The German Football Weekly: Issue #1

Free weekly newsletter highlighting some the biggest news, and headlines from the beautiful game on German soil

The German Football Weekly

by Adam Khan on August 13

The 59th Bundesliga season begins this evening, with 34 matchdays, 306 games, and 27,540 minutes guaranteed to deliver unrivalled excitement!

With the new season upon us, I wanted to begin a new project. 

Expanding on my regular commitments for breakingthelines.com, I bring to you a weekly German Football newsletter. 

Whilst the length, and components are subject to change, every Friday you will be greeted by a new newsletter in your inbox discussing some of the biggest news, and headlines from the beautiful game on German soil.

With that said, I hope you enjoy ISSUE #1, and for any suggestions or comments feel free to reach me at business.adamkhan@gmail.com, or simply send me a DM on twitter!

FC Bayern’s Contractual Chaos 

FC Bayern have had a tumultuous off-season, losing a manager who delivered more titles than defeats in the same summer that the influential trio of David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, and Javi Martinez exited the club.

Therefore, the recent news of Joshua Kimmich’s contractual extension couldn’t have come at a better time, with FCB locking down an integral cornerstone until 2026. 

Beyond his footballing abilities, and immense versatility, Kimmich has blossomed into a leader in recent years, commanding the respect of teammates despite just recently turning 26. 

Now entering his 7th season at Der Rekordmeister, Kimmich will be amongst the highest earners in the FCB roster, with BILD reporting an annual salary upwards of €20.00m.

This will put him in the highest bracket of earners at the club, close to doubling his previous contract and moving from the club’s 9th biggest earner to 2nd. 

And it is a move which is more than deserved, with Kimmich’s high-levels of consistency making him an unquestionable starter at both the club & international level.

 Yet the same can not be said for one of Bayern’s other big earners, with the gargantuan deal afforded to Leroy Sané last season rumored to have caused sizeable discontent amongst Bayern pros.

Despite joining the club after a 7-month lay off with a Cruciate injury, Sané earned a contract which more than tripled the weekly wage he was collecting at Manchester City, becoming FC Bayern’s third highest earner in the process.  

For a club who are lauded for their sparing salaries and shrewd business acumen, The Sané deal was always going to be scrutinized. But, the fact that the 25-year old so drastically underperformed has heaped even more pressure on FC Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić.

Salihamidžić has already had to bite the bullet with the untimely departures of David Alaba, and Thiago, and the next could soon follow in Kingsley Coman. Despite recurrent injuries and stuttering form, the 25-year old has slowly developed into a key figure at the Sabener Straße. 

Not only did Coman score the decisive winner in the 2020 Champions League final, but the winger is also coming off his best season since joining the club, contributing 8 goals & 15 assists in all competitions. 

Though his deal runs until July 2023, Salihamidžić was looking to avoid repeating his previous errors by prematurely agreeing to an extension, a deal which backfired after Coman’s representatives rejected the offer. 

Despite outshining his competition last season, Coman was offered a deal far below that which Sané is currently on. Whilst Bayern have remained firm in their stance to remain grounded in their player salaries, the Frenchman has justified his claim to earn at the level of the former City winger. 

In both the Sané and Kimmich deal, Bayern have shown they have the capabilities to spend big when required, a fact which has also rubbed off on the other players in the squad. 

Had Sané not signed in 2020 it would be unlikely that Coman’s salary demands would be so high, yet, with the allure of foreign riches and the justified claim for an equal paycheck Bayern have now played themselves into a difficult situation.

Either Salihamidžić must make the impossible possible and implement a more performance based salary scheme which punishes out of form high-earners like Sané, or FC Bayern must find the extra millions to compensate their best performers with the wages they are justified.

Neither plan seems likely, and until a solution is found, the talent exodus from the Bavarian giants could continue. 

But what do you expect from FC Bayern under Julian Nagelsmann this season? And do you think Leroy Sané will be able to find his feet in his second season back in the Bundesliga?

Let me know on twitter using the hashtag #BUNDESLETTER

An Attacking Fire Sale at the Weser-Stadion

Few fans in German football have had a more disheartening 7 days than those of Werder Bremen, watching their beloved club stumble out of the first round of the DFB Pokal, and lose 3 of their attacking talents. 

Last season’s untimely relegation was always going to leave a significant strain on Werder Bremen, throwing the club’s financial future in the air after relying on topflight revenues for more than 39 uninterrupted seasons.

Head of Football Clemens Fritz attested to the impending upheaval earlier this summer, stating in an interview with Sport1 Bremen’s ‘desire to make 15-20 transfers by the time the window shuts on August 31st’.

But by the end of July, Fritz’s words had materialized into little action, with Bremen’s only significant departure being that of Milot Rashica to Norwich City. 

With time ticking down and the weight of the club’s unsustainable wages mounting, Bremen had to spring into action, with the last 7 days providing a mass exodus at the Weser-Stadion. 

Josh Sargent, Yuya Osaka, and Johannes Eggestein have all left Werder Bremen, agreeing moves which have netted the club upwards of €10.50m in transfer fees.

However, all 3 of them are questionable departures, with the club losing a trio of attacking talent which could have proved crucial in their bid to bounce straight back into the Bundesliga. 

Whilst Sargent’s departure contributed to almost 90% of the recent profits, the 21-year old will also be the biggest loss, proving in his limited Zweite Bundesliga minutes just what a phenomenal impact he could have had this season. 

In his final Bremen appearance Sargent scored 2 goals against Fortuna Dusseldorf, displaying a predatory instinct on the right wing which had been missing throughout most of his topflight tenure. 

Sargent was always a player who flourished when Bremen favored an attacking, possession-heavy style, and the Zweite Bundesliga would have been the perfect platform for the 16-time US international to find his feet in front of goal. 

His price tag does however relieve the disappointment at his departure, as it is a necessary measure in ensuring Bremen’s financial survival. The same can’t be said for his former teammate Johannes Eggestein’s departure. 

Johannes Eggestein, brother of midfield leader Maximilian Eggestein was supposed to be one of the keys to revival this season, finally earning his minutes after an impressive season on loan in Austria. 

However, Eggestein’s impressive exploits on loan at LASK last season would only provide a platform for his departure this summer, leaving for just €1.00m to Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp.

Johannes Eggestein, an academy graduate who scored 12 goals at a similar level last season, is the blueprint for a player you should commit to in an era of rebuilding. Yet, new manager Markus Anfang made it clear that his intentions weren’t to build around the returning loanee, forcing Eggestein out the door despite the limited options available to him. 

Now, Bremen have put themselves in a pickle, forced to take action as the transfer window ticks into its final stages. Whereas sensible deals could have been made weeks ago, with just one center forward over the age of 19 in the current squad - that being Niclas Füllkrug who has missed 372 days through injury since signing in 2019 - Bremen will need to act quick in order to get their stuttering league campaign off and running.  

What do you think about Bremen’s fire sale, and do you still consider them a favorite for immediate promotion? 

Let me know on twitter using the hashtag #BUNDESLETTER

GAME OF THE WEEK:

FRIDAY 20:30 (CEST): Borussia Mönchengladbach v Bayern München

It was the obvious choice as a Mönchengladbach fan, but it is almost impossible to look past the Bundesliga opener this evening!

The first match of the Bundesliga season is always a highly anticipated affair, with fans itching to get back in the stadium, and the tiresome pre-season friendlies beginning to take their toll. 

Yet this season, fans of German football are treated to an absolute spectacle, with the BORUSSIA-PARK hosting one of Germany’s most historic fixtures to kick off the 59th season of Bundesliga action. 

Whilst for younger fans of the Bundesliga it may seem impossible to imagine a league which isn’t ruled by the all conquering FC Bayern, in the early 70’s it was Borussia Mönchengladbach who held an almost identical iron fist over the German topflight. 

With the attacking brilliance of Günter Netzer and Jupp Heynckes, Gladbach won 5 Bundesliga titles between 1970 and 1977, as well as two European cups and a DFB Pokal for good measure. 

Today, Gladbach are no longer challenging for Bundesliga titles and European glory, but Die Fohlen are still considerable factors in the race for European places. In 6 of their last 10 seasons Gladbach have qualified for European football, a feat which has often been assisted by victories against FC Bayern. 

Though the most recent 6:0 thrashing Bayern inflicted slightly dampens the expectation of a completely equal playing field, in the last 8 fixtures contested, Gladbach have won 4, with 3 of these victories coming at home. 

So, when the Bundesliga kicks off this evening don’t expect a repeat of last season’s opener, a 8:0 hiding Bayern gave to a Schalke side destined for relegation.

 Instead, prepare yourself for a brilliant 90 minutes, one which has the capacity for anything to happen - bar Lewandowski returning goalless ;)!

Want to win a shoutout or other special prizes by guessing the correct score? Then tweet using the hashtag #BUNDESLETTER with your score prediction!

The Quickfire Bundesliga Preview

It may not be a 4 hour podcast, or an 80 page magazine, but with just 280 characters I sum up everything you need to know about each of the 18 Bundesliga sides this season!

Check it out here:

https://twitter.com/XxAdamKhanxX/status/1425888294542381067

And that’s a wrap for this week!

I hope you enjoyed ISSUE #1 of the Bundesliga Newsletter. I want to first and foremost thank you for taking the time to read through it, and hope to see you back here again when ISSUE #2 drops next Friday!

If you would like to contribute to the newsletter, or would like to get in contact with me, feel free to reach out at business.adamkhan@gmail.com, or simply send me a DM on twitter!

Enjoy the first week of Bundesliga action, and I wish everybody 3 points - unless your FC Bayern or your name starts with M and ends with arco Rose!