Talking Fussball

To cap off our four-part series on Bremen's demise, TF's two passionate Werder followers have decided to look forward to what they hope will be brighter days ahead...

The new 2. Bundesliga season is just about here, and for the first time in four decades, Werder Bremen is one of the clubs taking part. How precisely did the northern giants get there? If you've heard the last two episodes of Talking Fussball, you'll have heard our two crestfallen Werder fans Niklas Wildhagen and Florian Reinecke walk down memory lane through the good years of the 80s, 90s, and 00s as well as the last decade of decline...

Where did it all go wrong for Werder Bremen? After last week's deep dive into the illustrious history of the club, this episode is all about the last decade-plus of decline. TF mainstays Nik Wildhagen and Florian Reinecke (both lifelong Werder fans) try to work out where it all went wrong. Strap in for a discussion about all the transfers gone wrong, all the coaches who never should have been hired, and all the players who never came close to reaching their potential...

Next season's Bundesliga will feature a Werder Bremen-shaped hole after the storied northern club failed to beat the drop this past May. For plenty of fans of the German game, that's a shame; for Talking Fussball's Nik Wildhagen and Flo Reinecke it's something closer to a tragedy. Both of them are life-long Werder fans, so they naturally have a lot to reflect on at the moment...

Well...Germany's group stage finale vs Hungary was a little dicier than Jogi and the boys had hoped, but the job got done. Now they just have to get ready to play England, at Wembley. Matt and Nik sit down to talk another ropey performance over, as well as what might be learned in time for Tuesday's round of 16 game. They also reflect on Robert Lewandowski and Poland's exit, Denmark's inspirational advancement, and a few transfers back in the ol' Bundesliga. Learn more about your ad choices...

It's been an up-and-down tournament for Germany thus far - perhaps more down-and-up, to be honest. Hungary, meanwhile, have only picked up one point but have put their fans in good spirits. The team's tireless defending (and occasional forward threat) meant they've been very much in the game with both Portugal and France, and they hope to make life difficult for Germany too. To find out more, Nik gets hold of Hungarian Journalist Gergely Marosi for a chat...

And they say history doesn't mean anything. Germany had been mostly rubbish coming into Euro 2020 (in 2021), but as soon as you pit them against Portugal, they dazzle. No surprise, according to precedent - Die Nationalmannschaft have absolutely owned Portugal throughout Cristiano Ronaldo's otherwise storied international career, handing CR7 FIVE losses in major tourneys...

It was not a rousing start from Die Nationalmannschaft in Euro 2020 (in 2021), as Jogi and the boys went down 1-0 to France. They pushed the ball around more or less at will, but when it came to creating chances, they weren't able to get much going. But did that have more to do with Germany or with France? Matt Hermann rings up Matthew Marshall, who's been following the tournament for PortuGOAL, and find out what kind of challenge Germany are up against when they take on CR7 and co on Saturday....

It's been an eventful first few days here in Euro 2020 (in 2021)-land. Viewers around the world were reminded just what a piffle the whole affair is compared to a person's life and well-being, a host of players (and even whole countries) have scored their first European Championship goals, and Germany are about to get off the mark against World Cup holders France...

Ready for the Euros? Matt and Nik just about are, so they thought it was time to get together and get their heads around what's at stake for Bundesliga fans. Can Jogi Löw turn the narrative and go out on a high with a good performance from the Nationalmannschaft? What Bundesliga stars on other teams are likely to make a big impression on the tournament? And why does everybody have to criss-cross the continent on airplanes when there's still a pandemic on again? Learn more about your ad choices...