Bayern's Bundesliga crown up for grabs after rocky summer season

[ad_1] Pretenders to the crown Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and cup holders Stuttgart are priming themselves for a run at Bayern Munich's Bundesliga title after a irritating summer season switch window for the Bavarian giants.

Bayern journey to Stuttgart on Saturday for the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup -- the season opener which pits the defending league champions in opposition to the reigning German Cup victors.

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Winners of 12 of the previous 13 Bundesliga titles, Bayern occupy their standard function as favourites for the crown.

This summer season, nevertheless, the 34-time league champions haven't had the whole lot go their very own manner.

Efforts to lure Florian Wirtz away from Leverkusen fell flat, with the German footballer of the yr opting quite for a transfer to the Premier League and Liverpool.

Though Bayern secured attacker Luis Diaz from the English champions, they misplaced Thomas Mueller, Leroy Sane and Eric Dier on free transfers.

Kingsley Coman is about for a transfer to Saudi Arabia, Mathys Tel made his Spurs mortgage everlasting and efforts to signal Germany striker Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart have been rebuffed.

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Talking with the Bundesliga web site on Thursday, Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich mentioned the shifting sands throughout the league this summer season made it exhausting to see who could be their major rivals.

"We'll see who knocks on the prime. For us, it is going to be vital to go our personal manner. We won't affect what the others will do," Kimmich mentioned.

Kimmich nominated former aspect RB Leipzig to bounce again after a poor 2024/25 marketing campaign, the place they missed out on Europe for the primary time within the prime flight.

The Saxon membership have introduced in a number of younger abilities together with winger Johan Bakayoko and midfielder Arthur Vermeeren, in former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp's first summer season switch window as Pink Bull world head of soccer.

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"Leipzig have a very good workforce. As a result of Leipzig aren't in European competitors, they will be capable of consider the Bundesliga," Kimmich added.

- New-look Leverkusen -

Leverkusen, Bayern's principal rival throughout the previous two seasons, have undergone a clear-out this summer season.

Many of the major contributors to their gorgeous unbeaten 2023/24 league and cup double have moved on.

Wirtz, together with wing-back Jeremie Frimpong have signed with Liverpool. Midfield conductor Granit Xhaka has additionally moved to the Premier League, whereas Germany defender Jonathan Tah has joined title rivals Bayern.

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The largest lack of all, nevertheless, is coach Xabi Alonso, with the Spaniard departing to hitch Actual Madrid.

His substitute, former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, shall be seeking to revive his personal popularity whereas cobbling collectively a squad with a number of new arrivals.

Spectacular final season in ending third, Eintracht Frankfurt are additionally rebuilding, having misplaced centre-forward Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool in July, simply six months after winger Omar Marmoush moved to Manchester Metropolis.

Quietly constructing beneath Bundesliga-winning coach Niko Kovac, Borussia Dortmund might once more hassle previous foes Bayern this time period.

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Kovac took over the reins in January with Dortmund flailing however helped the membership rise from eleventh to fourth, selecting up 22 of a doable 24 factors to finish the season.

The addition of Jobe Bellingham will present metal in midfield, whereas the one main loss is winger Jamie Gittens who moved to Chelsea, having struggled for recreation time beneath Kovac.

Cup winners Stuttgart, who completed second forward of Bayern in 2023/24, look set to proceed troubling the massive weapons.

Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor informed AFP and different media on Thursday: "We've got a really particular workforce... we have high quality gamers in each place -- even some that individuals have not heard of."

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Karazor mentioned the important thing man is coach Sebastian Hoeness, who has taken Stuttgart from relegation battlers to cup winners and European soccer in simply over two years on the helm.

"A tremendous, wonderful coach. You may see his handwriting on the whole lot the workforce does. From the second he got here in, the mindset of the workforce modified," the midfielder mentioned.