In an epic tirade after the match, Bremen captain Marco Friedl chided club management for not bringing in enough players to render the squad ready for the upcoming campaign. Bremen’s chief personnel executive Clemens Fritz is indeed under serious pressure to procure more bodies as competitive play gets started. Baum would be just the third Werder signing of the summer. 

Bremen hired new head coach Horst Steffen this summer in part because they wished to recruit players who served under Steffen at Elversberg into the team. Thus far, this has not materialized. Baum did enjoy some success under Steffen at Elversberg last year, however. The twice-capped Germany U21 international scored three goals and added seven assists in 33 appearances during the 2024/25 2. Bundesliga campaign. 

GGFN | Peter Weis

633 journalists voted in total. The 22-year-old finished with 191 votes, comfortably ahead of second-placed Michael Olise, who received 81 votes. In third was Nick Woltemade of VfB Stuttgart with 71 votes, and in fourth was Thomas Müller with 70. 

On being voted footballer of the year and following on from 2024 winner Toni Kroos, Wirtz said of the now-retired midfielder:

“I have to say, I couldn’t imagine a better successor than you! You are a special player on so many levels,”

While Kroos praised Wirtz in kicker:

“In my opinion, you did everything right with your move to Liverpool FC, and it underlines your mindset and conviction.”

On the motivation the award gives him, Wirtz said: 

“I’m aware that at 22, I still have a lot of work ahead of me to live up to all the expectations that come with being named Footballer of the Year, among others. And I’ll continue to set those expectations for myself regardless.”

Last season, Wirtz scored 10 goals and assisted 13 as Bayer Leverkusen finished runners-up to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. The 22-year-old was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or. The Köln native’s performances led to big speculation surrounding his future at Leverkusen; he would end up joining Premier League-winning Liverpool. 

Footballer of the year was not the only award given out; the journalists also voted for coach of the year, which was given to Freiburg’s Julian Schuster.

The voting for this award was a lot closer than the footballer of the year voting. In Schuster’s first season as a head coach, he led Freiburg to fifth, receiving 97 votes for his achievement. 

In second place was Werder Bremen head coach Horst Steffen with 76 votes for his work with Elversberg, leading them to the relegation playoff. In third was Hansi Flick with 72 votes, who won three trophies, including LaLiga in his first season with Barcelona. 

GGFN | Jack Meenan 

Incredible atmospheres and fan culture

Until 1. FC Köln and Hamburg were promoted at the end of last season, the 2. Bundesliga for several years boasted more former German champions than the top flight. Storied clubs steeped in tradition and backed by huge followings – not just across Germany but around the world – find themselves languishing below their standards of decades gone by. All this makes for some incredible atmospheres that must be seen to be believed. And when you factor in the cost of a matchday ticket and beer, not to mention the free transport to the game, then no country rivals Germany.

It’s impossible to predict

For much of last season, 10 clubs were firmly in the promotion race until the final weeks, with the eventual top nine clubs separated by just 10 points. Elversberg upset the apple cart by finishing third and making it to the relegation playoff, just one point behind HSV. The league is simply impossible to predict, anyone can beat anyone and remains fiercely tight throughout. With a host of sides missing out on Bundesliga promotion last season, and the additions of relegated VfL Bochum and Holstein Kiel, along with 3. Liga newcomers Dynamo Dresden and none other than DFB Pokal finalists Arminia Bielefeld, the upcoming campaign promises to be even more unpredictable than the last.

A league of sleeping giants and big names

FC Köln and HSV may have earned promotion back into the top flight – the latter after a seven-year absence – but there are still a number of sleeping giants in the 2. Bundesliga. 1. FC Nürnberg, a nine-time German champion, have found themselves languishing in the second division since 2019. 1. FC Kaiserslautern – who won the Bundesliga in 1998 – found themselves in the 3. Liga in 2022 but since returned and narrowly missed out on the promotion playoff. Schalke 04 and Hertha Berlin are two clubs steeped in history with exceptional fanbases, but find themselves stuck in the second division while Hannover will also be eager to return to the Bundesliga under Christian Titz. And when it comes to big names, there are few bigger than Miroslav Klose in German football, who coaches FC Nürnberg in what is his first professional coaching job.

GGFN | Harry Good 

Leipzig have done their level best to help Jäkel regain his footing after several injury set backs. Loan outs to K.V. Oostende, DSC Arminia Bielefeld, and German football’s developmental mecca Elversberg have nevertheless seen Jäkel only continue to struggle with injury and form issues. Jäkel’s Bielefeld loan ended up getting cut prematurely short following the club’s relegation to the 3. Liga at the end of the 2022/23 season.

An extension of the Elversberg loan last summer meant little thanks to the fact that a bad ACL tear in February 2024 limited him to just one appearances in the entirety of the 2024/25 2. Bundesliga campaign. Jäkel made a total of 44 2. Bundesliga appearances for Bielefeld and Elversberg. 

Details of Jäkel’s move to the Lower Saxon Lions are not yet known. The now 24-year-old maintains a €600,000 estimated market value. This is down from a peak of €1.5m, during his more successful days on loan with Oostende in Belgium. 

GGFN | Peter Weis

The Saarland side continue to build their reputation as one of the best locales to park developmental prospects. The center-of-attention in German football at the moment, Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade, once cut his teeth in Elversberg. So too did current high-value youngsters such as Paul Wanner, Fisnik Asllani, and Muhammed Damar (among several others) during loan stints. 

“With his intense and technically skilled offensive play, Jar is one of last season’s rising stars,” Stuttgart youth academy director Stephan Hildebrandt noted in a club statement. “We are all convinced of his great potential for development and expect that the move to the second division will further advance his development.”

“Jarzinho is a highly talented player and has exactly the qualities that can enrich our attacking play,” SVE sporting director Ole Book added. “With his dynamism and skill on-the-ball, he can make a decisive contribution. We are looking forward to working with him.”

“I‘m really looking forward to the season here in Elversberg,” Malanga himself said. “SVE stands for courageous, attacking football. That suits my style of play perfectly. I want to take the next step here, develop further, and give everything to support the team in the best possible way.”

GGFN | Peter Weis

The 25-year-old made 39 appearances across all competitions, in the process more than doubling his estimated market value from €600,000 to €1.5m over the course of the 2023/24 campaign. Sky notes that other German clubs are interested. Additionally, Elversberg have received inquires from Belgium and France.

Hoffenheim continue to try and shore up their defensive corps ahead of next season. Defensive midfielder Leon Avdullahu has been purchased from FC Basel for €10m while versatile Brazilian defender Bernardo arrived from VfL Bochum on a free.

The rumored purchase of Japanese centre-back Koki Machida was also wrapped up yesterday. The 17-times-capped Samurai international arrived in Sinsheim for a reported €4.5 transfer fee. Machida maintains a €11m estimated market value. 

“In Koki Machida, we have found a center back who has exactly the qualities we were looking for in this position,” TSG sporting director Andreas Schicker noted in a club statement yesterday. “He has experience as a Japanese international and was a regular in Royale Union Saint-Gilloise’s championship-winning team last season. Koki is an uncompromising defender who doesn’t shy away from a tackle. He is also very strong in the air and has good [field] vision.“

”I am very happy that my transfer to TSG Hoffenheim has worked out,” Machida himself added. “TSG is an extremely exciting and ambitious club that plays in one of Europe’s top five leagues. For me, the move to Hoffenheim and the Bundesliga is the next step in my career and I honestly can’t wait to get started with my new teammates. I will definitely give everything to be successful with the team in the future.”

GGFN | Peter Weis

Fellhauer looks to serve as the replacement for departed midfielder Frank Onyeka, who returned to his parent club of Brentford this summer. The Bavarian Swabians have completed two new signings over the last three days, also snatching up Borussia Mönchengladbach-linked St. Pauli attacker Elias Saad for a reported €2m.

Fellhauer captain Elversberg last season, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in 28 competitive appearances for the squad that narrowly missed out on promotion. The Mannheim native made a total of 178 appearances across all competitions for the club he now leaves after six years.

Augsburg’s ambitious offseason continues. After sacking head coach Jess Thorup and sporting director Marinko Jurendic, the Fuggerstädter appointed popular German footballer Sandro Wagner as Thorup’s replacement.

Jurendic’s replacement – former Chelsea analyst Beni Weber – will be joined by several former key club figures in the front office next week. Long-time Augsburg head coach Manuel Baum and former midfield mainstay Julian Baumgartlinger are set to begin work in a few days. 

Former VfL Bochum sporting director Marc Lettau has also been brought in to help shape the squad. For now, the public comments on the latest signing still belong to managing director Michael Ströll. 

“Robin fits our requirements perfectly,” Ströll noted in his statement. “He is strong tackler who is flexible and also has offensive qualities. We are delighted to have signed one of the top players from last season’s second division for FC Augsburg.”

“Playing in the Bundesliga has always been my primary objective,” the player himself added. “The fact that I can now fulfill this wish by moving to FCA means a lot to me. The club officials worked hard to sign me. I am looking forward to the challenge at an established Bundesliga club and will do everything I can to contribute to the team’s success.”

GGFN | Peter Weis

The 27-year-old is said to have a release clause in his contract that expires at the end of the month, and Augsburg intend to beat the likes of 1.FC Köln and Werder Bremen to Fellhauer. 

Fellhauer has played for Elversberg for six years, having joined from Freiburg’s second team in 2019. The midfielder was a key piece in Elversberg’s run to the relegation playoff, where they lost to Heidenheim thanks to a late goal from Leo Scienza.

Augsburg, on the other hand, continue to refresh their structure after the arrival of Sandro Wagner as head coach, the club has also hired a new sporting director in Benni Weber from Paderborn. 

When it comes to incomings, Augsburg have already made several moves. The loans of Chrislain Matsima and Cedric Zesiger have both been made permanent, while Kyliane Dong has joined from Troyes on a free transfer. The club has also snapped up Elias Saad from St. Pauli for €2.1m.

GGFN | Jack Meenan 

Asllani has no shortage of Bundesliga suitors. The 22-year-old’s estimated market value has skyrocketed from €1.2m to €8m in the last ten months after he netted 19 goals and contributed ten assists 37 appearances across all competitions for Elversberg last year. The Berlin-native and former Union Berlin academy man counts as one of the current hottest commodities in German football.

Hoffenheim themselves are keen to retain Asllani’s services after the striker gained traction during his loan stints with Elversberg and FK Austria Wien. Asllani made a total of ten top flight appearances for the Sinsheimers during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 Bundesliga campaigns. His current Hoffenheim contract is due to expire at the end of next season. 

Kicker notes that Hoffenheim are actively trying to extend with Asllani. For Bremen, cost remains an issue in their pursuit of the player. Hoffenheim are said to demand a minimum €7.5m transfer fee for Asllani. Steffen’s new club must raise the capital first. 

Kicker and other reliable German footballing media sources presently report that the issues with former Bremen head coach Ole Werner’s appointment at RB Leipzig have been worked out. Werner’s former club will receive approximately €2m in compensation. 

Naturally, more inlays are required. A sale of want-away striker Marvin Ducksch (estimated market value €6m) would put Steffen’s club over the top. Kicker nevertheless notes that Bremen haven’t received any offers for Ducksch yet. 

GGFN | Peter Weis

Steffen will sign a contract at the Weserstadion until 2028, and Bremen will have to pay Elversberg a fee of around €350k to release him from his contract. 

Elversberg have already begun their search for Steffen’s successor. The departure of their head coach will be a big blow for the club, as not only did he lead them from the Regionalliga into the relegation playoffs in four years, but Steffen also got them playing attractive football.

While in the Saarland, Steffen also made Elversberg the place to be for developing youngsters: Paul Wanner, Nick Woltemade, Elias Baum, Muhammed Damar and Fisnik Asllani have all played for the club over the years. 

After the loss to Heidenheim on Monday, Steffen announced he would leave Elversberg. It was also reported that SVE’s sporting director, Nils-Ole Book, could also leave, with 1.FC Köln and Borussia Mönchengladbach linked. 

GGFN | Jack Meenan