Global

How Pep Ruined Germany (And Why It’s Not His Fault)

Published on June 30, 2026June 30, 2026 by Martyn GreenLeave a comment

The downfall of German football has been remarkable to watch.

When Die Mannschaft won football’s ultimate prize in 2014, it was the culmination of a process that had taken over a decade, and looked set to compete at the top of the game for years to come. The majority of that squad were just hitting their peaks, and had at least one, if not two, World Cup cycles left in them. Of those who didn’t, Per Mertesacker was already in the process of being replaced, losing his place in the team when Mats Hummels regained fitness, and Toni Kroos was ready to step up and replace Bastian Schweinsteiger. Then there was Philipp Lahm, whose retirement did cause chaos and confusion until the rise of Joshua Kimmich, in many ways a neo-Lahm, in 2016. The future of German football looked set, which was worrying for the rest of the world.

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Der Massacre

Published on November 6, 2023June 30, 2026 by Martyn Green

Most major leagues have huge rivalries between teams from different cities, that in many ways define football in that country. In England, it is Manchester United v Liverpool. Italy has the Derby d’Italia which pits record champions Juventus with Milan rivals Inter. And the most famous of them all, Real Madrid and Barclona, whose tie has become a byword for heated rivalry. So with the marketing success of El Clasico, it’s not that surprising that other countries have followed suit. In France, they have Le Classique, between PSG and Marseille. The Netherlands has De Klassieker, the fiery affair between Ajax and Feyenoord (earlier this season, quite literally). And in Germany, there is Der Klassiker, the much hyped but often underwhelming meeting between Bayern and Dortmund. Unlike the other ‘classics’, which have swung between one side’s dominance and the other’s, or even been a close fought affair in almost all cases, Der Klassiker underwhelms because, however good Dortmund have been in the season to that point, however close they are to success, they almost never turn up. The same was true on Saturday.

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‘No longer Ajax’: The Rapid Demise of the Dutch Powerhouse

Published on November 2, 2023June 30, 2026 by Martyn Green

When the half-time whistle blew at the Philips Stadion, the suffering Ajax supporters must have been in a positive mood. The worst start in their history saw them in the relegation zone, violence had seen the postponement of the De Klassieker against Feyenoord with the Amsterdam side 3-0 down, and €150m in player sales seemed not to have been reinvested particularly vigorously. But PSV – sporting a 100% record in the Eredivisie – looked vulnerable, and goals from Branco van den Boomen and Brian Brobbey either side of a Hirving Lozano leveller saw them lead. There was finally light at the end of the tunnel, or so they thought. As it happened, that light was just another oncoming train.

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What do you do when the GOATs are gone?

Published on March 21, 2022July 27, 2022 by Martyn Green

According to Twitter, the Messi and Ronaldo era is over. It is important not to overestimate their decline; Ronaldo won the golden boot at the European Championships less that 12 months ago, and as fans discovered against Monaco, a PSG side without Messi is still significantly weaker than a PSG side with him. But the fact that neither will play in the quarter-finals of the Champions League feels like an important, if somewhat arbitrary, watershed. Barring injury, both will play at the World Cup in the winter, and Messi might even get to another one in 2026, but their time is coming.

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Big Promises, Rapid Decline: How Hertha’s Dream became a Nightmare

Published on March 15, 2022July 25, 2022 by Martyn Green

When the full-time whistle blew at BORUSSIA-PARK, Gladbach collected just their second win in ten games, putting some of their genuine relegation fears to rest. But on the other side of the coin were Hertha Berlin, whose collapse has been reminiscent of Schalke’s capitulation a couple of seasons ago, and who are staring down the barrel of the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in a decade. But it was all supposed to be very, very different.

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The Professor: Why Ralf Rangnick could lead a Revolution at Manchester United

Published on November 25, 2021March 11, 2022 by Martyn Green

“The Revolution wasn’t only televised, it was broadcast live.” This is how Uli Hesse introduces new Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick in his book Tor! The Story of German Football. It is a good way of thinking about the former Schalke and RB Leipzig boss, and as with any revolutionary, he was initially met with scepticism, scorn and savagery by the establishment he planned on usurping. After all, the highlight of Rangnick’s playing career might well have been turning out for Southwick in Sussex County League while he studied in Brighton. Who’s laughing now?

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Should We Introduce Pre-Qualifying?

Published on November 17, 2021March 14, 2022 by Martyn Green

Following England’s 10-0 demolition of San Marino over the international break, there have been questions asked over the value of these kinds of fixtures, and whether the micro-nations should have to pre-qualify in order to join the Qualification groups with the nations that stand a realistic chance of reaching the main event. I’m sure Harry Kane very much enjoyed his four goals, taking him past Jimmy Greaves in the England scoring charts, but really shouldn’t those goals be a thing of the footballing past?

The short answer, the TL:DR, is no.

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Norway are on the Edge of History. Can they Achieve Greatness?

Published on November 10, 2021November 15, 2021 by Martyn Green

As we head into the international break, Norway are optimistic. They haven’t been to a World Cup since the 1998, and haven’t had this much confidence in a side since a halcyon period in their footballing history where they performed well in 1938 and at the 1936 Olympics, where they beat hosts Germany. But they are beginning to believe that maybe, just maybe, this is their time. A win against Latvia, and a draw against the Netherlands, should see them into the playoffs for World Cup Qualifying. A slip up by Turkey will make that easier. And the playoffs are a lottery. Unlucky and they will have to get past Portugal or Spain. But if the draw goes their way they might end up with a much simpler proposition – Finland, or Ukraine, or Scotland. And with this group of players, nothing is impossible.

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The Young Ones: Europe

Published on July 20, 2021August 10, 2021 by Martyn Green

Despite what some would have you believe, English football isn’t the only football. And so to complement out little look at Premier League prospects, we might as well take a look at some European ones as well. We’ll try to shy away from Barcelona and PSG and Bayern – nobody needs another puff piece about Pedri’s potential. Some have made themselves known already, but this might just be their breakout season where the world takes notice.

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