Derby Day

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What Spurs fans can expect from Lewis Holtby

First of all: He’s better than Marko Marin. Way better. Lightyears better. They don’t even play in the same universe. Beyond that, Lewis Holtby really is an above average Bundesliga midfielder. Extremely versatile, good on the ball and, of course, still young enough to improve in the future. The 22-year-old pulled of a few ‘man of the match’ performances at the start of this season, but failed to impress in the later stages of the Hinrunde.

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That brings us straight to his main weakness: inconsistency. Holtby furthermore is a fairly slow player, which almost bawls for adaptive difficulties in a high speed affair the Premier League is. From a mere sporting point of view however, signing an new contract at his current employer would have made sense for both parties.

As a Schalke fan, I am certainly relieved seeing him to leave the club. Holtby recently revealed quite a agent-driven personality and seems to overrate himself. His noncommittal attitude admittedly could fit into this Premiership world of make-believe.

The son of a British soldier is a keen Everton supporter (like his father). So you should look forward to loathsome Lewis exchanging French kisses with Tottenham's badge after scoring his first goal.

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RIP Alex Alves

The former Hertha striker tragically died from leukemia today - at the age of only 37. He was best known for his flamboyance and of course this tremendous 55 yards strike which was voted 'Goal of the Year' in 2000:



Gone but not forgotten.

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Gender Equality at German Non-League Grounds

It is one of the phenomena of the non-league scene that hasn't changed since my childhood days – female football fans often have to pay considerably less at the gates than their male counterparts. Interestingly, this oddity approximately starts below the Oberligen (level 5) and can be observed throughout the country.

For example, women only have to pay € 1,50 at Westphalian level 6 side SV Holzwickede. Men not entitled to any reduction have to settle up four times that price:

Once, twice, four times a lady

Sometimes, attending games is even a completely costless affair for the fair sex ("Frauen haben freien Eintritt"):

Dreams are free... it's making them come true that costs so much.

As much as I understand that kind of pricing policy at swinging clubs and discos, I am not able to do the same in this case. What's the benefit for the clubs? Quite apart from the fact that this line of action is veritable unrighteousness.

Feel free to send any valuable information to our address.

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Felix Wiedwald and the worst red card decision ever

What a villainous assault:
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Screen derby: Roman Neustädter vs. Marco Reus

Prior to last Saturday's Revierderby between Dortmund and Schalke, Former Mönchengladbach teammates Marco Reus and Roman Neustädter already did a simulation of the eagerly anticipated matchup with FIFA 13.
As we all know now, in ze real life Schalke come off better for the first time since early 2010. On the Xbox however, the game ended with an amicably draw.

Full time: Silly Baseball Cap City 1-1 Silly Baseball Cap United.

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From Düren to Hero: Andreas Lambertz

Lambertz in 2004 vs. GFC Düren

American sportsfans have it good: A rebound is a rebound is a rebound. An RBI …

In football, however, it's always a bit tricky when it comes to individual statistics. To this day, no one could give me a convincing explanation of how a "Zweikampf" (mixture of tackle and 50-50) is exacty defined. Where do short passes stop, where do long passes begin?

Ever since the emergence of companies like Opta or Impire, statistics evaluation has been transformed into an absurd record hunting business.

NEW RECORD: four headed goals in seven games with unwashed ears. You name it.

Despite that, no football player has ever gained promotion with the very same club from level 4 of the league system to the Bundesliga, having played in each of these divisions.

Well, at least until matchday three of the current season. Hats off to Fortuna Düsseldorf's skipper Andreas "Lumpi" Lambertz!

An achievement not to be expected from a narrow-chested midfielder cutting his way through the lowlands of Oberliga Nordrhein in 2004.

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Coldplay and Leon Andreasen – Never meant to cause you trouble

A spider web and it's me in the middle

Having last played in April 2010(!), Leon Andreasen's cinderella-esque return into Hannover's first team was _the_ story of the still young 2012-2013 campaign. The Dane even managed to score the team's first goal of the season at St. Pats' (Europa League qualifier).
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28 months of suffering seemed to have come to an end. Well, at least until yesterday's 4-1 Bundesliga victory over Nuremberg. Andreasen had to come off after twisting his knee at one of the many uneven spots of an really awful pitch – traces of a Coldplay concert four days ago.

The 29-year-old had to be substituted after just 9 minutes when the score was still 0-0. So worst of all, he maybe had to witness Hannover's deafening goal celebration song a mellowing four times: "Viva La Vida!" by, ehm, Coldplay.

Please don't get me wrong: Coldplay may be shite, but how the heck does one get the idea of arranging an open-air stadium concert during one of the busiest stages of the season with loads of mid-week matches?

Andreasen however was brought to the hospital with a suspected cruciate ligament rupture, which has now been confirmed. We wish him all the best.

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Ibrahim Afellay: First Interview at Schalke

Well, as the title implies: The new loan signing from mighty Barca directs his first words to Schalke's Club TV (in English with German translations).





What no one really expected: All of his early thoughts about the club are positive.

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Knocked out Referee: The Luisão Situation

In a Fortuna Düsseldorf v Benfica friendly this afternoon, the ref got knocked out by Benfica skipper Luisão. The incident has not been that easy to evaluate, the game however was instantly abandoned after Christian Fischer came round.

So it's up to you: Malicious attack or simply the worst performance by an actor in a supporting role?

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If Hannover fans were cool...

..., a banner like this one would be in their hand luggage for today's journey to Dublin:

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Christian Tiffert vs. Goal-line Technology

You're in and you're out, you're up and you're down

After years of argumenting and (probably even more) testing, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has once and for all approved the use of the so called goal-line technology in official football games.



So extremely difficult to evaluate situations like this wonderful Christian Tiffert goal could finally be consigned to the past:

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How football fans see themselves & are seen by others

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2012-13 DFB-Pokal First Round Proper Draw (German FA Cup)

[blow bubbles here]

Yesterday, the draw for the 32 first round ties has been made by Oliver Bierhoff in Gdansk.
Holders: Borussia Dortmund.



2. Bundesliga versus Bundesliga
Jahn Regensburg v FC Bayern München
Erzgebirge Aue v Eintracht Frankfurt

2. Bundesliga versus 2. Bundesliga
VfR Aalen v FC Ingolstadt 04
SV Sandhausen v Energie Cottbus

3. Liga versus Bundesliga
Karlsruher SC v Hamburger SV
Alemannia Aachen v Borussia Mönchengladbach
1. FC Saarbrücken v FC Schalke 04
Kickers Offenbach v SpVgg Greuther Fürth
Preußen Münster v Werder Bremen
Wacker Burghausen v Fortuna Düsseldorf

3. Liga versus 2. Bundesliga
Arminia Bielefeld v SC Paderborn
1. FC Heidenheim v VfL Bochum
SpVgg Unterhaching v 1. FC Köln
Hansa Rostock v 1. FC Kaiserslautern
Chemnitzer FC v Dynamo Dresden
Hallescher FC v MSV Duisburg

Regionalliga (level 4) versus Bundesliga
FC Oberneuland v Borussia Dortmund
Berliner AK 07 v 1899 Hoffenheim
FC Carl Zeiss Jena v Bayer Leverkusen
SV Wilhelmshaven v FC Augsburg
TSV Havelse v 1. FC Nürnberg

Regionalliga (level 4) versus 2. Bundesliga
SG Sonnenhof Großaspach v FSV Frankfurt
Wormatia Worms v Hertha BSC
VfB Lübeck v Eintracht Braunschweig
Rot-Weiss Essen v 1. FC Union Berlin

Oberliga (level 5) versus Bundesliga
FC Nöttingen v Hannover 96
SC Victoria Hamburg v SC Freiburg
SV Rossbach/Verscheid v FSV Mainz 05

Oberliga (level 5) v 2. Bundesliga
Offenburger FV v FC St. Pauli
FC Hennef v TSV 1860 München

Verbandsliga (level 6) v Bundesliga
SV Falkensee-Finkenkrug v VfB Stuttgart
FC Schönberg 95 v VfL Wolfsburg

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No real highlights, if you were to ask me. Saarbrücken v Schalke smells like deep 80's 2. Bundesliga mediocrity at least. Preußen Münster v Werder Bremen also is a tie to watch with some upset potential.

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Marko Arnautovic: "I'm that rich, I can buy your life"

The best things in life are free

Caught in a police check in Vienna, Austrian Werder striker Marko Arnautovic responded in his very reluctant way:

Sod you! I make so much money that I can buy your life.

According to Austrian newspaper heute the police officer subsequently charged Arnautovic for "aggressive behaviour". So minted Marko probably has to "buy" a lawyer first and foremost.

Anyway, it's time for a quotes section on this blog, isn't it?

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Schland Partyotism

Colourful fan culture or the stupidest achievement since 1909?

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The state of German non-league football?

Simply stick to Erkenschwick

...or as Goscinny didn't say: All of the Recklinghausen disctrict is under Schalke's control, except for one small village of indomitables that still holds out against the Royal Blues.

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Whatever became of... Mario Basler?

The proof: It's really him! (screenshot: netto-online.de/blog/)

What does he do for a living? Well, first of all he works as manager of Regionalliga (level 4) side Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. But it seems that even the recent relegation of his team did not stop him from looking for a part time job.

So he started to blog for a big discount supermarket chain about Euro 2012. He was not known for profound evaluations as a player, all the better that we now can admire his thinker's pose in front of a chalkboard.

You'd better watch out, Zonal Marking!

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Leapfrogging Oberliga

The sky is the limit!

What reads like an enormous bug in Football Manager 2012 is actually happening in German non-league football right now: some teams have a historic opportunity to gain promotion from level 6 directly to level 4 of the league system.

The reason for this is that the current three Regionalligen (4th tier) will be expanded to five with the beginning of the 2012-13 season. Bavaria, for example, will get it's own division (only god knows why).

The promotion play-off rules differ from region to region. Far in the west, in our biggest federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, even two former Bundesliga sides take part in the crucial matchups: KFC Uerdingen and SG Wattenscheid 09.

The competitors play two matches against each other on a home and away basis (away goals rule applies). Mighty SGW qualified as champions of Verbandsliga Westfalen II (6th tier) and therefore are one the clubs that aim to skip Oberliga (5th tier). Albeit their opponents SV Bergisch Gladbach might also have a say in the matter...

Fixtures
Thursday, 07th June 2012, 15:00 CET
KFC Uerdingen 05 v FC Kray
SSVg Velbert v SV Lippstadt 08
Bergisch Gladbach 09 v SG Wattenscheid 09

Sunday, 10th June 2012, 15:00 CET
FC Kray v KFC Uerdingen 05
SV Lippstadt 08 v SSVg Velbert
SG Wattenscheid 09 v Bergisch Gladbach 09

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A football recovery called Euro 2012

The typical end of season feeling: another year of club football is gone. And along with it loads of blood, sweat and tears. On the contrary, World Cups and European Championships have always been kind of footballing recreational holidays for me.

I don't have to root for anybody and therefore I'm able to simply enjoy the beautiful game in the true sense of the word. Having a barbecue and chilled drinks while watching Europe's finest footballers doin' their job in HD – as good as it gets.

At every international tournament since World Cup 94 I participated in a private betting game run by some of my mates. This time I furthermore decided to try out some Euro fantasy football at fanxt.com. Should be a lot of fun to build my own team of European superstars.

There are two variations of the game. The totally free to use version addresses the more casual users amongst us but you can also register as a premium user and compete for prizes amounting to 17,600 US Dollars.

All I have to do now is to figure out which players are worth my $100 million budget. Still haven't found Messi, yet...

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