TALKING FUSSBALL PODCAST

After keeping their challengers at arm's length for weeks, FC Bayern München have done it - the Rekordmeister added another league title to their robust tally. Matt is back in the TF house and was ready for a good chat with Nik about Bayern, the logjams in the race for Europe, the fluid situation at the bottom of the table (and the top of the 2. Bundesliga), and a few oddball odds and ends from elsewhere in German football.

It's been a while. Enough time, in fact, for Nik and Terry to have criss-crossed Europe enriching their lives in all kinds of ways. But what about the Fußball, huh? It turns out that the boys' clubs - Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund - have been on a bit of a heater since last they podded which is always worth a chat. They also check in on the teams battling to get to 16th place and a chance at redemption.

This Bundesliga season has been a resumption of regular service - Bayern are back on top and, Leverkusen aside, the rest of the 'top teams' have struggled for consistency. That's let an unlikely challenger in FSV Mainz 05 rise all the way to THIRD. In this episode Matt (in his own funk over Hertha BSC's dismal year in the 2. Bundesliga) talks with his Mainz fan pal Tom Ziemer about what's made the vibes so good for the zero fivers in their first full year under coach Bo Henriksen.

If there's been one certainty since Rasenballsport Leipzig entered Germany's top tier, it's that the club will do everything it can to compete for a top-four place. This season, all that looks under threat. With just one win in their last six, the Red Bulls are in danger of tumbling out of the UEFA Champions League places. On this episode, Nik and Terry try and figure out how much rope coach Marco Rose has left. Also on the agenda: BVB's Jekyll and Hyde week in the Bundesliga and UCL, Hertha BSC's latest managerial change and more.

What with BVB hiring a familiar face and Werder Bremen getting the short end of the refereeing stick, Nik and Terry had plenty to talk about. Not that they leave it there, either - Bayern's coming date with Leverkusen comes under their lens, as does the recent play of Davie Selke(!)

With Terry's BVB taking on Nik's Werder Bremen this past weekend, it's fitting that those two take the reins for the week. The fellas discuss where Dortmund stand in their interim coach phase, what lessons we can draw from the latest wrangle over TV money, and how some Bundesliga refs will adjust to being mic'd up going forward. (And because Matt wasn't around to put a stop to it, a bit of snooker talk too.)

Each englische Woche, the Bundesliga's term of endearment for the 10-day run of three match days in rapid succession, we get a chance to take stock of each team's form. A few teams pass their test with flying colors and come out with new confidence; an English week without points can be enough to send another team into deep crisis. Matt and Nik zoom in on the sides for which the gauntlet was particularly telling then look ahead to Champions League action where the Swiss cheese model is nearing full maturity.

You didn't think we could go more than a few episodes without fretting over Borussia Dortmund, did you? Well after first going down at the Westfalen to a Leverkusen side that's been rounding into form, BVB followed it up with a loss in Kiel in which they trailed 3-0 before halftime...so we pretty much have to. Matt checks Terry's temperature on his schwarzgelben, and hears from Nik about a police costs ruling in German court that could have some serious repercussions for the country's football scene.

With the Winterpause in its waning days, Matt and Nik take stock in modest moves made by the likes of FC St. Pauli, FC Heidenheim and Werder Bremen, as well as consider the rather more blockbuster potential comings and goings between Germany and England. They also consider what it might mean that most of the top 15 best supported clubs in Germany are in the 2. Bundesliga.

It's always a story when FC Bayern München lose in the Bundesliga, especially when it's to a team outside the league's blue bloods. The Rekordmeister's defeat in Mainz opened the door to Bayer Leverkusen to get back into the title chase, and next week's date with RB Leipzig could do the same for the soda cans. What Matt, Nik, and Terry want to talk about though is the string of big names about to be out of contract at Säbener Strasse this summer. Is the club really set up for a successful changing of the guard? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

It's always a pleasure when a Borussia Dortmund-FC Bayern München match-up lives up to the hype, so this pod finds Matt, Terry and Nik in a fairly buoyant mood as they talk about what the result might mean. The gang also mull over RB Leipzig and FC Heidenheim's recent stumbles and unpack the implications of the Bundesliga's new domestic TV deal - will it be another windfall for Dunlop? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Prior to the season, the names Bayer 04 Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund were the hottest picks from pundits looking for candidates for answer to the age-old question: WHO'S GONNA CHALLENGE BAYERN THIS YEAR? A few months on, all those tams are in the top five, but it's clear we need add another name to the ranks of Spitzenmannschaften: Eintracht Frankfurt. Nik and Terry dig deep into what's making the Eagles soar, as well as touch down in the 2. Bundesliga to bring you up to speed on HSV's latest travails. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim were a sensation when they came up to the Bundesliga under Ralf Rangnick a decade and a half ago, and gained renewed relevance under Julian Nagelsmann's reign a few years later. In more recent years, the club's trajectory has one toward irrelevance. Pellegrino Matarazzo saved them from relegation and then led them to Euurope last season - now he's out. Matt, Nik and Terry work out whether his sacking will make a difference and look at St. Pauli's innovative co-op stadium ownership plan. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

It didn't happen overnight, but Dino Toppmöller has Eintracht Frankfurt in blistering form. After they tore VfL Bochum apart 7-2 on Match Day 9, the Bundesliga's bottom side hit the panic button: they hired Dieter Hecking to coach the team. Matt, Nik, and Terry talk about how the vastly experienced (but perhaps a little rusty) trainer might fare, how a ticket price row has roiled FC Bayern München fans, and more. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Do you need Artificial Intelligence to tell you FC Bayern München are favorites to win the Meisterschale this season? You do not, but Opta's lil' smartbot can't keep its mouth shut, Matt, Nik and Terry were game to talk about it, and one thing led to another... Anyway, the gang also take on VfL Bochum's woe and their quest to end it by firing their coach and sporting director, FC St. Pauli supporters ire at their club's mode of transport down to Dortmund, and more. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

First it was Jürgen Klopp taking over as Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull, then Thomas Tuchel saying yes to an offer to coach England. It could hardly have been a more exciting week on Europe's coaching carousel for German football. Matt, Nik and Terry try to figure out whether Tuchel and England are really a match made in heaven, whether their disappointment in Klopp meant they'd gotten a bit too parasocial with a football coach, and whether all the coaches getting out of day-to-day club management means the TOO MUCH FOOTBALL issue is hitting them too. A little bit on Berlin's most endangered football ground as well. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Bayer's visit to Bayern wasn't a goal fest, or even a very open game thanks to Leverkusen's defensive focus, but it was engrossing stuff. Best of all, it keeps things close at the top of the Bundesliga table. Matt and Terry welcome roving reporter Marie Schulte-Bockum back to the pod to talk about the Toppspiel, the ongoing issues in Hoffenheim and, of course, her beloved FC Schalke 04. Side note: Apologies for the sound quality on Matt's track - his 'clean' track got lost and didn't get the settings right on the backup! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

SC Freiburg and 1. FC Union Berlin are on the upper rungs of the Bundesliga table after four rounds, both guided there by new coaches. As Matt, Nik and Terry discuss, however, that's about all their circumstances have in common. Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, suffered the first big setback of the Nuri Sahin era, though 'big' doesn't really capture the scale of their 5-1 loss in Stuttgart. As it happens, they're not alone among Ruhrpott clubs to hit the skids this past weekend... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

We do try to avoid jumping to conclusions, but sometimes a blowout result forces the issue. FC Bayern München's 6-1 shellacking of Holstein Kiel has Matt, Nik and Terry on the former's 'Bayern are back' hype train, and left them just as convinced that Kiel have no real shot at staying in the 1. Bundesliga. The gang also address Dortmund's umpteenth search for a stable defense, the good doctor of German refereeing, and an 80th birthday for an all-time great. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

The football media went gaga for the Germany attacking duo they dubbed 'Wusiala' after a big win over Hungary this international break. Naturally that means speculation over whether FC Bayern München can afford the W(irtz) to go along with the (M)usiala, so Matt, Nik and Terry threw their hats into that ring too. The gang also turned their attention to the latest crop of German coaching exports in England, where Fabian Hürzeler is leading the way... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

After going 462 days without, reigning champs Bayer 04 Leverkusen tasted defeat on Saturday - surrendering a 2-0 lead while doing so. Matt, Nik, and Terry try to work out what it means going forward, as well as if it's a sign that Nik's title prediction has some serious legs. The gang discuss the new UEFA Champions League format (and the best away trips) now that the draw is done, and have some quality Old Man Time talking about the inimitable Thomas Müller, Rekordspieler of FC Bayern München. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Matt, Nik and Terry are back and ready to Talk the Fussball for a 13th season! Episodes will be hitting you at midweek this year and the pod will be widening its focus past the borders of the 1. Bundesliga from time to time. This week it's all about setting the table after the opening games of the new campaign with a special focus on the title race to come. Defending champs Bayer 04 Leverkusen and perennial contenders FC Bayern München are in the mix for sure, but how seriously should we take RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

After a rollicking 2. Bundesliga season, there was lots of heartbreak for Germany's second tier sides in the relegation/promotion playoffs. Fortuna Düsseldorf blew a big lead to fail to go up to the top flight and at the other end Wehen Wiesbaden couldn't hold off Jahn Regensburg, who'll take their place in the league next year. Listen in as Nik, Maik and Jasmine wrap up all the stories from the second tier and below! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

With just one more match day to go, a lot has become clear in the various races for promotion and relegation in Germany's lower leagues - but not everything. Nik, Jasmine and Maik take you through all the celebrations, permutations and more as the 2. Bundesliga, 3. Liga and more head into the final stanza. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

A new Bundesliga champion? Check. A German side in the UEFA Champions League final? Check. It's been a magical season for fans of German football...as long as you're not a fan of FC Bayern München. Matt, Nik and Terry recorded too early to chronicle the Rekordmeister's frustrating exit from the UCL, but did chat about their difficulties finding a new coach. They won't be the only club on that market this summer, though Union Berlin are likely to be shopping in a different part of the trainer store... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Just three games left in the 2. Bundesliga season and precisely nothing has been decided thus far. FC St. Pauli have the inside track on promotion, but would be glad to seal their not-yet-assured promotion with a win away to their old rivals HSV. Nik and the gang (both Jasmine and Maik this time) weigh up the promotion race, watch the coaching carousel go by, and remark on the return of Max Kruse to the football pitch at the amateur level in Berlin. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

It is just us or can you feel a fresh wind blowing through the Bundesliga? Leverkusen's title win last week was restorative on the home front; this week FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund helped the league show out across Europe. Matt and Nik revel in the good vibes, as well as check in on the teams battling to beat the drop...and the one that isn't battling much at all! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Unlike the top flight, where Bayer 04 Leverkusen ran away with the title (congrats, Werkself fans!), the race at the top of the 2. Bundesliga has taken a turn for the thrilling in recent weeks. Serial league leaders FC St. Pauli have had a wobble, and Holstein Kiel (and increasingly Fortuna Düsseldorf) have been ready to take advantage. Nik and Jasmine talk through the permutations involved in the last five match days, check in on the races at the bottom of the division and the top of the 3. Liga, and much more. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

We were trying to play it cool for a while, but that no longer seems necessary. Bayer 04 Leverkusen are going to win the league, and after FC Bayern München lost in Heidenheim(!), they might well do it next week. Matt and Nik let that reality sink in over the course of the podcast, discussing how Bayer's season stacks up in history, where Bayern goes from here, and what way the three-team relegation death match at the bottom of the table is likely to go. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

The world of football, like other walks of life, harbors its share of idiots - our latest episode puts the spotlight on a few. Nik and Maik turn their attention to some childish behavior surrounding a banner, some regrettable chants in Austria that's had consequences for the players who shouted them, and how a few particularly egregious fans' behavior called off a whole weekend of football. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Foals fans at the Borussia-Park may have feasted on a see-saw six-goal thriller, but their team's return - just one point -had to sting. Their opponents 1. FC Köln will have cherished an away draw in the Rheinderby, but time is running short on the billygoats' bid to stay out of relegation trouble. Matt and Nik put the spotlight on the two western giants on a weekend where Bayern hit Mainz with an eight ball, Leverkusen compounded Wolfsburg's misery and much more. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

There's never a dull moment in Germany's second tier. Just when you think you've sussed out who's good and who's not so good, you get a week like round 24 - one in which every team in the top eight failed to record a win. The full Aufstieg gang of Nik, Jasmine and Maik get together to try and work out what that means, how a miscreant in Rostock made it on to the pitch, and more. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

After a weekend in which FC Bayern München made up no ground in the title race, they still managed to test Bayer 04 Leverkusen's balance. Thomas Tuchel will vacate his job on Säbener Straße at the end of the season, and Xabi Alonso is the hot favorite to take over. Matt and Terry talk through how much that storyline matters with Leverkusen in a commanding position. Dortmund's weak week also comes up, along with some thoughts on the wider fan frustration with modern football (modern capitalism? modern life?) that helped fuel the recent fan protests. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

If you thought there was an end in sight to Germany's fan protests, think again - they're just getting started. Nik, Maik and the returning Jasmine weigh in on the wave of game-stopping events that swept across the 2. Bundesliga, Steffen Baumgart's arrival at HSV, the latest indignity perpetrated at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and an attendance milestone that proves the Zweite Liga is Germany's #1 football league. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

We can say it matter-of-factly now: Bayer 04 Leverkusen are on an inside track to win the league. Their 3-0 win against FC Bayern München opened up a five point gap at the top - and since this year's Leverkusen side aren't in the business of losing games, ever, that cushion may well be enough to earn them the club's first Bundesliga title. Matt and Terry talk over the pharmaceuticals' big win as well as address the wave of protests that Germany's organized fan scene hope will bring about a re-think on the DFL's plans for outside investors. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

A wave of protests over outside investors lashed the shores of Germany's second division this past week. If you know the Aufstieg pod's Nik and Maik, you'll not be surprised to hear it captured their attention. The duo talk over FC Schalke 04's struggles, some slight turbulence for FC St. Pauli, and a wild story from SV Lohberg in deepest Bavaria... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

The gap at the top of the Bundesliga is back to a slim two points! Results on Match Day 19 led us there, as did FC Bayern München's win over 1. FC Union Berlin - three points the Bavarians had to wait about two months to pick up. Speaking of two months, that's going to seem like the blink of an eye compared to the drawn-out saga we're going to get regarding who'll be Jürgen Klopp's successor at Liverpool, so Bayer 04 Leverkusen fans need to be ready to strap in. Matt, Nik and Terry take all this in along with Nenad Bjelica's future at Union, Jadon Sancho's return to playing like himself, Werder Bremen's resurgence and more. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

It's not often that news about a boardroom-level figure takes over the football conversation in Germany, but Hertha BSC President Kay Bernstein's untimely death hit the game hard. Nik invites TF's resident Hertha-head Matt on to talk about what legacy the ultra turned head man might leave behind. Maik, meanwhile, helps explain why a fan group in Glasgow is exposing a political rift within the FC St. Pauli community. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

The Winterpause is a thing of the past - Germany's top flight sides got back to business this past weekend, and more than a few clubs gave debuts to newcomers who came in through the open transfer window. Nik and Terry run through all the most interesting moves, as well as take a moment to remember Germany's biggest football icon, the late Franz Beckenbauer. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

The season is only half done in the 2. Liga, but it's already been a wild ride. After weeks and weeks on top, FC St. Pauli surrendered the Herbstmeisterschaft to Holstein Kiel, and multiple teams have seen their fotunes change drastically in the space of a couple of months. Nik sits down with Jasmine to talk over the biggest storylines form the Hinrunde, as well as tell you about which players have proven their worth most richly as we head into the Winterpause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

When Germany's most engaged football fans speak in near-unison, as they did on MD15, it's time to listen up. Matt and Nik look to unpack ultras' concerns about the DFL's decision to seek a strategic investor to help them keep pace with the Premier League's skyrocketing media rights valuations. Heading into the final round before the Winterpause, Leverkusen, Bayern and Leipzig each notched big wins, but BVB were the latest side to encounter tougher-than-expected going in Augsburg. Marie Schulte-Bockum returns to the pod to fill us in on what's got FCA going so strong. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Coming off a 2. Bundesliga-tastic round in the DFB Pokal, it feels appropriate to zoom in on Hertha Berlin and Hamburger Sport-Verein, two teams that squared off in an instant classic. Winners in that match, Hertha are beginning to look like a side that could scale a few rungs higher in the league. HSV, meanwhile, are going off the boil. Nik and Jasmine talk through these storylines (especially the latter), as well as bring you up to speed on stories from the lower leagues. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

The end of the Hinrunde is drawing nearer and it's looking ever more likely that Bayer 04 Leverkusen will stay on top of the league for the winter. That's mostly down to them still not having lost a single game, but at least this weekend they can thank the weather too. With Munich buried in snow, FC Bayern didn't manage to get their game against 1. FC Union Berlin in on Match Day 13, which meant the pharmaceuticals' home draw with Borussia Dortmund didn't cost them first place - at least not yet. Matt, Nik and Terry chat about that big clash, set up a few games to watch in the DFB Pokal this week, and chew the fat about the goings on in the Bundesliga. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

With their win away to Hansa Rostock on match day 14, FC St. Pauli are sitting pretty on top of the 2. Bundesliga for a seventh straight week. That suits our Maik just fine, of course, but he, Nik and Jasmine know that the stakes of Friday's big Hamburg city derby against HSV are still massive. The gang also takes a look at Tobias Schweinsteiger's exit from VfL Osnabrück, a scary incident in Dresden, and more from the lower leagues. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Over the past five years, sometimes it's felt like 1. FC Union Berlin could only go up. The Köpenickers' rise from little-club-that-could to European contender has been among the best in world football over that span, but now it's come to an end after Urs Fischer, the coach who took them from the 2. Bundesliga to the UEFA Champions League, decided they'd be better off without him. For a little insight on how it all went down, Matt turns to Kit Holden, who covers the Irons for Berlin's Tagesspiegel newspaper, as well as talks it out with Nik and Terry. They also get into what might be ailing the suddenly lame Borussia Dortmund and investor talk swirling around Werder Bremen and the league as a whole. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

FC St. Pauli continued to set the pace in the 2. Bundesliga on MD13, even as they slumped to a 0-0 draw at home to the rising Hannover 96. But enough about the result, the real story at the Millerntor was the Polizeieinsatz, which felt to many like an overreaction. Nik and Maik talk that incident over, try and figure out what's gotten into two of the 2. Liga's newly-promoted sides, and much more from the lower divisions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

As you might have heard, FC Bayern München went to Dortmund and took their hosts BVB apart...but that's the way the Klassiker seems to go in recent years. Nik and Terry dig into that and other stories, including a tempestuous week for Mainz 05 that ended with a win, Cologne's persisting troubles, coming changes at the top for Werder Bremen and more. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

With nearly one-third of the season in the books, FC St. Pauli look a good bet to go up to the top flight. Nik draws out our resident Pauli fan Maik on what's going so right at the Millerntor, and whether the club's lengthy unbeaten run is at rick anytime soon. Jasmine weighs in on whether Eintracht Braunschweig is beyond help, and the gang break out their rain gear to talk about the sodden mess in Saarbrücken that wrought havoc in the 3. Liga and the DFB Pokal. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

With Bayer 04 Leverkusen riding high, it was high time for a check-in with one of their biggest fans Eric Bruehl. He and Nik have been busy putting together the new TORWART series on the TF Patreon, so we thought getting them together for a discussion of Match Day 8 was a natural. Matt steers things toward a discussion of Leverkusen's hot start before entering the choppy waters of FSV Mainz 05 and FC Bayern München's social media messaging around the Israel-Palestine conflict. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

Nik is back with Maik and Jasmine to talk over the lay of the land in the 2. Bundesliga and the German lower leagues! FC St. Pauli are still riding high, FC Schalke 04 have looked to the West for assistance in getting out of the latest ditch they've fallen into, and a legal fight in Karlsruhe continues. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support

What in the world has gotten into 1. FC Union Berlin? After a string of tight low-scoring losses, the irons got a bit more ambitious this past week. They scored two goals in both their UEFA Champions League and their Bundesliga fixture...and still managed to lose them both. Matt talks over the Köpenickers' troubles with Terry, along with the recent steady play of Borussia Dortmund - is it just good vibes or something more? They also address the sense of thrill that watching Bayer 04 Leverkusen tends to engender lately, Serhou Guirassy's unreal scoring form, and much more. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-fussball/support