German league

13,774 Views | 112 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by jeffk
chjoak
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AG
Any Bundesliga fans on the board? If so, who do you follow?

I have always been an EPL fan and specifically Arsenal but with the ineptitude of our ownership and management team they have been very difficult to watch for the last couple of years. Because of that I have been contemplating finding a secondary league/team to follow. Have watched Bundesliga off an on for the last few years because they are the only other league that I have readily available to me on TV but I generally enjoy the league so it works out.

So the task at hand... Which team to pick....

Right now I am leaning towards...

Leipzig - Like their manager, style of play and the job their front office is doing building up the squad.
Schalke - Started paying attention to them back when Leon Goretzka & Max Meyer were regulars in the MF. Now kind of watch them because of Weston McKinney.
Gladbach - Really impressed with their manager and the job they are doing this season. Not sure I wanna be a bandwagon guy that jumps on ship while they are on a high.

Part of my decision may be based on responses from others. Would be nice if there were a few other fans here so I would have a group to discuss with.
Aggie991
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Follow Union Berlin or Frankfurt
chjoak
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I've already got Koln for my underdog team that I keep up with for many reasons. Looking at other options for entertainment purposes while I wait for Arsenal to pull their heads out of their asses with the possibility that they become a long term follow.
deadbq03
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RB Leipzig is my main team.

I discovered I liked soccer in 2010 and after watching WCs and EUROs only up till 2016, I finally decided to pick a club. Chose Bundesliga because of German heritage which wasn't super important other than it means I'm more likely to visit (again) someday. Decided to continue with that as selection criteria for picking a club, so I looked for clubs in/near where I knew family came from. In 2016, prior to Leipzig getting promoted, the only Bundesliga club that was actually in a city I had family from was Freiburg. I tried watching them but they didn't click for me for some reason.

In 2016 Leipzig was promoted and gave me another choice. I had initial reservations based on the way Red Bull started the club, but their style of play won me over. And now I embrace their structure and lack of history. It's kinda fitting that a new fan of soccer picks a new club to follow.

If I had to pick a different one, I'd choose from Schalke (basically the anti-Leipzig in terms of club governance.. IIRC it's owned entirely by members), Frankfurt (not sure why I like them, but I do. But this is not a good year to jump on board that ship), or Union Berlin (very unique, loyal fan base, doing well for just being promoted, and another East German club).




Whatever you do, please don't jump on the Bavarian Bandwagon.
Marcus Aurelius
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Huge BVB fan here. I was drawn to their stadium Signal Iduna Park and their fan-base. Arguably the most intense home environment in all of Euro football. They have a "working class" type team usually, and don't spend a huge amount of $$ for big name stars. So they try to find younger relative unknowns and develop them (see Jayden Sancho). Hence we are usually underdogs against big name Euro clubs. Easy team to root for.
Aggie991
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Like you i like Frankfurt too maybe its the cool emblem and they fly under the radar not a huge name in the World
PatAg
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The first team I checked out was Bayer Leverkusen, mostly because I thought the name was cool
deadbq03
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I was gonna joke that I only liked them for the eagle... and then I realized that's more true than I wanted to admit.

I also enjoyed watching them in EL last year.
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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I'm a Bayern fan simply because travel has afforded me the chance to see them at the Allianz Stadium several times and I've kinda gotten attached. Actually, I think the only pro sports team I've seen more in my life is the Houston Astros and that is just due to proximity and volume of home games.

That said, while BvB is a rival, it's certainly a club I respect because of their seemingly endless knack for making stars instead of buying them.
wichoAggie06
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I have been a member of Schalke 04 since 2017.
The club has a working class mentality plus they reminded me of all Houston teams(don't win often and always find a way to lose important games). Their main rival is B. Dortmund; my travel plan for next season is to go for a Revierderby.
Marcus Aurelius
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Dortmund acquires Salzburg striker Haaland. Huge acquisition.
BBRex
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FC Augsburg 1907 is who I started following, mainly because I lived in Augsburg as a kid. (I never saw any matches there, though.)
deadbq03
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Marcus Aurelius said:

Dortmund acquires Salzburg striker Haaland. Huge acquisition.
That is huge. Lots of clubs were interested and capable of meeting the modest release clause.
agsalaska
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I would do yourself of a favor and not pick a team. That is what I do. I am a fan of leagues, not teams.

For example, my favorite league is, by far, the EPL. I think it is the best overall league in the world and has been for at least the last 15 years that I have watched. I watch the EPL every week. I also really enjoy the FA Cup. But I I do not get caught up in thinking about which team is 'mine'. I do enough of that here with football and baseball. I have found that I enjoy it much more without giving myself some artificial loyalty.

That being said, there are certainly teams that I root for over others. But who those teams are change every year or two. And in Europe I go for them all.




As for Germany, I pay attention to the tables and watch some but not enough to really get into it. But I would think if there was one team out there I could not/would not go for it is the RB team.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
mrmill3218
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agsalaska said:

I would do yourself of a favor and not pick a team. That is what I do. I am a fan of leagues, not teams.

For example, my favorite league is, by far, the EPL. I think it is the best overall league in the world and has been for at least the last 15 years that I have watched. I watch the EPL every week. I also really enjoy the FA Cup. But I I do not get caught up in thinking about which team is 'mine'. I do enough of that here with football and baseball. I have found that I enjoy it much more without giving myself some artificial loyalty.

That being said, there are certainly teams that I root for over others. But who those teams are change every year or two. And in Europe I go for them all.




As for Germany, I pay attention to the tables and watch some but not enough to really get into it. But I would think if there was one team out there I could not/would not go for it is the RB team.


I agree with this profoundly. It's so much more fun just to watch and enjoy the games and not worry about getting your heart broken.
Pahdz
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This Dortmund-Augsburg game is nuts, 5 goals in the first 15' of the second half
carl spacklers hat
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I like and casually follow Dortmund for these reasons: located near a town where we have long-time family friends, Jurgen Klopp (when he was manager), and Christian Pulisic (when he was there). I also really respect their ability to develop players. If they had the budget of a MU, Real Madrid, or other big spender, they would be perennial CL contenders, IMO. Sadly, they develop then sell their best.
Marcus Aurelius
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Haaland wow. Heja BVB.
deadbq03
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I'm so jealous. I was hoping he'd be our heir-apparent to Timo Werner who's likely to leave this summer.

On a different note, Augsburg gave us fits too... mid-table teams are so dangerous this season.
Marcus Aurelius
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Yes. Haaland and Sancho were deadly together on the attack. BVB is much more formidable now. Have to hang on to Sancho but I fear he's headed to EPL.
B$Weigem
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chjoak said:

Any Bundesliga fans on the board? If so, who do you follow?

I have always been an EPL fan and specifically Arsenal but with the ineptitude of our ownership and management team they have been very difficult to watch for the last couple of years. Because of that I have been contemplating finding a secondary league/team to follow. Have watched Bundesliga off an on for the last few years because they are the only other league that I have readily available to me on TV but I generally enjoy the league so it works out.

So the task at hand... Which team to pick....

Right now I am leaning towards...

Leipzig - Like their manager, style of play and the job their front office is doing building up the squad.
Schalke - Started paying attention to them back when Leon Goretzka & Max Meyer were regulars in the MF. Now kind of watch them because of Weston McKinney.
Gladbach - Really impressed with their manager and the job they are doing this season. Not sure I wanna be a bandwagon guy that jumps on ship while they are on a high.

Part of my decision may be based on responses from others. Would be nice if there were a few other fans here so I would have a group to discuss with.

RB Leipzig, Schalke and Dortmund are good follows.
Marcus Aurelius
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Dortmund 5-1 over Koln. Haaland 2 goals. Hopefully this team will start rolling.
deadbq03
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Good news for everyone else as Leipzig lost today. Dominated possession and shots taken but couldn't get them on target.
B$Weigem
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Hate those kind of games. I'm a big fan of Tyler Adams. I'm hoping Berhalter doesn't waste his talent along with the other youngin's.....


Who am i kidding... of course he will
chjoak
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Adjusting my thought process a bit. Like the heritage angle and am finding out over the last few weeks that I have more German heritage than I thought. Looks like my family comes from Hamburg, Frankfurt, Koln & Dortmund areas.
agsalaska
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chjoak said:

Adjusting my thought process a bit. Like the heritage angle and am finding out over the last few weeks that I have more German heritage than I thought. Looks like my family comes from Hamburg, Frankfurt, Koln & Dortmund areas.
Man trust me. Just go for the league You do not have to manufacture some loyalty.




It is much better when you are just watching the league.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
B$Weigem
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Cologne is a very cool area. Highly suggest visiting it. Especially taking in the jaw dropping, Cologne Cathedral.
BearkatRunner88
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Was at that match. Great atmosphere in frankfurt.
oh no
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my son is going on a soccer trip with a team this spring and will get to do some trainings, play some friendly matches, tour stadiums, and attend some professional matches at BvB, Shalke, and hopefully dusseldorf.

i'm going with him. he's going to need a chaperone.
deadbq03
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agsalaska said:

chjoak said:

Adjusting my thought process a bit. Like the heritage angle and am finding out over the last few weeks that I have more German heritage than I thought. Looks like my family comes from Hamburg, Frankfurt, Koln & Dortmund areas.
Man trust me. Just go for the league You do not have to manufacture some loyalty.




It is much better when you are just watching the league.
I'll counter. I think picking one team to follow makes it more fun. You get more familiar with the players, tactics, etc.

For me, I hold my fan-ship of Leipzig loosely because it was contrived. There's other teams I enjoy watching, and if another team plays Leipzig especially well, I can find myself appreciating their play and being happy for them.

Learning how to do that has actually helped me become a much healthier Aggie fan.
agsalaska
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deadbq03 said:

agsalaska said:

chjoak said:

Adjusting my thought process a bit. Like the heritage angle and am finding out over the last few weeks that I have more German heritage than I thought. Looks like my family comes from Hamburg, Frankfurt, Koln & Dortmund areas.
Man trust me. Just go for the league You do not have to manufacture some loyalty.




It is much better when you are just watching the league.
I'll counter. I think picking one team to follow makes it more fun. You get more familiar with the players, tactics, etc.

For me, I hold my fan-ship of Leipzig loosely because it was contrived. There's other teams I enjoy watching, and if another team plays Leipzig especially well, I can find myself appreciating their play and being happy for them.

Learning how to do that has actually helped me become a much healthier Aggie fan.
I can understand that. I just cannot manufacture a loyalty, personally. Im an Aggie, so besides them, I grew up in Dallas and lived in Houston for 11 years. I am an Astros and Rangers fan. I was a season ticket holder and our company a major sponsor for UNLV basketball. I'm a UNLV fan.

There is logic behind all of that. I suppose I could figure out exactly where in Germany my ancestors came from when they had issues with the Kaiser, but that was 150 years ago.


I started watching soccer in 05 or 06 and tried with Tottenham Hotspur. I can't remember why. But as I was learning all there is to learn about English soccer I found out who I am supposed to hate, and who I am supposed to despise. I gave that up real quick and became more of a historian. I bet I have read every single Wiki page of all 92 Football League teams and the recaps of every season.

In the meantime I enjoyed the Chelsea-ManU rivalry and the ridiculous soccer that was played without worrying about how it affected 'my team.' It is so much more enjoyable for me that way. Then it was Pourtsmouth in the FA Cup. Then the rise of Man City. Then Leicester City. I watched probably 30 Leicester City games that season. Now this year it is Liverpool.

If I had some contrived loyalty to a team, any team, I would not be able to enjoy it the same way.



Last, and sorry for the long post, I am doing a lot of the same stuff now with the Bundesliga. I am sitting here watching this Haaland kid with Dortmund completely undress Union Berlin. He is going to be a fantastic striker. But how could I like him or go for him if I had a manufactured loyalty to RB or anyone else? I'd rather enjoy it and not worry about it.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
chjoak
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I tend to prefer having a team to call "my team" because I enjoy following transfers and youth development.

Background...

NCAA - I'm an Ag. I can watch other teams but I only follow recruiting & nonrevenue sports for TAMU
US Pro - have lived in Houston for 15 years and grew up 100 miles south. Because of that I gravitate towards Houston teams despite growing up with a large family of Cowboy and Spurs fans.
Soccer - started playing in elementary school but didn't really start watching until high school (94 world cup). Started off watching Ajax. In part because that was the only league I could get at my house, they were really good and my last name is Dutch. Became an Arsenal fan when Denis Bergkamp joined (was one of my favorites from Ajax) and have stuck with them since. From a hereditary stand point that was pretty fitting as it turns out I am 50ish% British primarily from the greater London area.

I have watched German soccer off and on for 3-4 years. In general I enjoy the league. I get your argument about just watching games (I will most likely do that anyway) but I enjoy having a team to call my own and to follow the ends and outs of the club.
agsalaska
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Quote:

I tend to prefer having a team to call "my team" because I enjoy following transfers and youth development.
I get that. I just like watching players and storylines.

For example, Wayne Rooney is one of my favorite players ever. It would have been hard to enjoy him in his prime if I had some contrived loyalty to, say, any other English team.

The Leicester City story was the greatest season in my lifetime IMHO. Would have been hard to pull for Vardy and company if I was loyal for some reason to Spurs or City.

Liverpool is must watch this year. Be hard to watch if I was an Everton fan.


As for Germany, This Norwegian kid playing for Dortmund is must watch TV this year. Holy cow that kid is going to be absolutely ridiculous. I cannot wait for the second half of the year. I will probably not miss another Dortmund game as long as I am home.

Anyway, each to their own. There is no wrong way to watch soccer. Some people who have trouble getting into it should probably pick a team. And some who are frustrated because of the team they pick should probably just try to enjoy the league. I know what works best for me. I do not need to have a heart attack over a team playing in a town and a country and a continent that I have never been to. I have enough problems with the Aggies.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
agsalaska
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I will also say this about the Bundesliga. I have lived all over the US and had access at various times to all of the different major Euro leagues. It seems to me that the Bundesliga is top to bottom better today than it was 10 years ago. I also like how they have a Friday game, though yesterdays was a snooze fest. . I have been recording it and watching it at night.

And right now there are four teams that really control their own destiny and can win the league. Thats really rare at this point in the year. This afternoons game is huge. I will be tuning in as soon as the Aggies are done beating the hell outta Georgia.

Being home sick has its advantages.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
OregonAggie
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Don't look now but that damn Erling Haaland has scored 7 goals in 136 minutes across 3 games. That kid is so damn good
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