Derek Rae

What should Rangers fans know about Danny Röhl?
- well regarded around the Bundesliga & would likely have landed a club soon
- learned a lot working under Hansi Flick at Bayern & with Germany
- influenced by RB Leipzig style of a few years ago: counter pressing, quick transitions but flexible

His style is more a Gegenpressing style akin to the RB Leipzig approach in earlier years (not light years from Thelin at Aberdeen.)
However he’s certainly an innovator & may have to modify against low blocks.

Klopp: “When I say, for Red Bull as Head of Global Football, the person opposite looks up & says “football!”
Then I unfortunately have to say: Sorry, soccer! Then they look down again. (Klopp laughs.)
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From Jürgen Klopp‘s long Kicker Interview..
“In the USA you establish quickly how small you are. When stating my name at Border Control, in many countries I get “THE Jürgen Klopp?“
This doesn’t happen in America. There I get asked what I do & for whom.“
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Likely not until around 8 November.

The Monday edition of Kicker runs with „Klopp: the big interview“ on the back of him receiving the 2025 Walther-Bensemann Prize.
„The jury honours him as a football bridge builder. Here he speaks about culture, curiosity & Brexit, about humour & the human factor.“

Thanks for watching our coverage of Bayern-Dortmund on ESPN+
Apologies for your commentator who struggled through with a throat & sinus infection & hoarse voice.

Der Klassiker will reveal whether Dortmund can keep pace with Bayern in 2025-26 Perfect Bayern, unbeaten Dortmund, first vs. second: Der Klassiker doesn't need extra fanfare. This is a meeting of the best in the Bundesliga.

My ESPN column on the big one here in Munich tomorrow.
africa.espn.com/football/sto...

Afternoon from Munich.
Kicker goes with „Battle of the Superlatives.“
„First versus second, records upon records. Will the Klassiker give us tension at the top?“

The Monday Kicker front cover is “Between The Worlds”
“Whether with the national team or Liverpool: Florian Wirtz wants to & has to overcome opposition. The burden carrier in focus.”

Think there might be a tantrum coming from a vain idiot who smears himself in orange make up & puts yellow colouring in his hair: oh and has the mind & self-awareness of a toddler.

Waking up in Aberdeen after dreaming that the flukey Scotland win last night was in fact just a dream.
Still no idea how that 3:1 came about after a bereft performance but not complaining.

Was running around a bit yesterday so a day late with the Kicker front cover but still relevant:
“Duty calls!”
“So much for a happy anniversary. The Bundestrainer must urgently stabilise his team.”

The Aberdeen game I’ll never forget: Why Bayern Munich's visit to Pittodrie is a career highlight for Derek Rae Commentator recalls the week he gained exclusive access to the Bayern camp before commentating on the Dons humbling the Germans at Pittodrie.

The Aberdeen game I’ll never forget: Why Bayern Munich’s visit to Pittodrie is a career highlight for Derek Rae
www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/foo...

Here what’s happening in Mönchengladbach.
Indications are interim coach Eugen Polanski will be given until the November intl break before a decision is made on his future.
This would also buy Gladbach time to appoint a sporting director to be at the forefront of the process.

When someone accuses someone else of being a “champagne socialist” what they’re actually doing is holding that other person to a standard they would never hold themselves to.
In other words, “I can be an a—- & it’s ok but you are a disgrace for not being 100% perfect. How dare you!”

Yes it’s pretty well full grown as it is. I think people who talk about growth mean countries where it hasn’t developed as in ours (eg India, China, USA).
Take your point about women’s football which does have scope to grow.
Mostly growth is another way of saying let’s make more money of course.

🙏

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Have been using this platform
as my main one for relaying Bundesliga info for a year now.
Not pretending everyone from the old days has jumped on board but we’re approaching 11K followers & grateful that you choose to read & opine.
We may be smaller in number as a group but our hearts are big. 🙏

Yes it’s not those fans the promoters of this idea are thinking of, though they might use them as a convenient excuse for doing it :)
My other issue with it is: the world exists & ⚽️ is the world game yet I don’t hear anyone argue they should take games to Lahore or Nairobi. Purely a cash grab.

If this were tried in the Bundesliga there would be mass protests that would make last year‘s investor protests look small fry. What makes German football special is that it happens in German cities & stadia. The small things like the walk through the Stadtwald in Frankfurt can’t be replicated.

Loyalty means something quite different I feel to a fan in Germany or England versus the USA.
As an Aberdeen fan, even though I now live far away, I don’t expect AFC to come to me. In fact it would be a pale shadow of the true experience of a home game - friends, family, community, tradition.

I‘m all for growing ⚽️ but growing it everywhere by making domestic leagues better.
The USA already has a World Cup next year, had a Club World Cup last year, countless intl club friendlies every year & likely a Women’s World Cup in 2031.
Does it deserve all the growth at the expense of others?

The German public TV channels - ARD & ZDF - will be able to show 60 of the 104 World Cup matches next summer, if Julian Nagelsmann‘s team qualifies (GER games are protected & must be on a public channel.)
Telekom‘s TV arm Magenta has rights to all 104 games.

It’s an important point.

⚽️ is the most popular sport in the world 🌎 for a reason. Easy & inexpensive to play (except in the USA it seems), brings people together.
You don’t become an Aberdeen (my home city) fan or a Köln fan because a travelling circus hit your city.
It’s organic, it’s community.

Hope I don’t have to read “well the NFL does it” to justify La Liga games in the USA “growing the game.”
American football is a sport very few play elsewhere with no roots. There are no equivalents of the NFL.
Doesn’t apply to ⚽️ which already exists everywhere. Yes including in the USA!

Lutz Pfannenstiel leads Aberdeen three-man director of football shortlist The Dons have been interviewing for a replacement for the recently departed Steven Gunn.

Today’s Aberdeen latest!
www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/footba...

The job means I don’t really have a home as most know it :)