Bayern Munich party like it’s 1999 after ‘incomprehensible’ defeat
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge felt losing the Champions League final to Chelsea was more brutal than against Manchester UnitedBayern Munich went straight from the stadium to their end-of-season dinner at the Postpalast event hall but could not escape the Blues...
Black cloud over Köln as the shambolic club goes down in smoke | Raphael Honigstein
Poor performances from the boardroom, the managers and team have seen the club relegated for the fifth time in 15 yearsThe RheinEnergie Stadion was on fire on Saturday but not in a good way. Thick plumes of smoke engulfed the pitch by the time the frig...
Bundesliga farewells come early as Raúl and Ballack bow out | Raphael Honigstein
The Bundesliga said 'auf Wiedersehen' to some big names on an emotional penultimate weekend in Germany"Auf Wiedersehen." It's so polite a phrase that you wonder why the English did not invent it. Rather than wishing people farewell or goodbye, "auf Wie...
Borussia Dortmund celebrate Bundesliga title win built on unity | Raphael Honigstein
Dortmund celebrated back-to-back titles with an enthusiasm and togetherness that has been a mark of their seasonIt was a week that packed – quite literally – plenty of punches. On Tuesday night, an altercation between Arjen Robben and Franck Ribér...
Hungry wolves of Dortmund win title and give Bayern a lesson in desire | Raphael Honigstein
Jürgen Klopp's low-budget Borussia Dortmund showed unity – and unlike Bayern Munich played with an insatiable will to winThey tried winding them up, putting up an "Are you missing something?" banner alongside what looked like the remnants of a captu...
Bayern Munich left floundering as Borussia Dortmund edge towards title | Raphael Honigstein
The 'Bayern-Dusel' ran out at Westfalenstadion as Dortmund went six points clear with four games remaining in the BundesligaWhen it was all over, Bastian Schweinsteiger ran straight into the team bus, unshowered and unchanged, like a teenager going int...
Borussia Dortmund prepare for showdown with Bayern Munich| Raphael Honigstein
The two teams at the top of the Bundesliga meet in Dortmund on Wednesday evening, while Stuttgart are on the riseVast sections of the German media treated matchday 29 as a mere prelude to Dortmund's date with Bayern on Wednesday night. The absurd press...
Schalke find joyous momentum while Bundesliga rivals fret and sweat | Raphael Honigstein
In a tight-knit league marked by inconsistency and doubt, it is Schalke, spearheaded by the prolific Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who are making the biggest impact at presentA total of 416,000 people in the stadiums and quite a few million on the sofas enjoyed...
A very un-Bayern-like Bayern roll on after Hertha horror show | Raphael Honigstein
After 20 goals in only eight days, there is renewed hope this will not be a trophyless season for the Bavarians after allThere were many interesting storylines in the Bundesliga this weekend. The best one? Take your pick from more worrying incidents of...
Lumbering heavyweights Köln and Hamburg face fight to stay up | Raphael Honigstein
Pivotal matches for two misfiring powerhouses created drama on and off the pitch – and only a sliver of optimismCan you spot the difference? One is a true, traditional Bundesliga heavyweight, with a history rich in titles and mythology. And so is the...
Bayern, Mönchengladbach, Schalke – does any one want to win the league? | Raphael Honigstein
The top clubs are showing a lack of ambition so complete that it's surely unparalleled in 49 years of Bundesliga footballThe Germany manager Joachim Löw had a number of interesting games to chose from this weekend. But he decided to attend SC Freiburg...
Leverkusen lost in communication as Robin Dutt is shown the door | Raphael Honigstein