Fußball-Bundesliga XLIX, Dortmund Double or is Bayern Back?

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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.

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-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.


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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


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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

This post has been edited by zacRWE on Jul 30 2011, 10:14 AM

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

Right on!

-Rod

More previews...

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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


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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

This post has been edited by zacRWE on Aug 26 2011, 02:03 PM

The previews roll on...

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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


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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

This post has been edited by zacRWE on Aug 4 2011, 01:05 PM

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

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

This post has been edited by zacRWE on Jul 30 2011, 06:39 AM

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

Previews!

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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


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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

Highlights of the RWE match here

Awesome, thanks for posting Steve!

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


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Previews...

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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


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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

This post has been edited by zacRWE on Aug 26 2011, 01:53 PM