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matt4d.bsky.social
Freelance journalist based in Germany | German & European football, sports politics & fan culture | The Guardian, The New European, London Evening Standard, BBC Sport, DW Sports, 11Freunde, SoFoot, etc | United We Stand 🇾🇪
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Another myth is the idea of "competition" in the self-proclaimed best league in the world. Heading for a grand total of two different champions in eight years. And six of them have been won by a financially doped sportswashing project from an authoritarian state. Are you not entertained?

VfB Stuttgart away at TSG Hoffenheim this afternoon. Yes, that's the away end. đź“· @vfb.de #bundesliga

Bayern Munich supporters at home to Eintracht Frankfurt this afternoon: "Visit Rwanda: those who indifferently stand and watch are selling out the values of FC Bayern!" đź“· @maitreott.bsky.social #bundesliga

FT: Köln 1-1 Düsseldorf A last-minute penalty rescues a point for Fortuna Düsseldorf in Köln - and sends Hamburger SV top of the 2. Bundesliga. #koef95 #hsv

"Fortune is no gift of the Gods" 1. FC Köln choreo at home to local rivals Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 2. Bundesliga this afternoon. #koef95

Fortuna Düsseldorf's ultras will miss today's derby away at 1. FC Köln. 300-500 fans were stopped by police in Köln and underwent ID checks & body searches, measures which fan reps called "unnecessary" & "disproportionate." The fans were issued with dispersal orders and have returned to Düsseldorf.

Bayern Munich ultra group Colegio voiced their views re the upcoming general election in Germany and the effects the rise of the far-right AfD party could have on football fans: “No fan culture without freedom! Against fascists - also at the ballot box!” #BTW2025

“Far-right terror in Hanau five years on - no investigation, no justice.” 1. FSV Mainz 05 and FC St. Pauli banners referring to the murders of nine people with migratory backgrounds by a right-wing extremist in Hanau on 19.02.2020. 📷 @frauhassi.bsky.social #bundesliga #saytheirnames

“For a Klopp we can be proud of again. Expropriate RB. In Leipzig only Lok & Chemie.” One of several spoof German election billboards from @11freunde.de magazine. #bundesliga

SC Fortuna Köln 1-0 Wuppertaler SV Regionalliga West (IV) #fortunafridays #köln 🇲🇨

You know you've been in the Europa League for too long when even the greatest competition on earth is getting repetitive. Conference League should freshen things up a bit. #mufc

Bayern Munich's desperation to reach another "Finale dahoam" (final at home) after 2012 should not be underestimated. But they've failed to beat Bayer Leverkusen in six attempts since the arrival of Xabi Alonso (D3, L3). And over two legs, it's hard to see that changing. #UCL

🇩🇪 On the terraces this week: a German election special 📣 "Hear the voice of the fans!" Legal aid collectives publish policing & security demands ❌ "No votes for fascists!" Election appeals from Union Berlin, Mainz, Bayern & BVB fans, among others gegenpressing.substack.com/p/on-the-ter...

🇩🇪 On the terraces this week: a German election special 📣 "Hear the voice of the fans!" Legal aid collectives publish policing & security demands ❌ "No votes for fascists!" Election appeals from Union Berlin, Mainz, Bayern & BVB fans, among others gegenpressing.substack.com/p/on-the-ter...

Three points separating the top 6 in the 2. Bundesliga after this weekend’s results: Magdeburg 3-0 Köln Regensburg 1-1 Hamburg Kaiserslautern 0-0 Hannover Düsseldorf 2-1 Hertha BSC

Should Xabi Alonso have made a change earlier? "Maybe," he finally conceded. “But we'll never know.” Piece from Leverkusen this evening, where a rare Alonso misstep allowed Bayern Munich to escape with a vital point. #bundesliga gegenpressing.substack.com/p/bundesliga...

“Protect fan rights! Freedom for the terraces!” Ahead of next week’s election, Bayer Leverkusen ultras demand, among other things: - less surveillance at football - ID badges for police officers - witness protection for Fan Projects - abolition of “violent sport criminals” database #bundesliga

Should Xabi Alonso have made a change earlier? "Maybe," he finally conceded. “But we'll never know.” Piece from Leverkusen this evening, where a rare Alonso misstep allowed Bayern Munich to escape with a vital point. #bundesliga gegenpressing.substack.com/p/bundesliga...

“Only FCB will be German champions!” The travelling Bayern Munich support clearly happy with a point in Leverkusen. #bundesliga

FT: Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern Florian Wirtz puts it wide from close range in the 91st minute and Bayern, somehow, survive. The gap remains 8 points. #bundesliga

A quadruple substitution from Vincent Kompany. All change. #bundesliga

HT: Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern Bayern Munich have somehow made it to half-time. Leverkusen consistently playing through them in Alonso's new 4-2-2-2, Frimpong and Tella have hit the bar, Wirtz unplayable whether left, right or centre. Bayern's biggest spark was the pyro in the away end. #bundesliga

FC Bayern MĂĽnchen away at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. #bundesliga

Outside the away end in Leverkusen. Unusually large number of Bayern ultras in black SĂĽdkurve jackets looking for spare tickets. Generally, larger away allocations in Germany (10%) go some way to satisfying demand somewhat. Better than at top Premier League sides. Not the case today. #bundesliga

The big top-of-the-table clash in Germany this afternoon, first away at second. FT: Halle 0-1 Lok Leipzig (att: 13,105) 🇺🇦 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig go nine points clear at the top of the fourth-tier Regionalliga Nordost…

🇩🇪 On the terraces in Germany this week: 🦅 How the Marmoush millions are impacting Eintracht Frankfurt's financial plans 🟢 Friday night football protests for Werder Bremen 🔴 Rhineland rivalries: Leverkusen vs. Köln ⬇️ Full stories on Gegenpressing gegenpressing.substack.com/p/on-the-ter...

An outstanding 2nd half from Borussia Dortmund in Lisbon, in complete contrast to the first. Aggressive pressing, quick combinations, clinical finishing. Goal & assist for Guirassy, two assists Brandt, and Adeyemi continuing his hard work from the Stuttgart game but with added final product. #BVB

📽️ Discussed all things Borussia Dortmund with @manuelveth.bsky.social & @sbienkowski.bsky.social after Niko Kovac's debut defeat to VfB Stuttgart and ahead of the Champions League play-off games against Sporting CP. #BVB www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0hr...

VfB Stuttgart recorded a fifth straight win over Borussia Dortmund on Niko Kovac's debut. The new #BVB head coach has identified one issue: decision-making. But that’s just one of many problems. Report from the Westfalenstadion today for Gegenpressing: gegenpressing.substack.com/p/borussia-d...

🇩🇪 This weekend’s German terrace literature: 🗞️ “Schwaadlappe” (Wilde Horde, 1. FC Köln) 🗞️ “Vorspiel” (The Unity, Borussia Dortmund) 🗞️ “Bahnwärter” (Blue Side Lok, 1. FC Lok Leipzig) As the BVB ultras write: “Fanzines & flyers are the terraces’ independent platforms for opinion.” #bundesliga

This year on Scousebusters: Plymouth Argyle! 👻 🥳

1. FC Köln 1-0 FC Schalke 04 A 50,000 sell-out in the 2. Bundesliga including over 5,000 from Gelsenkirchen. #Effzeh remain top of the league after a seventh 1-0 win of the season, this time over an extremely poor #S04 team, who nevertheless had a chance to equalise at the death.

VfB Stuttgart recorded a fifth straight win over Borussia Dortmund on Niko Kovac's debut. The new #BVB head coach has identified one issue: decision-making. But that’s just one of many problems. Report from the Westfalenstadion today for Gegenpressing: gegenpressing.substack.com/p/borussia-d...

0-1. Ex-VfB defender Waldemar Anton, whose every touch has been mercilessly jeered by the away end, puts the ball into his own net against his former club, right in front of that away end. If only the Germans had a word for that feeling. #bundesliga

HT: Dortmund 0-0 Stuttgart A first half high on effort & intent rather than quality, from both sides. Adeyemi with the best BVB chance but opted to pass rather than shoot. Best VfB chance fell to Undav latching onto a poor Anton pass, but captain Can chased back brilliantly. #bundesliga

“The whole of the wild South, shines in white and red…” VfB Stuttgart in big numbers in Dortmund this afternoon. #bundesliga

For the first time in Dortmund, the referee will communicate VAR decisions to supporters via the stadium PA system. The pre-match explanation of this process is drowned out by chants of “You’re destroying our game!” from the Südtribüne. #bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund ultras’ fanzine cover 20 years on from the height of the fan protests as the club almost went bust. The message on the banner (like the stock market floatation five years earlier) was inspired by Manchester United and the anti-Glazer protests at the time. #mufc #bvb

At the Westfalenstadion for Niko Kovac’s first game in charge of Borussia Dortmund. #BVB in the #Bundesliga this year: ❌ B04 2-3 ❌ Kiel 2-4 ❌ SGE 0-2 ➖ SVW 2-2 ✅ FCH 2-1 Last five against today’s visitors VfB Stuttgart: ➖ 3-3 ❌ 1-2 ❌ 0-2 (cup) ❌ 0-1 ❌ 1-5 And yet: still only 4 points off 4th …

Richard Jolly ĂĽber Manchester United www.n-tv.de/sport/fussba...