Fans as family, not customers, and the rise of Dortmund

By Anthony Lopopolo

They’re made of steely stuff, these people, and a few stories in the tabloids and the press didn’t do much to break their nerves. After all, Dortmund almost went bankrupt in 2005, and even when they lost so much – millions of dollars, sponsorships and players – the fans never died down. That’s not their way. No fewer than 70,000 attended the matches following that close encounter with the death penalty, and now, sometimes for as little as €11 per ticket, they can watch a team that’s looking destined for Wembley and has a chance to win a second Champions League title.

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Dortmund’s Yellow Wall meets Real Madrid’s Dreams of La Décima

Some of the best fans in the world welcome Real Madrid & their dreams of a 10th Champions League title to Dortmund. As they did for Bayern vs Barça, KICKTV again called on our man Dan Leydon to show what happens when Galacticos face a wall of 70,000 screaming Germans.

Commanding. Pivotal. Tenacious. Javi Martinez has become the complete anchor midfielder.

By Dominic Vieira

He’s worth every cent of the €40m paid for him last year by Bayern Munich, a Bundesliga record that not even Gotze managed to smash only a few hours ago. On a night when two titans clashed, an imperious and brilliant Bavarian side thrashed Barcelona 4-0, with Javi Martinez making a name for himself.

Although the praise naturally revolves around Muller and Robben, who were the fire behind Bayern’s clinical destruction, Javi Martinez was flawless. He was omnipresent throughout the 90 minutes, constantly closing down his opponents, dominating in the air and never missing a tackle. It was a rock-solid performance that became his first win over Barcelona and has now virtually placed Bayern with a slot in the final.

In fact, it was Bayern’s second victory over Vilanova’s side, with the first being last summer’s signing of Martinez. A physical, dynamic player they much needed and were determined to make a ‘blaugrana’, but his fairly high release fee clause ruled them out of the race. For once, Barcelona did not have the financial power at their disposal and opted for a more feasible option, Alex Song.

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Shawn Parker: The next German-American whose stock is rising in the Bundesliga

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By Ross Dunbar

Shawn Parker prefers not to say much. His performances for FSV Mainz 05 have spoken enough – and now he could be the next star in the making for either the United States or Germany.

Turning 20 last week, the forward rose to prominence in the Bundesliga this season having made the breakthrough in late 2012. The sharp man-management skills of trainer Thomas Tuchel offered Parker a new lease of life, which meant he worked with the first-team, whilst playing in the Regionalliga Südwest with the reserve team.

It reversed a slump in form in the second team and a glimpse of the prosperous Bundesliga status sparked the teenager into life. “He told me that I need to change my approach to the game and I do not want to rest on my talent,” he said.

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Through Ryu’s Lens: Turkish giants take Germany

The Bundesliga’s stature in world football continues to rise, and Schalke were slight favourites to join Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. But with Burak Yilmaz, Wesley Sneijder, and Didier Drogba leading them forward after a 1-1 draw in Istanbul, Galatasaray rose to the challenge at the Veltins-Arena, clinching an emphatic 3-2 victory on German soil. Ryu was on the scene to catch the Turkish giants sailing into the deep waters that await in the quarterfinals.

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.

Through Ryu’s Lens: France vs Germany, Stade de France

For the first time since 1987, the French fell to Germany. It may have been a friendly, but it happened at Stade de France in Paris, no less. The come from behind victory was a product of yet another outstanding performance from Mesut Ozil, working the strings in the final third. Just look at THAT PASS to set up Sami Khedira for the match-winner. Ryu followed the Germans from Berlin to Pair-ee, capturing Deutschland defeat Les Bleus. 

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.

Germany’s young masterminds: Klopp, Löw and the upcoming Julian Nagelsmann

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By Ross Dunbar

The success and legacy of Klopp at Borussia Dortmund has been favourable in the balance of less-experienced coaches aiming for employment at the highest level of the game. Younger coaches – or trainers as known in Germany – are more respected than ever before and the latest trend in modern coaching is encouraging the development of those with a less-prominent background in professional football to flourish at the top level.

Julian Nagelsmann might be acquiring knowledge rapidly at just 25 years of age – but he has circumstantially learned to deal with a range of challenging environments. Plying his young career as a right-sided full-back at 1860 Munchen, he sustained a problematic knee cartilage injury in 2006 during an U19 match against Eintracht Frankfurt, which left him on the treatment table for nearly two years.

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A new dawn in Deutschland ‘Guardiola’s move to the Bundesliga seems to confirm the league’s new sexiness across Europe. The man himself casts a long shadow, one filled with hopes as well as doubts. Will he be able to apply his successful techniques at a club where himself and his ideals weren’t incubated? Time will tell.’ - We’re delighted to feature Dan Leydon’s work on AFR. Find him on: Twitter / Tumblr / Etsy.

A new dawn in Deutschland

‘Guardiola’s move to the Bundesliga seems to confirm the league’s new sexiness across Europe. The man himself casts a long shadow, one filled with hopes as well as doubts. Will he be able to apply his successful techniques at a club where himself and his ideals weren’t incubated? Time will tell.’ - We’re delighted to feature Dan Leydon’s work on AFR. Find him on: Twitter / Tumblr / Etsy.

From Robbie Kruse to Stefan Reisinger: A goal that will live long in the memory of Fortuna Düsseldorf

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It marks a dramatic return to the Bundesliga, following a 15-year absence, which was a traumatic period for the club. A decade ago last Friday, Fortuna were thrashed 6-0 by Wuppertaler SV in the fifth-tier of German football, as they made small steps on their ascent to become the only side to be demoted to the regional leagues and return to the top-flight.

Seven days that will be monumental in Fortuna’s Bundesliga history starting with a routine 2-0 home win against Hamburg SV, three weeks ago. A well-earned draw would follow in Dortmund in midweek before an impressive 4-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt on the following Friday.

Years of financial difficulties and licensing problems has marred one of the most traditional clubs in German football. Like many in the 1990s, Fortuna were hit hard by the financial problems widespread in German football and in the end, they plummeted to the regional divisions – participating as low as the Oberliga Nordrehin. Commercially, the club was in dire straits and it took a local punk rock band, Die Toten Hosen, to bail them out for two year’s worth of sponsorship revenue.

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