Bundesliga Fanatic Podcast

The Bundesliga Fanatic Podcast turns 50 and to mark the ocassion we have Eurosport commentator Angus Torode and the Bundesliga Shows' Terry Duffelen.  In our first segment we look back on Dortmund's historic season, all the records they have broken and what has set them apart from all the rest.  We also discuss Leverkusen's future and whether Sami Hyypia should or will stay on, and talk about their striker Stefan Kiessling and whether or not he deserves the same praise and consideration as Wolfsburg's Patrick Helmes with the upcoming European Championship.  We then glance at what the future will hold for both Bremen and Gladbach who will both enter crucial rebuilding periods next season.

Our second segment focuses on the heated relegation battle which came to a close with a bang during hte weekend.  Can Hertha get by Fortuna Düsseldorf in the relegation/promotion playoff and stay up and can Köln ever escape the constant drama and turmoil both on and off the pitch?  We finish by discussing the departure of Augsburg coach Jos Luhukay and how that could affect the team.

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Matchday 32 may not have been the most exciting but we promise to make it as titillating as possible on our latest episode.  Sit down, have a coffee, a beer, a fine scotch or even a green tea like Mr. Magath and enjoy.

In our first segment we go over matchday 32's most important results.  We take a look back at Dortmund's second consecutive title and record breaking season, where that club is at the moment and where it is going.  In contrast, we discuss Bremen's poor Rückrunde and possible remedies going into next season.  Likewise, is Arnesen reconsidering his youth policy and how on earth did Kaiserslautern break their 21 match winless streak?

Our second segment focuses exclusively on the big Champions League semi final between Bayern and Real Madrid.  Could Madrid's away goal in the first leg prove crucial in the second and how did does Clasico over the weekend affect Mourinho's strategy and the team's performances going into Wednesday's match?

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On this extra edition of the Bundesliga Fanatic podcast we focus on football in Germany's capital.  The Fanatic's Niklas Wildhagen traveled to Berlin last week and dove into the history and culture of Berlin's football scene.  In the first segment, Niklas talks to Hertha Berlin supporter and German football expert John Kluempers ahead of Hertha's big match against SC Freiburg and their season so far in general.  What is there to say about Michael Preetz's management, or mismanagement, of the club and was Markus Babbel's firing the beginning of the end for Hertha's season?

In the second segment. Niklas met up with Berlin journalist Titus Chalk for a much broader discussion on football in the country's capital.  Why are BFC Dynamo so hated in the city and what are Union Berlin's future prospects?  Will Berlin ever have a successful football club and what about the city's culture characterizes its football?

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Hand in hand with the relaunch of our new all improved website, our latest podcast will cover all the action from matchday 31 and preview Bayern Munich's upcoming Champions League semi final against Real Madrid.  We start with the big Ruhr derby between Schalke and Dortmund and what Dortmund's win symbolizes.  Is the title all but won and do Bayern finally have a worthy long term competitor?  Also, where did Schalke go wrong?  We also take a look at Stuttgart's recent form and their win over Bremen as well as the goal fest between Hertha Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen.  Additionally, we dissect the multitude of problems at Köln, on and off the pitch and speculate about the intensifying battle for relegation.

In our second segment, we break down Bayern's chances against Real Madrid on Tuesday and briefly go over their history in the competition.  What are Madrid's weaknesses and are Bayern ready to face arguably the most in form team in Europe?

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On this jam-packed episode we dissect matchday 28, speak to a Leverkusen supporter about Robin Dutt's recent sacking and interview Eurosport commentator Angus Torode about the exciting title race.  On the weekend's action, things are getting tighter and tighter at the bottom, Hertha Berlin, Kaiserslautern and Köln dropped vital points yet again and could be the three teams facing the drop.  Freiburg meanwhile continue to be the surprise package of the Rückrunde while Wolfsburg are slowly but surely making a steady push for Europe.  Was Robin Dutt's sacking justified and what are the reactions of the Leverkusen faithful? And who is the ideal candidate for the future?  We ask Leverkusen supporter Eric.

In our second segment, Angus Torode takes us through what is turning into one of the most exciting title races in recent memory between Bayern and Dortmund.  Their match on April 11th could well decide the title.  We also discuss Friday's crazy game between Dortmund and Stuttgart, arguably the most exiting in recent Bundesliga memory.  Was Klopp's decision to take Gündogan decisive in Stuttgart's comeback?  And Angus briefly discusses Bayern's narrow yet vital win against Nürnberg.

Finally, we quickly glance at the upcoming European fixtures.  Bayern have one foot in the semi finals, Schalke are all but out but do Hannover have a shot at getting past Atletico Madrid after a 2-1 loss in the first leg?

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On this episode we review the goal laden matchday 26 and look ahead to the DFB Cup semi finals midweek.  We start off with Bayern's big win against Hertha Berlin where we can safely proclaim them to be back to their best this season but how long will that last and can they keep that up through three different competitions?  We also look to Dortmund's important win against Bremen to stay ahead of the rejuvenated Bayern and discuss whether Schalke can leapfrog Gladbach to third.  Also, what makes Hannover tick after they set a new club record for most consecutive home matches unbeaten?  Further down the table the relegation battle is slowly coming to a boil with Freiburg and Augsburg picking up important wins, putting added pressure on Hertha, Kaiserslautern and a faltering Hamburg.  Can Hamburg stay up with the worst home record when the last 13 seasons saw the team with the worst home recored relegated?

In our second segment we preview the two big semi finals in the German Cup.  Can Greuther Fürth upset Borussia Dortmund when the best team in the 2. Bundesliga meets the best team from the Bundesliga?  A lot is at stake for Fürth including a historic European spot should they make the final.  What do Dortmund need to do to get past them?  And are Bayern finally going to break their Gladbach duck or will Patrick Herrmann's potential return spoil Bayern's treble dreams.  We also answer some of the questions we received on twitter at the end.

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On episode 44, we review matchday 25 and preview the upcoming European fixtures. This week we are joined by Tobias Escher from German tactics blog spielverlagerung.de for his insight and tactical expertise.  We start off with Bayern's emphatic win over Hoffenheim.  Are they back to their best after that display or did Hoffenheim's reshuffling flatter them?   Dortmund also had their lead over Bayern narrowed by 5 points as a result of Augsburg's resolute performance. We analyze how Augsburg man marked Dortmund out of the game and got one of the biggest surprise results of the round.  We also take a look at Köln's big win over Hertha and some of the backroom drama involving Finke and Solbakken as well as the two Sunday matches between Bremen/Hannover and Schalke/Hamburg.

In our second segment we take a look at what is arguably turning out to be Bayern's biggest match of the season.  Their game against Basel is make or break this year and could impact the future of Heynckes and the rest of the club.  Do they have what it takes to get by Basel or is it goodbye from Europe once more?  Also, do Schalke stand a chance of advancing against Twente after a poor refereeing decision put them 1-0 behind in the first leg? And can we potentially look forward to a reality where Hannover is the last remaining German side in European competitions?

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On this episode we review matchday 24 and look ahead to Bundesliga clubs in European competition this week.  In our first segment we discuss Dortmund's increasing lead atop the table.  Their unbeaten run was stretched to 18 matches with a win against Mainz while Bayern, Schalke and Gladbach all failed to keep up. Can they make up Dortmund's lead and is Bayern's crisis avertable? Also, is Gladbach's lack of depth finally catching up to them?  We also take a look at Leverkusen and Stuttgart's recent upturn in form and discuss the potential of Freiburg, Kaiserslautern and Augsburg to stay up.

In our second segment we look at Leverkusen's seemingly inevitable elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona and ask how Dutt should approach this game to make it a respectable tie.  Do they have anything to lose and can they get a result at the Nou Camp at all?  Also, are Hannover and Schalke in danger in the Europa League?  Hannover travel to Belgium to Liege where they lost 2-0 in the group stages while Schalke's increasingly poor away form could cost them against an in form Twente.

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During this international week, we welcome special guests, hosts of the Bundesliga Show and curators of the Bundesliga Lounge, Jon Hartley and Terry for a special version of this internet broadcast.  On this episode we dive into German football history head first and recall some of our favorite teams, players and moments of the past and what ultimately led everyone to the Bundesliga.  What are some of the moments most edged in our memories and who are some of the unsung heros and most despised players of the past? We also go around and discuss our take on German football's greatest ever moment and share some personal anecdotes ranging from first trip to stadiums and meeting certain players.

Be sure to check out the Bundesliga Lounge for the latest Bundesliga Show where Niklas makes a guest appearance to review Matchday 23.

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Welcome to a special midweek episode of the Fanatic podcast.  In this edition we will focus specifically on the 2. Bundesliga and all its exciting plot-lines.  People talk about the exciting title race in the first division but the race might be even tighter in the second flight.  In our first segment we interview Eurosport's 2. Bundesliga correspondent Stuart Telford and discuss everything that is happening atop the table.  Are Eintracht Frankfurt a shoe in to win the league and get promoted?  Is Armin Veh finally happy with his squad after tweaking it the whole season?  Also, who will join them in what is shaping up to be a six team race for 3 promotion spots.  Can Fortuna Düsseldorf rebound and discover the great form from early in the season and can this year's surprise package, SC Paderborn pull the ultimate upset and overtake St. Pauli and Greuther Fürth?

In our second segment we welcome SC Padeborn striker Matthew Taylor to discuss his team's incredible Cinderella season.  What has made them so effective this year and we get his opinion on the club's chances of gaining promotion.  We also get an inside take on Padeborn's training methods, preparation and how coach Roger Schmidt works.  We finish with a third segment focusing on the bottom end of the table and discuss who the candidates are to go down and who can avoid the drop.  The relegation dogfight could be just as exciting as the race for promotion as Hansa Rostock, MSV Duisburg, Karlsruher SC, Ingolstadt, FSV Frankfurt, Erzgebirge Aue, Alemania Aachen and Energie Cottbus are all in danger.

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