The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga will be the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season will commence on the weekend of 5 August 2011 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012. The traditional winter break will be held between the weekends around 17 December 2011 and 20 January 2012. The defending champions are Borussia Dortmund.

Buh-Bye Eintracht Frankfurt and FC St. Pauli (very sad about this).
Hello Hertha BSC, and FC Augsburg.

-Rod
(Go Bayern)

Hertha Berlin for the CHAMPIONS !!!


:campione:

Looking forward to this season.

Jerome Boateng going from Man City to Bayern, Neuer to Bayern, and Ballack maybe returning to form? Will Augsburg pull a Pauli and crash back out? Will there be another bizarro shuffling of the tables?

Can't wait.



-Rod

I am naturally pulling hard for the Dortmund Double, but after seeing Bayern's dirty dirty midfield arrangement, and that can test any team in the world. Adding Neuer in net and they have a solid shot at not just winning the Liga, but the Champion's League as well.

I guess we'll see more of Carl on here now that Brutal Berlin is back in the top flight. Personally, as long as Dortmund stays in Europe, Schalke finish last, and Bayern flop, I will be thrilled.

Over the next week or so I'm going to put together another preview pack starting with the promoted teams and working my way up.

Very excited about this year. Also, the 2. Bundesliga, which has already started, looks to be vey competitive with more then a couple teams looking for promotion.



FC Augsburg 1907

Last Year: 2nd 2. Bundesliga - Promoted Automatically
Manager: Jos Luhukay (Since 2009)
Major Ins: Sascha Mölders, Sebastian Langkamp, Lorenzo Davids, Patrick Mayer, Edmond Kapllani (Returned From Loan)
Major Outs: Ibrahima Traoré, Lukas Sinkiewicz, Sören Bertram (Loan Returned), Moritz Leitner (Loan Returned)
Key Players: Simon Jentzsch, Uwe Möhrle, Nando Rafael, Gibril Sankoh, Marcel de Jong, Axel Bellinghausen
Outlook: Being frank, for FCA, this is going to be a mountain of an order to remain in Germany's top tier. Augsburg will lean heavily on their defense, joint best in the 2. Liga last year, to keep them in games and look for good counter strikes from any of their strikers. Nando Rafael was the offensive leader last year and will be key in 2011/12. Luhukay, a good trainer gets them in with a shout for survival which is clearly the aim. Augsburg have had a good preseason, losing only one match, granted to lower competition.
First Five Fixtures: Freiburg (H), Kaiserslautern (A), Hoffenheim (H), Nürnberg (A), Leverkusen (H)
Club Website



Hertha BSC

Last Year: 1st 2. Bundesliga - Promoted Automatically
Manager: Markus Babbel (Since 2010 )
Major Ins: Maik Franz, Thomas Kraft, Andreas Ottl, Claudiano Bezerra da Silva "Kaká" (Returned From Loan), Peter Niemeyer (Purchased After Loan), Tunay Torun
Major Outs: Valeri Domovchiyski, Daniel Beichler (On Loan)
Key Players: Adrián Ramos, Raffael Caetano de Araújo "Raffael", Christian Lell, Thomas Kraft, Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Patrick Ebert
Outlook: Much is been made of the swift return to the top league by Hertha, a job that really is easier said than done. Manager Babbel looks to have a squad with Bundesliga quality - more so than Augsburg. Babbel has also instilled a good team atmosphere, one where players are held accountable for mistakes and praised for achievements. This is a fresh start for the Berliners and their fans, one where remaining in the 1. Liga is the target and a reachable one.
First Five Fixtures: Nürnberg (H), Hamburg (A), Hannover (A), Stuttgart (H), Dortmund (A)
Club Website

and don't forget to follow all Bundesliga transfers here and here.

Right on!

-Rod

More previews...


Borussia Mönchengladbach

Last Year: 16th, Won Playoff Relegation Round vs. VfL Bochum
Manager: Lucien Favre (Since 2011)
Major Ins: Michael Bradley (Returned From Loan), Oscar Wendt, Matthias Zimmermann, Joshua King (On Loan), Yuki Otsu, Lukas Rupp, Mathew Leckie, Raúl Bobadilla (Returned From Loan)
Major Outs: Karim Matmour, Jean-Sébastien Jaurès (Retired), Sebastian Schachten, Logan Bailly (On Loan), Michael Fink (Loan Returned), Paul Stalteri, Marcel Meeuwis
Key Players: Marc-André ter Stegen, Marco Reus, Dante Bonfim Costa Santos "Dante", Michael Bradley, Juan Arango, Igor de Camargo
Outlook: Firstly, 'Gladbach managed one of the most dramatic relegation escapes to date, and because of this there may be some false hope for 2011/12. That's not to say BMG couldn't challenge for a top 10 spot this year. Fans from the Niederrhein will want to know what is the real identity of the club - The dreadful first 70% of the season or the one down the stretch. 'Gladbach will be dangerous off dead ball situations with the likes of Arango, Dante and Reus.
First Five Fixtures: Bayern München (A), Stuttgart (H), Wolfsburg (H), Schalke (A), Kaiserslautern (H)
Club Website



VfL Wolfsburg

Last Year: 15th
Manager: Felix Magath (Since 2011)
Major Ins: Christian Träsch, Srđan Lakić, Marco Russ, Patrick Ochs, Mateusz Klich, Hasan Salihamidžić, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Hrvoje Cale, Sotirios Kyrgiakos
Major Outs: Edinaldo Batista Libânio "Grafite", Sascha Riether, Karim Ziani, Fabian Johnson, Dieumerci Mbokani (Loan Returned), Cícero Santos (Loan Returned), Tuncay Sanli (On Loan), Simon Kjær (On Loan with Purchase Option)
Key Players: Mario Mandžukić, Srđan Lakić, Diego Benaglio, Josué Anunciado de Oliveira "Josué", Marcel Schäfer, Sotirios Kyrgiakos
Outlook: Three managers, the return of "the Magath," public bust-ups and a horrendous campaign summed up the Wolves 2010/11 season. For a VfL supporter there is only one way to go - up. If the end of last season tells us something then watch out for Mandžukić as he basically saved VW's front from the drop. Magath and co. have strengthened up the defense with some savvy buys and have enjoyed a successful preseason. VfL should bounce back this season.
First Five Fixtures: Köln (A), Bayern München (H), Mönchengladbach (A), Freiburg (A), Schalke (H)
Club Website

The previews roll on...


FC Schalke 04

Last Year: 14th, German Cup winner
Manager: Ralf Rangnick (Since 2011)
Major Ins: Lewis Holtby (Returned From Loan), Christian Fuchs, Ralf Fährmann, Marco Höger (Returned From Loan), Jan Morávek (Returned From Loan), Ciprian Marica, Jermaine Jones (Returned From Loan)
Major Outs: Manuel Neuer, Christian Pander, Lukas Schmitz, Ali Karimi, Angelos Charisteas, Gerald Asamoah
Key Players: Raúl González, Benedikt Höwedes, José Manuel Jurado, Lewis Holtby, Jefferson Farfán, Ralf Fährmann
Outlook: Nightmare Bundesliga season - Semi-finals in the UEFA Champions League, Manager sacked in a soap opera saga - German Cup winners. Where to start with this Schalke team? Rangnick has put his stamp on the team, shedding the drab Magath style of play and replaced it with an attacking system. Schalke have also bought wisely and brought back promising youngsters that fit Rangnick's plan. If things pan out, S04 should compete for not only a European spot but a Champions League place.
First Five Fixtures: Stuttgart (A), Köln (H), Mainz (A), Mönchengldbach (H), Wolfsburg (A)
Club Website



SV Werder Bremen

Last Year: 13th
Manager: Thomas Schaaf (Since 1999)
Major Ins: Mehmet Ekici, Andreas Wolf, Aleksandar Ignjovski, Sokratis Papastathopoulos (On Loan), Lukas Schmitz, Tom Trybull, Aleksandar Stevanovic, Markus Rosenberg (Returned From Loan)
Major Outs: Torsten Frings, Peter Niemeyer, Petri Pasanen, Daniel Jensen, Dominik Schmidt, John Jairo Mosquera (Purchased After Loan)
Key Players: Claudio Pizarro, Marko Marin, Ronaldo Aparecido Rodrigues "Naldo", Per Mertesacker, Wesley Lopes Beltrame "Wesley", Mehmet Ekici
Outlook: Plagued by injuries, SVW survived a relegation battle for 3/4 of the season last year and did so with sometimes three field players on the bench. Schaaf couldn't count on the offense last year and the defense was too banged up to compete. Werder did blood some youngsters, some of who showed promise and will most likely be looked on to contribute this year. A lot of promise has been heaped on Ekici, much like Wesley last year - hopefully with better results. Mid table finish is likely.
First Five Fixtures: Kaiserslautern (H), Leverkusen (A), Freiburg (H), Hoffenheim (A), Hamburg (H)
Club Website

RWE 4:3 Union Berlin in penalties, 1st round of the German cup!!!!!

4th league vs. 2nd league! RWE!!!!! Wir bleiben zusammen RWE, RWE!!!


I'm Drunk and loving it!!!!

The game was great, the atmosphere in the stadium was insane! 14,000, sold out and to win in penalties. RWE won promotion to the 4th league, the oldest player is 25. Great result. Really cool to feel the magic of the cup, there is nothing better. I would compare it to the match in Montreal - but a little bit different.

Watch the penalties here


@ North York, I can see if I can bring one with me. Send me a PM if interested.

Zac, you seriously have to find me that jersey, I love it.

Previews!


VfB Stuttgart

Last Year: 12th
Manager: Bruno Labbadia (Since 2010)
Major Ins: William Kvist, Julian Schieber (Returned From Loan), Francisco Javier Rodríguez Pinedo "Maza", Ibrahima Traoré, Tamás Hajnal (Bought After Loan), Ermin Bičakčić (From The Second Team)
Major Outs: Christian Träsch, Sven Schipplock, Philipp Degen (Loan Returned), Élson Falcão da Silva "Élson", Ciprian Marica, Daniel Didavi (On Loan)
Key Players: Christian Gentner, Matthieu Delpierre, Zdravko Kuzmanović, Martin Harnik, Tamás Hajnal, Claudemir Jeronimo Barreto "Cacau"
Outlook: Stuttgart became a much improved side after the arrival of current manager Labbadia. They became defensivly stronger and dangerous on the attack. Stuttgart look to be a balanced team with managerial stability, a good omen going into the new campaign. VfB will have a challenge off the top as they will be without three central defenders (Delpierre, Serdar Taşçı and Georg Niedermeier) to start the season. Stuttgart, with their balanced squad, could be the surprise team of 2011/12.
First Five Fixtures: Schalke (H), Mönchengladbach (A), Leverkusen (H), Hertha Berlin (A), Hannover (H)
Club Website



TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

Last Season: 11th
Manager: Holger Stanislawski (Since 2011)
Major Ins: Knowledge Musona, Fabian Johnson, Sven Schipplock, Prince Tagoe (Returned From Loan), Koen Casteels
Major Outs: David Alaba (Loan Returned), Ramazan Özcan, Jukka Raitala (On Loan)
Key Players: Vedad Ibišević, Sejad Salihović, Ryan Babel, Andreas Beck, Sebastian Rudy, Josip Šimunić
Outlook: TSG have brought in young players this year and have not lost too many to the transfer market. Built as an attack minded team, new manager Stanislawski could be seen as a peculiar hire being that St. Pauli couldn't score goals last year. This season also gives the opportunity to Babel to reclaim some of that form that made him one of the better up and comers in world football. The season hangs on what the youngsters do, otherwise a mid table finish is probably in the cards.
First Five Fixtures: Hannover (A), Dortmund (H), Augsburg (A), Bremen (H), Mainz (A)
Club Website

Highlights of the RWE match here

Awesome, thanks for posting Steve!

Best picture ever on this months 11 Freunde football culture magazine....

Previews...


1. FC Köln

Last Year: 10th
Manager: Ståle Solbakken (Since 2011)
Major Ins: Sascha Riether, Mato Jajalo (Bought After Loan), Odise Roshi, Manasseh Ishiaku (Returned From Loan)
Major Outs: Youssef Mohamad, Fabrice Ehret, Thomas Kessler (On Loan), Simon Terodde (On Loan), Taner Yalçın (On Loan)
Key Players: Lukas Podolski, Sascha Riether, Pedro Geromel, Milivoje Novakovič, Mato Jajalo, Michael Rensing
Outlook: Köln begin the year with a new manager in Solbakken, as the manager marry-go-round continues to spin. Volker Finke, the Freiburg legend who came in as sport director, even had to see some time as manager. Also crucial, a small captaincy issue between the club and club icon Podolski will not create a rosy welcome for the new Norwegian manager. Despite the 10th place finish, this team was in danger all year of being relegated and only really secured there spot in the last couple weeks of the season. With little change it could be a repeat season for the carnival capital.
First Five Fixtures: Wolfsburg (H), Schalke (A), Kaiserslautern (H), Hamburg (A), Nürnberg (H)
Club Website



SC Freiburg

Last Year: 9th
Manager: Marcus Sorg (Since 2011, Managed youth and second teams since 2008)
Major Ins: Garra Dembélé, Beg Ferati, Ivica Banović (returned From Loan)
Major Outs: Ömer Toprak, Tommy Bechmann, Zvonko Pamić (Loan Returned), Simon Pouplin, Jonathan Jäger
Key Players: Papiss Demba Cissé, Heiko Butscher, Felix Bastians, Oliver Baumann, Julian Schuster, Cédric Makiadi
Outlook: Freiburg suffered two big off field losses to Leverkusen, manager Robin Dutt and CB Toprak. To think that SCF can build on the amazing year they had would be unthinkable at this moment. Cissé will score goals and the defense should be still Bundesliga quality sans Toprak but it will be a tough season for the Black forest club. New manager Sorg knows the system, which should ease the transition from Dutt but it is also his first major appointment as trainer of a big club. Freiburg could be facing the drop this year.
First Five Fixtures: Augsburg (A), Mainz (H), Bremen (A), Wolfsburg (H), Bayern München (A)
Club Website

Continued previews...



Hamburger SV

Last Year: 8th
Manager: Michael Oenning (Since 2011, Co-trainer Since 2010)
Major Ins: Michael Mancienne, Gökhan Töre, Per Ciljan Skjelbred, Marcus Berg (Returned From Loan), Mickaël Tavares (Returned From Loan), Tolgay Arslan (Returned From Loan), Jeffrey Bruma (On Loan)
Major Outs: Ruud van Nistelrooy, José Roberto da Silva Júnior "Zé Roberto", Joris Mathijsen, Piotr Trochowski, Tunay Torun, David Rozehnal, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Frank Rost, Jonathan Pitroipa
Key Players: Mladen Petrić, Heiko Westermann, Dennis Aogo, Paolo Guerrero, Eljero Elia, Gökhan Töre
Outlook: Last year was anything but stable for Hamburg. van Nistelrooy's relationship with HSV was played out publicly after a loan spell at Real Madrid was denied, outward bound keeper Rost criticized the players after an embarrassing loss towards the end of the season and Matthais Sammer flirt with the club came screeching to a halt - much to the boards surprise. A completely rebuilt team, fewer egos and a knowledgeable, attack minded, players manager give HSV a new look and attitude. Despite mixed preseason results HSV should finish in the top ten.
First Five Fixtures: Dortmund (A), Hertha Berlin (H), Bayern München (A), Köln (H), Bremen (A)
Club Website



1. FC Kaiserslautern

Last Year: 7th
Manager: Marco Kurz (Since 2009)
Major Ins: Itay Shechter, Gil Vermouth, Olcay Şahan, Richard Sukuta-Pasu, Dorge Kouemaha (On Loan)
Major Outs: Srđan Lakić, Erwin "Jimmy" Hoffer (Loan Returned), Jan Morávek (Loan Returned)
Key Players: Ivo Iličević, Christian Tiffert, Itay Shechter, Martin Amedick, Florian Dick, Kevin Trapp
Outlook: 1. FCK did more than just survive in their return to the big league. Tiffert was dynamic from set pieces, Lakić scored 16 league goals and manager Kurz instilled a workable system that limited damage. With Lakić gone, new signing Shechter will be looked upon to replace the goals - a big ask. Kaiserslautern will rely heavily on the set piece, their strength from last year. The aerial attack is key for the Red Devils as they scored a league best 16 headers last season. 1. FCK probably won't improve on their 10/11 season and will likely be in a fight for survival this year.
First Five Fixtures: Bremen (A), Augsburg (H), Köln (A), Bayern München (H), Mönchengladbach (A)
Club Website



1. FC Nürnberg

Last Season: 6th
Manager: Dieter Hecking (Since 2009)
Major Ins: Tomáš Pekhart, Markus Feulner, Alexander Esswein, Daniel Didavi (On Loan), Timm Klose
Major Outs: İlkay Gündoğan (Loan Returned), Mehmet Ekici (Loan Returned), Julian Schieber (Loan Returned), Andreas Wolf, Marek Mintál, Dario Vidosic
Key Players: Christian Eigler, Javier Pinola, Raphael Schäfer, Philipp Wollscheid, Timmy Simons, Tomáš Pekhart
Outlook: "Der Club" clearly punched above their weight last season, but not undeservedly. A tight unit that was extremely well prepared under Hecking gained a boost with the emergence of several young talents. Unfortunately, some of these talents have left, making Heckings job more difficult. In order to succeed the team is going to be once again a tight unit, collectively picking up the slack and goals and counteracting the talent discrepancies. Simmons and the defensive group will have to be sharp all season to balance these player losses. "Der Club" will be up against it for most of the year.
First Five Fixtures: Hertha Berlin (A), Hannover (H), Dortmund (A), Augsburg (H), Köln (A)
Club Website



1. FSV Mainz 05

Last Season: 5th, Qualified for UEFA Europa League (Third Qualifying Round)
Manager: Thomas Tuchel (Since 2009)
Major Ins: Anthony Ujah, Zoltán Stieber, Marcel Risse (Bought After Loan), Nicolai Müller, Zdeněk Pospěch, Julian Baumgartlinger, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
Major Outs: André Schürrle, Lewis Holtby (Loan Returned), Christian Fuchs, Miroslav Karhan, Stefan Bell (On Loan)
Key Players: Elkin Soto, Marcel Risse, Sami Allagui, Zoltán Stieber, Nikolče Noveski, Andreas Ivanschitz
Outlook: A remarkable start to the campaign and in all honesty a remarkable season for Mainz last year sees them qualify for Europe. However, a squad decimated by the loss of three key players and the addition of young talent will take its toll. Tuchel has shown he is a top manager and should guide Mainz to a mid table finish, just don't expect fireworks. Offense seems to be the problem as a 1-1 home draw against Gaz Metan Mediaș in the Europa league shows. A lot will be expected of Allagui and newcomer Ujah - maybe to much. Playing in front of 30,000 in a new stadium may help.
First Five Fixtures: Leverkusen (H), Freiburg (A), Schalke (H), Hannover (A), Hoffenheim (H)
Club Website

Previews...



Hannover 96

Last Year: 4th, Qualified for UEFA Europa League
Manager: Mirko Slomka (Since 2010)
Major Ins: Christian Pander, Artur Sobiech, Henning Hauger
Major Outs: Florian Fromlowitz, Mikael Forssell, Constant Djakpa (Loan returned), DaMarcus Beasley, Willi Evseev (On Loan)
Key Players: Didier Ya Konan, Sérgio Pinto, Christian Schulz, Mohammed Abdellaoue, Steve Cherundolo, Ron-Robert Zieler
Outlook: Perhaps the biggest surprise last year, H96 qualified for the Europa league and narrowly missed out on the Champions League. There was a ton of doubt going into last season and this year it would be safe to say there is a cautious optimism in Niedersachsen. 96 will have to deal with Europe and a raised expectation witch may led to a dip in the league standings. Ya Konan and Abdellaoue will need to score in bunches and the defense will need to be basically perfect to finish in the top five, but top ten is surly in reach. Hannover will rely on their good home form this season.
First Five Fixtures: Hoffenheim (H), Nürnberg (A), Hertha Berlin (H), Mainz (H), Stuttgart (A)
Club Website



FC Bayern München

Last Season: 3rd, Qualified for UEFA Champions League (Third Qualifying Round)
Manager: Jupp Heynckes (Since 2011)
Major Ins: Manuel Neuer, Jérôme Boateng, Nils Petersen, Marcio Rafael Ferreira de Souza "Rafinha", David Alaba (Returned From Loan), Takashi Usami (On Loan), Maximilian Riedmüller (From Second Team)
Major Outs: Miroslav Klose, Andreas Ottl, Thomas Kraft, Mehmet Ekici, Hamit Altıntop
Key Players: Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, Manuel Neuer, Franck Ribéry, Mario Gómez
Outlook: A disappointing season last year by Bayerns standards and a goalkeeper controversy led to the dismissal of Louis van Gaal. In comes veteran bench boss Heynckes who knows the club having been employed as manager in the late 80s and as interim manager in 2009. Bayern have strengthened their squad and the sophomore jinx that plagues many players should be over for the likes of Holger Badstuber and Thomas Müller - which is a good thing if you are a Bayern supporter. Bayern go into this season as favorites, and it's a trophy or bust this year, at minimal the league title. Should Gómez continue his form and Robben, Ribéry stay healthy it should a matter of playing out the league games.
First Five Fixtures: Mönchengladbach (H), Wolfsburg (A), Hamburg (H), Kaiserslautern (A), Freiburg (H)
Club Website

What a clinic that Dortmund put on yesterday against Hamburg! Repeat coming up! They stepped it up large and there is no better stadium to play in, that is serious fan love. All in a city with the population of North York.

Hey Zac, I'd really like you to let me know how much tickets are for each Bundesliga team. I know they price them low to attract more fans and keep it sustainable but I don't know the exact figures.

Last of the previews...



Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Last Year: 2nd, Qualified for UEFA Champions League Group Stage
Manager: Robin Dutt (Since 2011)
Major Ins: André Schürrle, Ömer Toprak, Bastian Oczipka (Returned From Loan), Karim Bellarabi, David Yelldell
Major Outs: Arturo Vidal, Marcel Risse, Sami Hyypiä (Retired), Domagoj Vida, Constant Djakpa, Richard Sukuta-Pasu, Kevin Kampl, Burak Kaplan
Key Players: Stefan Kießling, Lars Bender, Sidney Sam, Ömer Toprak, René Adler, Michael Ballack
Outlook: Again, Leverkusen comes into a year after finishing second in the Bundesliga. This team has notoriously struggled to clear the last hurdle, and the addition last year of Ballack and Sam did not give them the lift they needed. New manager Dutt who arrives from Freiburg will have a very solid squad this year, one that should once again compete for the championship. L. Bender will have big shoes to replace Vidal. Toprak also arrives to strengthen the back line. B04 should be dynamic going forward with key attacking players. Champions League direct qualification this year is the minimum goal.
First Five Fixtures: Mainz (A), Bremen (H), Stuttgart (A), Dortmund (H), Augsburg (A)
Club Website

Thanks for these, Zac. I enjoy the Bundesliga but don't have the opportunity to pay as close attention as you do. I watched Stuttgart/Schalke this weekend and I checked your preview before I did.

:beer: Cheers.

This now the last one... Thanks Gary!



BV Borussia Dortmund

Last Year: 1st, German Champions, Qualified for UEFA Champions League Group Stage
Manager: Jürgen Klopp (Since 2008)
Major Ins: İlkay Gündoğan, Ivan Perišić, Chris Löwe, Julian Koch (Returned From Loan), Moritz Leitner (Returned From Loan)
Major Outs: Nuri Şahin, Leonardo de Deus Santos "Dedê", Markus Feulner, Dimitar Rangelov, Marco Stiepermann (On Loan)
Key Players: Mats Hummels, Lucas Barrios, Mario Götze, Shinji Kagawa, Neven Subotić, Sven Bender
Outlook: To some BVB were surprise champions last year. They were completely deserving of the title as they led the league the whole season and dominated challengers like Bayern, Bayer and Hannover. Kloppo's system of high pressure and non stop running was revolutionary and only doable because of the extreme fitness of the squad and their willingness to run through walls for the manager. The departure of Şahin is massive, as he is key to the system, as now Bender, Sebastian Kehl and newcomer Gündoğan will be expected to replace him. BVB are now wearing the champions target, which will add some pressure but I wouldn't put it past Klopp and his men to revel in it. Indications point to Bayern this year to be crowed champions, but depending on what happens in Europe and if BVB can fight on two fronts, Dortmund will again be in the title race come the end of the season.
First Five Fixtures: Hamburg (H), Hoffenheim (A), Nürnberg (H), Leverkusen (A), Hertha Berlin (H)
Club Website


Personal Table Predictions

1. FC Bayern München
2. Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3. BV Borussia Dortmund
4. FC Schalke 04
5. VfB Stuttgart
6. Hannover 96
7. Hamburger SV
8. VfL Wolfsburg
9. Borussia Mönchengladbach
10. 1. FSV Mainz 05
11. SV Werder Bremen
12. Hertha BSC
13. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
14. 1. FC Köln
15. 1. FC Nürnberg
16. SC Freiburg *
17. 1. FC Kaiserslautern
18. FC Augsburg

* - SC Friburg to play in the Relegation/Promotion match vs. SpVgg Greuter Fürth and win.

Golden Boot: Papis Cissé (SCF)
Player of the Year: Mats Hummels (BVB)
Young Player of the Year: Markus Feulner (FCN)
Best Newcomer: William Kvist (VfB)
Top Flop: Jeffrey Bruma (HSV)
Manager of the Year: Bruno Labbadia (VfB)
First Manager Sacked: Holger Stanislawski (TSG)
Who's coming up?: Fortuna Düsseldorf, FC St. Pauli, SpVgg Greuter Fürth *

And a must read from my favorite Raphael Hinigstein previewing the upcoming season can be read here.

Enjoy the season!

I watched the Dortmund v. Hamburg replay on GOL yesterday. Dortmund looked excellent again (Hamburg wasn't exactly Columbus either). Really nice side to watch.

Ah. Thank God the Bundesliga is back.

Watched the Bayern match the other day... good watchable game all round with the loss being completely Bayern's own fault with a disappointing blunder by our star keeper Neuer. Newly acquired defensive talent, Boateng, failed to help him out of the jam. A colossal f*^k up. All in all a hard fought watchable and entertaining game... but Bayern just could not solve 'Gladbach's defense. With van Gaal's exit it seems some of the team's lingering problem's persist! They have the talent, but just couldn't find the back of the net. It seemed like they controlled possession, but with that one goal 'Gladbach just dug in.

Watched the game in German... so I missed most all of the insight from the commentary. Really need a good source for English Bayern match downloads. Seems all the good quality ones are in German. Go figure. :)

The result was a disappointing start to the campaign. But I wouldn't count them out just yet.

On to the next fixture! Wolfsburg... you're toast.



-Rod

Considering that about 38% of the German internet consists of spiteful posts and pics of FC Bratwurst, I'm not sure if it's the best idea for a piggies fan to start posting images mocking other teams...

Just sayin'

(Thus ends herthabsc's public service initiative for the Bundesliga season.)

See?

:) I'm not sure if I'm laughing at the content of this and the other one... or if I'm laughing at the fact that they are actual physical sewn badges. Most likely the latter. I wonder if there's a Scout style sash I could sew them all onto. Collect the set!

-R

Schweinsteiger out for over a month... maybe 2 with a broken collar bone after colliding with a Napoli defender during Champions League play. A very dirty 2nd half cost Bayern dealy. Napoli's acting and diving was at a new level coming into the 2nd half. The first half was beautiful... the 2nd very cheap thanks to Napoli Players Society of Drama and Football.

-Rod

I hope he gets well just in time for the EM.

keyword: just

Bastian Schweinsteiger is back!



I just watched the Bayern friendly against the Indian National Team. The midfielder has been training solid. He looked good starting and finishing the game. Bastian even netted a goal against an out classed India side in the 4-0 defeat in the 43rd minute. The game was Bhaichung Bhutia's farewell match. Seemed like a big deal over there. Bhutia being an Indian football legend (or so the announcer said). To me the game signaled the return of Schweini. And he still has time to continue his work before the next real match on the 20th.

2012. Bayern double anyone?

-Rod

excellent look at the supporters and ultra culture in Germany, unfortunately no subtitles and some of the guys speak to fast for my high school german.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB69hrjFiHE

Wow, great find... awesome vid. Thanks for the link.

BTW, I guess it's safe to say that Borussia MönchengladbacH is for real! 3:1 v Bayern! Can I change my predictions... how good has Patrick Herrmann become?!

Dortmund ran riot over Hamburg today.
However it has to be said, Hamburg are truly awful.

Glad to see Buyern get schooled by the other Borussia & if anybody sees the highlights, the seeing eye pass that sets up Gladbach's 2nd goal is sublime.
I wonder when Buyern will realize they aren't going anywhere with that defence? I'm sorry but Badstuber is not better than Hummels (even though Kicker magazine in Germany rates him as such).

Any comments on the Reus transfer?
My theory is that Dortmund will sell Kagawa, and hopefully make enough back to cover a substantial portion of Reus' transfer, however, the club is still on track with their plan to get out of debt, & they will be debt free in 2 years, imagine what BVB can do then with this young team & no debt!!

HSV-BVB highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fBSTK_TAp0

Gladbach-Buyern highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1RBPe67skE&feature=related

Yes.

Marco Reus is leaving a team that beat us in the first half of the season, and headed to a team we beat at home in the first half of the season.

By my math, he's downsizing.

I have to say, Hertha played well against BVB that day.
If they would have played like that all season, they wouldn't have had to replace their coach.

Best avatar on the board. Lewandowski had an excellent match against Hamburg, really opened things up front. Wonder how a young Subotic is going to deal with the allegations from the groupie that claims she was assaulted at his place.

Also forgot how well Schalke have been doing, now a 3 way tie at the top of the table with Monchengladbach only 1 behind. If Dortmund doesn't repeat I badly don't want to see Bayern or Schalke take it.

AluCash MaxMorlockStadion

What an exciting this 2nd half of the season will be....this is!

3 way tie for first and 2nd isn't far behind. Gonna be a real battle!

Give'r.

-Rod

So what's the deal with the Piggies trolling their fans this season?

I was just reading the Facebook app story; don't know who couldn't have forseen that that stunt would piss a few people off.

Maybe their fans wouldn't be so testy if they hadn't already been trolled by the predictions about the walk in the park that the season was supposed to be.

I don't think any real fans would buy into a "walk in the park" season. It's such a tight league...and these past couple years have shown that. Makes it the best league in the world to watch IMO.

Yeah.. that Facebook stunt was dumb. Someone lost their dream job.

-Rod

He is right though, all the new German stadiums look relatively the same. Nürnberg's stadium is quite unique in comparison to other grounds.

Having said that, the Westfallen Stadion in Dortmund is one of the finest soccer stadiums in the world, and the most impressive I have been to.

And on the Reus transfer, that's understandable, he was probably going to transfer regarless. Good that he chose his home town and not Bayern. BVB is going to be really interesting with Götze, Kagawa, Reus, Kuba, Bender and the possibility of Sahin returning from Madrid. What I didn't like is the Neustäter transfer to Schalke. I hope that BMG builds there team, not tear it apart.