After years of superiority came the ultimate proof of domination, the Invincible season, the German team who completed the campaign without losing to German opposition. Except that, after 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles, Bayern Munich relinquished their crown. The unbeaten, unstoppable side were Bayer Leverkusen. âNeverkusenâ â or âVizekusenâ in German â were rebranded âWinnerkusenâ: they added the Supercup and the German Cup to their maiden Bundesliga title, aided by an improbable, seemingly unstoppable, torrent of injury-time winners.
German football had a different kind of predictability. As the Bundesliga resumes this weekend, it is with an added attention on the slighted, deposed Germans. Bayernâs response to losing their crown was unorthodox. Accustomed as they are to raiding their closest challengers, they were instead slighted when Xabi Alonso chose to remain at Leverkusen. Instead of a manager whose lone loss last season came to Atalanta in the Europa League final, they opted for one defeated 26 times: Vincent Kompany, relegated with Burnley.
Perhaps their most unexpected appointment since the untried Soren Lerbyâs unsuccessful spell in 1991-92 represented a leftfield move. âFor sure it was a surprise,â said Lothar Matthaus, the 1990 World Cup-winning captain who secured seven Bundesliga titles with Bayern. âNot everyone had his name on the paper. Me too.â
If part of Kompanyâs task is to restore Bayern to their natural position at the summit, part of it is to restore their identity. âWe need to rediscover this self-confidence and the Bayern DNA,â captain Manuel Neuer said. Matthaus believes a path to success is not to emulate his more decorated predecessor.
ãã®èšäºã¯ The Independent ã® August 23, 2024 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ The Independent ã® August 23, 2024 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
Carse justifies England faith as the archetypal bold pick
If you won a boxing match after your opponent continually punched themselves in the face, how much credit can you take?
Tenacious Diallo the key to Amorim pressing machine
Old Trafford has not seen anything like this before.
Gold King Cole packs the Bridge with merry old souls
In the 83rd minute, the ball rolled to the feet of Cole Palmer in a bubble of space outside Aston Villa's box, and the crowd snapped to attention.
Vibrant Anfield marks the changing of the Guardiola
There was a lull in the noise, a break in the Anfield atmosphere, when a defiant chant emerged from a corner near Stefan Ortegaâs goal.
What is so daunting about Spain's new data checks?
Q You have written about the new âred tapeâ for visitors to Spain. So, as well as your usual passport details you will give a contact number, address and email. Not exactly the Spanish Inquisition, is it?
Sectarian clashes claim at least 130 lives in Pakistan
At least 130 people were killed in deadly sectarian clashes in Pakistan's northwestern Kurram district in spite of a tentative ceasefire, days after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying Shia Muslims, local officials said.
Coalition government likely in Ireland as count proceeds
Fianna Fail say decisions on power-sharing for another dayâ
How Syria's forgotten war is back on the world's agenda
Many believed the country was lost in an unsolvable conflict, until everything changed in a matter of days, writes Bel Trew
Assad regime scrambles to halt Syrian rebelsâ advance
Civilians reportedly killed by Russian and Syrian airstrikes
Mother of poisoning victim says she knew she would die
Lawyer Simone White succumbed to the effects of methanol while backpacking in Laos with two of her childhood friends