Category Archives: Germany

Leverkusen 4 – 4 AS Roma: Schmidt’s Zunkunftfußball on Tour

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“Regardless of what happens today, yesterday’s 4-4 feast of a draw between Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma at the BayArena is the match of the round. Perhaps feast is the wrong descriptor. Let’s try avant-garde installation piece instead. Adapting this descriptor instead, has avant-gardeism ever been so much fun? (Hmmmm.) Of course, all the fun should be attributed to Roger Schmidt’s vision and tactics for Tuesday’s match. For over a season now, in the Bundesliga, we’ve come to identify Schmidt’s hyper-pressing system at Leverkusen, which features an excessive number ball-seekers flooding forward to win back the ball quickly (a la Kloppian gegen-pressing) then flooding the width of the opponent’s box.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Beyond Barça, Bayern, and Madrid: Who’s the Fourth-Best Team in the World?

“For going on five years now, the world soccer hierarchy has looked like this: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich … and then everybody else. So, as players return from the international break and domestic leagues resume play this weekend, it’s time to ask: Who exactly is the best of the rest? This season, three teams have the chief claims, but questions surrounding their legitimacy make the answer as unclear as ever.” Grantland

Around Europe: Neymar, Wijnaldum strike for four; Yaya Toure unhappy

“Four-goal performances are the new hat tricks as Barcelona’s Neymar and Newcastle’s Georginio Wijnaldum both lit up Europe with their individual performances this weekend. Elsewhere, normal service resumed in England, where Jurgen Klopp’s time at Liverpool is underway, while there are managerial dilemmas to solve in Germany and Spain. Napoli continues to talk down its title chances in Italy, despite evidence to the contrary, while in France actions off the pitch seized the most attention.” SI

The Heinz Höher Device: Reviewing Ronald Reng’s Matchdays

“On the phone with writer Ronald Reng, Heinz Höher is insistent: ‘Please, just give me a couple hours of your time. I want to tell you something. I have to tell you something.’ What Höher insists on telling takes the form of Reng’s latest book, Matchdays: the Hidden Story of the Bundesliga (translated by James Hawes, Simon and Schuster, 434 pages). But perhaps it’s Höher’s insistence and his eccentric personality, more than his actual story that comprises the heart of Reng’s narrative.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Euro 2016: Qualifiers for the tournament in France

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“The group stage of qualification for Euro 2016 is over and the make-up of next summer’s tournament is taking shape. There will be 24 teams competing in the finals. France were assured of a place as hosts, and a further 19 countries have qualified automatically – 18 by finishing either first or second in their group and one more as the highest third-placed finisher. There will also be four play-off ties to determine the final four teams competing in France – and we now know who will be competing in those ties.” BBC

The peaceful invasion that London feared – England vs. Germany, 1935

“The mid-1930s was a time of growing fear in Europe, indeed the world. Germany, in particular, was a major concern for the rest of the continent. In 1935, a number of events pointed the way towards the conflict that was World War Two. This was the year that the German air force, the Luftwaffe, was formed. A few days later, Adolf Hitler ignored the Versailles Treaty and announced that Germany would re-arm. And in September, the Nuremberg Laws, an anti-semitic doctrine that made it illegal for Jews and non-Jews to have any form of relationship, came into effect. The rest of the world was scared of Germany and its intentions.” Football Pink

Book Review: Raphael Honigstein’s “Das Reboot” Tells Story Behind Germany’s 2014 World Cup Victory

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“‘This piece originally appeared at The New Republic.’ When U.S. Men’s National Team coach Jürgen Klinsmann declared ahead of the 2014 World Cup, “We cannot win this World Cup, because we are not that level yet,” it sparked howls of outrage across the country. Landon Donovan, who had recently been cut from the team by the Germany native, took to television to disagree, while ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon was so incensed he told Klinsmann to ‘get out of America.’ Klinsmann wasn’t wrong—the U.S. lost in the round of 16—but his cold pragmatism was unwelcome in a country that not only regularly makes heroes out of underdogs but that likes to view itself as one.” Bundesliga Fanatic

How to Build a World Cup Winner
“When U.S. national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann declared ahead of the 2014 World Cup, ‘We cannot win this World Cup, because we are not that level yet,’ it sparked howls of outrage across the country. Landon Donovan, who had recently been cut from the team by the German-native, took to television to disagree, while ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon was so incensed he told Klinsmann to ‘get out of America.’” New Republic

Das Reboot: How German Soccer Reinvented Itself and Conquered the World
“… Estádio do Maracanã, July 13, 2014, the last ten minutes of extra time in the World Cup Final: German forward Mario Götze jumps to meet a floated pass from André Schürrle, cushions the ball with his chest, and in one fluid motion volleys the ball past the onrushing Argentine goalkeeper into the far corner of the net. The goal wins Germany the World Cup for the first time in almost thirty years. As the crowd roars, Götze looks dazed, unable to comprehend what he has done. In Das Reboot, Raphael Honigstein charts the return of German soccer from the dreary functionality of the late 1990s to Götze’s moment of sublime, balletic genius and asks: How did this come about?” Public Affairs

Ireland v Germany – the build up, the battle, and the bliss

“The international scene in Ireland needed an injection of positivity after a steady decline since the 2002 World Cup in Saipan. So much negativity surrounds the soccer team, with bandwagon loads of people getting their fix from rugby because, well, we’re quite good at a minority sport. Perhaps that’s harsh but we witnessed something special on Thursday night. For me, a young freelance journalist based in Co. Tipperary, it was a surreal experience after being granted media accreditation for the first time.” backpagefootball

Thomas Tuchel’s inspiration sparks Borussia Dortmund’s revival

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“Through the first five matches of the Bundesliga season, Borussia Dortmund held the best record in the league, having scored more goals than even Bayern Munich. That streak ended with two straight draws, but it doesn’t take away from BVB’s impressive resurgence under 42-year-old new manager Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel studied under Pep Guardiola during his own sabbatical after resigning from Mainz in 2014, and on Sunday, they go head-to-head in their first Klassiker. Tuchel based his style of play at Dortmund on the same system Guardiola has used since his days at Barcelona.” SI

Goal Analysis: How Barcelona came from behind to beat Leverkusen

“Losing Messi to a knee injury, football fans wanted to know how Barcelona would respond to the absence of a player of such quality. And through the first half, Barcelona was certainly not the better side. Bayer Leverkusen not only produced the majority of opportunities in the first 45 but looked the more spirited and in step of the two teams. But, Barcelona showed resolve and let fans know that one player does not make a championship team. With a gritty second half performance, they showed that they still had enough talent to find a way to net two in the last ten minutes of the game and secured the three points.” Outside of the Boot

Champions League: Who makes our team of the week?

“5-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb. After defeats for Arsenal and Chelsea on Tuesday, Wednesday wins for Manchester City and Manchester United see three Premier League players make the XI. And Cristiano Ronaldo – who extended his lead at the top of the all-time Champions League goalscoring charts with two more for Real Madrid – keeps his place.” BBC

Talent Radar Young Defender Rankings: Jordan Amavi, John Stones & Samuel Umtiti impress

“Judging the calibre of a young player is often a tricky task. Perceived potential has an important bearing in any consideration and is just one of the many parameters to consider when trying to quantify the ability of football’s young stars. To add a basis to what may be a leap of faith, it is useful to look back and trace the growth, or indeed lack thereof, in young players. Our Talent Radar Player Rankings, along-with our Talent Radar Team of the Weekdocuments the progress of youngsters across Europe, with those featuring in these regular pieces, eventually being recognised in our end of season Talent Radar Young Player Awards and 100 Best Young Players to Watch list. Read this document for all your queries on Talent Radar and explanation of the features under it.” Outside of the Boot

Breisgau Bulletin: Strong Start to SC Freiburg’s Season

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“When I wrote my season preview I said that Freiburg’s critical stretch of the season would be the five matches out of the gate. Admittedly this was partly due to an admitted unfamiliarity of the relative strength and weakness of the 2. Bundesliga opposition. The other part however stemmed from a legitimate need for the team to get off on the right foot so as to try to avoid getting drawn into the mire of a promotion dogfight – which of course could still very well happen. In an ideal situation, I said, the Sport-Club would go and run the table but tempered that optimistic prognostication by noting that a 3-1-1 record would be nothing to turn one’s nose up at.” Bundesliga Fanatic

In light of Lewandowski, five most dominant performances of all time

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“At halftime on Tuesday night, Wolfsburg led Bayern Munich 1-0. It had defended well, looked dangerous on the counterattack and seemed that it might, for the first time in its history, win at Bayern. Pep Guardiola made two changes at the break, bringing on Javi Martinez for Juan Bernat and Robert Lewandowski for Thiago Alcantara. Six minutes later, Lewandowski equalized, rolling in a half-blocked shot at the back post. A minute later, surging through the middle, he dispatched a fierce low shot into the bottom corner from just outside the box. Three minutes after that, he hit the post, then drew a save from Diego Benaglio and then, at the third attempt, completed his hat trick. Two minutes after that, he rammed in a volley at slightly higher than waist height, contorting superbly to keep his weight over the ball. And two minutes after that, hooking the ball from behind him, he lashed in a side volley from the edge of the box. Five goals, three of them in stunning quality, in the space of nine minutes.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Four Incredible Things That Happened in Bayern Munich–Wolfsburg BESIDES Robert Lewandowski’s Five Goals
“Yesterday, in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich found themselves in an unfamiliar position: They were losing. This usually isn’t the end of the world for a team, especially one as good as the defending champions, but Bayern happen to be locked in what will likely be the most entertaining title race in club football this season. Bayern and their rivals Borussia Dortmund — who might be playing the most effervescent version of the sport right now — are steamrolling the competition, winning their matches and winning them big. Every game counts. Every goal counts. The entire league might be decided by the two matches that Dortmund and Bayern play against one another and how many goals they score throughout the season. Bayern losing to Wolfsburg, at home no less, was not on the menu.” Grantland (Video)

Barcelona beaten 4-1, Juve problems continue

“Barcelona suffered a big shock and Juventus stuttered again while Real Madrid and Lyon impressed. We round up how the group stage contenders got on in Wednesday’s action.” UEFA

Christian Streich – “We all used to be refugees”

“This week, the headlines in the German football press have been all about St. Pauli’s refusal to take part in the “Wir helfen, #refugeeswelcome” project which has been created by Germany’s biggest tabloid Bild. After the paper’s editor in chief started to attack the Buccaneers viciously on Twitter, several other clubs decided to pull out of the event, among them SC Freiburg. The issue was brought up in the club’s pre match press conference, and after Freiburg’s press officer rendered an explanation for the club’s refusal, Christian Streich delivered a monologue for 8 minutes laying out his thoughts about the current crisis. Once again, Freiburg’s coach showed why he’s one of the most outspoken and intelligent men in football.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Florenzi boosts Roma; Bayern shines, Arsenal flops in Champions League

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“A brilliant goal from Alessandro Florenzi earned Roma a 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the highest-profile clash on the second half of Matchday One of the Champions League, while there was further disappointment for the Premier League as Arsenal was beaten away to Dinamo Zagreb, 2-1. Chelsea, though, did record a comfortable victory, 4-0 over Maccabi Tel Aviv to relieve some of the mounting pressure on Jose Mourinho, while there were a pair of comfortable wins for the two Bundesliga sides in action: Bayern Munich winning 3-0 away to Olympiakos and Bayer Leverkusen thumping BATE Borisov 4-1 at home.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

European Ennui: Surveying the Early-Season Worries of Juventus, Chelsea, Sevilla, and Gladbach

“The Champions League is here! And we’re so excited we’ll say it again: The Champions League is here! Starting today, the best of Europe’s best will square off every few weeks until the final on May 28 in Milan. Well, at least, that’s what is supposed to happen: For a quartet of qualifiers from the continent’s top four leagues, the first month and a half of the season has gone just about as poorly as anyone could’ve imagined. And as if to prove the validity of the cliché ‘misery loves company,’ three of them are in the same group. Let’s take a look at how worried each team should be.” Grantland

In Germany, Migrant Aid Is a Team Effort

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“Ibrahim Ismail decided to make a placard for each of his five Syrian and Iraqi friends the moment he heard they would receive free tickets for the soccer match on Tuesday. … The six men proudly displayed their signs to thousands of German fans streaming into Millerntor-Stadion here. Almost all of the fans who passed them were wearing black T-shirts with the image of a skull and crossbones on the front, the emblem widely used by supporters of F.C. St. Pauli, a team in the second tier of German soccer. A few days earlier, St. Pauli, known for its punk-rock ethos and social conscience, had offered 1,000 free tickets for an exhibition this week against Borussia Dortmund to recently arrived migrants, including Ismail and his friends.” NY Times

The Conversion of St. Pauli

“There are two reasons the young man on the bicycle doesn’t register with me. The first is that I don’t expect him to arrive on a bike. The second is that I’m craning my neck to look at the roof of St. Pauli’s clubhouse. Three flags are flying atop the building. The middle one carries the FC St. Pauli crest and club colors, brown and white. The one on the left advertises a crowdfunding project to raise money for underprivileged residents of St. Pauli, the working-class quarter of Hamburg. The one on the right is the gay pride flag. While I’m squinting against the bright sun, the young man gets off his bicycle.” 8 by 8

Der Kaiser Wears a Tracksuit: The Management Career of Franz Beckenbauer

“The lists compiling football’s best players nearly always include the Franz Beckenbauer fairly high up the order. The German World Cup winning captain of 1974 amassed 103 caps and with his nonchalant style invented the role of the ball-playing libero. His playing career saw the twilight of his days spent in the USA helping to raise the profile of the nascent NASL as well as a return to Germany at Hamburg SV. These moves, however, were not the end of der Kaiser as he moved into management.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Tom English: Poland challenge next for fighting Scotland

“For Scotland, the sensible thing is to look forward in hope, but the irresistible urge is to look back in anger. The contrasting images of intensity and energy and goals against the world champion Germans on Monday night compared to the meek surrender in Georgia three days before is just the latest manifestation of Scotland being a footballing parody of itself. The fluctuation is a brand of torture that has been reduced to a fine art in Scotland, a form of water-boarding, just for football fans. The prevailing agony of the Scottish supporters leaving Hampden after the 3-2 loss to Germany might have taken the shape of the contention – ‘If only we’d played like that in Tbilisi we wouldn’t be in such a hole.'” BBC

Germany v Poland – The Water Battle of Frankfurt
“The plaque underneath the statue of Poland’s legendary national team coach, Kazimierz Górski, outside Warsaw’s new national stadium reads: ‘As long as the ball is in play, everything is possible.’ On the occasion the biggest match of Górski’s time in charge of the national team, whenever the ball was in play it would be repeatedly stuck in deep pools of rainwater.” backpagefootball

Philipp Lahm and Germany’s full back problems

“As the modern game drifts ever-further infield, infatuated with in-swinging widemen and central playmakers, the full-back role has undergone unrivalled reconstruction. No longer the abode of the physically challenged, the final name on the team sheet; their roles have evolved, their importance increased to the point where Dani Alves became one of the game’s most feared attackers, Luke Shaw a £30million teen. It’s fitting, therefore, that Europe’s most progressive footballing nation embraced this very modern love affair long before the mainstream considered their importance a rival to the jet-heeled wingers and laser-eyed frontmen.” Outside of the Boot

Milestone Müller Maintains Bayern’s 100% Record

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“Bayern made it three wins from three in the weekend’s top game as they downed Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 at the Allianz Arena. Thomas Müller was the hero with a brace, while Arjen Robben added a third. It was a case of Leverkusen being good, but Bayern being exceedingly good. What do you do when you’ve got your two first-choice centre-backs out? Well if you’re Pep Guardiola you just fill your side with midfielders. With both Mehdi Benatia and Jerome Boateng missing, the Bayern trainer went with a three-man back line of Philipp Lahm, David Alaba and Juan Bernat with Thiago playing just in front.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Tactical Notes on Saturday’s Bayern Munich – Bayer Leverkusen Match
“MatchDay 3’s game of the week fixture featured two (of three) Bundesliga clubs with perfect records after two weeks, as holders FC Bayern Munich hosted Bayer 04 Leverkusen. In terms of squad strength, each club was short-handed, as Bayern were without much in the way of available defenders while Leverkusen’s attacking midfielder, Heung-Min Son, just signed a deal with Tottenham. Nevertheless, Bayern were able to prevail, downing Die Werkself 3-0.” Bundesliga Fanatic

European football: 7-1 scorelines, fluke goals and more

“It was a busy weekend across Europe, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich winning, Roma shocking Juventus and transfers galore. But what are the stories you might have missed? Several former Premier League strikers on the scoresheet, freak goals and stadium problems and more – BBC Sport takes a look.” BBC

Talent Radar Young Players Team of the Week #4 — Matthias Ginter, Raheem Sterling, and Nabil Fekir feature

“A regular feature on our website is the Talent Radar Team of the Week with the best young players compiled into an XI from across Europe’s top six leagues. You can read this for all details on Talent Radar, who is eligible under it and what else we publish within this feature.” Outside of the Boot.

Champions League draw analysis: Picks to make it out of each group

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino, left, and UEFA Competitions Director Giorgio Marchetti, right, remove the balls containing the names of the soccer clubs, during the draw for the Champions League 2015/16 play-offs, at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Friday, Aug. 7, 2015. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
“There was a twist to the Champions League group stage draw in Monaco Thursday. UEFA’s new seeding regulations meant that only reigning champions would be picked from Pot 1, leaving some dangerous contenders in the lower pots. And so it proved, as Manchester City was drawn with Juventus and Sevilla while Real Madrid drew Paris Saint-Germain and Shakhtar Donetsk. The draw resulted in some intriguing individual storylines, powerhouses going up against one another and the first steps on the road to the San Siro.” SI (Video)

Saturdays on the Couch, Week 2: Sluggish Wolfsburg

“…I wrote about how he was one of the coaches to watch in my Family Tree pieces but with quotes like the above and his quote in the same presser where he said: ‘Fundamentally, it is better to lose while playing well in the second half rather than win with the first half performance, as we really did not do enough.’ He is quickly becoming one of my favorite coaches.” StatsBomb

Bundesliga This and That: Random Thoughts on our Favorite League – Week 2

“After two matchdays, which club is currently best in the Bundesliga? Two weeks into the season, only Borussia Dortmund, FC Bayern Munich and Bayer 04 Leverkusen still carry perfect records, with BvB tops in the table due to their +8 goal differential. Are they the best so far, though? Personally, the answer is a qualified yes — no goals allowed, incisive play, and a whopping 53% conversion rate of shots on goal (eight goals in 15 SOGs), while Roman Bürki has been perfect in stopping opponents’ SOG (three saves in three SOGs). Dortmund look more robust, healthier, than they did all of last season. Their only blight thus far was the almost-ambush in Norway Thursday in Europa League action by Odd Grenland, who notched three early goals before Die Schwarzgelben answered with four. One could say that Thursday’s match was a learning experience for Thomas Tuchel, and fortunately, a rather inexpensive one.” Bundesliga Fanatic

2015-16 Bundesliga Preview: Variety at the top, goals all the way through

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“The Bundesliga was my gateway drug into the high-flying, groupie-gathering, time-sucking, spreadsheet-staring, decimal-point debating, fantastic world of soccer analytics. I was your run-of-the-mill World Cup and EPL viewer before deciding one day I wanted to know more about the soccer world elsewhere and simply chose the Bundesliga to follow for a year. I put $200 in a betting account and began working to beat the bookies. I read Colin Trainor here on expected goals and built my own model. I manually input shots from all these different zones and adjusted for schedule.” StatsBomb

3-5-2 or 4-1-4-1: What approach best suits Pep Guardiola’s Bayern?

“Predicting Guardiola’s approach may be one of the hardest duty a football enthusiast could undertake. But despite the alterations and flexibility, Alankrith Shankar has narrowed down the options to two wide-scoped approaches that the Bayern Munich could implement. New Year, new squad, same manager. Pep Guardiola is into the last year of his current contract at Bayern Munich and early signs show that there may not be an extension offered to the Spaniard unless he pulls off a treble that the fans and board have been wanting ever since he set foot at the club’s training grounds.” Outside of the Boot

Record fourth straight Bundesliga title all but a given for Bayern Munich

“No team has ever won four German titles in a row before. Not in the Bundesliga, and not in the complicated days before the national league when the champion was decided by regional tournaments feeding into a knockout. When Bayern won a third straight title last season, it was the fifth time since a national championship was inaugurated in 1903 that a team had completed a hat trick. But nobody’s ever done four. This should be the story of a great quest, of a champion struggling against the entropic imperative to register the greatest run of sustained success in history, but it’s not. Bayern will, almost certainly, win the title.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1: Who will win titles?

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“From managerial changes at some of the continent’s biggest clubs to long-running transfer sagas, it has been a hectic summer of activity across Europe. The season has already begun in France, Germany kick off their league campaign this weekend, while Spain and Italy start the following week. So what has changed? Who are the new faces to watch out for and, crucially, what does it all mean for the title races in Europe’s major leagues?” BBC

Record fourth straight Bundesliga title all but a given for Bayern Munich

“No team has ever won four German titles in a row before. Not in the Bundesliga, and not in the complicated days before the national league when the champion was decided by regional tournaments feeding into a knockout. When Bayern won a third straight title last season, it was the fifth time since a national championship was inaugurated in 1903 that a team had completed a hat trick. But nobody’s ever done four. This should be the story of a great quest, of a champion struggling against the entropic imperative to register the greatest run of sustained success in history, but it’s not. Bayern will, almost certainly, win the title.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

In European Soccer, Usual Suspects Are Expected to Win

“The European soccer season gets under way in earnest in the days ahead. But as usual, there is something missing: true uncertainty about who will be on top when the season ends. While each of Europe’s top five leagues is made up of as many as 20 teams, only a few rich teams are seen to have a real chance at winning the league title. A look at bookmaker’s odds shows that for the have-nots, the chances of winding up at the top of the table are increasingly close to zero. In this exercise, the chances are calculated by translating odds to percentages — a team that is 2-1 has a 33 percent chance of winning the title, for example, and an 8-1 shot has an 11 percent chance. However you figure it, the deck is stacked against most of the teams in every race.” NY Times

Hipster Guide 2015: Which clubs across Europe could spring a suprise in the 2015/16 season?

“Writing an article like this will get most people a platinum card to the sacred hall of Football Hipsters, or get them a one way route to the exit from the Football Man club. Either way, Cabral Opiyo is taking the risk to bring the list of some of the less mainstreamEuropean clubs that might just cause a few heads to turn this season.” Outside of the Boot

Facts, Stats and Stadionbier: The Little Bundesliga Book

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“I have always been a keen student of Bundesliga statistics, as readers of the Fanatic may well know. Sometime during the summer I had been in the middle of putting together another small number-crunching project about FC Bayern’s trophy cabinet, only to transform it into something else completely. Inspired by a little pocket book from Baedecker containing a series of infographics about Bavaria, I had the idea of turning some of the names and numbers from raw text into pretty graphs and diagrams. At first it was just meant to be a small feature on FC Bayern. A graphical representation of their domestic trophy catalogue, along with a couple of other random facts. Then, it all snowballed. I quite liked the look of my creation, and despite my being a relative amateur in the world of graphic design I allowed things to take their own course. Before long, I had created similar pages for a couple of other Bundesliga clubs.” Bundesliga Fanatic

The price is right! Who has the cheapest Bundesliga season tickets?

“The Bundesliga regularly tops the rankings of league attendances amongst Europe’s elite top flight divisions outperforming the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A in terms of numbers of spectators inside stadiums. The German top division is also famed for its fair ticket prices that allow fans to enjoy top quality football without being ripped off in the process. But just what does it cost to watch your favourite team live and which club offers the best deal to its loyal fans? The results based on the cheapest season ticket prices on offer for the 2015/16 season by the 18 Bundesliga clubs may surprise you.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Rise of the Yellow Coach

“Jürgen Klopp is gone. Thomas Tuchel is here. How has the city of Dortmund responded? The Summer of 2015 has certainly been a strange time in Dortmund. For one thing, the city’s weather has been a rollercoaster. One week, people endure heat and West-Germany feels like the hottest place on earth. Another week it seems like autumn arrived early this year. And there is an emptiness that feels like living in a town from a Western movie; there is no World Cup or European Championship. To be honest, the Copa America or the Gold Cup don’t really heat me up. So you have much time to think about what happened last season and what will happen this upcoming season.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Can Bayern Munich cope with the loss of Kroos and Schweinsteiger within the gap of 12 months?

“July 13th 2014 – Germany v Argentina, the final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The ever efficient German side was facing an Argentina team who banked heavily on Messi and his magic. This German side had 7 players in the squad who were regulars of FC Bayern Munich. Majority of these 7 members played crucial roles in the starting line-up for Germany throughout the World Cup, especially in midfield led by then vice-captain, Bastian Schweinsteiger and young Toni Kroos. The 2 had formed a formidable partnership in the World Cup and also at club level. Their chemistry was unbelievable, which made people think about why Bayern would even contemplate selling Kroos when he fits Pep’s system. Not even a month after Germany had won the world cup, news broke out that the German domestic champions had agreed a 25M deal with Real Madrid for the transfer of Toni Kroos.” Outside of the Boot

New Season Means New Start for these Eleven?

“While fans are wondering what’s been cooking with their Bundesliga clubs before the season start, teams are getting up to speed with their pre-season preparations. With the exception of those who represented their national team over the summer, players have returned to their clubs to get ready for the new campaign. In addition to the new boys arrived in the summer transfer market, clubs also eagerly anticipate the return of players recovered from long-term injuries. And we should also consider players looking for fresh opportunities, as the new season marks a new chapter in their careers. Whether they just arrived to a new surrounding to change their fortunes or determined to get more playing times at their current club, we, at Bundesliga Fanatic, compiled a dream team of players looking for a fresh start in the 2015-16 season.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Can Louis van Gaal Get the Best out of Bastian Schweinsteiger for a Second Time?

“In the midst of Bastian Schweinsteiger’s departure, there has been a sense of disappointment amongst the Bayern Munich fans. As a much-loved figure in the Bavarian capital, Schweinsteiger’s exit leaves a somewhat sour taste for them. And yet for all of his achievements at Bayern, and all of the trophies he has inspired, manager Pep Guardiola could no longer guarantee his continual place in the side. A therefore disgruntled ‘Basti’ may have needed to content himself with a place on the bench, and as an instigator of accomplishment and an icon amongst the Bayern faithful, that, clearly, wasn’t an option he entertained.”> Licence to Roam

Tactical Philosophy: Besnik Hasi

“Born in Gjakovë, Kosovo on 25th December 1971, Besnik Hasi started his football career at Liria Prizren (then a team playing in the Superliga of Kosovo), before moving to many different clubs in Balkan leagues, and then in 1994, found as he recalls his 2nd home: Belgium. In 1994 he signed for the KRC Genk, where he played 141 games, winning the Belgian Pro League and Belgian Cup once each.” Outside of the Boot

Tactical Philosophy: Andre Breitenreiter
“Andre Breitenreiter, the footballer, was horribly unlucky. His luck started out undeniably positive as at only 17 years old, he lifted the Deutscher Pokal in 1992 with Hannover 96. Then plying his wares in the second tier, Breitenreiter became an overnight sensation. ‘The Lightning Bomber’ as he was known in Germany, made the jump to the Hamburger SV in 1994 and at 19 years of age, scored a 19 minute hat-trick in the now defunct Inter-Toto Cup against Danish side Ikast FS. His Bundesliga debut came against, of all the sides, Bayern München. His brace helped Hamburger SV to the victory. Andre Breitenreiter, the footballer, had arrived and tragically his luck decided to strike two days after that momentous victory over Bayern when he broke his cheekbone and jaw and was sidelined for the rest of the season.” Outside of the Boot

The Great Escape: a wake-up call for Hamburg

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“In 1987, the city of Berlin (although still divided at the time) celebrated its 750^th anniversary. In its famous Olympic Stadium, Thomas von Heesen led the victorious players of Hamburger SV up the steps to be presented with the DFB Pokal (the German Cup) on June 20^th of that notable year. Bearing in mind the club’s long and proud heritage and its recent successful history, no one could have foreseen that this – up to now – would be the last significant honour won by German football’s Dinosaur.” Football Pink

Podolski and Beck transfers continue legacy of Germans playing in Turkey

“Turkish footballers playing in the Bundesliga is a fairly common sight, which, when you consider the history of Turks in post-war Germany, shouldn’t be too surprising. In the midst of the West German economic upturn of the 1960’s, the country was suffering from a severe lack of labourers to meet demand. To rectify this, the West German government, through various arrangements and agreements with various other European nations, began to admit large amounts of guest workers into the country; the vast majority of these workers came from Turkey. Many of these Turkish migrant workers ended up staying in West Germany and eventually would bring their families over and eventually become permanent residents. It is the offspring of these initial migrant workers that we see lining up for Bundesliga sides week in and week out.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Bayern Munich – 50 years of Bundesliga football

“‘It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play’. But it was fifty years ago today that Bayern Munich made it into the Bundesliga and set in motion half a century of trophy winning both at home and abroad. It was the 26th June 1965 and Bayern Munich knew that a win over Tennis Borussia Berlin would seal their long-awaited promotion to the top-tier of German football. The wrong they felt had been done, by denying them a place in the debut Bundesliga season, was to be rectified.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Kicker rankings: Bayern tumbles in the midfield

“Kicker rankings continue in Monday’s edition of the magazine and FC Bayern München suffers a serious drop in the midfield. Bayern has crumbled, the worst drop ever, and Gonzalo Castro of Leverkusen has distinguished himself. Xabi Alonso is completely gone out of the listing. The Spaniard’s ‘bad’ case was a loss in form, playing only four times better than average, having under-par European performances and missing a penalty against Dortmund. Philipp Lahm makes the list, he he drops out of the World or International Class for the firs time since 2011. Injury and lack of rest, due to an injury crisis, made him play exhausted.” Bayern Central

Toby Charles: The man who brought German football to the U.S.

“German football wasn’t too popular back in 2002 when I started writing for ESPN. There weren’t many places where you could regularly find English-language content about the game’s culture and history, or stories other than match reports and transfer news. Many readers of the site (Soccernet as it was back then) said they were craving information about German football because they had become hooked on it during the 1970s and 1980s thanks to a weekly programme on American television called ‘Soccer Made in Germany,’ hosted by a man called Toby Charles.” ESPN (Video)

A drop in German form reflected in Kicker defensive rankings

“Among the reasons for the changes are injuries, not enough games played, only one German club in the semi-finals of Europe, and a let-go by FC Bayern in the late stages of the season. As a reminder, a player is not evaluated not on his potential but on the performances from January to June with a minimum of 9 games played in the Bundesliga, Pokal, Europe or internationals.” Bayern Central

Borussia Dortmund: What went wrong?

“It was not the happy ending everyone at the club wanted. Borussia Dortmund lost to VfL Wolfsburg in the DFB Pokal final in what was Jürgen Klopp’s last match as BVB coach. After being at rock bottom in February, the Schwarzgelben were able to gain momentum and eventually reached seventh place in Bundesliga. That means they will play the Europa League qualifiers, when Thomas Tuchel takes over as new manager at Signal Iduna Park. But after a disappointing season, the reasons behind what went wrong must be investigated. Here are ten points, raising no claim to completeness.” Outside of the Boot

Resilient USA makes Klinsmann’s scheduling pay off in Germany upset

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“The U.S. national team did it again on Wednesday, coming from behind to defeat a world power on home soil. Unheralded forward Bobby Wood, who plays in Germany for third-tier bound Erzgebirge Aue and whose continued call-ups baffled some observers Stateside, scored another late game-winner as the Americans shocked World Cup champion Germany, 2-1, in Cologne. It marked the first U.S. win over Die Mannschaft in Germany and only the second time it beat a reigning world champion. The other came back in 1998 with a CONCACAF Gold Cup upset of Brazil.” SI

Wolfsburg 3-1 Dortmund: Wolfsburg comfortable despite rarely dominating

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“Jurgen Klopp waved farewell to Dortmund with a defeat in the German Cup final. There were few surprises in Dieter Hecking’s team selection. Andre Schurrle continues to be left on the bench ,with both wide players in good form. Timm Klose has displaced Robin Knoche at the heart of Wolfsburg’s backline, while Naldo – who had been an injury doubt – was fit to start alongside him.” Zonal Marking

A Look Back at Hertha Berlin’s Season

“A whirlwind. That would be one way to describe Hertha Berlin’s season. They teetered on the edge of relegation twice in the middle of the season and were in the conversation for the calamity that was the last few match days. Even if their chance was slim to get relegated, they didn’t help themselves by posting the league’s third worst form in the second half of the season with 4 wins, 5 draws and 8 losses. The DFB Pokal didn’t go so well either, as they were one of Arminia Bielefeld’s victims amid the 3.Liga sides’ impressive run. The Berliners didn’t have the season they’d hoped, but in looking at it and their position on the table, it could have been much worse.” Bundesliga Fanatic

What do Bayern Munich need to do next?

“The recriminations from Bayern Munich’s Champions League semifinal exit at the hands of Barcelona are unlikely to be short-lived. For the second year in a row, Pep Guardiola’s side have come up short against Spanish opposition in the last four. In 2014, Bayern were beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Real Madrid, which included a humbling 4-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena. This season, it was a 5-3 aggregate defeat against Barcelona, although the tie was effectively over after the first leg when the Spanish champions-elect scored three times in the final 15 minutes.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Pep Guardiola: The man behind the manager

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“‘Good artists copy, great artists steal.’ The quote by Picasso should tell you that great people don’t just come up with great ideas, but take all the best ideas from the greatest minds and apply them to their own visions. There are many in the game with the opinion that Pep has taken Bayern backwards and is not a great manager – inheriting two great squads. The recent first leg loss to Barcelona may have hurt Guardiola. It would be naïve to call his tactics naïve but they were certainly found out by the pace of Barca’s attack and the sheer class of Lionel Messi. However, the second leg showed more of what Guardiola is about. And, if the team’s defending hadn’t been so sloppy, they may very well have got back into the tie.” Outside of the Boot

Talent Radar Player Rankings: Top 10 Young Forwards in 2014/15

“In the past two weeks, we’ve updated our Talent Radar player rankings in the Goalkeepers, Defenders and Midfielders section. We’re now left with this season’s final issue of the Forward Rankings. It’s common tendency that players playing up front attract the most attention, from both fans and clubs. Many of the names on this list will be the subject of transfer speculation in the coming months. We’re going to leave any kind of speculation surrounding these players out of this and give you an unbiased judgement of how the players have done this past season to let you know the reason for the hype around them.” Outside of the Boot

Tactical Analysis: Barcelona 3-0 Bayern Munich | Pep’s dangerous tactics backfire

“If you’re reading this, you don’t need to be informed of the magnitude of the Barcelona – Bayern Munich Champions League semi-final. There were all kinds of storylines and sub-plots to the actual game. Most of them involved Pep Guardiola. It was Pep versus Messi, Pep versus his old club and his old teammate Luis Enrique, then you had Pep versus the machine he had created and every other storyline in between. That was why it was no suprise that Pep started the game in what might be described as an altenative style of play against a team like Barcelona. Guardiola is considered a visionary and the high intensity press that Bayern started with was emblametic of Pep’s thinking. It didn’t work though.” Outside of the Boot

Guardiola’s gambles put Bayern in hole in nightmare Camp Nou return
“That was what Guardiola had said of Lionel Messi before Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal between Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but to suggest the match simply bore that out would be too simplistic. To begin with, there was that extraordinary first 16 minutes when Guardiola played a man-marking back three against Neymar, Luis Suarez and Messi. It was perhaps the boldest, most startling defensive gambit in the history of the Champions League, and it may have consequences for Guardiola.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Champions League semis showcase changing role of deep-lying midfielder

“This season’s Champions League semifinals don’t feature the four most outstanding goalkeepers, defenders, wingers or strikers in the world, but it’s difficult to argue with the selection of deep-lying midfielders. In Sergio Busquets, Andrea Pirlo, Xabi Alonso and Toni Kroos, we’re being treated to an exhibition of probably the world’s four most revered footballers in that role. Between them, the quartet have won the last three World Cups and seven of the last 12 Champions League titles. More crucially, in different ways, they’ve helped redefine the nature of their position.” ESPN – Michael Cox

Bayern’s Champions’ League dream in tatters after late Barça surge

“Three-quarters of the way into the opening leg of their Champions’ League semifinal in Barcelona, FC Bayern looked good to take a decent result with them to Bavaria. All seemed well as Pep Guardiola’s side had kept out everything their opponent could throw at them as the clock ticked past the seventy-five minute mark. Then . . . two crushing blows in the space of three minutes turned the tie on its head, with a crippling – and completely avoidable – third goal coming in injury time. In truth, all three goals were avoidable in a game that had looked so good until the wheels came dramatically spinning off on what was a warm, late-spring evening on the Mediterranean coast.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Tactical Analysis of Favre’s Flexible 4-4-2 System against Leverkusen

“Around 3-4 years ago, the 4-4-2 system was considered extinct, because of the ease by which this system could be dominated by a system comprising 3 central midfielders (e.g. Mourinho’s 3 midfielder system as a prominent example). However, in last couple seasons, the 4-4-2 formation has had a bit of a renaissance with teams such as Simeone’s Atlético and Schmidt’s Salzburg and Bayer Leverkusen (B04) deploying this formation. Since the 4-4-2 formation heavily emphasizes horizontal compaction, the midfield players rarely lose their battles, while the 4-4-2’s narrow shape means that the midfield can be supported by the attacking line, wide players, and full backs.” Bundesliga Fanatic