Kirstenschlewitz

Bayern Munich appear to have it all figured out. A five-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table; a mere four goals conceded, coupled with a goal difference of +33. They sit top of their Champions League group and are practically assured of a place in the knockout round. Even on an individual level, […]

Each start of Inter’s last few seasons has been greeted with talk of a revitalized side, one that could finally challenge for the scudetto. This year, sitting fourth but just two points back of Roma after 10 Serie A rounds, they’re looking even more likely to be successful. But despite this proximity to the top, […]

It’s a tale of two strikers. Born just 10 months apart, their careers overlapped for but a single season before destiny sent the elder on his way to something bigger and better. Each currently has 13 goals in the Bundesliga and 17 on the season. Each has scored a hat trick in European competition; for […]

The crowd at Volkswagen Arena on Jan. 30, 2015, must’ve felt a part of collective, orgasmic dream. A quick counterattack gave Kevin De Bruyne ample time to slot through to Bas Dost, who netted Wolfsburg’s first before five minutes were up. Dost doubled his side’s lead just before the break with a lovely volley from the edge […]

Following Schalke 04 can be bad for your health. Literally. In September 2011, after just six months as manager, Ralf Ragnick announced his immediate resignation, citing exhaustion as his reason for leaving the club. And no wonder: he’d fought to clean up the mess left from Felix Magath’s departure, but while Ragnick brought Schalke to […]

Nothing, I mean nothing, in this Serie A season is going as planned. Fiorentina are currently at the top of the table, despite having just one or two players that a casual fan might recognize. Inter’s drab and dreary style has them fighting for the title, though that's now an anomaly in a league more […]

For the past five years, Serie A’s been a bit of a bore. That’s not referring to the ultra-defensive, play-out-a-goalless-draw-rather-than-risk-losing-a-point perception of Italy that so many hang on to. No, the games have been fine, and high-scoring thrillers are playing out with surprising regularity. The trouble is, at the start of the season, pundits and […]

It was an improbable header from the tiny forward, but it wasn’t disbelief that made Lorenzo Insigne burst into tears after heading in an equalizer early last season against Torino. For weeks, the then-23 year old had been enduring taunts in that same stadium, from hometown supporters who had turned on the local boy. Napoli […]

It took just a few minutes before social media began talking about it, before media outlets began writing their stories, leading off with Germany’s former “it” coach, Jürgen Klopp, rather than focusing last year’s next big thing, a man who was now was trying to give back his job. On Sunday night, Lucien Favre handed […]

The last time Roma met Europe’s defending champions, things didn’t go so well. Last season, Bayern Munich cracked open the side and left the giallorossi a broken, empty shell, too humiliated to even cry. After that 7-1 loss, Roma picked up just one more point in the Champions League group stage, booking their place in […]

“Disappointing.” “Frustrating.” “Dire.” Not words that would recommend the Derby della Madonnina, yet the writers keep trying. Perhaps it’s nostalgia that keeps us telling everyone to tune into this showcase feature between Inter and Milan – we long for the days that featured not just a plethora of goals, but those good ol’ games filled with frenetic […]

As per usual, we head into this weekend’s match between Juventus and Chievo Verona with one side dominating the top of the standings, the other perilously close to the relegation spots. Except this time it’s Chievo that’s firmly out in front, while Juventus are at the bottom, surrounded by Serie A’s freshly-promoted sides. This is […]

There are certain Serie A clubs that try very, very hard to not sell their star players to Italy’s biggest clubs. Juventus, of course, with her four-year title streak, is the team others least want to help, but selling to Inter or AC Milan is also to be avoided. And so the peninsula’s brightest move […]