Switzerland will be taking part in its tenth World Cup, and its third in a row.  Coached by a vastly experienced Ottmar Hitzfield, the German has won countless Bundesliga titles and is one of few coaches to have won the Champions League with two different teams.  His ties to Switzerland extend back to his playing days when he suited up for various Swiss sides, including FC Basel. Hitzfeld considered Switzerland his dream job and will retire after the World Cup.

The Swiss have a strong chance to make it out of the group stage.  Having been the only team to prevent Spain from scoring in South Africa, they have a compact team captained by Napoli’s Gokhan Inler, and filled with stars around the pitch . Switzerland received a fortuitous draw partly because they were controversially seeded for the competition. 

The Swiss players are scattered throughout the top leagues of Europe, with a strong concentration in the Bundesliga. This however, has not always been the case. Sure the Swiss had some stars that broke through in Germany like Stephane Chapuisat, Ciriaco Sforza or Alain Sutter, but now it has become the norm.  FC Basel’s success in Europe has also lifted the Swiss profile on the footballing stage, beating Chelsea twice in the group stages last year.

And while those stars of the 90s still had Swiss-sounding names, the new generation of players could have opted for a number of other countries. The Swiss team has been modeled by waves of immigration, fueled by the civil war in the former Yugoslavia and constant ethnic tension in the Balkans.

In an interview with German Television station ZDF, Switzerland stars Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka laid loose after the national team qualified for Brazil.

After speaking of individual achievements, with one playing for giants Bayern Munich and the other for Borussia Monchengladbach, the interviewer blankly asked how it felt like growing up in Switzerland.

Both Shaqiri and Xkaka are not your typical Swiss players of yesteryear.  Coming from Kosovo with roots in Albania, they are just a few of a large immigrant population from the Balkans currently residing in Switzerland.  A mixture of Croats, Serbs, Albanians, Bosnians, and Turks make up a bulk of today’s Swiss National Team.  Their ancestors immigrated to Switzerland during different stages over the past thirty years. Wars in the Balkans ushered scores of future talent to the small landlocked nation, while the Turks settled earlier during lax immigration policies hoping to attract manual laborers.

Xhaka answered calmly, saying how he has viewed Switzerland as his home. The defensive midfielder often regarded as the brains behind the Borussia team, was born in Switzerland to Albanian parents.  He paused and added that it can be hard. “You are known as an Auslander everywhere,” he said referring to the term that simply means foreigner.  But the term “Auslander” is used as an insult, a word of shame implying that you are different. The Swiss national team is littered with them, names that don’t mix with the local population.

Football is the most popular sport in Switzerland and multiculturalism is largely accepted in the confederation, however it has sparked intense debate about the true cost of  the country’s immigration policies, with soccer stars being criticized for not singing the national anthem, some speaking in a broken accent and lacking strong roots to the country they represent.

While this may be coined the least Swiss side, it could also be the most successful one based on the draw. Playing Ecuador in the opening game, and Honduras in the final game, the Swiss need to start strong and finish strong. They will fancy their chances against France, especially with a dominant midfield which includes Shaqiri, Xhaka, Behrami, and Stocker. Switzerland also have one of the deadliest strikers in the Bundesliga. Josip Drmic secured a move to Champions League contenders Bayer Leverkusen on the back of a season where he scored 17 goals.  Of Croatian heritage, the young striker marked his entry for the Swiss team by scoring 2 goals against Croatia in a game that brought on mixed emotions. Drmic may be a Croatian name, but Josip did his Switzerland, the country of his birth, proud.

As the news about Mikel Arteta’s injury filters through the Arsenal ranks, the hope and excitement that awaited the new season among Arsenal supporters is slowly turning into fear and anger before a ball has even been kicked.  Arsenal start their campaign in a tricky game against last season’s survivalists Aston Villa, who managed to keep hold of their most prized asset Christian Benteke.  Arsenal, for a change, have not sold any key players, but they have failed to make any significant signings, only bringing in talented Frenchman youth player Yaya Sanogo, who will most likely be watching most of the games from the touchline.

Arsenal fans were expecting to enter the new season with a minimum of two new star signings, individuals that were pried away from their previous clubs due to their superior footballing abilities, but no such thing happened.  They have tried and tried with Luis Suarez, and agreed personal terms with Gonzalo Higuain, and depending on who you trust, lost out to getting Luiz Gustavo because they weren’t willing to offer enough money. Supporters are already expecting another barren season, but what will irritate them most is that their neighbors and most hated rivals, Tottenham, have been wide awake throwing around their “Bale” money.  Given that that they are most likely going to be without the Welshman for this season, they have made sure to compensate for that loss. Arsenal fans have become envious of a Tottenham transfer policy that has seen them bring in Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli, Paulinho and Etienne Capoue.

The news of Arteta’s injury has added fuel to a fire still burning from last season, briefly subdued by a fourth place finish.  The loss of Arsenal’s makeshift defensive midfielder, a position they have failed to properly fill since Gilberto Silva’s departure, has left them scrambling.  Having sent out Coquelin on loan and missing out on players like Gustavo and Capoue, who were heavily linked with Arsenal for the better part of last season, fans have started to become cynical and angered by the lack of ambition in the transfer market.  The only other team in the race for the title that has not been making waves in the transfer market has been Manchester United. However, a title and managerial change will temporarily lessen expectations. Plus they wrapped up the signing of English forward Wilfried Saha long before the transfer window even opened.

Last year there was a clear and growing divide between the staunch supporters of Wenger and the fans that have had enough of him and wanted him to step down gracefully. Achieving Champions League football and touting a summer transfer budget of £70million, increased expectations for the club, and tempered the anger of supporters. When the window opened, transfer targets were plentiful and every player became a viable target, but as time passed and targets went elsewhere, even the loyal supporters of Wenger were starting to make noise.

It is clear that the team needs reinforcement, especially up front and the defensive midfield position. Olivier Giroud’s season last year was spotty, but he was expected to play every game and his physical condition started to suffer in February and March, picking up small injuries and a recurring back injury.  Even the staunchest supporters of Wenger are having a hard time justifying the ever-increasing prices on tickets and merchandise, without the joy of seeing a world class player join the team.  Without any signings, the rumbling will continue and any Arsenal loss against weaker opposition or a dry spell up front will prompt heavy jeering by the supporters. By not signing anyone, Wenger is not the only one under intense pressure but the whole squad will be, especially with a poor start to the season or failure to beat Fenerbahce.  For young players like Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and now Sanogo, coping with expectations to win the Premier League without receiving much support in terms of added cavalry may extremely harmful to their still growing confidence.

Whether signings will still be made remains to be seen. Wenger says he’s not scared to make to spend, but the proof is in the pudding. There isn’t much optimism among supporters and with Luis Suarez backtracking and apologizing to Liverpool, his arrival at the Emirates will be scrapped.

These last two weeks are crucial for Wenger and his legacy. Wenger has always been a master tactician and his transfer dealings on a whole have been nothing short of spectacular, but he likes to find the perfect piece for the puzzle and if that does not come available, he may dip into the market for a makeshift player and often times, that ends up disastrous.  If worse comes to worse, Arsenal may need to rely on Niklas Bendtner, and although in his delusional world he is somewhere between Pele and Maradona, his failures at Sunderland and Juventus and comments attacking Arsenal have made him a persona non grata at the Emirates, and seeing him in a full kit on the bench may see some supporters revolt.  When the team’s options for a striker go from Gonzalo Higuain, Luis Suarez or David Villa to Nicklas Bendtner, then anger, rage and disappointment will be fully expected.

The 2013-14 Bundesliga season has already kicked off, and there are 10 months of intrigue ahead of us.

Here are 10 players to watch in the 2013/14 Bundesliga season:

1. Thiago Alcantara

Having been signed by Bayern Munich for £21.6million, Thiago Alcantara will have to prove that he belongs among the greats. After his scintillating display in the u21 European Championships, even scoring a hat-trick in the final, the stage has been set for the young Spaniard.  Whether he can establish himself as a starter in a midfield that is riddled with more talent than the Spanish midfield remains to be seen, but he has been lured to Munich with promises, and perhaps one of them was that he will be starting some games.  Alcantara’s future is bright and hopefully it will not be wasted like that of Shaqiri, on the bench

2. Ilkay Gundogan

After Nuri Sahin departed for Real Madrid, Dortmund knew they had lost a great talent whose position may not be easily filled for years to come, but they were wrong.  It did not take Gundogan long before he established himself as the team’s undisputed anchor in the midfield.  This season, Gundogan will be stepping out of Goetze’s shadow and show why he will be the first name on the team sheet when Germany challenges for the World Cup next year.  The young German has not only become indispensable to Dortmund, but the National Team has come to rely heavily on him.  He possesses everything that a modern midfielder needs, and his dribbling skills are the icing on the cake.  Gundogan will be the driving force behind Dortmund’s title challenge and in him, Dortmund possess something Bayern lacks and that is a midfielder that can do all three, dribble, shoot and pass.

3. Leon Goretzka

The Bochum trainee that recently switched allegiances to FC Schalke was brought in to fill the shoes of Lewis Holtby.  At just 18, Goretzka already has played one season in the 2. Bundesliga, but so impressed have his admirers been that the world was watching who would snap him up.  He is tall, strong and reminds the Germans of a traditional midfielder from a generation long gone.  His passing is exquisite while he tends to stay calm and collected when in possession of the ball.  How the pace of the Bundesliga will affect the teen, no one can predict, but FC Schalke is certain that he will be their missing piece in the midfield puzzle.

4. Stefan Kiessling

Perhaps this article is about a decade too late in suggesting that this once upon a time German sensation, should be watched out for, but with the World Cup around the corner and Kiessling’s scoring rate, one has to wonder what else he has to do in order to get a second look chance from Jogi Löw.  While Löw has cited formation issues in why Kiessling hasn’t been called up, the in-form striker may just force his way in if his scoring rate continues to soar.  He will have to perform in the Champions League in order to truly impress the German manager and perhaps his eyes are also set for a move abroad.  His abilities would be sought after in the Premier League.

5. Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Almost unheard of before this transfer window, the Armenian played a role in his country’s European championship ambition, scoring six goals and making into the Qualifiers dream team.  His name may take time to properly memorize and pronounce, but the Armenian was quick to capitalize on Jadson’s absence at Shakhtar and turned himself into a fan favorite. Mkhitaryan possesses all the skills that have made Lampard into one of the most potent midfielders and he will make sure to fill the void left by Goetze.  Technically, Mkhitaryan is not as gifted as Goetze. However what Goetze could not do in front of goal Mkhitaryan can.

6. Rafael Van Der Vaart

He is a hero in some parts of Hamburg and deservedly so; the Dutchman has been made captain and remains a talisman for the club.  Fink recently stated that he still believes Van Der Vaart is one of the best players in the league and is building a side around the talented player in order to get the team back into the Champions League.  Van der Vaart may not be as exciting as some of the up and coming German stars, but as a captain of one of the legendary top sides of German football, he is certainly quite important, especially after an injury laden season and a World Cup around the corner.

7. Julian Draxler

He doesn’t look a year older than 15, but the talent and vision this player possesses makes the viewer believe he has been playing the game for decades.  He has become Schalke’s inspiration and is often touted as the best player of this generation. He most likely won’t see out his two year extension, but his presence will be needed in order to win the Ruhr Derby.  Draxler will also want to prove to Löw that he deserves his place in an already talented Germany midfield for this summer’s World Cup.

8. Pirmin Schwegler

After helping the club win promotion, Schwegler was one of the standout players last season, helping the club secure Europa League football last season.  He has been dubbed the engine in midfield and his stay at the club was in jeopardy when the season ended, but Frankfurt’s management was able to convince the talented Swiss national player to stick it out with them.  He previously failed to make a mark at Bayer Leverkusen, but his presence in the squad is not only reassuring for Armin Veh, but also Ottmar Hitzfeld, who will be counting on Schwegler to help the Swiss national team achieve its goal in qualifying for the World Cup.  The Swiss have plenty of talented players in the Bundesliga, among them Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, but Schwegler has been the most consistent of the Swiss stars.

9. Diego

A blast from the past and perhaps one that is beyond reprieve but the diminutive Brazilian has lit up the Bundesliga before and Wolfsburg look like the team that will challenge for this year’s Champions League spots.  After Diego’s successful seasons at Werder Bremen, his stock reached an all-time high, before plummeting.  His time at Juventus was a failure, while his return to Germany wasn’t met with much enthusiasm.  He helped Athletico Madrid win the Europa League before returning to Wolfsburg. Last season at Wolfsburg, Diego was seen as the team’s best player and at times, the only player that seemed interested in playing. He may have lost some speed since his days at Werder, but that was never his forte, the Brazilian can still play a defense splitting pass with his head facing the opposite way.

10. Vedad Ibisevic

VFB Stuttgart will be relying on him  heavily and although the club did bring in some players during the transfer window, Ibisevic is a natural born goal scorer and his last couples of seasons with Hoffenheim were not as fruitful as he had hoped.  He finished the last season with 15 goals, but his supply line suffered in the middle of the season and his numbers could have easily been increased. In December, he single-handedly destroyed a strong Schalke side, scoring a hatrick to defeat them 3-1. Bruno Labbadia has put his faith in Ibisevic and was repaid with plenty of goals and now Labbadia’s only other task is to keep Ibisevic happy up front.

Gold Cup’s Group C will be the most watched group. It includes the host nation, the United States, as well as Costa Rica, Cuba and Belize.

There will be some familiar faces pitted against each other and could be considered the strongest group in the competition with Costa Rica and the United States, both potential World Cup contestants and Gold Cup finalists.  The games will be held in Portland, Sandy (Utah) and East Hartford.  The United States will be counting on its home support during this competition and in a country where soccer’s stock is rising, expect stadiums to fill up.

MORE — CONCACAF Gold Cup Analysis: Group A.
MORE — CONCACAF Gold Cup Analysis: Group B
MORE — CONCACAF Gold Cup Preview.
MORE — CONCACAF Gold Cup TV Schedule.

United States

Like many other nations, the US men’s national team will be focusing on the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and have sent a weakened team to the Gold Cup, which does not include Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley or Jozy Altidore.  The US debated sending the full squad. However Klinsmann has been known to rotate his squads and wanted to include fringe players as well as give some of the more experienced players another chance.

Since losing to Honduras in the qualifiers back in February, the USMNT have won four and tied one, which has resulted in much praise for the under fire German manager.  Although the US will be fielding a weakened team, many of the players have either been regular national team players at one point in their career, or have excelled at their club team in recent months.

Since Mexico have also decided to leave their stars at home, pressure will be mounting on the US to win the Gold Cup, a feat they have not achieved since 2007.  The US players will also be eager to put on a good display in order to be picked for the US team competing in the World Cup qualifiers later on this year and hopefully make the final roster for Brazil 2014.  There will be some great players on display, such as Stuart Holden, DaMarcus Beasley, and Ogucho Onyewu.

Players to Watch:  It would be cliché to choose Landon Donovan, but he will certainly have to redeem himself for his diva-like behavior in the past six months.  Love him or hate him, Donovan is a talented player and is en-route to become his country’s most capped player and the country’s top scorer.  Although the coveted and disputed “best US-player” mantle has unequivocally been handed to Clint Dempsey in recent years, at 31, Donovan will play his last World Cup next year, and is desperate to make the final squad list.

After some scintillating displays by Jozy Altidore for the USMNT in the past few months, he has become the undisputed number one striker for the team.  His pending move to Sunderland and goal scoring exploits in the Dutch League will make him the national team’s striker for the World Cup, a position Herculez Gomez would like to overtake.  He hasn’t featured much for the US, but he offers them a different option up front. Plus his strength, as well as his hold up play, will work well with Donovan’s maneuverability.

Costa Rica

In recent years, their title as Central America’s best team has been challenged by Honduras, but Costa Rica is currently leading in the last stage of the World Cup qualifiers and has one foot in Brazil. Unfortunately, like many of the other teams at the Gold Cup they have rested most of their stars and brought in a mix of talent.  Fans were looking forward to watching Bryan Ruiz, Joel Campbell and Bryan Oviedo light up the Gold Cup, but they will have to wait for the next World Cup qualifier to see that.  Nevertheless Costa Rica is not sending a bunch of amateurs to the tournament and even their fringe players could mount a challenge.  Costa Rica has qualified for the World Cup on three occasions and has won the CONCACAF championship three times, but never have they won the modern Gold Cup version.  Costa Rica has also benefitted from a strong league that has produced great players over the years as well as a great team in Deportivo Saprissa, which in turn has served as a conveyor belt of talent to the national team.

Players to Watch: Alvaro Saborio is a regular on the Costa Rican national team and is an absolute goal machine wherever he goes.  US audiences know him for his exploits at Real Salt Lake.  With him at the helm, Costa Rica will be scoring and he can be a strong contender for the Gold Cup golden boot award.

Yeltsin Tejada has already made a name for himself in Costa Rica at Saprissa as a midfield maestro and creative playmaker, but has not been able to break through to the national team. At 21, he has a chance to show the Costa Rican national coach why he should be chosen alongside Ruiz as Costa Rica’s creative spark.

Cuba

This team has become a regular at the Gold Cup, but they have consistently served as the group’s whipping boy, often finishing last in the group without registering any points.  The team has been plagued by defectors escaping Cuba’s dying economy and seeking lucrative contracts abroad.  At the ast Gold Cup tournament, Yosniel Mesa defected from the team’s camp and in 2005 Maykel Galindo, formerly of FC Dallas, defected.  While Cuba is considered one of the stronger teams in the Caribbean, they are still miles away from a World Cup spot.  Cuba, however, did win the 2012 Caribbean Cup, beating Trinidad & Tobago 1-0 in the final.

Players to Watch: Not much is known about the Cuban players; quite frankly not much is known about the Cuban league either which makes identifying their stars a tough task.  Ariel Martinez was a stand-out player during the Caribbean Cup and helped Cuba win the competition, contributing two goals.  Cuba often arrives to the Gold Cup with a weakened team, fearing that their stars will end up defecting in order to build a better life abroad.

Belize

This is the first time Belize will be competing at the Gold Cup and for a team that has only been in existence since 1995, luck had a role to play with that qualification.  Without Deon McCaulay’s winner in stoppage time against Nicaragua during the UNCAF tournament, the Jaguars would not be at this tournament and their ignominy in the soccer world would be continuing.  Soccer is Belize’s most popular sport, but that has yet to translate into success. Recent years saw a merger of two competing leagues to create the Belize Premier League, which kicked off in 2011 and came in the aftermath of being suspended by FIFA for governmental intervention.

Players to Watch:  As already mentioned, Deon McCaulay scored a vital goal in the road to the Gold Cup, adding to his goal scoring record for his country.  The young player has caught the eye of some MLS sides and will want to extend his stay in the United States.

Prediction

The fight for the top spot will be disputed between the United States and Costa Rica. The two previously met in March when Clint Dempsey scored a winner in a match dubbed snowmageddon.  Costa Rica will want revenge, not only for a loss but for what they felt were unfair playing conditions.

Based on the squad selection, the United States not only has more experience in its squad but momentum is on their side.  The mouthwatering game between political rivals, the United States and Cuba, has been played in previous Gold Cup competitions and Cuba has rarely stood a chance.  Cuba and Belize have never faced each other and their first competitive match will most likely determine third in this group.  The US is most likely to top this group, with Costa Rica close behind and Belize winning coming in third.

As Brazil continues to host the Confederations Cup, Premier League teams will have a number of their scouts in the country searching for new players to sign, while also keeping an eye on their own players. Ten years ago, there were hardly any Brazilians and Spaniards in the Premier League, but nowadays almost every team in the top four has at least a Spaniard in their ranks.

The hosts have called up the Chelsea duo of Oscar and David Luiz, but Big Phil has surprisingly omitted Ramires. Another player that should have been included based on his performances this year is Manchester United’s right back, Rafael. The young Brazilian has improved by leaps and bounds compared to his previous seasons and would be quite annoyed at his exclusion. Although relegated, QPR’s Julio Cesar made the final cut and is Brazil’s starting keeper. The perpetually Tottenham linked Leandro Damiao is also included and will be keen to follow Neymar to Europe, so expect some great displays from him. Currently employed by Internacional, he is exactly the type of player that Spurs have been looking for, someone that can combine Adebayor’s and Defoe’s skills into one.

The Spanish national team are World and European Champions, but are also the team with the most amount of Premier League players. As usual, Spain’s midfield includes a goldmine of talent. In Santi Cazorla, David Silva and Juan Mata, Del Bosque has included three of the Premier League’s best midfielders. Santi has unequivocally been Arsenal’s player of the season and with 12 goals and 13 assists, he will be a great addition to the Spanish team. Mata has for a second season been one of Chelsea’s best players and was voted by Chelsea’s fans as the player of the season. He has won the Champions League and Europa League with Chelsea and deserves a place in the Spanish team. Unlike the two other midfielders, Silva did not have a memorable season, but is one of the few midfielders that has had a standing place in the national team.

Surprisingly, Javi Garcia has been included in the squad and that is probably down to the fact that Spain lacks defensive midfielders. Cesar Azpilicueta and Nacho Monreal have both been called up and although Jordi Alba will most likely be Spain’s starting left back, it will most likely be that César Azpilicueta will feature as Spain’s right back ahead of the aging Arbeloa. Fernando Torres received a call up after his strong end to the season. Soldado is his real competition, since Villa has barely played all season and has fallen out of favor at Barcelona, but he is another player constantly rumored to be on the lookout for a Premier League team. And before we forget, Pepe Reina has been included but will remain the understudy to Casillas in the Spanish goal until one of them retires.

Japan come to the Confederations Cup as Asian Champions and they also have two Premier League players in their ranks, both having only spent one season England. Shinji Kagawa is certainly the best Japanese player at the moment and after impressing with Dortmund, winning back to back to Bundesliga titles, his transfer to United was not only seen as a coup but also a marketing scheme. The Japanese had a few injuries along the way, but overall scored 6 goals in 20 appearances for the club. More importantly, he combined well with Van Persie and was able to complement RVP by interchanging positions and runs into the box. The other player is Southampton’s Maya Yoshida, who had a good first season in the Premier League after transferring from Dutch side VVV-Venlo. Quite frankly, there have only been a total of 6 Japanese players that have played top flight English football so far.

The “love him or hate him” Luis Suarez will certainly be playing a big role in Uruguay’s attempt to advance to the final. He’s been the only member of the team that has been actually performing. Currently vying for a move away from the Premier League, he needs to impress his suitors on the world wide stage yet again. Gaston Ramirez has faired well, having arrived as Southampton’s record signing, scoring 6 and assisting in 3 goals. More will be expected from him the next season as Southampton battle to stay in the Premier League.

Uruguay has a pool of talent waiting to be tapped by Premier League teams. The first name on the list has been on the radar of all European top sides, and having guided Napoli to a second placed finish, Edinson Cavani is worthy of all the attention. Rumors are that he won’t be at Napoli next season with the most likely suitors coming from the Premier League and Juventus. Another top player, recently relegated with Palermo, is Abel Hernandez who has the ability to score and set up goals with ease.

With only two Premier League players in their squad, the Nigerian national team doesn’t look to English shores like they used to or rather, the Nigerian players aren’t as skilled as they used to be. The Chelsea duo of Victor Moses and Obi Mikel are both present, and were also the only two Premier League players to be present during Nigeria’s recent African Cup of Nations victory. Under Stephen Keshi, the team doesn’t include all the big names fans are used and he has selected from both African based players and European based players to build a well balanced team. While players will be showcasing their goods, there are few that will attract big Premier League teams.

The last team to include a Premier League based player is Mexico. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez hasn’t had the best of seasons at Manchester United, but with the likelihood of Rooney’s departure, he may find more opportunities at the club. The Little Pea is Mexico’s star player and one of few European based players alongside Guardado and the Dos Santos. Arsenal reject Vela has been shunned by the national team after ironically rejecting recent call ups.

As for Tahiti, they have the same amount of Premier League based players as Italy, 0. Since Super Mario Balotelli’s departure, the Premier League lacks an Italian national team player, but constant speculations linking De Rossi to England may change that.

To sum it up there, Chelsea is the Premier League side with the most number of players represented at the FIFA Confederations Cup. Let’s hope all of the Chelsea players, and the national team players from other Premier League sides, make it through the entire tournament without getting injured.

Until now, the presence of tenured managers in the Premier League like Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger loomed large and were viewed as signs of success, stability and ultimately, pride.  With Ferguson’s retirement, he has not only ended his 26 years in charge, but Moyes’ 11 years at Everton, making Wenger the longest serving manager in the Premier League by a mile.  As a matter of fact, when looking at the Premier League’s competition, not one of the managers in La Liga has served at their club for longer than three years; most have been appointed within the past two years.  The trend of ephemeral managers is not uncommon to the Premier League, but compared to their immediate rivals, the Premier League’s average tenure was almost three times that of the opposition and it is currently in steep decline.

In Italy, Napoli’s Mazzari was the longest serving manager, having been at the club for four years, but announced his departure after leading the club to second place.  In the Bundesliga, a league whose governance and ownership structure has been admired around the world, we find that the 3 year curse is broken by a few managers. Less than a month ago, Werder Bremen let go of Thomas Schaaf, a club legend who not only signed up with the club as a teenager, but would spend his entire playing career with them, and go on to manage them for 14 years.  Jurgen Klopp, among two other managers have been at their respective clubs for over 4 years now.  Klopp’s track record with Dortmund is impressive, only matched by Ottmar Hitzfeld, which explains his lengthy tenure at the club.  The other two candidates can be described as anomalies.  One of the managers is Thomas Tuchel, having taken over one year after Klopp left Mainz and the other, Norber Meier, who this year was relegated with Fortuna Dusseldorf, the same team he has helped to promote from deepest pits of the 3rd Bundesliga, explaining why he was not sacked after getting relegated.

Before the last game of the season kicked-off, the average managerial tenure for the Premier League was at 1517 days, or approximately 4 years and 2 months.  With the departures of Ferguson, Moyes, Pulis and Martinez from the managerial roster and including the two promoted managers of Cardiff City and Hull, the average tenure dropped to 792 days, which equates to roughly 2 years and 2 months.  Disregarding Wenger’s time at Arsenal, which has become an outlier at this point, the average tenure of a Premier League manager is 415 days or roughly 1 year and 2 months.  With four vacant managerial positions due to be filled, it will drag the average down.  In this case, the median can be regarded as a more accurate indicator, which was at 355 days with the inclusion of Ferguson and company, and only dipped slightly to 349.5 days without including the newly departed long serving managers.  This goes to show that the bulk of the managers in the Premier League have just about served one season at their respective clubs.  These figures, as previously mentioned, are not an anomaly.  When comparing this to the Serie A, the numbers are approximately the same. Among the 20 managers that finished the season with their clubs, the average was 480 days, with a median at 346 days.  La Liga has fared better and looking at all current managers the average tenure is 488 days, with a median set at 509 days.  Perhaps it is Spain’s financial crisis that has limited the club’s sacking practices, or this is a cyclical trend and a new wave of departing managers is about to be witnessed.

Going into next season, the league that will most likely have the highest average, pending any mass managerial layoffs, is the Bundesliga.  The managers at the last game of the season were in charge for an average of 691 days and a median of 547days.  While German financial stability is an important aspect of the game in the Bundesrepublik, German managers are known to do the rounds with proven figures like Hitzfeld, Rehagel, Heynckes and Magath having managed a minimum of three Bundesliga teams and all having managed Bayern Munich.  In Italy, it isn’t uncommon for a manager to have led Juventus and AC Milan or any combination of the top sides including Inter and Roma.  The Premier League is starting to acknowledge this model and Benitez, although heavily booed, was the first Premier League manager in the modern era to take control of two classical “top four” sides.[1]

The trend across Europe and in fact across the world is that the footballing world isn’t patient and they demand immediate changes if they are not presented with success.  In England, it was almost unheard of to sack managers in quick succession as has been done at Liverpool or Tottenham.  With the departures of Ferguson, Moyes, Pulis and disregarding Wenger’s time in control, it looks like the tenure of managers will be the lowest among the top 4 leagues in Europe.  Perhaps Everton and Manchester United will restart the clock and give their managers time, but with a continual increase in profits, the pressure levied on Moyes will most likely dictate a top 4 finish within his first two years in charge and a trophy within 3.  In light of recent departures, Pardew and Jol are two of the longest serving managers, and it comes as no surprise that both are under pressure by the fans and media for what can be perceived as a lackluster season.   Going into season 2013/2014, the number of managers (disregarding promoted sides) with more than 1000 days in charge can be counted on both hands across all four leagues.  It is quite common for managers

Gone are the days when a club is identified by the manager, fans are growing up and becoming accustomed to seeing 3 to 4 managers before they reach adulthood.  In the case of Mourinho and Guardiola, managers have garnered a fan base as well.  As it stands, Wenger is the longest serving top division manager in the world and when his tenure does end, either by mutual consent, retirement or sacking, it will be unlikely that another manager in England will reach a decade of management at one club.  Whether the sacking of managers is solely influenced by money or lack of patience is something that one cannot specifically pinpoint without analyzing ulterior motives, but it is quite certain that any manager regardless of the requirements set, will be under immense pressure to deliver.

As the all-time great, Guy Roux, once said, “Sometimes I add up how much it costs someone to come and watch us five times a month behind the goal – there are guys who probably go without meat to come to the games. Knowing you’ve made him unhappy by losing is a huge weight to bear.”