$$$ they are getting academy starlets for next to nothing. If they have next level potential, they don't want to sell their souls to MLS, so they take a Euro offer where they can retain some control over their careers.
I was pissed at Germany for ripping Gonzo's ACL but my impression of Germany now is that it is much better a destination than England. Take German elective in school, kids.
They need to do better in Europe next season or they're going to find themselves chasing the Dutch to the bottom, though. As is, the EPL and Serie A already passed them, and the French are getting a lot of juicy Arab money. Two more bad seasons and they'll be sending three teams to the Champions instead of four.
France has a LOT of ground to make up. With how bad German teams have been this season, French teams are only 1.5 points or so ahead of them. Very fortunate that UEFA decided to extend 4 bids to the top 4 leagues though.
The Germans realized foreign player restrictions were good populism but not actually at all related to domestic player development.
Uhm, yeah. Just look at the matchups we had: Borussia Mönchengladbach v Hamburg, Fabian vs Bobby Köln v Wolfsburg, John Brooks Frankfurt v Schalke, Timmy v der liebligspanzer Bremen v Mainz, Sargent Dortmund v Hoffenheim, Christian Hannover v Leverkusen, the Mayor of Hannover Why wouldn't you pay more attention to the Bundesliga?
You should have done that a loong time ago, Yanks or no Yanks. I did it when we were living in Ireland. The EPL packages were so expensive, I reckoned it'd be better value - as well as more social - to go to a pub and buy a pint or two instead for the games I was really interested in. BL1 was free with our package so I started watching out of curiosity and was immediately impressed: better tactically and with much more variety, far higher technical level, decent tifo, old school fan passion with old school terracing, etc. It also gives you a bit of distance from the EPL hype machine, which has been grating on my ears and mind since . . . erm, . . . Since the EPL was set up, actually.
Did some reading about the history of the game and learned of several disasters like Burnden Park and Hillsborough. I don't really understand the need for terracing. Is this an affordability thing or a tradition thing? Seems to me all new stadiums should be single seating with a small standing section to satisfy the hardcores but terracing in general seems a bad idea.
Quite possibly the most amazing spectacle in world sport. You want to take that away? The tickets for a Buli are much cheaper than PL tickets if my understanding is correct.
Terracing is where you can jump around, chant sing and generally lose yourself, lose your "self" in fact, in being part of the hard core that makes up "the 12th man." That said, calling the terracing they have in Germany old-school was a bit of a misnomer on my part. The technical term is rail seating: each row of seats can be and are folded up for BL and Pokal games and unfolded & locked into position for UEFA-sanctioned games. The difference is clear from photos: versus The first is as near to completely safe as you can realistically get, and certainly a lot safer than what you have right now in England - seats with everyone standing up for 90'. Its level safety isn't contingent on everything else working well. The latter is dependent on many other things working.
Much cheaper. Five years ago it was 20 Euros a game for a "terrace" ticket at BVB (a beer and a wurst included IIRC); 35 Pounds for Man City (nothing included).
My hertha midfield uppers were 15€ back in the day circa 2004 but didn't include the beer or sausage but the damn Germans were so reasonable about the whole thing the sausage was 1€ and a beer 2.5€
While I am not a lawyer and I don't sit in on the negotiations I believe the very top prospects probably do have control over their careers. they have enough leverage so that they can write in favorable terms if they desire. I find it hard to believe that a player like Sargent couldn't have had language in place that would have him going on a free by 19 or 20 maybe sooner if certain milestones are not reached. The milestones could be based upon minutes played and either stipulate going on a free or relatively low pre agreed upon transfer fee. Regardless of minutes, he could have the contract so that it ends at the end of his 19 or 20yr season. Compare that to Europe: Sargent likely got a very sizable contract offer compared to what he would have received in MLS. He will likely begin either in U20 or POSSIBLY in the second team which is probably somewhat compareable to USL. From there he will be on the path to 1st team soccer with the big team or loaned out. He will have the freedom to work as hard as possible to succeed within his club. At some point, his club will promote him to the first team, try to sell him (because they have no use for him) or let him go on a free because selling him isn't worth the effort to them. The players that have very little freedom would be top prospects but without high European demand. I don't know what kind of interest Roldan or Acosta or even Adams or Yedlin had but those would be the types that I would suggest have far less "freedom" and are more at the mercy of their club/MLS. Those players could still go to Europe and suceed but they would be more in the class of a top prospect that has already shown not to be at the hoped for level....they are going on a free and trying to impress a coach. In other words, it is how most of the pre MLS Americans in the past have gone to Europe. Everyone knows the list of success is pretty long right? this is not to suggest that going to Europe, for a top prospect, (even for a second level prospect) is necessarily the wrong choice but it is to suggest that the idea of freedom in Europe vs servitude in MLS is a bit misplaced. The top prospects are like a top computer sofware wizard that can write his own contract at Microsoft, Google or wherever he wants to go while those at the levels below have to be satisfied with what is left over.
Players do not get to pick a team in MLS. There is only one team- MLS, and you play where they say. You do not have potential five or six suitors who want your services, you only have one.
Most standing areas in Germany don't actually use these foldable seats in their standing areas though: Dortmund: Schalke: Stuttgart Union Berlin Dresden Freiburg Gladbach Cologne