the Bayern Munich crest and displays the club’s founding document, signed by the first 17 members on February 27, 1900. On this day 125 years ago, 11 members of Manner-Turn-Verein 1878 (MTV) left a club meeting and headed out into the city night. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Bayern fans pay tribute to Landauer on the terraces in 2014

Preston v Burnley, a bog-standard English fixture or… football’s ultimate heritage match?

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“On the face of it, Preston North End versus Burnley seems like a bog-standard Championship fixture. Since the start of the 21st century, the clubs have met 26 times in the second tier of English football, making it one of the division’s most regular encounters. Such a sense of routine was supported by the outcomes in two league fixtures this season, with meetings at Turf Moor in October and Deepdale earlier this month finishing in goalless draws. The BBC wrote of ‘a typically frantic and feisty Lancashire derby’ in February — that game has subsequently led to an investigation by the Football Association following claims of an alleged racist comment by the Preston forward Milutin Osmajic (Osmajic ‘strongly refuted’ the claims, Preston said) — but it was otherwise only notable because the visiting team extended their remarkable record of consecutive clean sheets to 11. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Our picture archives do not stretch back to the 1880s, but this image shows Preston scoring a penalty against Burnley in 1953.

Neymar back to Barcelona: Is that a good idea?

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“No, you’re not dreaming, it is the year 2025. You might be wondering how on earth, then, we are sitting here discussing the possibility of Neymar returning to Barcelona this summer. After all, the Brazilian has just turned 33 years old and has only played 13 games of football in the past two seasons. I’m not going to blame you for scratching your head. However, this is the world of football transfers — and the world of Barcelona football club — which means: don’t rule anything out. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Ange Postecoglou thinks that the assist is a ‘useless statistic’ – is he right?

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“Football can be a divisive sport, but one thing most can agree on is the value of setting up a team-mate for a goal. Not so for Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou. When asked about Dane Scarlett’s assist against Ipswich Town this week, he initially praised the young forward’s character, before launching into a dismissive speech about the metric. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)