Talking Fussball

If you've watched German football over the past decade and a half, you'll know that FC Schalke 04 has long maintained a close relationship to Gazprom, the Russian natural gas giant. But ever since Vladimir Putin sent the Russian army on a brutal campaign to invade Ukraine, many in Germany were forced to reckon with their business ties to Russia...and came to the conclusion that those ties needed to be severed. Nik Widhagen called up Schalke reporter Ron Ulrich to talk about the steps the club has been taking to move on from its dependence on Russian largesse.

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1. FC Union Berlin made it three for three in the German capital's Stadtmeisterschaft this past weekend, giving everyone another plum opportunity to gawk at the mess Hertha BSC has become. After an extra day to survey the wreckage, a crestfallen Matt hauls in Kit Holden for their traditional tête-à-tête. They talk about the derby, Union's chances of heading back to Europe next season in a crowded field of aspirants, what Bayern need to do to get past Villareal, Leipzig and Eintracht's chances in the Europa League and more.

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As you may have heard (on Monday's TF Direct among other places), FC Bayern München didn't quite manage to stick to just 11 men on the pitch at one time this past weekend. A few choice comments this week from Julian Nagelsmann that sounded like blame-shifting meant JT and Flo couldn't resist going in on the coach of the Rekordmeister. They'll let you know if that brouhaha might have any fantasy implications, whether it's time to shell out for Erling Haaland, and which Saturday games to tilt toward when selecting your team this wekeend.

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Could FC Schalke 04 actually be getting itself back on on track? It may be too soon to tell, but the Royal Blues' three-game win streak has put them back in the thick of the race for promotion back to the top flight. Nik and the gang talk through Schalke's chances for a speedy return, St. Pauli fans' chilly reception by police in Rostock, Türkgücü's financial flameout, and much more.

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If there was much doubt that RB Leipzig are the form team in the Bundesliga, they erased that on Match Day 28, putting four past Borussia Dortmund in the Schwarzgelben's big full-house return to the Westfalenstadion. Matt gets hold of Terry Duffelen to mull over the consequences of that bog result, engage in some mutual head-scratching over Bayern's failed substitution in Freiburg, and look over the World Cup draw from a Bundesliga fan's perspective.

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The Bundesliga is entering the final stretch - just seven games to go. Most importantly for all the #BLFantasy managers out there, this window is the last one to offer UNLIMITED TRANSFERS. There might not be whole lot of season left to show off your re-vamped team, but that's no reason not to re-vamp it in the first place. Listen in as JT and Flo let you know all the best bets for big points in the run-in.

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It came as something of a shock when Hertha BSC named Felix Magath as their interim coach last week. The coaching icon who's been out of the German top flight for a decade may be in the capital on a limited appointment, but the announcement rocked the German football world, crashing web sites and attracting extraordinary media attention. So what makes the man they call 'Quälix' such a big deal? To get you up to speed on all the laurels, legends, and lore that punctuate Magath's career, Nik Wildhagen called on Matt Hermann and Flo Reinecke. As you'll hear, there's a lot to talk about...

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Plenty of the Bundesliga's biggest clubs have felt that sinking feeling at one time or another this season - none more so than VfB Stuttgart and Hertha BSC. There are reasons to think that might change after both were winners on Match Day 27. Listen in as Matt talks with The Athletic's Chris McCarthy about Hertha's coaching change, Stuttgart's radical embrace of continuity, BVB's latest disappointment and much more.

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The twists and turns continue in the 2. Bundesliga promotion race, as the candidates swapped spots at the top with just eight games left. The Coronavirus pandemic came roaring back this week, throwing a worrying wild card in the to mix as well. Listen in as Nik, Maik and Jasmine fill you in on all the latest from the second tier and below...

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No TF Direct this week - we've got something completely different, and completely urgent to current events. Nik speaks with Eastern European football expert James Montague about Ukrainian ultras - how they've been deeply enmeshed in the country's conflict with Russia for years, and what they're up to as Russia's assault intensifies.

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