This year has been no different. A key position that Bayern Munich wanted to strengthen was at left-wing, and they had no fewer than seven candidates, ranging from Cody Gakpo and Bradley Barcola to Rafael Leao and Gabriel Martinelli. Just how concrete Bayern’s interest was remains to be seen, but had the Rekordmeister been able to land their number one target, Florian Wirtz, then they wouldn’t have spent almost the entire summer with a never-ending list.

Come September, and Bayern’s transfer window appears a little underwhelming. 

Bayern Munich Departures

With the departure of ever-present Thomas Müller, Bayern Munich have entered a new era. They’ve lost no fewer than 13 players on a permanent basis with their biggest departure Mathys Tel, who joined Tottenham for €35m. The French attacker was once seen by Max Eberl and Co. as the future face of Bayern Munich but not in Vincent Kompany’s plans, the 20-year-old sought minutes elsewhere, and instead joined Spurs on a permanent basis.

Kingsley Coman also left the club for Al-Nassr and Leroy Sane to Galatasaray on a free transfer, hence Bayern’s need to strengthen the wide areas. They’ve also lost experience in Joao Palhinha and Eric Dier and youth in Paul Wanner and Adam Aznou, two players that could have probably contributed to the club in the long-term, while Jonah Kusi-Asare left for Fulham on loan.

Bayern Munich Arrivals

Before the FIFA Club World Cup even started, Bayern Munich moved quickly to tie up deals for Jonathan Tah and Tom Bischof. After missing out on number one candidate Florian Wirtz, Bayern instead opted to sign Luis Diaz for €70m, essentially helping Liverpool fund a move for their preferred option. They also wanted to sign a back-up to Harry Kane which ideally would have been Nick Woltemade, but after failing to meet Stuttgart’s valuation, instead opted for Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson on a loan deal worth €16.5m, a staggering fee.

Bayern Munich Transfer Summary

You can’t help but feel that Bayern Munich hit the panic button this window. Had they have just paid what Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart wanted for Wirtz and Woltemade, they would have been in a far better position. Signing Diaz certainly brings a wealth of experience to the club and adds quality to the wide areas following the departures of Coman and Sane, but he’s not far off turning 29 and entering the latter stages of his career, and for €70m, fans can’t help but feel as though their club have overpaid for the Colombian.

And when it comes to Jackson, there are question marks over the player’s quality, and how he would fit into this Bayern Munich team. Paying €16.5m to sign the Senegalese forward on loan with a mandatory purchase option once a certain number of games has been reached feels like a huge gamble from the record champions, who left it until the eleventh hour despite spending much of their summer pursuing two targets.

There’s also question marks over Bayern’s depth. Lennart Karl (17) and Wisdom Mike (16) have been on Bayern’s bench in the first two matchdays of the Bundesliga season and with key injuries and a long season with European and Pokal fixtures, they have a worryingly small squad.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder

It would be Niko Kovac’s first transfer window as Dortmund head coach and despite fans perhaps being a little underwhelmed throughout the summer, BVB’s business hasn’t actually been too bad.

Borussia Dortmund Departures

Youssoufa Moukoko spent the 2024/25 season on loan at OGC Nice and was uninspiring. Once heralded as Germany’s best young talent, the now 20-year-old has been shipped off permanently, joining Copenhagen for €5m. Defensively, Soumaïla Coulibaly returned from a loan spell in France and was subsequently sold to Strasbourg on a permanent basis for €7.5m, while American playmaker Gio Reyna was deemed surplus to requirements and joined Borussia Monchengladbach for €4m.

The big one here is Jamie Gittens. Borussia Dortmund went into summer with the intention of keeping the English winger at the club. The 20-year-old impressed in spells but following the appointment of Kovac, found it difficult to break into the Croat’s squad – with a preference to play 3-4-1-2/5-3-2 – and thus joined Chelsea for an initial €56m. Considering it would have been difficult for Kovac to find a place for Gittens in his current system, the transfer fee received was reinvested back into the squad.

Borussia Dortmund Arrivals

After successful loan spells, Borussia Dortmund signed Daniel Svensson and Yan Couto on a permanent basis for a combined €26.5m. Given Kovac’s system, the wing-backs are the perfect duo to operate the wide areas and is money well spent. Aarón Anselmino also joined on loan from Chelsea on deadline to add depth to their defence. Carney Chukwuemeka also spent the second half of last season on loan at Dortmund and after originally being priced out a move by Chelsea to sign the Englishman on a permanent basis, eventually reached an agreement over a €20m fee. Jobe Bellingham was BVB’s marquee signing at €30.5m while Fabio Silva makes for an interesting attacking addition.

Borussia Dortmund’s Transfer Window Summary

Borussia Dortmund brought in €72.75m and spent €99.7m. They’ve managed to keep the core of their squad intact with Jamie Gittens the only noticeable departure that could still contribute. But with the permanent signing of Chukwuemeka and arrivals of Silva and Bellingham, Dortmund now have plenty of options to keep things interesting in both midfield and attack.

Club bosses have certainly improved the club’s personnel and Dortmund will be expected to challenge Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title. But an area of concern for BVB is certainly their defence with injuries to Niklas Süle, Nico Schlotterbeck and Emre Can, while Filippo Mane is untested at professional level, only making his debut on the opening matchday against St. Pauli. The arrival of Anselmino from Chelsea on loan seems a little rushed, but his performance against Union Berlin did yield some positives.

Had Dortmund also signed a No. 6 as Kovac prefers to play Can in central-defence, then die Schwarzgelben wouldn’t have been far off having a near perfect transfer window.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder

Every week, the Get German Football News team will give you our Team of the Week.

GK – Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart)

Stuttgart picked up their first points of the season with a 1-0 win against Borussia Monchengladbach, and they have Alexander Nübel to thank. Commanding in the box when it came to claiming the ball, Nübel also registered 6 saves with an xGOT (Expected Goals on Target) of 1.61.

RB – Ridle Baku (RB Leipzig)

With Lutsharel Geertruida gone and Benjamin Henrichs sidelined, Ridle Baku is RB Leipzig’s undisputed first choice right-back, and he repaid head coach Ole Werner as his side picked up their first win of the season. His run into the Heidenheim penalty area ended with an assist for Rômulo’s first goal of the season.

CB – Eric Smith (St. Pauli)

Because Eric Smith plays for St. Pauli, he’s perhaps one of the Bundesliga’s most under-appreciated players. A commanding performance against Borussia Dortmund on the opening weekend was followed up with another excellent display against Hamburg. He made the most defensive contributions (18) of any player.

CB – Castello Lukeba (RB Leipzig)

The Frenchman struggled defensively against Bayern Munich in the curtain-raiser on MD1, but improved tenfold against Heidenheim, as did the whole of Leipzig’s defence as they registered a first clean sheet of the season. Castello Lukeba completed the most passes (79) in the match, and registered 7 defensive contributions.

LB – David Raum (RB Leipzig)

A marauding left-back, David Raum assisted Christoph Baumgartner for RB Leipzig’s opening goal of the afternoon. No player created more chances than Raum (5), who was also strong in the duels and was excellent at progressing the ball.

CM – Nadiem Amiri (Mainz 05)

A wanted man in the summer, Nadiem Amiri could have had a pick of clubs. His performance against Wolfsburg was a carry-on from last season and established himself as one of the club’s key players. He showed composure to score the equaliser against Wolfsburg from the spot with two minutes remaining, but also registered the most dribbles (2) and chances created (5) between Wolfsburg and Mainz.

CM – Joel Chima Fujita (St. Pauli)

Anything that St. Pauli seemed to do well against Hamburg on Friday night went through Joel Chima Fujita. The 23-year-old only joined the club in the summer but already looks like a promising signing. His vision and weight of pass to find Andréas Hountondji for St. Pauli’s second of the night was magnificent.

AM – Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Many had questioned whether or not Ritsu Doan had peaked at Freiburg, but the Japan international is already repaying Eintracht Frankfurt’s €21m spend on the attacking-midfielder. His opening goal against Hoffenheim is an early contender for goal of the season, cutting inside from the right and curling one with his left-foot from over 20-yards. Doan scored a brace and provided an assist on MD2.

AM – Marius Bülter (1. FC Köln)

Lukas Kwasniok’s side spent €1m to bring a 32-year-old Marius Bülter to the club this summer, and he’s already paid that off. The Billy Goats have two wins from two against European participants Mainz and Freiburg. Bülter scored Bülter’s second of the afternoon and provided two assists in a 4-1 win.

ST – Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund)

There’s no doubt that Serhou Guirassy is one of Europe’s best strikers, and because he plays in the Bundesliga, is probably under-appreciated. He scored a brace against Union Berlin on Sunday afternoon and although he’s known for his clinical finishing inside 10-yards, Guirassy played with so much fluidity against Union. 

ST – Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)

In truth, Bayer Leverkusen’s performance against Werder Bremen was woeful, but Patrik Schick was a standout player with his brace. Was is not for the Czech forward, then it’s difficult to see where the goals would have come from.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder

Instead, however, it has been an incredibly slow window for Dortmund, who have not yet found a replacement for Jamie Gittens following his €56m move to Chelsea earlier in the summer. Whilst they’ve made the signings of full-backs Yan Couto and Daniel Svensson permanent for €20m and €6.5m, respectively, they’ve also added backup goalkeeper Patrick Drewes from Bochum for €200,000.

Dortmund’s sole major investment has come in the form of Jobe Bellingham. After guiding Sunderland back to the Premier League and ending a nine-year absence, the Englishman decided to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Jude by making the move from England’s second tier to the Signal Iduna Park. BVB paid €30.5m for the English midfielder, who was heavily involved in the club’s run to the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals and emerged as a key figure in Kovac’s midfield.

It’s clear that more work is needed in order for Dortmund to challenge Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen for the Bundesliga title, and yet, the German behemoths look to be stuck in quicksand financially. The reason? It’s not a mountain of debt from a botched stadium deal or an underwhelming big-name signing, but instead a culinary expense.

According to Sport Bild, Dortmund’s transfer ambitions have been hampered by having to pay €11m for the complete renovation of the stadium’s kitchens after the labour inspectors deemed them obsolete. BVB has used up a good chunk of their summer budget, having already spent a great deal on kitchen upgrades and transfers, and it’s likely they’ll need to sell a key first-team player before they can think of adding a new recruit in the final weeks of the transfer window, having already splurged €57m on new arrivals.

While the budget is tight, it’s nevertheless been reported that Dortmund still has between €30m and €40m to spend on players, and by selling more players, they could very well free up space in the transfer market. So what exactly can we expect from Dortmund in the dog days of summer?

The midfield core could very well dwindle down, with seven players currently competing for three spots. Marcel Sabitzer has reportedly waved off a potential transfer to Saudi Arabia, while Sebastien Haller looks set to return to former club Utrecht. Emre Can, Julian Brandt, Salih Ozcan, and Giovanni Reyna could all be headed for a departure, with their contracts set to expire in 2026, in addition to Niklas Sule – who is sidelined until October. While Reyna has been linked with a move to Parma, Cole Campbell has reportedly agreed a five-year contract with Stuttgart. BVB, however, have turned down Stuttgart’s bid of €4m to acquire him, with Dortmund holding out for €8m.

In terms of potential incomings, Dortmund are keen on a move for Wolves’ Portuguese striker Fabio Silva to compete with Serhou Guirassy at the center forward position – although they face competition from RB Leipzig, while Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho and Brighton’s Facundo Buonanotte have also been mentioned as potential attacking reinforcements. Chelsea’s Carney Chukwuemeka could be set to return to the Signal Iduna Park, while young defenders Juan Gimenez and Hector Fort have also been linked with a transfer to Dortmund.

One thing’s for sure, though; BVB are going to have to start selling before they can even consider a late transfer binge.

GGFN | Zach Lowy

That end-of-season momentum has seamlessly transitioned to their pre-season training camp and summer friendlies. Die Löwen have won six of seven engagements, with Volland netting a brace in the most recent game against Jahn Regensburg. Equally impressive, the team seems to have solidified defensively, conceding only one goal while scoring 22. Performances that send a clear message; 1860 are a rising force and must-watch football in the German third division.

Given the array of positives, Get German Football News reached out to Thomas Spiesl, the curator of TSV 1860 Munich supporter website Sechzger.de. The independent platform offers a comprehensive overview, covering every aspect of the club from a fan’s perspective. Inclusive of a weekly podcast, game previews and reviews, as well as input from voices within the Ultra scene, catering to new and seasoned fans equally. Observations go beyond first-team news, addressing U21 matches, ticket details, and links to other regional news sources. Thomas is excited by the newly strengthened squad: “The ‘Sixties’ have, for sure, one of the best rosters in the last five years.”

The obvious first question for Thomas is if Die Löwen possesses the necessary infrastructure to compete at the Bundesliga level; additionally, if securing a third-place playoff spot is the minimum expectation? “There is definitively a new momentum about 1860 this year. The team appears very strong, players like Kevin Volland or Florian Niederlechner came back to Giesing to play for the team of their childhood. The expectations at 1860 are traditionally very high, but this year they are even stronger. Everybody expects the team to get back into the 2. Bundesliga. But the league is very balanced. Teams like Hansa Rostock, Rot-Weiss Essen, Jahn Regensburg, SSV Ulm 1846 or 1. FC Saarbrücken have even bigger budgets.”

Does 1860 see itself as a sleeping giant, and potentially a “destination club” of the future, considering Munich’s appealing lifestyle, its history as a traditionsverein, and financial potential in relation to sponsorship opportunities? Thomas agrees that, “1860 is without any doubt a sleeping giant. The fan base is so strong, and young boys running through Munich city in 1860 jerseys are getting more and more again.” Then came the obvious comparison point: “The Lions are the sympathetic counterpart to the rich, but in the last years relatively unsuccessful neighbors. The fans, especially the working class in Giesing, start to believe in the success of their club again, and dream of a comeback in the 2. Bundesliga.”

The flurry of news and increased expectation is reflected in terms of traffic to the Sechziger website, the number of podcast listeners, and the views of articles on their landing page. “The traffic on our website is growing constantly since years, same with the downloads of our podcasts. As already mentioned before, the attention all around 1860 is increasing quickly since the transfers of Volland and Niederlechner. But of course, there is a big euphoria all around the club. The team is back in the newspapers, everybody talks about the lions, but – and this can be a handicap as well – the expectations are very high this season.”

The club expects that the signing of Volland and Niederlechner will significantly boost revenue off the field. Particularly in terms of shirt purchases, season ticket sales, and other merchandising. Thomas sees this playing out, albeit with one possible exception. “Yes it has, but the situation about the 1860 merchandise is very special. A big percentage of the income of the merchandising company goes directly to HAM International Limited and Hasan Ismaik (who owns 60% of 1860 GmbH & Co KGaA, the professional football arm of TSV 1860 Munich). That’s why many fans boycott the official fan shop. The tickets for the first home match were sold out within minutes. Of course, this also attracts potential sponsors.”

Thomas’ remark about merchandise touches on the one negative aspect of 1860; a current 15-year rift in trust between supporters and Jordanian owner Ismaik. Most thought this issue was finally resolved when the club declared that Ismaik agreed to sell his shares. The purchase by a Swiss firm did not come to fruition, and Ismaik remains a begrudgingly accepted but unwelcome presence. “Looking back to the last weeks, the new investor, the euphoria, the parties in Giesing and at the end the collapsed sale… that’s typical 1860. But, after all, it looks like Hasan Isamik is a lesser evil compared to the potential new investor. Who tried to fool everybody during the sales process. Most of the fans already accepted what happened within the last weeks. We try to focus on the new season, and hopefully the rise of the star for the old and traditional club of 1860.”

The rise of 1860 is predicated on the headline-grabbing signings of Volland and Niederlechner; veterans who are accustomed to dealing with this level of pressure. Their leadership experience off the field will be just as crucial as the goals they are expected to provide throughout the season. If they excel, in both regards, a promotion to 2. Bundesliga is as probable as the supporters’ expectations are high.

GGFN | Martin Mulcahey

In a special piece, Get German Football News‘ Peter Weis takes a look at the most recent coaching change from FCK Managing Director Thomas Hengen. Four sections below cover background of the move itself, Markus Anfang’s termination, Torsten Lieberknecht’s appointment, and the general opinion of a long-suffering FCK fan. 

Background

FC Kaiserslautern managing director Thomas Hengen has once again opted for a surprise chance on the bench. For fans of the Palatinate club, this constitutes the third seemingly drastic head-coaching change in just under three years. Shortly before then 3. Liga Lautern were set to contest the 2021/22 promotion-relegation playoffs, Hengen removed head coach Marco Antwerpen and installed Dirk Schuster for the two-legged-tie against Dynamo Dresden. 

Schuster succeeded in getting the Pfälzer Red Devils back to the 2. Bundesliga, yet was himself unexpectedly let go after a 17-month-tenure in November 2023. At the time, four consecutive league losses in the month of November led Hengen to the conclusion that “stagnation counts as a step backwards“. Now the same fate – presumably due to the same logic – has befallen Markus Anfang.

The man who took a relegation-threatened team to the upper reaches of the table has been let go after incurring three consecutive league defeats. With four matchdays remaining, former Eintracht Braunschweig, MSV Duisburg, and SV Darmstadt 98 head coach Torsten Lieberknecht will be tasked with helping Lautern qualify for the promotion-relegation playoffs this year. 

For the fourth time in the last 18 months, Lautern are turning to a former player to help guide the team. Results were mixed last season. Schuster’s replacement, Dimitrios Grammozis, only lasted six matches and won just one league game. Grammozis was let go despite helping the team achieve two Pokal victories after only being in office just over two months between December 2023 and February 2024. 

The famous four-time Bundesliga champions then turned to Friedhelm Funkel to help them avoid relegation. Funkel managed to uphold his late-career “Feuerwehrmann (“emergency rescue” coach) reputation, helping Lautern escape the drop just as he did with FC Köln in the Bundesliga during the 2020/21 campaign. Funkel also successfully guided the team to the DFB Pokal final.

Funkel (66 matches between 1980 and 1983), Anfang (17 matches between 2002 and 2004), and Grammozis (92 matches between 2002 and 2005) all put in their time at the Betzenberg. Lieberknecht, on the other hand, is an actual Palatinate native who played at nearby Haßloch and Neustadt before coming up through the FCK academy. Lieberknecht (13 matches between 1992 and 1994) didn’t last long, but is still headed back to his roots after a long time away.

The story of Anfang’s season

The beginnings of the campaign

Anfang himself wasn’t the most popular figure in German footballing circles, not least because of his involvement in a stinging scandal whilst in charge of 2. Bundesliga side Werder Bremen during the 2021/22 campaign. Anfang forged his vaccination certificate during the fourth wave of the COVID pandemic in order to attend carnival festivities in his native Köln. He was forced to resign in disgrace and was later banned from coaching for a year. 

After rehabilitating himself during a semi-successful stint with Dynamo Dresden, many Lautern fans were prepared to forget Anfang’s checkered past. A sluggish start to the season through the first eight matchdays, culminating in a 0-1 away loss to SV Elversberg, led to chants from the Kurve demanding his ouster. From that point forward, however, Anfang found success with some tactical tweaking. 

The end of the 2024 and the beginning of 2025

Abandoning an ineffective back-four and reinstating a flexible 3-4-3, attackers Ragnar Ache, Daniel Hanslik, and Daisuke Yokota all thrived in the new system. Versatile captain Marlon Ritter successfully filled in flexibly as Lautern went undefeated through their next eight league fixtures. New summer signing Luca Sirch also came into his own during the streak. 

Unfortunately, 2025 ended on a down note with embarrassing losses against Anfang’s former clubs Darmstadt and Köln. The loss of defensive stalwart Boris Tomiak during the January transfer window then left a gaping hole in central defence. Sirch moved back into defense to plug the gap while another player who made great strides under Anfang, Leon Robinson, took over in midfield. 

This initially worked. Lautern won their first three league fixtures of the calendar year. Winter loan signing Maximilian Bauer also got off to a great start before falling off after his first five starts. The FCK front office nevertheless surely found themselves dissatisfied with the fact that Anfang didn’t find a way to incorporate the other two winter loan singings into the team. 

Bauer’s Augsburg teammate Tim Breithaupt hasn’t looked strong in various different midfield deployments. Borussia Mönchengladbach attacker Grant Leon Ranos and fellow new January acqusition Faride Alidou have barely featured at all. Bauer’s form dip has exacerbated defensive problems on the left-hand side. Anfang has appeared somewhat desperate in his tactics over the past month as he scrambles to get something workable together. 

The last seven matches

While sticking with his back-three, Anfang has tried virtually everything and anything above the last axis over the last seven league fixtures. By far the greatest problem area remains the wingback slots. Ritter, Robinson, Jean Zimmer, Florian Kleinhansl, Jan Gyamerah, Erik Wekesser, and even Kenny Prince Redondo have all had their turn at trying to stabilise the position in recent weeks. 

Sometimes this worked. Zimmer and Kleinhansl performed well in a matchday 24 win over Jahn Regensburg and again in a matchday 30 victory over Eintracht Braunschweig. At other times – like in the drab matchday 25 draw against Elversberg, the wild loss against Paderborn in the subsequent week, and in a weird 3-1-3-1 in the matchday 28 away loss at Magdeburg, neither player could establish rhythm on either side of the ball. 

Anfang opted for Gymerah and Redondo as his starting wingbacks against FC Nürnberg on matchday 27 and it proved to be a disaster. The hosting German Red Devils couldn’t overcome a very poor first hour despite a strong push at the end. The home loss against Nürnberg led Anfang to try Wekesser in an advanced role on the left opposite Gymerah against Eintracht Braunschweig next weekend. This achieved nothing in what would be Anfang’s final match.

Lieberknecht’s potential

Like Anfang, Lieberknecht enjoyed his own recent redemption arc. Something of a pun in German footballing circles, Lieberknecht attained some respect when he helped Darmstadt achieve promotion to the top flight ahead of the 2023/24 season. The fact that the Hessen’ Lillien went straight back down again didn’t fall on the head coach.

The general consensus is that Lieberknecht did a decent job with a squad that lost its leading goal-scorer, Philipp Tietz, and best defender, Patric Pfeiffer, to Augsburg before the season began. Lieberknecht coped with a slew of injuries to his attacking corps and brought the best out of current Bundesliga professionals Tim Skarke and Mathias Honsak during the challenging campaign. 

Whether Lieberknecht can do what for midfielder Breithaupt what he did for the likes of Marvin Mehlem, Julian Justvan, and Tobias Kempe in such a short time span remains doubtful. Moreover, the fullback/wingback situation constitutes way too big a problem to be solved immediately. The FCK squad planners haven’t left either their previous or current head coach with the best hand. 

Alas, there is always the old German adage “Neue Besen kehren gut” (which translates to “a new broom sweeps well”). Sometimes, particularly in football, the more presence of new personalities provides fresh impetus in the locker room. Players enjoy the chance to prove themselves anew and – with a bit of luck of course – that extra notch of energy makes the difference. 

Opinion: What does a Lautern fan think?

Perhaps it should first be emphasised that whether or not the Pfälzer Red Devils achieve promotion this season is not entirely the most relevant question. Those who regularly head to Fritz Walter Stadion to take in the atmosphere consider ourselves winners lately. Promotion after 13 years out of the top flight obviously constitutes a dream come true, but the last three years have counted as something of a dream in its own right. 

“Matchday Fever” more or less fully returned to the city once the team got promoted back into the second division ahead of the 2022/23 season. The streets were promptly full again. Fritz Walter began generating sell outs. Within a year, their second division attendance levels surpassed those of our last year (2011/12) in the top flight. Everyone wants to see the Teufel, even at great personal expense. 

The club songs – old and new – blare out of the town windows on matchdays. The WestKurve rocks it in a way reminiscent of the glory days. The ecstasy of last season’s trip to Berlin for the DFB Pokal final unquestionably hasn’t dissipated. Dark years repressed optimism in this relatively small town that worships football. Nothing seems truly capable of pushing it back down again. The party continues in the “schöne alte Stadt”/”K-town”

Hengen and sporting director Marcel Klos enjoy some leeway in that – after all – their coaching moves have worked out. Schuster got the team back where it needed to be. Funkel – literally mobbed by FCK supporters at the ground on the day he was appointed and before he actually did anything – engineered a fantastic “relegation escape party”; the best we’ve enjoyed since Milan Sasic’s FCK famously avoided relegation from the second division on the last day of the 2007/08 season.

Lautern lovers desperately crave success. That being said, anyone associated with this club can quickly become a victim of their own success. It didn’t take long for Betze fans to call for full administrative house cleanings in 1995/96, 2005/06, and the many dark years thereafter. One can make the case that Anfang was a victim of his success. Hengen may be caught in this “damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t” web at some point too. 

Hengen’s stewardship has produced no consistency in the coaching position. Of the four permanent coaches he’s appointed, only Schuster has served more than a year. Kosta Runjaic (2013-2015) is the last one who was given time to implement something consistent and memorable. 

Is there concern that the club is departing from its philosophy? Duh. Not exactly. As such a question implies that there is something of a “club philosophy” in the first place. Not these days. Everyone wants to just enjoy the party while it lasts. We know full well what it feels like when it comes to an end. 

In the opinion of this author, the latest coaching change probably won’t produce the desired sporting result. If Hengen and the squad planners can’t build a team around Lieberknecht’s notions this offseason, then the new coach probably won’t last through next season.

After Hengen cycled through three trainers last year and during the 2021/22 campaign, another one of those years may test our patience. Furthermore, taking the fans out of it, how long can the club financiers and investors put up with this?

A move like this carries with it a sizable long-term-risk for Hengen & Co.

For now, the Betze faithful are just along for the ride. 

GGFN | Peter Weis

Twelve months on, Die Schwarzgelben appear to be up to their old tricks once again, as they look to loan in an unwanted English winger from the Red Devils, but this time it is Marcus Rashford.

When Sancho signed on the dotted line to mark his second stint at the Westfalenstadion, there were suggestions that BvB were making a mistake, and this time around is no different.

Therefore, this is why Dortmund are wasting their time—and money—in signing the England international.

What happens to Jamie Gittens?

This has undeniably been a difficult campaign for Die Schwarzgelben, sitting tenth in the Bundesliga table, sitting six points off the Champions League places. 

However, a shining light for Nuri Şahin’s side has been Jamie Gittens, who has recorded eleven goals and five assists in 26 appearances this season.

Staring on the left-hand side of BvB’s frontline, Gittens has taken over from Karim Adeyemi, who enjoyed a bright start to the campaign but has since been plagued with injuries.

Nevertheless, Adeymi has returned, meaning that Dortmund now have two left-sided wingers ready to feature on a regular basis, and most importantly, who occupy the favoured position of Rashford. 

This means that should Dortmund look to squeeze the 27-year-old into the starting XI—which you imagine they would have to—then Gittens, for a second season in a row, would be affected by a Manchester United loanee taking his place.

There is also the option of utilising Rashford up front, but with 13 goals in his debut season for Dortmund, Serhou Guirassy has been a reliable marksman for BvB, making the decision to loan in the Englishman even more puzzling.

Another short-term solution

On top of questioning where Şahin would deploy Rashford, there is also the fact that this is BvB making another short-term solution rather than fixing the problem.

Donyell Malen’s exit has left a void on the right side of Dortmund’s right-hand side, a position that Rashford is not familiar with.

But even if they were to push Adeyemi or Gittens over to the right, then come the summer, they would need to find a permanent replacement for the Dutchman.

Rashford’s €400-a-week contract is not something that BvB could dream of matching—or even come close to offering—meaning that the Englishman is highly, highly unlikely to return to the Westfalenstadion next season. 

Could Dortmund turn elsewhere to find a ready-made fix for their right-hand side, or do they just enjoy attempting to revitalise failing Manchester United assets in which they will ultimately only lose money on?

Borussia Dortmund do not need Rashford

It has been established that Dortmund could benefit by signing a cheaper alternative to Rashford, who could come in and impact from the right-hand side of their frontline.

However, Die Schwzrsgelben should turn their attention to bolstering their backline and midfield.

Julian Brandt has been far off the pace this season, and without the 28-year-old firing on all cylinders, they do not have a creative spark in the midfield, someone who can muster up a magical moment from nowhere. 

As well as this, while injuries have been an issue for Şahin’s side this season, a recurring problem for Dortmund has been at left-back.

They have been linked to Chelsea’s Renato Veiga, but once again, only on loan; could they use the income generated by Malen to make this a permanent deal?

Having shipped 31 league goals this season means that finding further reinforcement to the centre of defence should also be of higher priority for BvB this winter.

Ultimately, for the past few seasons, Dortmund have found themselves in the position of requiring certain positions to be filled, but they ignore them or find short-term solutions.

The loan signing of Marcus Rashford only highlights this again, and if they are serious about becoming regular title contenders, then they need to change their approach in the transfer market.

GGFN | Will Shopland

Back in late August, Sahin’s team furnished a largely languid performance at home against Dino Toppmöller’s Eintracht Frankfurt. The Schwarzgelben were nevertheless able to begin the campaign with a 2-0 win courtesy of an electrifying brace from young English talent Jamie Gittens. This time, the scoreline ended up being reversed. 

Dortmund have now lost all three of their 2025 league fixtures following this 0-2 away defeat. Frankfurt, by contrast, have begun the new calendar year perfectly with three wins on-the-spin. Champions’ League football slips away from BVB as the team slips to 10th place. Toppmöller’s soaring Hessen Eagles, meanwhile, are guaranteed to finish the weekend third in the table. 

Tactical Analysis: Borussia Dortmund

Sahin’s squad found themselves buoyed somewhat by the return of Pascal Groß (suspension) and Waldemar Anton (illness). The new defensive-minded duo dispatched Marcel Sabitzer and Julien Duranville to the bench. Accordingly, the formation shifted from a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-4-3. Sahin ran a similar looking 3-4-3 during his first three fixtures in charge as BVB trainer.

Lineup—BVB—(3-4-3)

From the outset, one could tell that Sahin’s formation was by no means intended to be static. Although the guests clearly played out of the back via a three-man-chain, Ramy Bensebaini and Julian Ryerson appeared to operate under rearward thinking instructions. Emre Can roamed forward with some license on early attacking charges, settling in as an extra defensive midfielder once the ball was played forward. This hybrid system occasionally resembled a 4-3-3 in attack and a 5-4-1 in defence.

A passing error out of the back from Kobel in the second minute nearly led to Eintracht taking the lead. Fortunately, the BVB keeper was on hand to cover for his own mistake with a save on Hugo Larsson after a miscommunication with the back-line led to Kobel passing directly to Ellyes Skhiri. Even though this system did show some offensive promise, it came as no surprise to see the Hessian hosts gradually break the Dortmund defensive ranks down and snatch the lead in the 18^th minute.

Shockingly enough, Bensebaini showed absolutely no attentiveness in allowing Rasmus Kristensen to skirt past him on the SGE right. Both Groß and Schlotterbeck were too far away to pick up a mark on the Dane. Instead, Groß, Can, Schlotterbeck, and Anton were all left ball-watching as Hugo Ekitiké (who initiated the play) streaked into the box. The Frenchman coolly and flatly polished off the 1-0 through Anton’s legs. The instability of the shape continued to manifest itself.

Nathaniel Brown and Knauff took advantage of the fluid BVB defensive assignments to create chances via simple inside steps. Ekitiké (off Knauff’s ball in the 34th minute and with a pass in Brown’s direction in the 38th) missed out on a chances to increase the lead. All throughout the opening 45 minutes, Dortmund’s opening tactics looked especially vulnerable on the counter.

Bensebaini’s borderline unforgivable stroll on the Eintracht tally unsurprisingly saw him subbed off at the half. The ever-versatile Julian Ryerson then moved left while substitute Yan Couto took over on the right. Skipper Can slid out of the defensive ranks as Sahin’s crew mostly stuck to a 4-3-3/5-4-1 hybrid in pursuit of an equaliser.

Lineup—BVB—46th minute

Against the Eintracht defensive re-format, this produced very little. Can – to his immense credit – did improve massively on both sides of the ball. The team wasn’t entirely wasteful with all the possession Eintracht accorded them. Couto frequently showed bravery pushing forward and worked in an excellent cross in the 65th. There were other minor positives.

The SGE box simply remained too crowded for both Guirassy and Gittens despite their own clever moves. Ultimately, three more “all in” attack minded subs from Sahin allowed the inevitable to occur. Fresh legged Eintracht subs Oscar Højlund and Can Uzun punished the exhausted Can and Schlotterbeck to make it 2-0 in stoppage time.

Tactical Analysis: Eintracht Frankfurt

Omar Marmoush’s imminent transfer to Manchester City left Toppmöller with one enforced change to make from Tuesday’s 4-1 league win over Freiburg. German youth international (and former BVB academy man) Ansgar Knauff took over for the Egyptian attacker. Though the initial SGE shape certainly remains open to interpretation, this analysis subscribes to the theory that Ekitiké was intended to serve as the lone striker in Marmoush’s stead.

Lineup—SGE—(3-4-3)

As is often the case with Toppmöller’s tactics, the way his midfield tandem is intended to operate can prove difficult to read. Ellyes Skhiri and Hugo Larsson often work a slight split-stagger in a double-six set-up. Sometimes, the Tunisian veteran drifts all the way back to a sweeper role while Larsson works as far ahead as the second attacking axis. In this case, it looked as if Larsson mostly functioned ahead of Skhiri on a loose vertical lock.

The above BVB section already covers how well this functioned against the opposition in the first-half. A significantly more defensive-minded alignment after the restart clearly aimed to both protect the lead and furnish further opportunities on the counter. Robin Koch dropped his inverted pivot placement on the back-line while Kristensen and Nnamdi Collins dropped back.

Lineup—46th minute—(5-4-1)

The RheinMainAdler remained in this set-up even after Sahin refreshed with offensive subs Karim Adeyemi, Maximilian Beier, and Giovanni Reyna. Toppmöller employed only like-for-like changes. Prior to the first of the SGE trainer’s five subs in the 71st, Brown and Knauff were the most active during a series of rolling Eintracht counterattacks on the left.

Oscar Højlund (on for Larsson in the 75th) and Can Uzun (on for Götze in the 87th) made it 2-0 in added time. Højlund initially pressed Can off the ball. Uzun deservedly received an assist credit on Højlund’s tally even though the ball returned to the Danish midfielder’s feet via a somewhat propitious defection off Schlotterbeck. 

GGFN | Peter Weis

In the clash of the two giants, we’ve picked out three key battles to watch.

Virgil van Dijk vs Victor Boniface

Victor Boniface scored 21 and created 10 in 34 games across all competitions in his maiden season as a Bayer Leverkusen player and he’s already off the mark this season with nine goal contributions (eight goals and one assist) in 13 games. But against Liverpool, he’s coming up against the best current central defenders in football in Virgil van Dijk. In the Premier League, as noted by WhoScored, the Dutchman has the fewest times dribbled past per 90 among defenders (0.10) this season. He’s also won 37 aerial battles this season in England, the most of any defender, three more than Newcastle United’s Dan Burn.

But as we know, Boniface is a different profile to those in England. Strong, quick and agile, Boniface ranks in the 98^th percentile for Non-Penalty Expected Goals plus Assisted Goals (0.85 per 90). The Nigerian also ranks highest for Shots Total per 90 among Europe’s top five leagues (5.45), and will surely get a large number of shots off towards Caoimhin Kelleher’s goal.

Jeremie Frimpong vs Cody Gakpo

With the injury to Nordi Mukiele, Jeremie Frimpong will find himself in a defensive role at Anfield, countering Cody Gakpo, with Nathan Tella coming into the line up the position that the Dutchman would usually occupy. Not as effective defensively, Frimpong’s pace will be important given he will be up against his compatriot, or Mohamed Salah, but his defensive positioning could prove problematic for Leverkusen.

Gakpo has five goals and two assists in 15 games for Liverpool this season and although not as prolific as Salah, will still prove a threat against a Leverkusen team that has kept just three clean sheets in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season (Stuttgart, Feyenoord and Milan)

Dominik Szoboszlai vs Robert Andrich

Dominik Szoboszlai is a player whom Bayer Leverkusen will know well from his time at RB Leipzig, but the Hungarian has developed his game immensely over the last 18 months and is establishing himself as a key player for Liverpool. Across Europe’s Top 5 leagues and European competitions over the last year, the 24-year-old ranks in the 97^th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area (3.31) and averages 3.97 Shot-Creating Actions per 90.

It will be Robert Andrich’s task to keep Szoboszlai, and the Germany international was not only integral for his national team alongside Toni Kroos, but was one of Bayer’s key players last season as they went unbeaten in the Bundesliga, clinching their maiden title while also helping his side to the Europa League final, losing to Atalanta in the final.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder

Last season was underwhelming for Frankfurt, the side finished sixth in the Bundesliga but crashed out of the UEFA Conference League to Union Saint Gilloise after scraping through their group and were knocked out of the DFB Pokal to Saarbrucken. This resulted in doubts surrounding head coach Dino Toppmöller as the club had all these talented players but it seemed he was unable to get the best out of these players while the team played dire football. Toppmöller has a big legacy to follow as his father Klaus, was a relatively successful manager in Germany with his crowning achievement being leading Bayer Leverkusen to their second-placed treble in 2002. 

However, last season the majority of the squad and the head coach were in their first seasons together. With the likes of Omar Marmoush, Hugo Larsson, Robin Koch, Ellyes Skhiri, Hugo Ekitike and Farès Chaïbi all joining Frankfurt at various points of the season, while Toppmöller was in his first season back as a head coach, but his first in a major league.

On top of this, Frankfurt also lost Randal Kolo Muani, Daichi Kamada, Evan Ndicka and Jesper Lindstrøm all players who had been key to the club in their recent successes.

In the summer, Frankfurt lost William Pacho after only a year at the club but they still have a wealth of talent at their disposal. The summer saw the arrival of Can Uzun from Nürnberg. The forward is one of the hottest prospects in German football after his 19-goal season for the Franken side. On top of Uzun, there is the aforementioned Chaïbi as well as Igor Matanovic who had a successful loan spell at Karlsruher last season. 

But the biggest of them all is Hugo Larsson. The Swede is looking increasingly like he could be one of the best midfielders in Europe in the future. In his first season, Larsson put in a commanding performance against Bayern Munich as Frankfurt won 5-1, and since then he has gone from strength to strength complimenting midfield partner Skhiri well. The 20-year-old is already attracting interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs and if he continues at his rate of development, he could be Frankfurt’s next €100m sale. 

Next, there is Hugo Ekitké and Omar Marmoush. They are one of the deadliest duos in Europe at the moment sitting fourth in Europe’s top five leagues for goal contributions. The pair have 10 goals and six assists between them in the league, working in a modern-day big and small man pairing with Marmoush regularly running in behind, while Ekitike drops off to link play, this can be best seen in Frankfurt’s first two goals against Bayern Munich.

The Egyptian has always been a solid Bundesliga player, but this season has taken an extra step in his final product. Ekitiké also showed promise while he was at Reims but struggled in Paris and has finally found his feet again in Frankfurt. 

Not everything is completely great for Die Adler. Frankfurt does need to improve defensively as they have only kept one clean sheet this season against Borussia Mönchengladbach while also throwing away their lead against Viktoria Plzen, a team they realistically should be beating and against Bayern, Frankfurt’s poor defending can be the pined as the reasons for two of Bayern’s goals. 

Despite all this, Frankfurt continued to prove that they’re one of Europe’s most tactically interesting sides at the moment as everything seems to be clicking under Toppmöller.

GGFN | Jack Meenan