Talking Fussball

Here comes another peek behind the Patreon curtain folks - a little look at some of the wealth of bonus content you could have access to if you became a TF patron! First up Nik talks to Michael Wagg, author of The Turning Season, a book of reportage and cultural history that looks back on the pivotal 1989-90 DDR Oberliga season and the 30 years since. Truly a can't-miss interview. In the back half...

On a weekend of high spirits, we got a Dortmund-Bayern game that lived up to its billing as a Klassiker. Five goals, chances galore, and a run of play that suggested the loser may have come out on top on another day. Matt and Nik talk it all over, along with the seven-goal epic that was Leverkusen-Gladbach, the strong showing from the two Berlin sides, and a puzzling power struggle in Wolfsburg. L...

Sometimes your absolutely nail it with your line-up...and sometimes your team is a bit of a shambles. Last week our panel was composed of one of each, as Flo's boys flew and JT's just didn't. Listen in as they look ahead to Match Day 7 and strategize a bit for the coming weeks as well.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A week ahead of the game which is set to swallow German football (Dortmund vs. Bayern), Matt and Nik take a moment to peer at the fortunes of a few of the other teams near the top of the table after Match Day 6. Gladbach followed up their near-misses in Europe with a huge result over Leipzig, who still seemed a little zonked from their bad night at Old Trafford. Leverkusen are thinking big now tha...

We're thrilled with the response to our call for new subscribers to our Patreon page over the last week...and still we're hungry for more! Here comes a taste of some of the material we've been posting in recent days. Here are portions of two Deep Dives, long-form chats with journalists and podcasters who share intimate knowledge about one particular team. In the spotlight in this episode are Werde...

Another mixed bag for Bundesliga sides in the Champions League. Bayern rolled as normal, Dortmund bounced back, Leipzig didn't show up, and Gladbach suffered more heartbreak. That's all well and good - but who among those sides' stars will be ready to suit up and play this weekend? JT and Flo have the answers...to the best of their knowledge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices....

Bayern and Dortmund breeze it; Leipzig and Gladbach endure tougher tests but show they're up to the task. Match Day five was a good day at the office for the Bundesliga's Champions League hopefuls. Matt and Nik get to the bottom of all that winning, and consult with Brian Sanders of the Hey Eintracht Frankfurt podcast to hear about the Eagles' first loss of the season. Learn more about your ad cho...

No fewer than SIX Bundesliga sides were in European action this week, and that means fantasy managers will have to keep on their toes heading into Match Day 5. Listen in as JT and Flo help you sort out who's in, who's out, and how you might keep as many options open as you can! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What with the UEFA Champions League and Europa League getting started this week, perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised to see a bit of a low-wattage weekend. Four 1-1 draws and only one team scoring more than two goals made for a few less fireworks, but didn't dent our enthusiasm for this week's guest. Matt sat down with his old pal Kit Holden, who's been working the Union beat for Berlin's Tag...

Welcome back from the international break - if you don't recognize us, it's because the recent unlimited transfers period means our rosters have experienced a LOT of turnover. Not to worry though - JT and Flo are still in the house, dispensing the sage advice you've come to depend on. Find out where you should be spending your money in a week where a real rebuild is possible. Learn more about your...

The Bundesliga took this past weekend off - Talking Fussball didn't. Most of the action is over on our Patreon page, where you can get a slew of bonus material. This edition is a taster of some of the material you can get over there. First up is an extract of Nik's interview with Marco Timmer, a Dutch journalist with lots to say about Mario Götze's move to PSV to work with Roger Schmidt. You can h...

Bundesliga fans witnessed a masterclass on Sunday when Robert Lewandowski scored all four in a wild 4-3 win for FC Bayern München over upstarts Hertha BSC. Both teams were among the most active on deadline day, with some surprising faces entering and exiting the buildings at Säbener Strasse and Olympiapark.  Listen in as Matt and Nik run through all of Monday's biggest moves, all the 4-0 stompings...

Bundesliga fans were treated to a topsy-turvy match day last weekend - one which brought surprises and excitement...and a fiar bit of disappointment for Official Fantasy Bundesliga players. JT (73 points) and Flo (87 points) lick their wounds for a moment, then get down to the business of fixing things ahead of MD3. Listen in for all their tips as well as answers to your questions! Learn more abou...

Bayern had a hell of a run these last 10 months, beating just about all comers - on match day two they got a taste of their own medicine. Hoffenheim took down the champs, and Augsburg did likewise to last season's runners up Dortmund. Matt and Nik talk all this over, as well as where Schalke and Mainz now stand as they look for new coaches after disastrous starts. (We get help in the latter case f...

Opening weekend brought goals galore...and plenty of points for fantasy managers! JT and Flo are here to run through what worked, what didn't, and how you can find your own ace in the hole for Match Day 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If it's goals you're after, opening weekend in the Bundesliga was pretty dang satisfying. Bayern went ballistic, BVB unleashed the young lions...hell, even Hertha put up big numbers. Matt gets Nik WIldhagen on the line to talk over all the action, answer listener questions, as well as plug his new Historic Matchday Moments series over on the TF Patreon page.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

Maybe you're new to the Official Fantasy Bundesliga, maybe you're an addict of long standing. Either way, you're almost certain to learn something from this. Fantasy freaks James Thorogood and Flo Reinecke are back with tips galore on setting up your team for the 2020-21 Bundesliga season. This one's an extended player - enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bayern's big win in the 2020 UEFA Champions League final was just a few weeks ago...but it's already time for them to start defending their Bundesliga title. Matt rounds up podcast veteran Abel Meszaros for an in-depth discussion of how nailed-on another title is for the Rekordmeister, which of last year's top four will challenge for top spot, which Traditionsverein could be in relegation trouble,...

So Bayern went and made it a double with a win in the DFB Pokal Final, while Werder Bremen got out of their two-legged relegation playoff without a win...but a ticket to the top flight ride for another year. Matt gets together with podcast stalwarts Terry Duffelen and Nik Wildhagen for a wide-ranging chat about the future of fallen giants Bremen, Bayern's dominance (and whether it'll ever cease),...

The 2019-20 Bundesliga season reached its conclusion this weekend with one more big surprise in store: Werder Bremen shot past Fortuna Düsseldorf to reach the relegation playoff.  Matt calls up Marie Schulte-Bockum for a chat about the relegation drama, as well as about he profound anger being expressed by fans of her club Schalke 04 as they head into the offseason.  He's also joined by Eva-Lotta...

Bremen and Düsseldorf are in a dogfight for a chance to stay in the league, Gladbach and Leverkusen are racing for fourth place and Champions league status, and Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg still have to sort out sixth and seventh. That may not sound like a lot of teams with a lot left to play for, but it means most of the games on Saturday will feature at least one side going all out. JT and Flo are...

33 of 34 match days are in the books, and the seven teams who'll play in Europe next season are already known. But who plays in which competition is not yet clear...and what the five remaining Bundesliga participants in THIS year's Champions and Europa Leagues will do with all their July downtime is not clear at all. Matt and goal.com's Ronan Murphy talk all this over, as well as the drama on rele...

The Bundesliga is working overtime. It's an English week, with matches on Tuesday and Wednesday sandwiched between the league's usual weekend exertions. Matt rounds up Derek Rae - one of the world's great soccer play-by-play men - to talk over what went down on Match Day 31, as well as what's in store as the season comes to a close. Topics include: Which team looks likeliest to make the league's t...

So...we didn't have the best outing last weekend. A few poor picks and some schoolboy errors combined to torpedo both JT and Flo. Luckily, our two hosts have plenty of ideas to get it right on Match Day 31 - listen in as they figure out where to put your money up front, whether a certain Leverkusen superstar will be healthy and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...

Jadon Sancho was the big star last week, scoring three goals and taking a stand against police violence and racism too. In this episode, JT and Flo commiserate over missing out on the young Englishman's big point haul - a mistake they won't make again - and discuss how to make room for him on Match Day 30. What else? Value picks from Frankfurt, which players to ride all the way to the end, and muc...