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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (4 Viewers)

GoFishTN said:
Jump on the RB Leipzig train now. Toot toot!
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I don't bet on soccer because of the corruption but if I did, I would lay some good money that RB will get promoted next season to the Bundesliga. The way that they have moved up the German club pyramid in just 6 seasons is very impressive. They were in the 5th division in the 2009/2010 season.

 
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Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
You want a team that should stay up, so I would avoid Ingolstadt. In the last 10 seasons, 6 of the 10 teams promoted went right back down.

Wolfsburg - 19 years up, champs in '09. finished 15, 8 , 11, 5, 2 in the last five season.

Mönchengladbach - 8 years up this stint. Champs in '70, '71, '75, '76, 77. Finished 16, 4, 8, 6, 3 in the last five. (learn "alt 0246" to get the ö)

Schalke - 25 years up this sting. Never been champs. Finished 14, 3, 4, 3, 6 in the last five.

Dortmund - 40 years up, Champs in '95, '96, 02, '11, '12. Finished 1,1, 2, 2, 7 in the last five.

Good luck.

 
Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
Wolfsburg has done a better job of being competitive in the Bundesliga over a long period of time than most. Agree about the cool kits.

 
Mjolnirs said:
Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
You want a team that should stay up, so I would avoid Ingolstadt. In the last 10 seasons, 6 of the 10 teams promoted went right back down.

Wolfsburg - 19 years up, champs in '09. finished 15, 8 , 11, 5, 2 in the last five season.

Mönchengladbach - 8 years up this stint. Champs in '70, '71, '75, '76, 77. Finished 16, 4, 8, 6, 3 in the last five. (learn "alt 0246" to get the ö)

Schalke - 25 years up this sting. Never been champs. Finished 14, 3, 4, 3, 6 in the last five.

Dortmund - 40 years up, Champs in '95, '96, 02, '11, '12. Finished 1,1, 2, 2, 7 in the last five.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
So...Hamburg?

 
Mjolnirs said:
Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
You want a team that should stay up, so I would avoid Ingolstadt. In the last 10 seasons, 6 of the 10 teams promoted went right back down.

Wolfsburg - 19 years up, champs in '09. finished 15, 8 , 11, 5, 2 in the last five season.

Mönchengladbach - 8 years up this stint. Champs in '70, '71, '75, '76, 77. Finished 16, 4, 8, 6, 3 in the last five. (learn "alt 0246" to get the ö)

Schalke - 25 years up this sting. Never been champs. Finished 14, 3, 4, 3, 6 in the last five.

Dortmund - 40 years up, Champs in '95, '96, 02, '11, '12. Finished 1,1, 2, 2, 7 in the last five.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
Would it be bad form to see what kind of transfers happen this summer for 'Gladbach?

I want to jump on board now, but their roster looks a little light and I want the ownership to add a big name or two and some depth before I fully commit. Plus the UCL games could be taxing for next season.

Man, this feels like a big decision. Picking Tottenham was simply because Dempsey was there at the time and it was a London team not owned by oil money. I'm so all in on Tottenham now that adding another team to the mix is almost scary.

Don't worry tho Spurs, you'll always be my first soccer love. My Bundes team will just be the cute little mistress on the side. Kinda like my marginally attractive secretary Sporting KC, she works in a pinch.

 
Poke_4_Life said:
Mjolnirs said:
Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
You want a team that should stay up, so I would avoid Ingolstadt. In the last 10 seasons, 6 of the 10 teams promoted went right back down.

Wolfsburg - 19 years up, champs in '09. finished 15, 8 , 11, 5, 2 in the last five season.

Mönchengladbach - 8 years up this stint. Champs in '70, '71, '75, '76, 77. Finished 16, 4, 8, 6, 3 in the last five. (learn "alt 0246" to get the ö)

Schalke - 25 years up this sting. Never been champs. Finished 14, 3, 4, 3, 6 in the last five.

Dortmund - 40 years up, Champs in '95, '96, 02, '11, '12. Finished 1,1, 2, 2, 7 in the last five.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
Would it be bad form to see what kind of transfers happen this summer for 'Gladbach?

I want to jump on board now, but their roster looks a little light and I want the ownership to add a big name or two and some depth before I fully commit. Plus the UCL games could be taxing for next season.

Man, this feels like a big decision. Picking Tottenham was simply because Dempsey was there at the time and it was a London team not owned by oil money. I'm so all in on Tottenham now that adding another team to the mix is almost scary.

Don't worry tho Spurs, you'll always be my first soccer love. My Bundes team will just be the cute little mistress on the side. Kinda like my marginally attractive secretary Sporting KC, she works in a pinch.
Click to expand...
You could always just watch a few games and see who you end up liking?

 
My favorite thing about Wolfsburg is that from 1998-2003, they were managed by Wolfgang Wolf.

They do have a nice looking roster, have done a good job picking up big names from bigger clubs. And Bas Dost is an awesome name for a striker.

 
Hertha hosted my u14 team (in West Berlin, pre-fall. and then we reciproctated the next summer)- played the youth team a bunch and got to see the adults play in their giant stadium.

I've mentioned before that a former u14-19 club-mate ended up playing for Hamburg, so I'm partial to them as well.

I remember that we took the visitng Hertha player we were hosting to one of my baseball games, figuring he'd enjoy seeing some american culture- I even pitched that day, so he'd have a routing interest. still bored the crap out of him. bored the crap out of me too.

 
Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
I lived in NR Westfalia for a while many years ago and fell in with some Schalke fans for a few months, went to several games. It was a rough group. Their ultras have a checkered history. Schalke was in the 2nd Bundesliga at the time and played at the old Westfallenstadion - a rough place in a tough town. They built a beautiful new stadium for the World Cup - "Auf Schalke" but I doubt the crowd has changed much. Manuel Neuer was a Schalke ultra in his youth and some Bayern fans have still not accepted him because of it.

Wolfsburg are a hot club now and are very well funded by VW. I'm sure you know the story behind RB Leipzip, suffice to say they will be very unpopular if ever promoted to the BL. "Rasenballsport" is nonsensical for a soccer club name and an obvious end around German FA marketing rules. I've always wondered why the same rules apparently don't apply to Bayer Leverkusen (and, formerly, Uerdigen), but it likely has something to do with one being a powerful old German pharma company and the other being an energy drink.

 
CletiusMaximus said:
Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
I lived in NR Westfalia for a while many years ago and fell in with some Schalke fans for a few months, went to several games. It was a rough group. Their ultras have a checkered history. Schalke was in the 2nd Bundesliga at the time and played at the old Westfallenstadion - a rough place in a tough town. They built a beautiful new stadium for the World Cup - "Auf Schalke" but I doubt the crowd has changed much. Manuel Neuer was a Schalke ultra in his youth and some Bayern fans have still not accepted him because of it.

Wolfsburg are a hot club now and are very well funded by VW. I'm sure you know the story behind RB Leipzip, suffice to say they will be very unpopular if ever promoted to the BL. "Rasenballsport" is nonsensical for a soccer club name and an obvious end around German FA marketing rules. I've always wondered why the same rules apparently don't apply to Bayer Leverkusen (and, formerly, Uerdigen), but it likely has something to do with one being a powerful old German pharma company and the other being an energy drink.
Click to expand...
If ... :lol:

 
CletiusMaximus said:
Poke_4_Life said:
Picking Tottenham was simply because Dempsey was there at the time and it was a London team not owned by oil money.
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Joe Lewis' billions earned hedging a currency crash is more attractive to you than oil and steel profits?
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It's his money, not state money.

I don't think that matters too much though. I like teams that can build without a personal slush fund at their disposal. It's neat to see teams like Swansea and Southampton work their way up. United, Liverpool, and Arsenal all built huge followings. I suppose Chelsea and City could eventually build a similar fan base.

People pick teams for different reasons. To each their own.

 
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The Z Machine said:
NewlyRetired said:
The Z Machine said:
Sammy3469 said:
El Floppo said:
lol that FIFA "can't" do whatever they/the money wants.
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Yeah, they clearly want China to host at some point and need to massage the 2026 process to get to that point for political reasons vis a vis UEFA.
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We should just expect China to host in 2030. The U.S. needs to start playing the game for 2026. There's no way Mexico or Canada should get it over the USA.
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Removing the FIFA variable of corruptness I agree that Canada does not belong.

Mexico has a pretty good case though from a stadium stand point as there have been many new and refurbished stadiums the last few years. They won't need to spend much at all on stadiums (like the US).

If the World Cup were to expand to 40 teams I would even be ok if the US and Mexico shared the WC,
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Sharing would be interesting, and I'd be down for that. Unlike the rest if you, I like Mexico.
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Yeah they can chant Osama Osama again during the opening ceremonies for old times sake. :thumbdown:

-QG

 
CletiusMaximus said:
Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
I lived in NR Westfalia for a while many years ago and fell in with some Schalke fans for a few months, went to several games. It was a rough group. Their ultras have a checkered history. Schalke was in the 2nd Bundesliga at the time and played at the old Westfallenstadion - a rough place in a tough town. They built a beautiful new stadium for the World Cup - "Auf Schalke" but I doubt the crowd has changed much. Manuel Neuer was a Schalke ultra in his youth and some Bayern fans have still not accepted him because of it.Wolfsburg are a hot club now and are very well funded by VW. I'm sure you know the story behind RB Leipzip, suffice to say they will be very unpopular if ever promoted to the BL. "Rasenballsport" is nonsensical for a soccer club name and an obvious end around German FA marketing rules. I've always wondered why the same rules apparently don't apply to Bayer Leverkusen (and, formerly, Uerdigen), but it likely has something to do with one being a powerful old German pharma company and the other being an energy drink.
Click to expand...
Dortmund has got to be the obvious choice. Aside from the fact that any team not named Bayern can't be considered front runners, they are coming off a down year and have a lot to prove. They play in the Europa League next year - it will be fun to see if they can reclaim their status as one of the German (and European) elite. They have a huge stadium, terrific fans and a great eye for young talent.

 
Slapdash said:
Mjolnirs said:
Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
You want a team that should stay up, so I would avoid Ingolstadt. In the last 10 seasons, 6 of the 10 teams promoted went right back down.

Wolfsburg - 19 years up, champs in '09. finished 15, 8 , 11, 5, 2 in the last five season.

Mönchengladbach - 8 years up this stint. Champs in '70, '71, '75, '76, 77. Finished 16, 4, 8, 6, 3 in the last five. (learn "alt 0246" to get the ö)

Schalke - 25 years up this sting. Never been champs. Finished 14, 3, 4, 3, 6 in the last five.

Dortmund - 40 years up, Champs in '95, '96, 02, '11, '12. Finished 1,1, 2, 2, 7 in the last five.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
So...Hamburg?
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If Hamburg stays up, that's who I'm going with. Keegan! Keegan! Keegan!

 
Christo said:
Mjolnirs said:
QuizGuy66 said:
Any Bundesliga teams have cool Orange and Black striped kits?

-QG
Click to expand...
Maybe this will help with choosing a team.
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:lmao:

Hamburg needs to go back to this look
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Palermo still rocks a pink and black look and look awesome in it.

Bender! Keep an eye on Southampton selling all its good players to the big clubs, it's fun! Schneiderlin is off to Arsenal, I think, and Clyne to United (since they've had so much recent success with Saints fullbacks). But everybody is staying suspiciously quiet on the Sadio Mane front and I think he's the real gem of the bunch. We haven't seen his best yet but maybe we will with Chicharito running off Pelle on the other side next year.

 
With so much soccer to watch. I'm just going to try to watch the games that Americans play in. See what happens from there.

 
Christo said:
Slapdash said:
Mjolnirs said:
Poke_4_Life said:
So the Bundesliga is on Fox next year. I need a team. I'm a Tottenham fan, and have never been a front runner so Bayern Munich is out. I've narrowed it down to Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach, and Schalke. Possibly also Dortmund.

Can any of you that are fans sell me on one of the teams? I'm favoring Monchengladback despite the long name because of Fab Johnson (Go Nats!). Although ideally I would like a team in a bigger city so that when I visit Europe I can catch a game easily (ugh, Hertha Berlin sucks).

Here's what I know about each team.

- Wolfsburg, cool logo and uniforms. Have De Bruyne and Schurrle.

- 'Gladback, also a cool logo. Have Fab Johnson and a kid named Hazard. (I recognize nobody else on their roster, how did they finish second.)

- Shalke, why so proud of the 04? Is it really that cool? Ugh on the logo. Have Christian Fuchs, which is the best name ever. And Julian Draxler, rumored to be moved to EPL for several years now.

- Dortmund, color and logo are alright. I know a ton of their players from FIFA and World Cup 2014 (Reus, Gundogan, Immobile, Hummels, etc) but somehow their team did crappy this year. What's up with that?

So, wise 'soccer' fans of the FFA... help me pick my Bundes team...
Click to expand...
You want a team that should stay up, so I would avoid Ingolstadt. In the last 10 seasons, 6 of the 10 teams promoted went right back down.Wolfsburg - 19 years up, champs in '09. finished 15, 8 , 11, 5, 2 in the last five season.

Mönchengladbach - 8 years up this stint. Champs in '70, '71, '75, '76, 77. Finished 16, 4, 8, 6, 3 in the last five. (learn "alt 0246" to get the ö)

Schalke - 25 years up this sting. Never been champs. Finished 14, 3, 4, 3, 6 in the last five.

Dortmund - 40 years up, Champs in '95, '96, 02, '11, '12. Finished 1,1, 2, 2, 7 in the last five.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
So...Hamburg?
Click to expand...
If Hamburg stays up, that's who I'm going with. Keegan! Keegan! Keegan!
Click to expand...
Was is Blau und stinkt nach sau? Die HSV!

( heard in the sudcurve at the old Munich Olympiastadion with HSV visiting approx 1989)

 
Holy crap!!!!!!!!! I can't even digest this yet.

Just dropped from the NY Times

=================================

FIFA Officials Arrested on Corruption Charges; Face Extradition to U.S.

ZURICH — Swiss authorities began an extraordinary early-morning operation here Wednesday to arrest several top soccer officials and extradite them to the United States on federal corruption charges.

As leaders of FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, gathered for their annual meeting, Swiss law enforcement officials arrived unannounced at the Baur au Lac hotel, an elegant five-star property with views of the Alps and Lake Zurich. The arrests were made at the request of the United States Justice Department, which brought charges in the Eastern District of New York, based in Brooklyn, according to law enforcement officials.

Prosecutors planned to unseal an indictment soon against more than 10 officials, not all of whom are in Zurich, three law enforcement officials said. The charges include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

The arrests were a startling blow to FIFA, a multibillion-dollar organization that governs the world’s most popular sport but has been plagued by accusations of bribery for decades.

The inquiry is also a major threat to Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s longtime president who is generally recognized as the most powerful person in sports, though law enforcement officials said he was not charged. An election, seemingly pre-ordained to give him a fifth term as president, is scheduled for Friday.

The case is the most significant yet for United States Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, who took office last month. She previously served as the United States attorney in Brooklyn, where she supervised the FIFA investigation.

With more than $1.5 billion in reserves, FIFA is as much a global financial conglomerate as a sports organization. With countries around the world competing aggressively to win the bid to host the World Cup, Mr. Blatter has commanded the fealty of anyone who wanted a piece of that revenue stream. He and FIFA have weathered corruption controversies in the past, but none involved charges of federal crimes in a United States court.

United States law gives the Justice Department wide authority to bring cases against foreign nationals living abroad, an authority that prosecutors have used repeatedly in international terrorism cases. Those cases can hinge on the slightest connection to the United States, like the use of an American bank or Internet service provider.

Switzerland’s treaty with the United States is unusual in that it gives Swiss authorities the power to refuse extradition for tax crimes, but on matters of general criminal law, the Swiss have agreed to turn people over for prosecution in American courts.

The case further mars the reputation of FIFA’s leader, Mr. Blatter, who has for years acted as a de facto head of state. Politicians, star players, national soccer officials and global corporations that want their brands attached to the sport have long genuflected before him.

Critics of FIFA point to the lack of transparency regarding executive salaries and resource allocations for an organization that, by its own admission, had revenue of $5.7 billion from 2011 to 2014. Policy decisions are also often taken without debate or explanation, and a small group of officials — known as the executive committee — operates with outsize power. FIFA has for years operated with little oversight and even less transparency. Alexandra Wrage, a governance consultant who once unsuccessfully attempted to help overhaul FIFA’s methods, famously labeled the organization “byzantine and impenetrable.”

Michael S. Schmidt and Sam Borden reported from Zurich, Switzerland; Matt Apuzzo from Washington; and William K. Rashbaum from New York.

 
Just came here to post the tweet..

@cnnbrk: U.S. to announce corruption charges against senior officials at FIFA, world's soccer governing body, officials say.

 
So Blatter wasnt charged of anything but his cronies were all arrested. Figo's words were prophetic it seems.

 
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