Earlier in the week, Bayern Munich pulled off quite the coup — and did so without anyone knowing it would happen.
(Well, unless you count Bavarian Podcast Works broaching the topic days before it happened…we
kid, we kid. A broken clock or a blind squirrel and all of that…)
Anyway, Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen was even amazed at how this stayed silent for more than a week (an unprecedented time in terms of German media leaks).
“Usually we’re full of holes like Swiss cheese. This time, nothing actually leaked out. In addition to the fact that this was the most important extension we can make with the club’s most important employee, we were also pleased that it hadn’t been made public before. We didn’t negotiate for very long. Both sides were willing to continue on the path we had begun together and to build something long-term,” Dreesen told DAZN (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Bayern Munich really might be tightening things up, eh?
As for those of you wondering if Kompany’s new contract includes a release clause, sporting director Christoph Freund told Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg said that it did not (a massive win for fans and the club alike):
🚨🆕 Strong move by FC Bayern and Vincent #Kompany, as there is no release clause in his new contract, which runs until 2029. Kompany did not ask for one either.
Christoph Freund confirmed to Sky: “We never speak about contract details, but we extended the deal so that he stays here for a long time. That’s his and our intention, and a release clause really has no place in such a contract.”
“We are convinced that FC Bayern and Vincent Kompany are an excellent fit. It’s also a signal to the team and to everyone that we want continuity, and that we have the perfect coach for FC Bayern.”
As iit stands, this seems to be a brilliant piece of business for Bayern Munich and also the strengthening of the relationship between coach and club — which does trickle down to the players and the club. Kompany has been the perfect conduit between management and the players.
A coach who just wants to coach, Kompany has been the right coach at the right time for this group of Bavarians. Maybe this all somehow eventually ends in a disaster, but that seems doubtful given how good everything looks at the moment.
There seems to be a plan in place and an excellent atmosphere in the locker room. In what seems rare nowadays, these guys genuinely seem to be pulling for each other and also seem to be more about group than anything individual.
In short, it is hard to find too many faults on or off the field at the moment and a lot of that comes with the freedom, trust, and respect that Kompany has has for the team and also that the team has for the coach.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Gladbach vs. Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich will travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach for a Bundesliga showdown between two teams rocketing in different directions.
The Bavarians are rolling and have been thoroughly dominant, while Gladbach has already sacked a coach. In addition, Gladbach is also residing in last place of the Bundesliga table, which is kind of incredible considering how average the league has been this season.
Let’s dive into the details. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show:
- What to watch for with Gladbach — is there a bogey threat?
- A rundown of Gladbach’s roster and who to watch out for.
- A look at Bayern Munich’s injury situation.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
Song of the Week: “Young Men Dead” by The Black Angels
Back in 2006, it was hard to really come across this song, but man, it has been used in quite a few promos because of the awesome opening. The Black Angels put out a gem in this one, enjoy:
Kim might be stuck
Earlier on Friday in the Daily Schmankerl, there was an item citing interest from AC Milan and Inter Milan in Bayern Munich center-back Kim Min-jae.
However, Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto (via @iMiaSanMia) are reporting that the defender’s salary is too rich for the blood of many Italian clubs:
Kim Min-jae earns €8-9m net per year including bonuses at Bayern. So despite appreciation from Inter and other Italian clubs, it’s very complicated for them to bring him back to Italy on that kind of salary.
It remains to be seen just how much that Kim wants to leave the club, but his lack of minutes could be an issue as this season goes on.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Edges and Underdogs, a BuLi Action Show: Match Day 8
Welcome to Bavarian Podcast Works — Edges and Underdogs, a BuLi Action Show!
This is not your run-of-the-mill gambling show as we are putting more focus on the ins-and-outs of the actual match day’s showdowns, rather than an odds-driven format (but yes, you will get the odds as well). This podcast is for people who watch the Bundesliga intently and who want to dive into some of the big games for each match day. Through that, we will also provide some information that could help those seeking to make a wager or two.
Each week, we will highlight three matches to talk through and break down who has the edge, who might be hurting, who is susceptible to being upset, who’s getting hot, and more! This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Edges and Underdogs, a BuLi Action Show:
- Catching up on how we did last week.
- A look at this weekend’s match-ups — including win probability, odds, injury updates, trends, AI predictions, and our predictions as well.
The bottom line…it’s time for some action.
Entertainment Rundown
Task
Wow…what a series. Let’s get into it:
- One of the best things you can say about any show is that is gives you closure. For Task, that was achieved. Every major storyline was properly wrapped up.
- The other great thing you can say is that the episode was still awesome even with the loss of several major characters.
- After the massive events of episode six, there was a lot of ground to cover in episode seven and timelines were a bit wonky for the sake of the story. People in the area where it was filmed will absolutely point out that characters got to their destinations way too quickly, but this is TV and not real life, so traffic on the Blue Route or 202 was not going to be an issue.
- Maeve’s storyline being what it was and seeing how it fully played out was fulfilling. She was living a life she did not want, but she accepted the responsibility of being the only one able to do what was needed…and she was justly rewarded for it (thanks to some purposeful oversight from Tom).
- The Dark Hearts and how they all met their respective fates was an exceptional way to play their respective storylines out. If the showrunners wanted to, they could absolutely flush out the world of that motorcycle gang.
- Grasso’s conflict of being a good guy, who did bad things for the sake of helping people was one of the show’s most fascinating storylines. Fabian Frankel has some serious acting chops and has absolutely nailed the two roles I’ve seen him play (Grasso and Ser Criston Cole from House of the Dragon).
- Overall, this show was excellent and proved — once again — that Brad Ingelsby just has a knack for properly nailing the pacing, timing, and structure for a limited series. It is difficult to keep a show so streamlined, yet make it so deep. Ingelsby achieved that and dropped another masterpiece for HBO at a time where the network has found those hard to come by.
Episode rating: 9.50/10.00
Overall series rating: 9.75/10.00
Predictions
If you have been around these parts long enough, you have been dealt some pain by Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Bayern Munich’s bogey team has been a thorn in the side of the Bavarians for years, but this season, Gladbach is…struggling.
You know what, though, I couldn’t care less about the team struggling:
There is still danger here, though (with Gladbach, not Joe Namath)! Just not enough…Bayern Munich wins in a relative rout.
Prediction: Borussia Mönchengladbach 0-4 Bayern Munich
Other Bundesliga predictions:
- Werder Bremen 1-1 Union Berlin
- RB Leipzig 3-2 FC Augsburg
- Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 St. Pauli
- VfL Wolfsburg 1-1 Hamburger SV
- Hoffenheim 2-1 Heidenheim
- Borussia Dortmund 3-1 FC Köln
- Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 SC Freiburg
- VfB Stuttgart 3-1 Mainz 05
Prediction Records
Perfect Picks: 19
Bundesliga Last Matchday: 6-3
Bundesliga Overall: 36-27
DFB-Pokal: 28-4
World Cup Qualifiers/Friendlies: 68-28
Champions League: 36-18
Club World Cup: 39-23
Friendlies: 3-0
Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 1-0
Total: 211-103
