BUNDESLIGA

Lewy’s had the grumps, but Sadio Mané is the latest Munich star. There’s also a new coach at BVB, bumbling sides doing battle and a 2014 hero’s return

SO, WHAT’S NEW?

Germany’s second- biggest club are back in the big league, after winning promotion at the first attempt. Only Bayern Munich boast more members than Schalke ( bottom), who will be desperate to shake off their hapless reputation under new coach Frank Kramer following a decade of debts and drama. Revierderby clashes against Borussia Dortmund are among the highlights of the calendar, with the first in September. Werder Bremen – the ninth- biggest club, since you ask – also got promoted, giving this season a usual suspects vibe.

There’s a swathe of new faces in dugouts, though, including a return to Dortmund for ex- caretaker Edin Terzic ( right) after Marco Rose’s sacking. Niko Kovac has grabbed the reins at Wolfsburg, while former Norwich gaffer Daniel Farke has landed on his feet with Borussia Monchengladbach. Germany having five teams in the Champions League is new, too, after Eintracht Frankfurt’s Europa League triumph against Rangers nestles them alongside Bayern, Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig on the biggest stage.

MAJOR STORYLINES

Robert Lewandowski has spent most of his summer trying to insist that his time at Bayern is over. At the time of writing, club executives have spent most of their summers insisting it’s not – unsurprising for a player who has averaged 45 goals for each of the past seven seasons.

Dortmund have a lot to do if they’re to end Bayern’s 10- year grip on the Meisterschale. Their defence has at least undergone some significant upgrades, with Germany centre- backs Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Sule on board, but rivals Leipzig look confident under Domenico Tedesco – last term they landed their first major trophy with DFB- Pokal success.

Meanwhile, millionaire Lars Windhorst’s ambitions of turning Hertha Berlin into a major force should once again make for interesting viewing – the club’s chief financial backer has burned through € 375m of his own cash since 2019, but last season had only a narrow win in the relegation play- off to show for it. “I’ll never give up,” he wailed in February.

STAR ARRIVALS

Bayern’s € 42m capture of Sadio Mané ( top) has been hailed by some as the biggest in Bundesliga history, and might immediately kill any slim hopes of a title race. Elsewhere, former Golden Boy and scorer of Die Mannschaft’s 2014 World Cup winner, Mario Gotze, returns to Germany after two confidence- boosting campaigns at PSV Eindhoven – few would begrudge him hitting the ground running at Eintracht Frankfurt.

SURPRISE POTENTIAL

Union Berlin ( above) have made admirable progress since becoming a Bundesliga side for the first time in 2019. The former GDR club’s three seasons in the top flight have brought healthy improvements of 11th, 7th and 5th – last term’s dramatic final- day win over Bochum bagged them a first- ever appearance in the Europa League. They’ve netted € 20m for Nottingham Forest- bound Taiwo Awoniyi, and would love it if their plucky club could ruffle feathers at the top again.

LOOK OUT FOR…

The first full season with capacity crowds since 201920. Germany’s legendary 50+ 1 rule means tickets are cheap, standing is allowed and beers are always readily available on the terraces for highly politicised and passionate fanbases.

On the pitch, keep an eye out for Dortmund’s € 27m new boy Karim Adeyemi. After a 23- goal campaign for Red Bull Salzburg, hopes are particularly high for a 20- year- old who has convinced Germany gaffer Hansi Flick to throw a handful of caps his way. The September return of Leverkusen prince Florian Wirtz will also be cause for celebration; the 19- year- old – a reported target for Newcastle – was dazzling until an ACL tear struck him down in March, and is viewed as one of Germany’s brightest prospects. Flick called Wirtz “the total package” recently – he’ll be on the plane to Qatar if his recovery schedule goes to plan.

SCHALKE WILL BE DESPERATE TO SHAKE OFF THEIR HAPLESS REPUTATION AFTER PROMOTION