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Teutonic Tuesday: Inconsistency Makes Bundesliga Exciting Domestically, Disappointing in Europe
The Bundesliga’s revolving door of European contenders makes Germany’s top flight unique, but dooms it to struggle in the Champions League, writes Clark Whitney.
Consistency, consistency, consistency. This word strikes a chord with football fans. Nobody wants to support a team that rotates erratically between 5-0 wins and 5-0 losses. Nobody wants to support a player who gives the performance of a lifetime before playing like a new Oberliga recruit a week later. But rather than a player or team, I’d like to discuss the inconsistency of an entire league.
The Bundesliga is inconsistent. Its inconsistency is what I love and simultaneously cannot stand about Germany’s top flight. I love watching as five or more teams remain in the title race until the very end. I love seeing Kaiserslautern (1998), Stuttgart (2007) and Wolfsburg (2009) shock all critics as they rise to lift the title.
Yet, the league’s inconsistency is what I can’t stand. When I watch Bundesliga teams in Europe, I cannot help but wonder how differently German representatives would fare if other teams were selected. Take, for instance, Hertha Berlin. Sure, Germany’s “Old Lady” earned a Europa League spot after last year’s fourth-placed finish. This year, however, Hertha are the Derby County of the Bundesliga: not good enough even for Germany’s second division. Stuttgart are in a similar position, facing Champions League teams despite being heavily involved in a domestic relegation battle.
Imagine if Leverkusen, Bremen, or even Hoffenheim were in European play. Is there any doubt that these teams would be favourites to advance out of Champions League Group G? Would any of these teams struggle against Latvian side FK Ventspils? Not like Hertha did, for sure.
The unfortunate reality is that, in order for a league to succeed in Europe, the top teams must strengthen between their top-five finish in May and the beginning of the following campaign. Although Wolfsburg, Hamburg and Bayern saw net improvement (on paper, at least) to their squads last summer, Stuttgart, Hertha and Werder Bremen sold more than they spent. For Werder, the rise of Mesut Oezil and Aaron Hunt, and resurgent form of several others, has more than compensated for the departure of Diego and Frank Baumann. However, for all their midfield quality, Stuttgart have yet to find an adequate replacement for Mario Gomez, and are looking nothing like the team that was in the title race until last May. The situation in Berlin is even more dire: after allowing Andriy Voronin, Marko Pantelic, and Josip Simunic to leave without adequate replacement, Hertha (as one could logically deduce) now have no attack or defence to speak of.
As a result of its inconsistency, the Bundesliga is at a huge disadvantage in the UEFA coefficients race. Whereas England’s Big Four can be expected to splash cash regularly and have more depth than Jack Handey’s thoughts, Bundesliga teams can rise to the league’s top without spending, then cash in on their stars in the following summer.
Take Schalke, for example. Nobody wants to see the Gelsenkirchen side go bankrupt, but neutral Bundesliga fans also would hate to see Schalke represent the Bundesliga in next year’s Champions League. Their financial woes have all but forced Schalke to sell their major talents, namely Manuel Neuer and Rafinha, and left them with nearly no hope of strengthening before what seems to be inevitable European disappointment in 2010-11.
It’s not just Schalke that will inevitably lose star power: Wolfsburg’s Edin Dzeko and Bremen’s Mesut Oezil have made no secret of their ambitions to move abroad, and even Bayern Munich are at risk of losing the likes of Franck Ribery, Luca Toni, and perhaps Philipp Lahm.
But its players are not solely responsible for the Bundesliga’s ever-dynamic state. Since May 21, there have been 13 coaching changes, and in recent weeks there has been talk of at least three more replacements. The league’s greatest coaching talents, Felix Magath and Jupp Heynckes, moved from Champions League teams to non-European contenders Schalke and Leverkusen, respectively, where they have taken largely unchanged teams from mid-table to the top of the league. In this regard perhaps more than any other, the Bundesliga derives its inconsistency.
It’s a tough position the Bundesliga occupies. Strict financial regulations and the league’s own declining status (which may be the result of the former) have made it difficult for any set of teams to acquire and maintain a star-studded line-up and regularly represent the Bundesliga in European play. For this reason, no Bundesliga team has made a serious run for the Champions League trophy since 2002. Yet, in the meantime, the Bundesliga has maintained a unique combination of quality and unpredictability. Domestically, the Bundesliga’s financial regulations are great. But in ultra-competitive Europe, such a policy is unsustainable.
In the weekend action, Bayer Leverkusen hammered Stuttgart 4-0, driving another nail into the coffin of Markus Babbel’s tenure in Swabia and simultaneously underlining my thesis. Leverkusen and Germany fans will be pleased to know that Stefan Kiessling netted a hat trick, and has now scored 12 goals in 14 matches.
Bayern fans will be pleased to know that Toni Kroos, who hit the post twice and delivered a pair of inch-perfect assists, has allegedly requested a return to Bayern. Bastian Schweinsteiger is sweating like, well, a pig.
Rumour also has it that Franck Ribery has agreed to sign a new contract with Bayern under undisclosed conditions. If I were to guess, it has something to do his affair with coach Louis van Gaal. Either that, or he doesn’t want to risk losing 4-0 to unknown third division Spanish sides.
Bundesliga/Serie A Coefficient Watch: Round 5
The Serie A teams fell back into orbit this week as both the EPL and La Liga surpassed their Italian rivals. Fiorentina were the only winners, as Juventus and Inter suffered 2-0 losses, and AC Milan were lucky to draw.
Wins for Stuttgart and Bayern did well for Germany, although Wolfsburg will be disappointed to have blown a lead away to CSKA.
After the latest matches, the Bundesliga trails by 0.464 points. Check out the latest coefficients here.
Clark Whitney, Goal.com
The Bundesliga’s revolving door of European contenders makes Germany’s top flight unique, but dooms it to struggle in the Champions League, writes Clark Whitney.
Consistency, consistency, consistency. This word strikes a chord with football fans. Nobody wants to support a team that rotates erratically between 5-0 wins and 5-0 losses. Nobody wants to support a player who gives the performance of a lifetime before playing like a new Oberliga recruit a week later. But rather than a player or team, I’d like to discuss the inconsistency of an entire league.
The Bundesliga is inconsistent. Its inconsistency is what I love and simultaneously cannot stand about Germany’s top flight. I love watching as five or more teams remain in the title race until the very end. I love seeing Kaiserslautern (1998), Stuttgart (2007) and Wolfsburg (2009) shock all critics as they rise to lift the title.
Yet, the league’s inconsistency is what I can’t stand. When I watch Bundesliga teams in Europe, I cannot help but wonder how differently German representatives would fare if other teams were selected. Take, for instance, Hertha Berlin. Sure, Germany’s “Old Lady” earned a Europa League spot after last year’s fourth-placed finish. This year, however, Hertha are the Derby County of the Bundesliga: not good enough even for Germany’s second division. Stuttgart are in a similar position, facing Champions League teams despite being heavily involved in a domestic relegation battle.
Imagine if Leverkusen, Bremen, or even Hoffenheim were in European play. Is there any doubt that these teams would be favourites to advance out of Champions League Group G? Would any of these teams struggle against Latvian side FK Ventspils? Not like Hertha did, for sure.
The unfortunate reality is that, in order for a league to succeed in Europe, the top teams must strengthen between their top-five finish in May and the beginning of the following campaign. Although Wolfsburg, Hamburg and Bayern saw net improvement (on paper, at least) to their squads last summer, Stuttgart, Hertha and Werder Bremen sold more than they spent. For Werder, the rise of Mesut Oezil and Aaron Hunt, and resurgent form of several others, has more than compensated for the departure of Diego and Frank Baumann. However, for all their midfield quality, Stuttgart have yet to find an adequate replacement for Mario Gomez, and are looking nothing like the team that was in the title race until last May. The situation in Berlin is even more dire: after allowing Andriy Voronin, Marko Pantelic, and Josip Simunic to leave without adequate replacement, Hertha (as one could logically deduce) now have no attack or defence to speak of.
As a result of its inconsistency, the Bundesliga is at a huge disadvantage in the UEFA coefficients race. Whereas England’s Big Four can be expected to splash cash regularly and have more depth than Jack Handey’s thoughts, Bundesliga teams can rise to the league’s top without spending, then cash in on their stars in the following summer.
Take Schalke, for example. Nobody wants to see the Gelsenkirchen side go bankrupt, but neutral Bundesliga fans also would hate to see Schalke represent the Bundesliga in next year’s Champions League. Their financial woes have all but forced Schalke to sell their major talents, namely Manuel Neuer and Rafinha, and left them with nearly no hope of strengthening before what seems to be inevitable European disappointment in 2010-11.
It’s not just Schalke that will inevitably lose star power: Wolfsburg’s Edin Dzeko and Bremen’s Mesut Oezil have made no secret of their ambitions to move abroad, and even Bayern Munich are at risk of losing the likes of Franck Ribery, Luca Toni, and perhaps Philipp Lahm.
But its players are not solely responsible for the Bundesliga’s ever-dynamic state. Since May 21, there have been 13 coaching changes, and in recent weeks there has been talk of at least three more replacements. The league’s greatest coaching talents, Felix Magath and Jupp Heynckes, moved from Champions League teams to non-European contenders Schalke and Leverkusen, respectively, where they have taken largely unchanged teams from mid-table to the top of the league. In this regard perhaps more than any other, the Bundesliga derives its inconsistency.
It’s a tough position the Bundesliga occupies. Strict financial regulations and the league’s own declining status (which may be the result of the former) have made it difficult for any set of teams to acquire and maintain a star-studded line-up and regularly represent the Bundesliga in European play. For this reason, no Bundesliga team has made a serious run for the Champions League trophy since 2002. Yet, in the meantime, the Bundesliga has maintained a unique combination of quality and unpredictability. Domestically, the Bundesliga’s financial regulations are great. But in ultra-competitive Europe, such a policy is unsustainable.
In the weekend action, Bayer Leverkusen hammered Stuttgart 4-0, driving another nail into the coffin of Markus Babbel’s tenure in Swabia and simultaneously underlining my thesis. Leverkusen and Germany fans will be pleased to know that Stefan Kiessling netted a hat trick, and has now scored 12 goals in 14 matches.
Bayern fans will be pleased to know that Toni Kroos, who hit the post twice and delivered a pair of inch-perfect assists, has allegedly requested a return to Bayern. Bastian Schweinsteiger is sweating like, well, a pig.
Rumour also has it that Franck Ribery has agreed to sign a new contract with Bayern under undisclosed conditions. If I were to guess, it has something to do his affair with coach Louis van Gaal. Either that, or he doesn’t want to risk losing 4-0 to unknown third division Spanish sides.
Bundesliga/Serie A Coefficient Watch: Round 5
The Serie A teams fell back into orbit this week as both the EPL and La Liga surpassed their Italian rivals. Fiorentina were the only winners, as Juventus and Inter suffered 2-0 losses, and AC Milan were lucky to draw.
Wins for Stuttgart and Bayern did well for Germany, although Wolfsburg will be disappointed to have blown a lead away to CSKA.
After the latest matches, the Bundesliga trails by 0.464 points. Check out the latest coefficients here.
Clark Whitney, Goal.com
