MANILA, Philippines – With the kickoff for the 2023-24 season of the Bundesliga days away, here are reasons why you should watch, follow and keep tabs on this season.
Before we get to that you might say — yes, it is the Bundesliga, and they aren’t even the top league in Europe!
Shows you what you know.
UEFA ranked the Bundesliga third this coming season based on coefficient ranking in continental play over the past five seasons.
They boast of the highest average attendance in the game for Europe and the world.
And need we remind you that Mesut Ozil, Roberto Firmino, Kevin de Bruyne, Ivan Rakitic, Toni Kroos, Jude Bellingham and Henrik Mkhitaryan are but a very few who stood out in the Bundesliga before being snatched away by other clubs.
Let’s get into this.
Bayern Munich is gunning for a 12th straight league title
I know that sounds terrible if you do not root for the Bavarian club because that means there is no parity. Remember that Borussia Dortmund came within a goal or two in taking the league title last season. Plus, there was a challenge from some other clubs including one that beat both top two finishes in home and away matches.
The Bavarians have reloaded and they can verily accomplish this feat as they own the record for the longest title reign in any of Europe top five domestic leagues.
The challenge of Leipzig, Union Berlin and SC Freiburg
No, we haven’t forgotten Borussia Dortmund, but these other clubs have risen to give the leaders a run for their money. They finished third, fourth and fifth respectively.
The minnows have sprung to life and they will give Bayern and Dortmund a challenge this year.
The marquee signings!
Who said that only top players transfer out of Germany?
Harry Kane’s departure from Tottenham didn’t surprise most football analysts. In fact, the consensus is he stayed one season too long.
But he now has a chance to win a title that eluded him in England.
And he isn’t the only one who packed their bags for Germany.
Some big names include Min-jae Kim, who wasn’t just the best defender for champions Napoli but also in the Italian Serie A. He is now a teammate of Kane’s with Bayern Munich.
Granit Xhaka left Arsenal for Bayer Leverkusen. Naby Keita exchanged Liverpool red for Werder Bremen green. A year earlier his Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane left for Bayern Munich.
And there’s more!
And there’s the promotion of FC Heidenheim 1846
Who?
If you think Wrexham is miraculous, wait until you get a load of FC Heidenheim.
Frank Schmidt has skippered this team from the fifth-tier of Germany’s football pyramid slowly but surely all the way to the Bundesliga.
They won the Bundesliga 2 on the final day of the previous season with two last-gasp goals.
Trailing 1-2, they scored two goals in added time and coupled Darmstadt’s loss to Stephan Schrock’s old club Greuther Furth FC Heidenheim not only got promoted but they won the title.
How they hold up in the top flight is anyone’s guess but it will be fun watching them!
The 2023-24 Bundesliga season will be televised live in the Philippines on the Premier Football channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as the TapGo TV streaming application.
Match Day 1 features SV Werder Bremen vs FC Bayern Munich at 2:30 a.m. of August 19, with Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig locking horns at 9:30 p.m.