Karl-Heinz and Uli are part of our supervisory board. We would be remiss if we didn't seek their opinions and engage with them. I think other clubs envy us for their capacity. We have intensive exchanges, especially during transfer periods. Uli has strong opinions, and people can rally behind strong opinions. That's part of what we do; it raises FC Bayern's profile,
It's the festive season, which means it's once again time for most major European leagues to give teams a little bit of a break while English teams (and Italian ones, to a degree) charge ahead with league play and two different cups. That's what the money's for, I guess. Regardless, this semi-pause -- and the symbolic flipping of the calendar -- makes for a good spot for once again taking stock. I like to periodically check in on an advanced stats form table of sorts. Below are the top 20 teams in Europe's Big Five leagues in what we'll call "adjusted goal differential" -- a mix of 30% goal differential and 70% xG differential in 11 vs. 11 situations -- in league play, domestic cup play* and UEFA competitions.
No matter what you celebrate (if anything at all), you surely enjoy a good dinner party. Knowing that, have you ever thought about who might be the ultimate dinner guest? Even better - have you ever thought about which Bayern Munich player, coach, or team exec from the last 10 years would you want at your dinner table? Would you opt for the jokester like Thomas Müller or maybe a fella who can really make it a sausage party - Uli Hoeneß?
Every day is a good day to thank the members of this community, but why not now? You are all here because you are Bayern Munich fans - or you at least like arguing about Bayern Munich (we don't judge!), but this place has developed, evolved, and changed some over the years. Yet through it all, you are here - and that is the important thing.
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Well, kind of. Christmas is upon us again, and as Bayern fans, we've been treated to a good year. But have you all been good boys and girls this year? If so, what would you want for Christmas? This writer always goes jersey shopping on Christmas or Christmas Eve, but considering he does that from time to time all year round, this isn't much of a breakthrough.
a voice that was neither loud nor dramatic, but warm, confident, almost homely. You could hear in it the maturity of a journey that had taken her from Iceland to Sweden and then on to Munich. To the place where she found more than just a job. "I've been happy and proud to be part of this team for a long time," she says with conviction.
Dating back to 2015, what major decision from that 10-year period would you change? Surely, there are dozens of options, but here are just a few (and yes, this is strategically marked outside of Toni Kroos territory, who left the club in 2014): The hiring of Thomas Tuchel? The hiring of Carlo Ancelotti? The hiring of Niko Kovač? The signing of Renato Sanches? The signing of Sadio Mané?
Bayern Munich defender Josip Stanišić received plenty of playing time at left-back, right-back, and center-back in the first half of the season. However, that will likely change now that Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Itō have returned. All of a sudden, Stanišić will be scrapping for minutes with the aforementioned returnees, plus Konrad Laimer, Sacha Boey (for now), and Kim Min-jae. Even with his ability to play anywhere across the backline, the Croatian knows it will be a fight.
While most players appear to be content, there could be a few looking to leave the club. "There could always be a player who is perhaps a little bit less satisfied and who, when the injured players return, says: I want to do something different," Eberl told Sport1 (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). The biggest candidates for a move appear to be right-back Sacha Boey and goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, who is already in the midst of an unsuccessful loan stint with Hamburger SV.
Bayern Munich is one match away from the winter break but the last one will be a stiff road test in the Frauen-Bundesliga against sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen. It has been a busy period for the Frauen, but Champions League success - qualifying straight to the quarterfinals - and a strong league position should make for a festive holiday season. The Bavarians are still six points atop the league, with regular challengers VfL Wolfsburg looking in raggedly inconsistent form despite not being all that far behind.
So...what was the most important fixture? Some will point to the loss vs. Arsenal as the most vital because it showed the Bavarians the level they will need to get to in order to be a real threat in the Champions League, but - in reality - it was Bayern Munich's grueling 2-1 decision over Paris Saint-Germain that was most important.
Bayern Munich had a tremendous first half as it closed things down with a 4-0 win over Heidenheim. There was so much to unpack from the Hinrunde, so why not do it right here at Bavarian Football Works? We will be covering a long look back at how everything played out, rating the players, remember the good times and the bad times,
Bayern Munich's imperious 16 out of 16 wins to start the season saw fans and analysts alike blown away by the form and footballing quality on display. Bayern's subsequent run of 6 wins in 9 games was less impressive and some of the Bavarians' weaknesses were put more on display during that time. The German champions struggled to keep a clean sheet, the man to man defending at the back began to see the high line exposed more often
Many fans were hoping to see Aleksandar Pavlović and Tom Bischof as the starting midfield for Bayern Munich, but alas, NEITHER player is available due to illness. The sick (not in the good way) midfield duo joins Konrad Laimer (suspension), Manuel Neuer (muscle fiber tear), Sacha Boey (ill), Kim Min-jae (knee problems) and Joshua Kimmich (ankle issues) on the list of players dealing with, well, something. That does not even include Jamal Musiala, who is out with a long-term injury.
"The first time I took a shower, all the emotions came out. I was crying, doubting myself, but I had someone beside me to tell me that everything's gonna be okay," said Davies. "I was praying it wasn't anything serious, but when I got out of the MRI, they told me it was an ACL and meniscus; my whole energy went out of my body, all the confidence I had just escaped. "I remember the first couple of weeks, between six and eight weeks, I wasn't able to walk. I had to be on crutches...When you're up there working out, and you see all your friends, having fun playing football, and sometimes you think to yourself, 'I wish I was out there.' It's like when your mom says you can't go outside and then you see all your friends running around outside, that's basically how I felt at that moment."
