ONE OF THE great misfortunes of being a professional athlete is that your biggest failures are inevitably caught on camera. The ubiquity of media coverage for modern-day sport is a double-edged sword:…
Tag: bundesliga
BERLIN: AUGUST 1961. An already fractious relationship between the Allied powers and the Soviet Union descended into chaos and crisis as the Soviet-controlled government of East Germany erected a makeshift wall along the…
If you’ll forgive me for veering momentarily towards the preposterously pretentious, we must briefly visit the school of aesthetics. The philosophy of art and its borderless study of beauty and taste may…
For many the European Cup final of 1960 between Frankfurt and Real Madrid remains the greatest club game ever. This is the story of the remarkable Eagles from Hesse.
During his still-short managerial career, Pep Guardiola has coached many modern-day legends, including Carles Puyol, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi. But there’s only one man he’s ever labelled as “the…
This feature is part of The Masterminds More than anything else, a football manager thinks about winning. It’s the source of their happiness, their confidence and, ultimately, keeps them in employment. No manager…
This feature is part of A Tale of One City IF YOU WANT AN ALTERNATIVE, exhilarating, football experience, then visit Hamburg. There, in northern Germany’s major port city, you will find the Reeperbahn; more…
THE TERM ‘WONDERKID’ IS OFTEN USED when referring to a talented young footballer. A player that shows great promise or stands out amongst players older than him. Like a drop of blood falling…
It was a warm summers day in Düsseldorf on June 23, 1973. The DFB-Pokal final had entered extra time as old adversaries Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Köln refused to be separated. Gladbach supporters…
IT IS PROBABLY FAIR TO SAY that wealthy Bayern Munich’s recent, all-encompassing domination of German football has wrongly eclipsed the achievements of some of the Bundesliga’s other, less well-known sides. Indeed, over the…
A CERTAIN ENERGY DRINKS COMPANY ARE NO STRANGERS TO CONTROVERSY. A maiden foray into football ownership, assuming control of SV Austria Salzburg and subtly re-branding them to Red Bull Salzburg, brought about a…
On 30 April 1988, one of the most remarkable El Clásico encounters to ever take place unfolded at the Camp Nou between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The game came just two days after…
This feature is part of The Academy Way ASCENDENCY COMES IN MANY FORMS. For one club, ascendency includes 27 domestic league titles, 18 DFB-Pokal titles and six German Super Cup titles. But…
Ottmar Hitzfeld was a genius. A managerial legend and incalculably respected coach, his legacy cannot be overlooked when considering the greatest managers of all time. Football managers have always taken on the persona of…
Wolfgang-Felix Magath wasn’t always the sadistic, cheese-toting crank he’s now portrayed as being. A long time ago, before Fulham, Hangeland and the Quarkwickel, he was a footballer. And a very good one at…
GERMANY: A PIONEER OF THE BEAUTIFUL GAME and one of the most successful footballing nations on both the club and international stage. Following the national team’s triumph at the 2014 FIFA World Cup,…
As featured on Guardian Sport Players who represent a lot of clubs in their careers can be seen as lacking loyalty but some actively seek the opportunity to experience new cultures while they…
The odyssey of Rudi Gutendorf, the German who saw genocide, corruption and coached 18 national teams
NOT MANY COACHES in the history of professional football can provide first-hand accounts of genocide, tell stories of a close connection to a South American president, or put manager of 18 different…