well here's a list of players who are expected to make Bundesliga much better this season ;)
#1. Bastian Schweinsteiger
Schweinsteiger has become one of the most well known footballers in Europe but he almost did not get there. ”Schweini” as he is know now was a successful youth skier and had to decide between a professional career in skiing or soccer. Fortunately he chose the latter. Schweinsteiger is a product of Bayern’s youth academy and very much a “local lad”, hailing from the same town as German soccer legend Paul Breitner. Schweinsteiger received his Bayern debut in 2002 by then Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld at the ripe age of 18. He signed a professional contract the following month and gradually worked his way to becoming a regular for Bayern.
Bastian received his first call up to the National Team in 2004 in the overhauling of Germany’s soccer structure by Jurgen Klinsmann and Joachim Loew. Schweinsteiger represented the first wave of a new young crop of German talent. He was made part of Germany’s 2004 Euro team and has since featured regularly in every international tournament Germany participated in including impressive performances at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
Schweinsteiger’s strengths as a player lay in the versatility and completeness of his game. He was originally used as a wide player, and even fullback, before setting into a central role under Louis van Gaal. Schweinsteiger was effective in spurs out wide but never lived up this potential consistently. The move to the middle in 2009 changed Schweinsteiger as a player and helped him establish himself as one of Europe’s premier central midfielders. Now vice captain for Bayern and Germany, Schweinsteiger is one of Europe’s best footballers
#2.Christian Schulz
Schulz is a defender, who can play in central defense, the left back, and defensive midfield. Schulz has during his career been amongst Germany top defenders, and has 4 caps for his country so far.
Born in Bassum, 1st of April 1983, Schulz joined Werder Bremen´s youth team at the age of 12. He rose quickly through the youth ranks of the green and whites, and made it into Werder´s second team at the age of 18. A year later Schulz got his debut in the Bundesliga. Schulz played a total of 103 Bundesliga matches for Werder, before he switched to Hannover 96 in 2007. Schulz has been among the cornerstones of the 96´ers ever since he started playing for them.
#3. Claudio Pizarro
The Peruvian striker was born on the 3rd of October 1978, and started his playing career at Deportivo Pesquero in Peru. Bremen discovered the young talented striker in the beginning of 1999, and brought the talent to the Weserstadion in the summer of 1999 for 1.5 million euros. Pizzaro became quickly one of the cornerstones of the Bremen team, and scored 29 goals in 55 matches between 99 and 01.
Bayern Munich bought the Peruvian striker for 8.2 million euros in the summer of 2001. Pizzaro stayed at Munich until 2007. He was sold to Chelsea in 2007, but failed to make an impression at Stamford Bridge and he was loaned to his old club Bremen in 2008. The year afterwards Bremen decided to make the move permanent. Pizzaro scored his 134 goal in last Octobers match against Borussia Mönchengladbach, making him the most scoring foreign striker of all time in the Bundesliga.
#4. Didier Ya Konan
Born on May 22nd 1984, the Ivorian striker started his European career at the Norwegian club Rosenborg Trondheim in 2007. Never gaining traction at the most successful club of Norwegian football, he was sold for 900.000 euros to Hannover 96 in 2009. Ya Konan became the team’s top scorer in his first season at the club with 9 goals. He is currently the top scorer for Hannover 96, and has been vital to their success in the league.
Hannover’s first victory without Ya Konan came in match day 24, which shows how important he is for the team. Ya Konan is known to be clinical finisher, who often creates chances for his partners upfront. Furthermore, the little Ivorian is also a physical force to be reckoned with, and doesn’t shy away from one-on-ones with the best defenders in the league.
#5. Gerald Asamoah
Born in Ghana in 1978, Asamoah moved to Hannover with his family as a 12 year old. Asamoah joined immediately the local football team BV Werder Hannover, and four years after arriving in Germany he made his debut in the third tier of German football for Hannover 96. The talented youngster got of to a brilliant start at Hannover and was quickly rated amongst the most promising players in Germany.
After three years at Hannover, and 79 appearances in the third and second tier of German football, Asamoah moved to Schalke and the Bundesliga in 1999. Asamoah stayed at Schalke until 2010, and played a total of 279 Bundesliga matches for them, mostly on the wing. His total goal tally for his 11 seasons at Schalke is 44 goals. During his best years as a footballer Asamoah was part of the German national team. Between 2001 and 2006 Asamoah played 43 times for Germany, scoring 6 goals. After 11 years at Schalke, Asamoah made a move to the Reeperbahn club St. Pauli, where he currently is their star striker.
#6. Papiss Demba Cisse
Cisse was born in Dakar on June 3, 1985. After playing as a youth at French side AS Generation Foot, Cisse was signed by FC Metz in 2005. Cisse made almost 100 appearances for Metz, 10 of which were in Ligue 1 competition. Cisse also spent time on loan to Championnat National club AS Cherbourg and additional time in Ligue 2 with LB Chateauroux, displaying a consistent scoring touch in the lower levels of French competition.
Cisse’s career blossomed after arriving in Germany in December, 2009. Under the tutelage of SC Freiburg Coach Robin Dutt, Cisse helped the newly promoted team remain in 1. Bundesliga during the 2nd half of the 2009-2010 season before becoming a leading Bundesliga scorer during the 2010-2011, accumulating 15 goals by MatchDay 21 despite missing three games. The 6’0″ striker has been a huge factor in Freburg’s surprising 6th place standing in the Bundesliga table. Muscular and powerful, Cisse has also represented his native Senegal, earning 8 caps while scoring 7 goals for the Senegalese since 2010.
#7. Per Mertesacker
Born on 29. September 1984 in Hannover, Mertesacker joined the local football team Hannover 96 at the age of 11. The central defender made his Bundesliga debut in 2003, and evolved to be among the best players of the Hannover 96. His great performances for the reds drew the attention of then national coach Jürgen Klinsmann, and Mertesacker got his debut for the German national team in September 2004.
Mertesacker moved from Hannover 96 to Werder Bremen after the World Cup in 2006. The central defender his known for his excellent record in one-on-ones with strikers, his great ability to lead the defense and creating danger from set pieces due to his massive height.
#8. Philipp Lahm
“Mr. Consistent”. Since coming through the Bayern youth ranks, Lahm has established himself as one of the premier fullbacks in the game and distinguished himself by playing successfully on both sides of the pitch. Born and bread in Munich, Lahm was sent out on loan to Stuttgart to gain match experience. That is where Lahm grew into the player he would eventually become. Used as an early form of the modern attacking fullback, Lahm was switched form his natural right side to the left and told to cut inside when he went forward. His style of play and energy cultivated the “young and the wild” side that Magath’s Stuttgart came to be known as.
It did not take long for Lahm to establish himself as a first team regular for both Bayern and the German National Team after his success in Stuttgart and Lahm really made a name for himself at the 2006 World Cup as he scored the impressive opening goal to the tournament. Pursued by Barcelona, Lahm chose to extend his stay at Bayern and was eventually reward with the captaincy after Van Bommel’s departure. He also received the armband from Loew after Ballack’s long injury and captained Germany at the 2010 World Cup. Lahm is known to be one of the most reliable players on his teams, rarely missing a game and rarely putting a foot wrong in a match. His tackling and tracking back are second to none in the Bundesliga and he has the football IQ of a playmaker. He has a quiet and respectful personality which makes him a fan and coach favorite.
#9. Steve Cherundolo
Steve is the American-born captain of Hannover 96. Born in 1979 in Rockford, Illinois, Steve grew up in California where his youth club team won six California State Championships. Steve played two years at the University of Portland, earning Freshman of the Year honors in the West Coast Conference.
After two years at Portland, Steve sought his professional fortunes in Germany and joined Hannover 96 in 1999. The 5’6″ defender has spent his entire professional career with Hannover, appearing in over 325 matches for the Reds in 2. Bundesliga, 1. Bundesliga and DFB Pokal Cup play. His steadiness, professionalism and leadership abilities brought him Hannover’s captain’s armband, where despite offers from other clubs, he has remained. He has been nicknamed “The Mayor of Hannover” for his service to the club.
Steve has also proudly represented the U.S. Men’s National team since 1999, earning 65 caps and a starter’s positioon in the FIFA 2010 World Cup. His dangerous runs down the right flank in the USMNT draw with England at the South Africa World Cup caused England coach Fabio Capello to make an early substituion to England’s lineup to neutrallize Cherundolo. Steve was a member of the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup champion American side.
#10. Torsten Frings
Born 22nd November 1976 in Würselen close to Aachen, Frings joined the youth ranks of Alemania Aachen in 1990. Four years later Frings joined the senior squad of the team as a striker, and played for them for three years. In 1997 a 21 year old Frings made the huge step from Aachen into the Bundesliga when he chose to move to Bremen. Frings was reeducated as a player in Bremen and became a right-midfielder and right back. Frings stayed at Bremen until 2002, playing a total of 162 matches, scoring 15 goals. During his time in Bremen Frings got his debut for the national team in 2001, and was amongst the cornerstones of Germany’s success in the 2002 World Cup. After two seasons at Dortmund, and one season at Bayern Munich Frings returned to Werder Bremen. He gained quickly the captain’s armband, and is now one of their most important center midfielder. During his long career Torsten Frings played a total of 79 matches for Germany”s national team, scoring 10 goals.
#11. Vedad Ibisevic
Vedad Ibisevic is a 6’2″ striker who currently plays for 1899 Hoffenheim, having joined the club in the 2007-2008 season. Ibisevic was born in Bosnia in August 1984. His family left the former Yugoslavian republic in 2000, settling first in Switzerland before making their home among the thriving Bosnian community in St. Louis, Mo.
Ibisevic quickly established himself as a rising star in his new country, being cited by Soccer America as one of the top prospects in the U.S. in 2002 while at Roosevelt High School. Ibisevic earned NCAA Freshman of the Year honors at St. Louis University, scoring 16 goals, while also playing in the USL Premier Development League in the summer. Ibisevic signed on with famed French club Paris Saint-Germain in 2004, but only made four appearances for the Parisian club, spending most of his time on loan with Ligue 2 side Dijon FCO. He joined Alemannia Aachen for their 2006-2007 promoted season in the Bundesliga, but the team was relegated and he joined 1899 Hoffenheim in 2. Bundesliga for the 2007-2008 campaign.
Hoffenheim gained promotion, and both they and Ibisevic exploded onto the Bundesliga scene in 2008-2009. Ibisevic scored 18 goals in the first half of the season to lead teh Bundesliga before a winter break knee injury kept him from competing in the 2nd half of the season, and Hoffenheim slid down the table from their lofty Hinrunde heights. Ibisevic returned to health the next season, and has scored 37 goals in 90 league matches for Dietmar Hopp’s team. Ibisevic has also represented Bosnia-Herzegovinia 27 times on the international stage, scoring 7 goals.
#12. Mario Gomez
Mario Gomez is a 6' 2.5" striker who currently plays for Bayern Munich, having joined the club in 2009 for a Bundesliga record of 35 million euros. Gomez was born in Riedlingen, West Germany on 10 July, 1985. Gomez was brought up in Unlingen, an upper Swabian village and is of german-spanish descent (his father is a Spaniard and his mother is German). He has both nationalities but decided to play for the German national Team at the age of 17. His first appearance for the team was in February 2007 against Switzerland and he has been called up regularly since then.
Gomez started his career at Stuttgart and played frequently for the first team although he spent most of the 2004 season with the reserve squad. In the 2005-06 season, he finally joined the first team scoring 6 goals in 30 bundesliga appearances. In the 2006-07 season, Gomez established himself as one of the top scorers in the Bundesliga. During the 06-07 season, he had torn his ankle ligament and was out for several weeks. He returned to the squad and scored immediately. He ended the season winning Bundesliga title as well as being awarded the German Player of the Year. 2007-08 season began on a positive note for Gomez, but Stuttgart struggled to produce performances that won them the title previous season. Gomez finished the season with 19 goals, placed second to Bayern Munich's Luca Toni who scored 24 goals. On 26 may,2009 Gomez was transferred to Bayern Munich for a German record transfer and was given the squad number 33.
His first season with the Bavarian giants was erratic and he managed to score only 10 goals in 29 games. It was during the season 2010-11, Gomez established himself as a first team player, owing to the injury of Ivica Olic and loss of form of Miroslav Klose. During 2010-11, Gomez finished top of the charts with 28 goals in 32 games and finishing the season with 39 goals in 45 appearances. Gomez has scored 8 hattricks in his career till date, 3 of them with Stuttgart and 5 with Bayern.
Gomez is a regular started for the German National Team, netting 19 goals in 47 games.
#13. Manuel Neuer
Manuel Neuer is a 6' 4" goalkeeper who currently plays for Bayern Munich, having joined the club in June,2011 for 18 million euros from Schalke. Neuer was born in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany on 27 march,1986.
He started his career at local club, Schalke FC as a reserve keeper. He rose to first choice keeper when Frank Rost got injured during 2006-07 season. The 20 year old was given his first start against Bayern, and didn't disappoint anyone and managed to secure a 2-2 draw. following such performances, he was tipped to be the successor to Jens Lehman as the future German goal keeper, despite his young age. In the knock out stages of 2008-09 UCL, his individual brilliance coupled with couple of great saves and good defense led Schalke to quarter-finals where they lost to Barcelona. For his heroics, Neuer was shortlisted for UEFA Goalkeeper of the year which was a record, being the youngest goalkeeper and the only one from Bundesliga. He is only one of the three players who have played every minute in the Bundesliga.
His heroics continued to the national team and a strong performance with the German national team in 2010 WC at South Africa attracted interest from top European Clubs. Bayern emerged victorious and signed him on a 5 year contact that extends till 2016.
#14. Thomas Müller
Müller is a 6' 1" midfielder/forward who plays for Bayern Munich and the German National Team, having been a product of Bayern Munich's youth academy. Müller was born on 13 september,1989 in Weilheim, West Germany.
Müller was drafted into the first team during 2009-10 season when Louis Van Gaal was made the coach. He played every match in the league and cup and was instrumental in Bayern's progress to UCL final where they lost to Inter Milan. He ended his first season with 19 goals in 52 matches.
He performed exceptionally well for the German Team during WC 2010 where they finished with 3 place and Müller scored 5 goals in 6 appearances which won him the Young Player of the tournament and also won the Golden Boot with 5 goals and 3 assists.
After returning from WC, he was the subject of intense transfer rumors, linking him with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid. He decided to stay in Munich and signed a contract extension that will keep him in Munich till July 2015. His second season saw a dip in form, altercations with team mate, Arjen Robben and scoring only 19 goals in 52 games which saw Bayern finishing third in the league due to which Louis Van Gaal was sacked and was replaced by Jupp Heynckes.
#15. Mats Hummels
Mats Hummels, 6' 3" defender born on 16 december,1988 in Bergisch Gladbach plays as a center back/half for Borussia Dortmund and German national team. Hummels was a product of Bayern's youth academy. He played his first and final game for bayern in a 5-2 home routing of FSV Mainz.
Borussia signed him initially on loan for 2009-10 season, where he was partnered with Nevan Subotic. He missed the final months due to an injury. The 2010-11 brought increased success for Hummels. He is the regular first-choice center-back, again paired with Subotic. The duo have helped Dortmund to the best defensive record in the Bundesliga and to the unofficial title of Autumn Champions. Hummels's performances this season have displayed great quality in tackling, positioning, and composure. He has attracted praise from pundits and coaches alike, and he is considered one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga.
#16. Mario Götze
Götze is considered to be an up-and-coming, potential world class player due to his speed, technical skill and creativity.German Football Association's technical director Matthias Sammer called him "one of the best talents that we've ever had".
Götze is a product of Dortmund's youth academy, first entering the club as an 8-year-old. He made his Bundesliga debut on 21 November 2009 in a 0–0 draw against FSV Mainz, coming on as a substitute for Jakub Błaszczykowski in the 88th minute. During the 2010–11 Bundesliga season, Borussia Dortmund trainer Jürgen Klopp promoted Mario Götze to the first team, since Shinji Kagawa had suffered an injury and was unable to play for the rest of the season. Götze took his chance and was an important player in Dortmund's championship winning team. He scored six goals and made 15 assists, making him the best 18-year old player in the Bundesliga since the accurate goal and assist data have been recorded (since 2004–05).
After ascending through several youth teams, Mario Götze was called up for his first senior match for Germany against Sweden, on 17 November 2010. He made his debut that day, coming on in the 78th minute in a goalless draw, substituting for his Dortmund teammateKevin Großkreutz and becoming the youngest German international since Uwe Seeler. Götze and André Schürrle who came on simultaneously are the first two Germany players to be born in reunified Germany. He made his second appearance for the national team in a friendly match against Italy on 9 February 2011.Götze's first goal for Germany was against Brazil on 10 August 2011; at 19 years and 68 days he became the joint-youngest goalscorer for the German national team in the post-war era along with Klaus Stürmer who scored on debut against France on 16 October 1954.
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