The last few seasons in the Bundesliga has been synonymous with the rise of clubs such as FC Augsburg and 1899 Hoffenheim; but what has been the catalyst for the rise of the Bundesliga’s new generation? The well-publicized decline of the traditionsverein, or combination of astute signings and good management.
It seems only recent memory that VfB Stuttgart were defying all the odds, lifting the coveted Bundesliga shield in 2007; but it’s the club from Baden-Württemberg that have epitomized all the shortcomings of the traditionsverein. Turmoil in the boardroom mixed with questionable signings has led to the downfall of one of the giants of German football, with relegation to the second tier looming like the Grim Reaper, scythe in hand.
There have been many stand-out players during the first half of the Bundesliga season. As the table would suggest, many of those have come from the self proclaimed “Deutscher Rekordmeister”, FC Bayern Munich. Pep Guardiola’s side have gone the full Hinrunde undefeated; a third Bundesliga title on the bounce is surely inevitable. But to suggest all the success has been with the Bavarian side is simply untrue, as there has been many other sides and players alike going about their business with varied levels of success. From an Argentine forward aiming for Europe at the SGL Arena to a club legend in Frankfurt, I’ll be taking a look at five alternate stand-out players from the 2014/15 Hinrunde.
For the majority of their history FC Augsburg have been synonymous with mediocrity, flirting between the second and third tiers of German football. But that all changed in 2011, when for the first time in their 104 year history they were promoted to the Bundesliga. Many were forgiven for thinking that the Fuggerstädter would swiftly be relegated back into the 2nd division, but they were wrong; Augsburg did the unthinkable and stayed up.
New Dortmund Kit 14 15 All the Bundesliga teams have now released at least one of their kits for the upcoming season. There are some really nice kits, however there are also some shockers! Take a look below to see them all.
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund’s kits are once again made by Puma, they’ve produced some classy kits for Die Schwarzgelben. My personal favourite would be the home kit. Well done Puma.
A pinstripe away kit Borussia.
VfL Wolfsburg
For the first time, Kappa will make the Wolfsburg kits. They definitely split opinion, but I actually like them!
Eintracht Frankfurt
Nike are the new creators for Eintracht’s kits. The home kit is simply a classic!
A classic!
FC Augsburg
Nike have broke tradition wioth this years Augsburg kit, with the absence of green from the home shirt. For that reason i’m not a fan! Must try harder.
SC Freiburg
Freiburg’s kits are once again made by Nike. They’ll have the exact same alternative kit as Augsburg. Nike – Must do better.
Bayern Munich
Once again, Bayern Munich’s kits are made by adidas. As of yet only the home kit has been released. A homage to the classic Bayern kit of the 1990’s.
Bayer Leverkusen
The 2014/15 Leverkusen kits are made by adidas. Again, only the home shirt has been released.
Hertha BSC
Nike have made this seasons Hertha kit, same as the two above only the home shirt has been released. A simple yet classy design.
FC Köln
After two seasons away, Die Geißböcke are back. This years kits are made by Erima. Personally i’m a fan.
Werder Bremen
Die Grün-Weißen’s are once again produced by Nike. A simple green shirt, with a nice collar. Good job, Nike!
Borussia Mönchengladbach
‘Gladbach’s kits are once again made by Kappa. The design definitely stands oput, however i’m not too sure on it. Maybe it’ll look good on a cold wednesday night at Borussia Park… who knows?!
FC Schalke 04
For the upcoming season, Schalke’s kits will be made by adidas. The home kit is in a retro design and is modelled by Roman Neustädter.
Hamburg SV
Hamburg’s kits for the upcoming kits are made by German manufacturer Adidas. In my opinion the home kit is a very good twist on the usual HSV home shirt. Good job, Adidas.
SC Paderborn
The other team joining us this season are Paderborn. Their kits for the season are made by Saller.
1. FSV Mainz
The kits for the Europa League team are made by Nike. They feature the same template as Werder Bremen’s home kit, but this time in red and white.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Another team who’s kits are made by Kappa, are Hoffenheim. The home shirt is blue and white with a diagonal partition. I must say, I’m a fan of this years home kit! The same can’t be said about the away strip, it must be ranked as the worst kit from this seasons offerings. Although is does represent the local coat of arms.
Hannover 96
Hannover are the only team thats kits are made by Jako. In my opinion Jako have done a fairly good job.
VfB Stuttgart
Puma, the company based in the city, are the producers of the Stuttgart kits. They’ve once again stuck to tradition and produced some good kits.
Thanks for reading, and I hoped this helped. If you could like and follow the blog it would be greatly appreciated. As well could you follow my twitter @Bundesliga_UK
As the final whistle blows on Matchday 34 we’ll all know how each team fared in the 2014-15 Bundesliga, but for now all we can do is guess… Here’s my early opinions on next seasons Bundesliga.
Title:
The obvious contenders have to be Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, however with the right signings and some stability we could see Schalke and Leverkusen also challenging.
Personally, I don’t think we’ll see a repeat of the 2013-14 season. I imagine to see a much closely competed title, with it being won in the latter stages.
Can Jurgen Klopp keep his talented side fit and fight Bayern until the end? Or can Jens Keller and Roger Schmidt inspire their sides to new glory? Or will Bayern’s reign continue?
Europa League:
Two sides will most likely, bar disaster, take two of the three Europa League places. They are Borussia Monchengladbach and Vfl Wolfsburg. However, if any of the ‘bigger’ teams slip up, both are easily capable of qualifying for the champions league. Both Dieter Hecking and Lucien Favre have assembled good squads, but the loss of Juan Arango for ‘Gladbach could be key.
The third place is up for grabs for a number of sides. If Stuttgart and Hamburg can recover from last seasons turmoil, either could return to the European Stage. But for me, if Hoffenheim repeat last seasons heroics they’ll take the last European place, but could quite easily finish higher up in the table.
Relegation:
Like all the issues I’ve talked about anything can happen, and the same can be said about relegation. Teams can underperform or over perform, nothing is for certain.
The obvious candidates would be Cologne and Paderborn, however I feel as if Cologne are more prepared for life in the top flight than Paderborn. Other candidates for the lower echelons of the table would be Mainz, without charismatic manager Thomas Tuchel, and Augsburg who’ve lost many a key player. We could also see Stuttgart and Hamburg in the lower parts of the table if they don’t sort out their problems.
This upcoming Bundesliga season looks to be treat, one of the best in years. Can Bayern be overthrown? Can newcomers Paderborn and Cologne survive? Can European glory be found for Hoffenheim? All is to be revealed.
Coming up soon will be talk of each individual club, as well as a look at the fixtures. Stay tuned for more. If you’ve enjoyed please subscribe to the blog and follow me on twitter @Bundesliga_UK
Thanks, Alex Howell
The Bundesliga UK.
The eclectic musings of a Manchester City fan, who has fallen in love with German football and a certain provincial Bavarian outfit that are based upon the famous Danube. Confused? So am I.
The Blue on the Danube 