German football and the battle for it's soul

Bayern Munich: Where do German giants turn next and who will woo Xabi Alonso ?..

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Departing Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel brought in England captain Harry Kane last summer

Bayern Munich are facing the unusual prospect of a trophyless season, but whatever happens in the remainder of the campaign it will be a summer of change for the German giants.

On Wednesday, Bayern confirmed manager Thomas Tuchel will depart the club in May.

The former Chelsea, Paris St-Germain and Borussia Dortmund boss only took over last March but looks set to miss out on the Bundesliga title to Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.

It leaves Bayern on the hunt for a new manager who will likely be tasked with orchestrating a swift return to dominating the Bundesliga once more.

Will they turn to Alonso? And what next for Tuchel?

It has often felt like a formality for Bayern to win the Bundesliga.

They've won it every season since 2012, but are now facing the very real prospect of missing out on the title this season to Leverkusen.

Alonso's side are eight points clear at the top with 12 games to go and it would take some drop in form for them to miss out on their first league title.

The domestic cup has already gone for Bayern, after they lost to third-tier Saarbrucken back in November, and that leaves the Champions League as their only real chance of a trophy. Even then they will need to overturn a first-leg 1-0 defeat to Lazio in their last-16 tie.

Whatever happens, it looks like a significant summer of change for the club.

"Ultimately, Tuchel was not able to get the Bayern from the Bayern squad," German football expert Archie Rhind-Tutt said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast.

He added: "There is stuff you can pin on him, but ultimately there are bigger problems about the squad and players who are likely to go in the summer.

"They are seriously considering getting rid of Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Alphonso Davies - they are wanting to start an upheaval."

Bayer Leverkusen 2 Mainz 1. Although Leverkusen were in total control it took a goalkeeping howler for them to secure the 3 points. Robert Andrich (ex-Union) smacked it from 30 yards out. Keeper tried to catch it and fumbled it into his own net. Leverkusen 11 points clear of Bayern who have a game in hand against plastic Leipzig. Leverkusen as tight as 1-8 to win the Bundesligannow. BUT. They invented being Spursy.

It's been confirmed that German defender Andreas Brehme has died at the age of 63.

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Andreas Brehme converts the decisive penalty to win West Germany the 1990 World Cup

Former Germany defender Andreas Brehme, who scored the winning goal in the 1990 World Cup final, has died aged 63.

Brehme converted a late penalty in the final of the 1990 tournament to secure victory against Argentina in Rome.

He earned 86 caps, including eight goals, for his country and won league titles while at Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

Brehme's partner Susanne Schaefer told German news agency DPA that he "died suddenly" from cardiac arrest.

A versatile left-back, Brehme was at Bayern from 1986-88 and won the Bundesliga title with them in 1987.

"FC Bayern is deeply shocked by the sudden death of Andreas Brehme," said the German club.

"We will always keep Andreas Brehme in our hearts - as a world champion and even more so as a very special person.

"He will always be part of the FC Bayern family. Rest in peace, dear Andi."

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Brehme (right), pictured with Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthaus after the 1990 win

Brehme played for Kaiserslautern from 1981-86 and 1993-98.

He won the Bundesliga title in 1998 and German Cup in 1996 during his time at the club, with whom he also had a spell as manager from 2000-02.

"The FCK mourns the loss of Andreas Brehme," said a Kaiserslautern statement.

"He wore the Red Devils jersey for a total of 10 years and became German champion and cup winner with FCK.

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Brehme was part of Kaiserslautern's Bundesliga triumph in 1998, a year after promotion

"In 1990, he shot the German national team to the World Cup title with his penalty and finally became a football legend."

Brehme helped Inter Milan win the Serie A title in 1989 and the Italian club said their players would wear black armbands players when they host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the first leg of a last-16 Champions League tie.

"A magnificent player, a true Interista," said Inter. "Ciao Andi, forever a legend."

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Andreas Brehme played alongside fellow German internationals Lothar Matthaus and Jurgen Klinsmann at Inter Milan between 1988 and 1992.

Germany were managed by Franz Beckenbauer, who died aged 78 in January, at the 1990 World Cup.

Brehme also scored when his country beat England on penalties in the tournament's semi-finals.

"Andreas Brehme is one of the greatest and best football players in German history. German football has a lot to thank him for," said German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf.

Former Germany forwards Rudi Voller and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge also paid tribute to their ex-team-mate.

"Andi was our World Cup hero, but for me even more - he was my close friend and companion," said Voller.

Rummenigge added: "We played together at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and Andi was a great team player, who was extremely loyal and reliable.

"His love of life was infectious. The fact he's already gone at the age of 63 makes me very sad."

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Brehme pictured with his partner Susanne Schaefer at a benefit for Franz Beckenbauer in 2022

Former Germany captain Philipp Lahm won the World Cup with his country in 2014 and the full-back made more than 500 appearances for Bayern Munich in an illustrious career.

He said Brehme was part of his earliest memories of football, having watched him score his famous penalty against Argentina aged six.

"Brehme became one of my idols at the World Cup in Italy," he said in a social media post.

"The concentrated, determined look in his eyes, when he started the decisive penalty kick against Argentina in the final... Then he hit, it couldn't be more accurate.

"Andy Brehme was an early, modern defender who played on the right as well as on the left. This also made him a defining part of my career.

"However, no-one was as strong as him. The news came this morning that Andy Brehme had passed away. It's a sad day for German football and for me. Rest in peace."

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Brehme (left) was among the legends who laid floral tributes at the memorial service to Franz Beckenbauer at the Allianz Arena last month

Union Berlin 2-2 Heidenheim: Hosts not at their Best as they settle for draw..

Union Berlin & Heidenheim play out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the Bundesliga as a 2nd-half strike by Jan-Niklas Beste ensures the visitors leave the capital with a point.

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Andras Schaefer of 1.FC Union Berlin celebrates scoring his team's second goal with team mates during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Union Berlin and 1. FC Heidenheim.

Union Berlin looked destined to win their first Bundesliga game coming from behind until Jan-Niklas Beste equalised for Heidenheim in the second-half.

The visitors had gone ahead early on through Nikola Dovedan, before Union Berlin pegged them back with goals from Robin Gosens and Andras Schäfer.

In the end, both sides had to settle for a point in a game neither deserved to lose.

Union are now 8 points clear of the drop zone places in 12th..

Freiburg 2 Bayern Munich 2 (Sky Sports Football YouTube). Decent game. Chances both ends. Bayern dominant for long periods but always susceptible to a counter-attack and not great on dead ball situations. Kane had a few chances but not quite 'at it'. I would imagine huge cheers from Neverkusen fans as the Freiburg equalizer went in on 87mins.

Stuttgart 2 Union 0. SkySports Football YouTube channel. Stuttgart were in the relegation play-offs last season, and have had a remarkable turnaround. They currently occupy a Champions League spot and are unbeaten at home in the league. This in sharp contrast to Union who played Champions League football this season and sit 14th out of 18th, nervously looking below them at the relegation slots. Nailed on home win? Yup. An early chance for Union was squandered, but a part from a couple of glimpses of goal they were never really in it. A great finish from Guirassy put them deservedly 1-0 up. Guirassy has now scored 20 league goals this season, Union have only scored 23 in total! A great strike from Furich gave the Ronnow no chance for the Stuttgart second. Things got worse when the clumsy (at best) Schafer was sent off for a knee high studs up tackle. Gruss Gott. Oddly enough Union looked slightly better with 10 men and the withdrawal of the totally ineffective and useless Vertessen up front. Hollerbach, Aaronson and Krall came an and all looked OK.
It's the home form that will keep Union up. But look in need of a re-build in the summer.
UNVEU.

Nice city and I think from memory a reasonable ground. Saw Haching there in the late 90s - can’t remember the game at all. Re Bayern endingbup trophyless they don’t have Haching to save their bacon in the BL like they did in 99/2000. Leverkusen ahead most of the season, just needed to avoid defeat to win their first ever title and Haching mullered them 2-0. Bayern squeaked a title they did not deserve courtesy of a 3-1 win over Werder Bremen. The whole of Munich was bouncing that night. Felt a bit sorry for Leverkusen as I have no love at all for Bayern but still wanted (and enjoyed) Haching to beat them. Just wanted Bremen to do their bit.

Saturday 16th March 2024 - German Bundesliga - Union Berlin 2 Werder Bremen 1

What a bitter afternoon for the Green-Whites. After a goalless first half, SVW fell to a 2-1 defeat against 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

The hosts found the net twice in the space of two minutes through Vertessen (50’) and Aaronson (52’), and while Weiser was able to get one back for Werder (63’), the Green-Whites regrettably had to travel back to Bremen empty-handed.

First-half highlights:

13th minute: The hosts have their first chance of the game. Trimmel drives down the right and puts in a cross, but Zetterer is alert and can catch the ball with ease.

45th minute +1: Union deliver a corner, which is met by an incoming Aaronson. He chests it down, and pulls the trigger first-time, but Zetterer comes to the rescue and tips it over the bar.

Second-half highlights:

50th minute: Yorbe Vertessen opens the scoring for Union. The Belgian gets the ball on the edge of the box after Lynen attempts to clear the danger, and he finds the top corner of the Green-White net.

52nd minute: There’s no hanging around for the hosts, as Brenden Aaronson nets their second just two minutes later. After combining with Vertessen in Werder’s box, the American midfielder outwits the Green-White defence and hits one into the bottom left corner.

63rd minute: Weiser gets one back for SVW! Our number 8 zooms into the box and gets his head on a cross to bring the Green-Whites back into the game.

68th minute: Tousart drives into the penalty area in the direction of Zetterer, who makes himself big and sends the Union midfielder’s effort wide of the post for a corner.

90th minute +10: Full time! Werder are defeated 2-1 by 1. FC Union Berlin.

Summary: As expected, the first half of Werder’s meeting with Union was certainly hard-fought, as proven by the six yellow cards that were handed out throughout the 45 minutes. The hosts stepped up after the break and hit home two goals in two minutes, which Weiser responded to not long after, but it wasn’t enough for the Green-Whites to pick up any points from the game.

LINK TO THE TABLE AS IT STANDS

www.skysports.com/bundesliga-table

This is what it's like to go and watch Eintracht Frankfurt. The stadium is located outside of the city in the forest, but it is near the motorway, so car access is easy without any major queues. There are S-Bahn and Strassen Bahn connections to the stadium which most fans use. In the forest around the stadium are loads of beer and food stands, which are not expensive. There usually is a large amount of Police near the stadium. Inside the stadium the catering is all cash-free and you have to have a clubcard to purchase anything. There are people walking around the concourse giving these out so they are easy to obtain. You just have to 'load' some money on them. Beer is freely available, and even when you are sat in your seat there will be sellers walking around with a small beer kegs on their backs so you can get a beer without leaving your seat, although these beers can be a little expensive. Ticket prices for the Eintracht are not cheap though and they can be difficult to get for most games as they are usually a sell-out with the stadium holding approx. 50,000 people. My personal opinion is that the atmosphere can sometimes be a bit flat. I've been to Anfield a couple of times in the last year and I had to cup my hands and shout into the ear of the person sat next to me if I wanted to talk to them. At the Eintracht it's very easy to talk normally to the person sat next to you.
To summarise: Easy to get in and out. Loads of beer and food available, but can be a bit pricey.....Oh, and I hate the fact they play music when the Eintracht score a goal.