The European football leagues kick off this weekend. The focus will be on the Bundesliga and the cash-rich French league for different reasons. The popular English Premier League, telecast over 200 countries and the most watched football event in India starts next.
With the 2014 World Cup about 10 months away, national coaches will be keeping a sharp eye on the form of established international players and hoping they remain injury free in the season ahead. The curse of the metatarsal affected England when both David Beckham and Wayne Rooney were injured in club football months before the 2002 and 2006 World Cups respectively, which affected their performances when on national duty.
In the Bundesliga, it is to be seen if any team can cope with the wealth and depth of talent of Bayern Munich. It is also a crucial test for their new coach Pep Guardiola, who is reportedly on an annual salary of 16.8 million euros. He was successful in Spain with Barcelona, a club for which he had played and knew the way it functioned. Bayern Munich have a different culture and Guardiola’s moves will be carefully scrutinised by both the German media and club officials like former World Cup stars Karl Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness.
Guardiola has to sort out several problem areas. At his insistence, Bayern Munich purchased the highly rated Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara for 25 million euros from Barcelona.
Bayern have a surplus of riches in midfield. Guardiola has used wing back Philip Lahm in midfield. They have also acquired talented 20-year-old Mario Goetze from rivals Borussia Dortmund for 37 million euros. Goetze can play in the hole behind the strikers. How Guardiola uses these two expensive acquisitions and rotates established players will be vital.
After their triple-crown in the last season, Bayern Munich are expected to dominate the German league. If the team stumble like in the 2-4 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 DFL Super Cup, Guardiola could face scathing criticism from the demanding German media. Former France international Laurent Blanc, the coach of high-flying Paris St Germain (PSG) also faces problems of adjustment.
PSG have purchased the lethal Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani from Napoli for $84 million, the fifth most expensive transfer ever. Blanc has to now either adjust Cavani with their lanky Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic or play them by rotation.
The ambitious PSG hope to excel in the Uefa Champions League this season. Blanc will have to play the role of a father-figure or psychologist to get the best out of his high-profile strikers and fulfil his club’s ambitions.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney’s Hamlet-like dilemma, to stay or not to stay continues in Manchester United. It is believed that Rooney is upset that new coach David Moyes rather tactlessly said that Robin van Persie would be the first choice striker for Manchester United.
Chelsea have openly courted Rooney. In his second spell as Chelsea’s coach Jose Mourinho has played mind games to try and acquire Rooney. Manchester United do not want to sell Rooney to an English club like Chelsea, their main rivals for the EPL title. So Rooney’s transfer saga may continue for some time.