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All About Jürgen Klopp's Germany (ft. Peter Weis)

After Extra Time — When ninety minutes isn't enough: deep dives, big guests, and the stories that matter.

In This Episode:

  • 🎙️ The Feature: Jürgen Klopp's return to management — and what it means for Germany
  • 🗣️ Special Guest: Peter Weis, Bundesliga reporter
  • 🔍 Talking Points: Klopp's Germany debut v the Netherlands · his Red Bull & RBL legacy · the rebuild after a shock World Cup exit
  • 🔴 The RBL Angle: The man who shaped things at Red Bull, now shaping Die Mannschaft — what he leaves behind at Leipzig

Our Guest — Peter Weis:

🦋 Bluesky: @petervicey.bsky.social

𝕏 X: @PeterVicey

🗞️ Featured Article: "Bundesliga Tactics Check: RB Leipzig" — Get German Football News → ARTICLE LINK

📺 Peter's Vlogs:

  1. A matchday at the friendliest club in Germany! SC Freiburg vs VfL Wolfsburg → LINK
  2. We went to a game at Germany's most controvesial club! RB Leipzig v Eintracht Frankfurt → LINK
  3. 125 YEARS OF 1. FC Nürnberg → LINK
  4. 1. FC NÜRNBERG vs 1. FC KAISERSLAUTERN Part 3- Friends, Football, and 50+1 → LINK
  5. 1. FC Kaiserslautern vs Schalke 04- THE BETZE RETURN! → LINK
  6. Mark vs Peter 2.0 1. FC Nürnberg vs 1. FC Kaiserslautern LIVE VLOG → LINK

Don't Go Anywhere:

  • 🏟️ The Digital Terrace: Don't just watch — join the community. Our Discord is the digital equivalent of the standing area; it's where we talk tactics, vent after a loss, and celebrate every goal 24/7. Grab your spot on the terrace here: https://discord.gg/jE6ZzwcCYu
  • 📅 Next Up: RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt (MD5) — Sat 10/10, 18:30 CEST Red Bull Arena
  • 📥 Get Involved: Got a take on this one? Send it via SpeakPipe or socials — we'll play the best in the next main episode's Digital Terrace.
  • 🗣️ Join the Show: Want to represent your club or share your RBL take? Book a guest spot here: https://rbltalk.captivate.fm/booking
  • ☕ Support the Show: Help us cover running costs here: https://rbltalk.captivate.fm/support

Partners & Credits:

Transcript
Justin Crozer:

He told us he was finished, burnt out, stepping away.

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Maybe for good.

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Turns out finished came

with a return date.

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Jürgen Klopp is back.

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On a touchline, the man who lifted

up Dortmund, conquered Europe with

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Liverpool, spent the two years as

the mastermind behind the Red Bull

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empire, is now the manager of Germany.

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And here's why it matters to us.

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Because the national job, Klopp had

a real hand in shaping our club.

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So tonight, what's he

leaving behind at Leipzig?

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What's he building with Die Mannschaft?

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And does the heavy metal football

still play at international level?

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To help me make sense of it, I've

pulled in a proper Bundesliga reporter.

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And brace yourselves,

a Kaiserslautern man.

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You'll want to stick around for this one.

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Peter, brilliant to finally

get you on the terrace.

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Worth the wait.

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Peter Weis: Thank you.

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For- I'm, uh…

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It's a pleasure to be here,

and I apologize once again for

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my, uh, absentmindedness in, in

missing our previous appointment.

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Justin Crozer: Not a problem, Peter.

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You don't need to, uh,

apologize for anything.

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I understand you're a very busy,

uh, person, so that's okay.

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For anyone who doesn't know you

yet, uh, give the listeners the

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quick version who you are and your

work covering German football.

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Peter Weis: Oh, absolutely.

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Uh, my name is, uh, Peter Weiss,

if you would like to pronounce it

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in English, or Peter Weiss if you'd

like to pronounce it in German.

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And I'm originally from the

football-mad town of Kaiserslautern.

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Uh, that is a footballing

giant in the German southwest.

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Uh, people think of

Kaiserslautern, oftentimes they

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think of a, a military base.

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Uh, and I am indeed half

American and half German.

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But I am the son, the only son sired by

two rather eccentric professors, uh, a

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German mathematician and an American,

French, and Italian literary professor.

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And it took me some time to, uh, realize

that my life's journey led me to football.

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Uh, but as s- a son of someone who

worshipped logic and, uh, one person

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who worshipped logic and another

person who worshipped poetry, I

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found out, uh, rather later in life

that it was an absolute perfect fit.

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So I've been covering the Bundesliga.

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I've been covering international

football for 25 years now.

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I began as a hobby blogger.

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And I've been covering the world's

best footballing beat, the Bundesliga,

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for The Runner Sports, Bulinews,

and now Get German Football News.

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I'm entering my eighth season.

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So, uh, it's a pleasure, of

course, uh, to be on your pod,

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and we have a lot to talk about.

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We can talk about Leipzig.

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We can talk about Lautern.

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We can talk about Klopp.

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We can talk about whatever you like.

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Uh- Well, there- Simply fire away.

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Justin Crozer: There is a lot to

get through, Peter, so before we

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do get into that, I have a bit of a

tradition of intro- introducing guests.

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I'm not sure if you've,

you've seen any of my work.

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So I would like to just s- start,

touch on your origin story.

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Let's go right back to the start.

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How did you come to

support Kaiserslautern?

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Is it a lifelong inherited passion,

or was there a specific moment that

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pulled you into the Betzenberg?

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And I do apologize, I

might butcher some names.

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Peter Weis: Well, to be from

Kaiserslautern, uh, is to have

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Fritz Walter, uh, in your blood.

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Uh, if you're born in the shadow of

this amazing stadium that sits on the

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Betzenberg hill, uh, there really is

no other stadium like it in the world.

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Uh, it just sort of thrones over

the city of Kaiserslautern, which is

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only a city of about 50,000 people.

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But all around in the Pfalz and Deep

Pfalz, uh, there's, uh, a great deal of

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membership and support for Kaiserslautern.

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The Pfalz being, of course the English

translation is the Rhineland-Palatinate.

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Uh, but in any event, uh,

it was love at first sight.

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I was born in Kaiserslautern.

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I spent my first years there.

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Um, as a family we sort of moved back

and forth between Germany and the

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States, so I was educated in both places.

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But, uh, Lautern is herzblut.

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It is home.

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Um, it is the only football club that I

know of where if you go to it you'll meet

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plenty of, uh, American GIs but you'll

also meet these deep Pfälzer, uh, Waldman.

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Palzer Waldman as you would say in

the local dialect who speak, um,

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barely comprehensible German to

somebody who only speaks Hochdeutsch.

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Uh, but it's, it is the club for me.

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It is, it is the home for me.

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It is, uh, it embodies and exemplifies

everything that I personally identify

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with as both a person and a football fan

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Justin Crozer: That's a very

fantastic story there, Peter.

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And I, I do also want to know what's

the, the single most memorable

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moment you've ever experienced

as, as a Lautern supporter?

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Peter Weis: Well, um, there's a chant.

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Uh, 1997 I was, uh, 14 years of age.

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Uh, 1998 I should say, when, uh, Lautern

became the only German club to be

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promoted and then win the Bundesliga,

the Meisterschale the very next year.

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So the chant is,

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um, translated loosely, um, the,

the story, uh, is irreplicable.

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Every kid knows what happened.

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Uh, after we were promoted we

won the German championship, and

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that is only FC Kaiserslautern.

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So there's that, of course, when

I was, uh, in my teenage years.

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Uh, I would still say that 2008 was a

little bit more memorable for me because

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at the time we were about to get relegated

into the, uh, the German third division.

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And, uh, we didn't really realize

what was going on that year

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because they had just founded the

German third division that year.

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Prior to that, uh, after the

zweite Bundesliga you got relegated

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directly into the Regionalliga.

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So we really thought

we were going nowhere.

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And, uh, we, uh, had a match on the

last match day of the season, uh,

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against Jürgen Klopp's Mainz, no less,

which had already achieved promotion.

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Uh, we won 3-nil and, uh, after that

the, um, the party was, uh, was on.

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Uh, and we just partied

so deep into the night.

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Uh, we celebrated not being relegated,

uh, to the third division, uh, as if

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we had won the championship itself.

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And, um, yes, that was amazing.

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Oh, excuse me, not…

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It, it was not over, Jürgen Klopp's

Mainz had, uh, were promoted

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that year, but it was, uh, it

was over Köln, uh, that we won.

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Uh, of course to rub salt in the wound

we, we lost to Köln, uh, a couple of

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years ago when we might have been promoted

back up to the, uh, the top flight.

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Um, but yes, that was,

that was so memorable.

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So memorable and I drank so

much afterwards that I, I, I

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got the, the, the team mixed up.

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One's only, uh, one's only young once

and, uh, and that was, that was to me as

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exciting as, as winning the championship.

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Uh, even more so because I

was, I was a little older, I

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was a little more cognizant.

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I was, I was 25 years of age at the time.

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Uh, and I spent the entire weekend

in Lautern just, just relishing

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in the glory with, with my fellow

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Justin Crozer: Betze.

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For the more global audience who's

not really familiar with the, the

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demographics of Germany, uh, who…

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where is Kaiserslautern based,

and also who would be your

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main rivals traditionally?

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Peter Weis: Uh, Mainz are the

main rivals traditionally because

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Mainz are technically the capital

of this, uh, Bundesland, this,

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this German federal state known as

Rheinland-Pfalz or, or the Palatinate.

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Uh, but they are more,

um, the, the Rheinhessen.

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So, so the chant goes in

Kaiserslautern, uh, scheiß null

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fünf instead of Mainz null fünf.

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Uh, and there's lots of fan songs

that, uh, denigrate Mainz, you know,

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as sort of co-opting, uh, the Pfalz.

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The, um where I'm currently based now,

Karlsruhe, uh, which is, which is where

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my father is from, um, there is a rivalry

between, uh, Karlsruhe and Kaiserslautern,

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although I have to say when I was a

kid it wasn't a very, very big rivalry.

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Uh, but these days, uh, now that

both Lautern and the KSC, Karlsruher

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Sport-Club, have been in the, in the lower

divisions, uh, it's gotten quite serious.

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And, um, I actually take my father,

uh, to the derby day matches at the

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Betzenberg, and I go to the ones

here at the KSC, and, uh, security is

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very, very tight in both instances.

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You're not allowed to wear the

colors of the opposing club.

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Uh, only non-alcoholic beer is served in

the stadiums and, and things like that.

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So the FCK-KSC rivalry has really

burgeoned in the last few years.

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Uh, but traditionally the main

rivals are Mainz which are, uh, the

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richer club, which are technically

a Palatinate club but they're

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more Rheinhessen, uh, type people.

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And if you ask most Lauterners, uh,

who they hate most, uh, who they

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resent most, it's going to be Mainz.

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Justin Crozer: Well, uh,

ho-hopefully it's not RB Leipzig.

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I mean, we're probably,

uh, far up there onto that.

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But, uh, anyway, w- I've got actually

a, a nice bridge into that as, uh,

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you've mentioned, so, and a cheeky

one before we do get going properly,

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how do you and the Lautern fan base

generally actually feel about RB Leipzig?

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And be completely honest, we can take it.

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Be completely honest.

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I love a- asking, I love

asking this to all my guests.

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Peter Weis: Well, um, you know-

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Justin Crozer: Don't hold back

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… Peter Weis: when it comes, if you

ask any German football fan, uh,

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what is their most hated club, half

of them will say Hoffenheim and

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the other half will say RB Leipzig.

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And the reason for this, of course,

is the lack of history, the lack of

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tradition, um, the fact that this is

a corporate club, uh, or these are

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corporate clubs funneled by corporate

money, uh, and they're not traditional,

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uh, fan base clubs under 50-plus one.

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Now, um, I should say that I was

always one that tended more towards

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hating Hoffenheim because I believe

that, uh, like many Germans did,

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that it was kind of nice that the

East, uh, had some representation.

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Because after all, a lot of people

don't realize, uh, that Leipzig not only

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has, uh, enormous cultural significance

in the history of Germany, you know,

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this is the city, uh, uh, where Bach

composed, where Goethe, uh, wrote.

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It was actually the city in which

the initial DFB was founded.

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Um, many, many Germans were f- okay

to turn something of a blind eye

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to, to Leipzig and say, "Okay."

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You know, by the time that Leipzig

got promoted to the Bundesliga, I

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think it had been seven years since

we had an East German club there.

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And some Germans were s- would

say, "Okay, you know, we, we

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don't have VfB Leipzig anymore.

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Uh, you know, we can't really get behind

Lokomotive Leipzig or Chemie Leipzig,

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so it's okay that we have this club."

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Um, what happened with FT- uh, 1.

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FC Union Berlin's promotion is that erased

a lot of that goodwill because for then

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we had an East German club that had a

tradition which was somewhat pro-Western.

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This was the club of Nina Hagen,

for example, and, and also her

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stepfather, Wolf Biermann, Biermann.

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So, um- Yeah, once Union, uh, got

promoted, then people said, "Well,

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the east has some representation.

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We can go back to hating Leipzig again."

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Um, I personally, uh, think

that the problem could be

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solved by the fact that…

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I mean, look, after all you also

have to realize this is an Austrian

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company that has come into Germany

and funnelled this, this money.

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So there's historical

implications there as well.

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Um, you know, technically speaking, uh,

people, the locals in Leipzig, uh, can

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apply for membership, and they can, uh,

you know, apply to, uh, they can run for

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the board, and could have a say in their

club, and, and could do things locally.

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So I, it- why they don't

is not necessarily clear.

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I think that, um, there's still

a lot of loyalty to Chemie and

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Lokomotive, uh, in the city.

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Um, some fans of Leipzig maybe consider

it too expensive or too much of a

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bother to, uh, uh, to buy a membership

or to, you know, actively, uh, take

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an interest in their local club.

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We'll see, uh, what the future holds.

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Um, I'd, I would say that as somebody

who has attended RB Leipzig at,

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at your urging, I found it to be

a, an interesting mixture of…

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And Mark and I did the, the vlog there.

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You know, first and foremost,

we went to Leipzig seeing, you

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know, can we see some museums?

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Can we see some history?

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For whatever reasons, I

mean, well, we know why.

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It's because of the, the

influence of the former East.

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It's, it's not there.

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There's a plaque commemorating

that the DFB was founded there,

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but there's no real museum.

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There's no real, uh, you know, there's

nothing there that documents the rich

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history of German football in Leipzig.

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And as we went to the, uh, as we closed

in on the Red Bull Arena and I, you know,

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I was doing Hollywood football because I

saw all these spotlights and, and things

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like this, I could feel the history

of the old Zentralstadion a little bit

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because after all, the Red Bull Arena

was, was built, uh, on those ruins.

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Uh, and when I got into the stadium and

I saw the Kurve, and they did a little

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bit of choreo for us on that particular

match day, and they do some nice choreos

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on, on other ones, um, I could faintly

feel the, the faint echoes of, of German

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football culture, at the very least

something that was intuate, uh, you

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know, German football culture, um, sort

of incubating in that RB Leipzig Kurve.

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But still, it felt a lot more like

attending an American sporting event

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because of all of the spotlights,

the laser lights, the music, the,

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um, you know, things like that.

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So yeah, it was an interesting

experience, and it was thanks to

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your fandom of our, of our little

podcast that, that we went there.

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And I saw something of a young

mixed hybrid, uh, and, and

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something that could, you know,

with time, uh, have the potential.

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It's never going to be a

traditional football, German

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footballing club with a history.

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Um, but with some more local involvement,

um, with some more volunteerism, with

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some more commitment to local causes, and

perhaps most importantly when it comes

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to German football, some more protests.

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I don't know what fans of

Leipzig can protest against.

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Everybody's protesting against them, but

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Justin Crozer: That's true.

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Protest against the protest?

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I don't know.

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Peter Weis: You know, you could

protest against the protest perhaps.

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Justin Crozer: Yeah.

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Peter Weis: You know, if we, if we

see something like that, um, uh,

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Leipzig can eventually with time

sort of move into the category of

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Wolfsburg and Leverkusen, which are

not well-liked clubs, not, you know,

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well-supported, uh, by German neutrals.

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But, um, you know, the hatred isn't there.

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Um, you look at those clubs and,

you know, if you spend some time

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in the Nordkurve in Leverkusen, uh,

or if you, uh, uh, you know, they

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can really get it rocking there.

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Or if you, you go to Wolfsburg

and meet some of the ultras and

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I think they kind of have a good

self-deprecating sense of humor.

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Uh, so Uh, it's quite…

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It's, it's entirely possible that,

that views of RB Leipzig, and I'm

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talking after decades, uh, can

shift a little bit- Centuries maybe?

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Justin Crozer: Yeah.

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Who knows?

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Peter Weis: Well, I think, a- as I said,

you know, more locals involved, um, more

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membership, more volunteerism, um, more of

an active role in, in community pursuits

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and stuff like this by the locals.

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I mean, the company does feed

some money into the community.

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Uh, the GmbH does, the Red Bull GmbH.

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But, um, some more of that.

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Uh, and also, you know, w- I…

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Why can't Red Bull get together

with, uh, with Chemi and Lokomotive

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or something like this and, and

build a football museum in Leipzig?

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Uh, that would be really cool

because there's a lot of really

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interesting football in Leipzig.

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The old VfB Leipzig, they were the

original, uh, uh, German champions.

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Um, the East German clubs,

uh, uh, they have all sorts of

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fun history to, to contribute.

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Uh, the fact that the DFB was

founded there, there's no excuse

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for not having a museum there.

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So if the Red Bull GmbH could,

uh, uh, give us a, a nice football

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museum Um, that, that commemorates

the history of German football in,

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in Leipzig, uh, that would, that

would do a lot towards, uh, swaying

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my and many German opinions as well.

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Justin Crozer: I know, uh, the

owners of Red Bull or anything

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don't watch my podcast or listen

to it- … that I'm aware of.

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But, uh, if you do stumble

upon this, if you want some

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brownie points, listen to Peter.

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Uh, so- So I hold that thought on

Leipzig because the man who did as

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much as anyone to shape them has

just walked into the Germany job.

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So let's talk Klopp.

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Absolutely.

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He's just taken charge of his

first competitive game, his Germany

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debut away to the Netherlands.

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First impressions, what did the 90

minutes tell you about his Germany?

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Peter Weis: Well, before we get to the

90 minutes, we have to talk about his

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introductory, uh, press conference.

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Um, I was so excited and I was so

full of patriotic fervor upon watching

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that, that I wrote 11 articles.

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I think I might have only promoted,

uh, five or six on, on social media.

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Sometimes I forget to promote

my articles on social media.

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I, uh, for no other reason than I'm just

exhausted after a long day of writing.

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Um, but, uh, you know, Klopp

was the bundestrainer that

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we sort of always wanted.

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Um, if we travel back to 2006,

uh, the Sommermärchen, that was

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the German-hosted, uh, World Cup.

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Your boy, Timmy Cahill, in

Kaiserslautern doing a little KO

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there on the, uh, on the corner flag.

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I remember.

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Absolutely.

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So, um, 2006 was a magical

summer for, for Germany.

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Uh, it was a time in which, uh,

Germans felt that we could express

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our patriotism comfortably, and

Jürgen Klopp was a part of that.

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He was a TV pundit during that tournament.

319

:

And we were all impressed with his

tactical know-how, and we sort of always

320

:

wanted him to be the bundestrainer.

321

:

So now finally, uh, all these

years, uh, all of his hair implants

322

:

and, uh, dentures installed later,

uh, he is, uh, he is here for us.

323

:

And, uh, when he conducted this

press conference, uh, he brought…

324

:

He tried to bring the

patriotic fervor back.

325

:

I should say that during the Euros

in, in:

326

:

to recapture that spirit at all.

327

:

The team was not good.

328

:

Our politics are broken.

329

:

The trains didn't run on time.

330

:

It was, it was just simply not,

you know, a, a, a tournament

331

:

that made Germans feel proud.

332

:

Uh, so he conducted this press conference

in which he had this, um, this hat,

333

:

you know, eine von 83 Millionen, one

of, uh, 83 million, and that harkened

334

:

back to a Max Giesinger song from, uh,

:

335

:

uh, Euro 2016 hype song that compare-

that, uh, uh, also was used on, like,

336

:

highlight reels of our 2014 World Cup win

So this was very much a bring back the

337

:

magic, uh, tour for him, Jürgen Klopp.

338

:

And, uh, I was one of these

guys that was really…

339

:

I mean, I was into it.

340

:

I saw the hats.

341

:

I was having a conversation

with a German friend of mine

342

:

and talking to him about this.

343

:

"Oh, it's so great.

344

:

It's a hat."

345

:

You know, Klopp referenced the, the

recent, um, elections in Sachsen-Anhalt

346

:

and said that it's time for, for us as

Germans to take the flag back and to

347

:

make sure that patriotism doesn't fall

into the wrong hands, and for us to be

348

:

proud of our, uh, nationalmannschaft,

much in the same way that we're proud

349

:

of our basketball teams, uh, our tennis

stars, uh, our, um, track and field

350

:

athletes and, and things like this.

351

:

There's been a lot of national

pride associated with sport, uh,

352

:

particularly this summer, but not with

the, uh, nationalmannschaft anymore.

353

:

So I was all whipped up in this

fervor until somebody pointed out to

354

:

me, a German friend of mine pointed

out to me, "You know he just created

355

:

some Make Germany Great Again hats.

356

:

What are you,

357

:

what are you doing, Peter?"

358

:

And I had to think for a second.

359

:

I was like, "Oh, sh- goddamn right."

360

:

Justin Crozer: Yeah, that,

that sounds a bit corny, yeah.

361

:

That's no good.

362

:

No good.

363

:

Peter Weis: Yeah.

364

:

Um, and, uh, watching the game last

night, uh, yeah, I mean, it just, it…

365

:

The, the German press was, was

very, very kind, uh, to the team.

366

:

I mean, I was, I was pretty underwhelmed.

367

:

Uh, uh, the, uh, the Dutch outshot us

XG-wise by a three to one, uh, ratio.

368

:

Uh, we probably, I don't know if we should

have kept playing, uh, to score that goal

369

:

when, when Brabbie was, uh, was injured.

370

:

Uh, we were very, very lucky to have that

first Dutch goal, uh, uh, disallowed.

371

:

And, um, you know, there was, uh

There was a lot of choppy play.

372

:

I mean, overall it was an entertaining

match, and there's a lot of

373

:

positives you can take away from it.

374

:

Um, I think that's the big news in the

Bundesrepublik obviously is Klopp's

375

:

44-man XXL squad in which he called

up all of these players, including,

376

:

uh, 11 guys, you know, who, uh, had

never even been called up before.

377

:

And the stories are…

378

:

Look, I could go on all

day about the stories.

379

:

I mean, the stories write themselves.

380

:

When you look at, you know, somebody like

Philipp Treu, uh, or Yunus Emre Talib or

381

:

Mika Bauer, uh, or Derry Scherhant of,

you know, the, the, the Freiburg quartet.

382

:

I mean, it, it was a story that, that

essentially, uh, you know, wrote itself.

383

:

You're just like, it, it was a veritable

who's who of who for a lot of people who

384

:

don't really follow German football in

the ultra detailed granular way that I do.

385

:

Um, I had to explain to also, you know,

anybody that I was talking to who these

386

:

players were, 'cause most people had,

had just simply, you know, they were,

387

:

they had not heard of them, uh, before.

388

:

Like Jannik Engelhardt, Hennes Behrens,

the casual German football fans, they

389

:

don't know who these, these people are

390

:

But of course all of them have, uh,

a great story, and I think Troy, uh,

391

:

you know, our, our latest solution

at right back, we- we've tried, um…

392

:

And I'm sure as a, actually as a, as a,

as a Leipzig fan, I'm, I've always been

393

:

a huge, uh, Reid Lebakug enthusiast.

394

:

Justin Crozer: Mm.

395

:

Peter Weis: Very, very surprised that

he didn't get a call-up this time.

396

:

Uh, another Leipzig play- two

Leipzig players unfortunately

397

:

for, uh, for injury's sake.

398

:

I mean, Ued Hrugo is, is one

of my personal favorites.

399

:

I, I, I couldn't even bring myself

to write the latest injury article

400

:

about him because it made me too sad.

401

:

Uh, Gruda was, was also unable

to, to participate due to

402

:

that, uh, abdominal injury.

403

:

Mm.

404

:

So, you know, I think Troy, as our

latest, uh, solution at right back,

405

:

now that we've moved Kimmich back

into midfield, and he did a good job

406

:

pulling the strings in that 4-1-4-1.

407

:

Mm.

408

:

Um, a lot of people are, are latching

on, you know, to that positive, uh,

409

:

that Troy played a very, very inspired

match, that Shada played a very,

410

:

very inspired match on the left.

411

:

Um, but there's, there's

a work in progress.

412

:

I mean, uh, Adeyemi,

um, missed a big chance.

413

:

Uh, Nene Brown on the left-hand

side, uh, had his issues.

414

:

Uh, both, uh, Schloterbeck and Tah

made many, many defensive errors.

415

:

Um, Gnabry with that turnover

that allowed the late equalizer,

416

:

which was well-deserved.

417

:

They could have beat us

three to one or, or worse.

418

:

So-

419

:

Justin Crozer: Yeah

420

:

… Peter Weis: for, for somebody who

was, uh, in make Germany great again

421

:

fever- … it, it was something

of a disappointing performance.

422

:

But as the, um, as the proverbial,

uh, uh, uh, you, good, good enough for

423

:

government work expression goes, it, it

was good enough for, for government work.

424

:

Justin Crozer: Well, you mentioned

Udrago and Gruda there, so I just

425

:

wanna bring it back to, uh, the, the

Red Bull exit of Klopp just for a

426

:

moment before we touch on some- Mm-hmm

427

:

more international football.

428

:

'Cause before Germany, Klopp

was the head of football, uh,

429

:

at Global Soccer at Red Bull.

430

:

A real say across the whole

project, Leipzig included.

431

:

What does he actually leave behind

there, and how big is a loss is

432

:

it to the setup, do you think?

433

:

Peter Weis: Well, uh, you and I

have been talking about this a

434

:

little bit in email correspondence.

435

:

Um, you know, it is treated by

fact, uh, as the, uh, by the German

436

:

journalistic establishment that, uh,

Klopp was one of the biggest backers of

437

:

firing Ole Werner, even though he had

delivered a highly successful season

438

:

and, and Champions League football

and, uh, installing Martin Demichelis.

439

:

So, uh, you know, this is- This is

something that's a little bit problematic.

440

:

Um, I think that, yeah, I mean,

if Klopp's, uh, idea that Leipzig

441

:

needed a sexier trainer with more

hair and a foreign accent, uh, is

442

:

not working out so terribly well.

443

:

And, uh, Daye Michaelis has,

has lost perhaps his, his most

444

:

important ally, uh, in this.

445

:

I mean, we all know that, that Oliver

Mintzlaff, um, the, the sporting CEO

446

:

of, of Leipzig, uh, you know, he really

demands loyalty, and indeed there

447

:

were, uh, the negotiations stretched

on for, for weeks about what sort of

448

:

severance package Leipzig were gonna get.

449

:

Uh, in addition to fiduciary benefits,

uh, they also, you know, got to,

450

:

to host a couple Germany matches

if, if memory serves correctly.

451

:

Mm, that's correct.

452

:

So yeah, I…

453

:

Yeah, uh, he basically, uh, I mean,

it's not It's not definitively proven

454

:

that Klopp's fingers, fingerprints

were all over this coaching change.

455

:

Uh, but it's treated as, as

fact by a lot of respected, uh,

456

:

German footballing media outlets.

457

:

And when, when you look at what Demichelis

has, has brought to Leipzig, I mean, it's,

458

:

it's simply far too, far too inconsistent.

459

:

Uh, you know, the results home and

away, the tactics, what is he doing

460

:

experimenting with this 4-2-3-1?

461

:

I don't understand it.

462

:

I, uh, you know, I think Klopp's

legacy behind at, uh, at Leipzig,

463

:

he, he left an incomplete project.

464

:

Mm.

465

:

Uh, and Germans are not necessarily

going to shed a tear or feel

466

:

sorry for Leipzig in that regard.

467

:

Justin Crozer: No, of course not.

468

:

No.

469

:

Um, as, as, as you wrote in your

GGFN preview, uh, that Klopp was

470

:

rumored to be one of the biggest

advocates of Werner's dismissal.

471

:

Yeah.

472

:

Talk me through that.

473

:

How much sway did he really have at

Leipzig, and does sacking a coach

474

:

who'd just made the Champions League

look any better with hindsight now?

475

:

Peter Weis: It doesn't

look good to me at all.

476

:

Um, you know, we joked, uh, Germans

joked when, when Klopp initially

477

:

accepted this position, um, that he was

going to have no influence whatsoever.

478

:

I mean, first of all, head of

Global Soccer, what, what, you

479

:

know, what kind of title is that?

480

:

Uh, I mean, I can remember at the

time, I mean, this was a huge debate

481

:

within German football because as

I, as I mentioned earlier, Klopp was

482

:

always our preferred bundes trainer.

483

:

We wanted him in that job.

484

:

And, you know, for him to, to step

away from, uh, these tradition-rich

485

:

clubs that he worked for, I mean,

he only worked for three clubs,

486

:

Mainz, uh, Dortmund and Liverpool.

487

:

All of those, you'll never

walk alone clubs incidentally.

488

:

Mm.

489

:

A little coincidence there.

490

:

So for him to all of a sudden go to this

plastic club, people were like, "What?

491

:

What is he thinking?

492

:

What is he, what is he doing?"

493

:

And the, the general consensus

at the time was, well, he's, he's

494

:

old, he's, he's in semi-retirement.

495

:

He wants sort of a cushy job in, in

which, you know, uh, he gets to go to

496

:

Brazil, he gets to go to the States, uh,

and scout one or two players and draw a

497

:

real oversized paycheck for, you know,

essentially being an overpaid consultant.

498

:

And for the first year that he was there,

I mean, there, there pr- Uh, there wasn't

499

:

any, there weren't any discernible Klopp

fingerprints that, that I could see.

500

:

I mean, occasionally he would conduct

a sideline interview from, uh, from

501

:

Leipzig training or something like that.

502

:

Uh, but he never really had anything to

say about the team or the project, so it,

503

:

it seemed like he was fairly disconnected.

504

:

You know, maybe at that time, uh, they

were still working out what his precise

505

:

role might be because, uh, I mean, if

he's head of global soccer, that means

506

:

he's, he's, uh, responsible for all of

the other clubs in the RB, uh, cosmos.

507

:

Justin Crozer: So

508

:

Peter Weis: anyway, uh,

year two was different.

509

:

I think that, uh, Klopp inserted

himself, uh, into this discussion

510

:

as, well, uh, he ultimately couldn't

resist in the final analysis.

511

:

And, uh, despite the fact that it's

not been 100% proven, I think that

512

:

there's very, very strong evidence

that he involved himself, uh, in the

513

:

decision to, to get, uh, uh, Wanner

out and, uh, to bring in Demichelis.

514

:

You know, what was interesting

about Demichelis's appointment

515

:

was that Leipzig technically stole

somebody from Bayern, which it-

516

:

it's normally the other way around

517

:

The right way around, yeah, that's right.

518

:

You know?

519

:

Um, but, uh…

520

:

And, and I'm personally

surprised at, um…

521

:

You know, because I, I cover all

of the press conferences and the

522

:

interviews and, and things like

this and so on and so forth.

523

:

What, what is up with Demichelis's German?

524

:

I mean, he played for Bayern

for s- what, seven years.

525

:

He coached, uh, the, uh, FC

Bayern II, the reserve squad.

526

:

I, I…

527

:

W- what happened to his German?

528

:

I, I would, I assume that he would be,

529

:

uh, uh, very fluent in it.

530

:

And you don't have to necessarily be

fluent in German to be a successful,

531

:

uh, uh, Bundesliga coach, particularly

not in a club like Leipzig.

532

:

I mean, most of his players, uh,

uh, speak English, uh, or, or

533

:

Spanish or, or something like this,

so, so he can get away with that.

534

:

But he's…

535

:

I mean, the, the question of,

of communication comes up.

536

:

And, um, some working German is,

is required f- I think personally

537

:

for, for a, uh, a trainer, uh, as

you call them, a manager, to be

538

:

successful- … uh, at, at a Bundesliga.

539

:

Well, I, it's … The, the

manager is the front office guy.

540

:

The manager of, of- … RB, uh,

Leipzig is Marcel Schäfer as far as- Mm

541

:

as I'm concerned, and the

trainer is Martin Demichelis.

542

:

Um- Yeah, I, it's, you know,

uh, what's a good example?

543

:

I mean, look at what happened

with Albert Riera in Frankfurt.

544

:

I mean, he came in with all of

this bluster and, and all of this,

545

:

uh, "My players, they respect

me, and I am," you know, and this

546

:

combative nature with journalists.

547

:

You know, maybe it's not so much important

that, that the, uh, that the trainer, uh,

548

:

speaks German for the sake of the players,

but it's also for the sake of dealing with

549

:

the German media, which can be incredibly

harsh, perhaps a little cliquish as well.

550

:

Um, but they can, uh…

551

:

I think already the German

media is, is, is talking about

552

:

De Michaelis' broken German.

553

:

As a matter of fact, not that

Sport-Bild is, is the definitive

554

:

authority when it comes to this stuff.

555

:

Of course they're gonna be

sensationalist and stuff like this.

556

:

But I, I cannot read a Sport-Bild

article about Leipzig without them

557

:

mentioning De Michaelis' German.

558

:

Including this, this interview

I was reading just this morning

559

:

with Antonio Nusa, where they ask

him about the language barrier

560

:

four, you know, five times.

561

:

And he says, "Oh, it's okay.

562

:

It's okay.

563

:

We speak in English.

564

:

We speak in Spanish,"

blah, blah, blah, blah.

565

:

Mm.

566

:

Yeah.

567

:

Ole Werner's a good coach.

568

:

Werder Bremen should have renewed with

him, and I see no reason, uh, whatsoever

569

:

behind his, uh, uh, Leipzig dismissal,

uh, other than, uh, s- Klopp and, uh,

570

:

perhaps some of his, you know, part

of his administrative gang, uh, wanted

571

:

somebody who could be a little bit more

appealing to an international audience.

572

:

That's probably the reason behind, uh,

Werner's sacking and De Michaelis's,

573

:

uh, installation, and I don't know

that it's going to work long term.

574

:

Uh-

575

:

Justin Crozer: I said from the…

576

:

Sorry, s- cut you off there, Peter.

577

:

Yeah.

578

:

I said from the beginning that, uh, I

thought that Ole Werner was done dirty

579

:

by RB Leipzig, and I'll stand by that.

580

:

Uh, to- Yeah … you know, get you back

to Champions League football and then,

581

:

you know, all of a sudden just drop him

like a sack of potatoes, so to speak.

582

:

Mm-hmm.

583

:

It's, uh, it's not a good look, and

no, no one deserves that, especially

584

:

after doing such a good job.

585

:

Mm-hmm.

586

:

And, uh, the last quick, uh, question

I've got here before we go into

587

:

the Germany under Klopp is- Mm-hmm

588

:

from the outside, is Leipzig

better or off with Klopp gone

589

:

from the Red Bull structure?

590

:

Peter Weis: Probably so.

591

:

Um, you need some coherence,

uh, in that structure.

592

:

And, uh, Minslav and, uh, and Schaefer.

593

:

I mean, Schaefer's actually a

pretty damn good administrator.

594

:

I mean, he was with Wolfsburg.

595

:

I covered his years at, at Wolfsburg.

596

:

Of course, he couldn't get, uh,

Wolfsburg back to the Champions League.

597

:

Uh, but, uh, he was one of the more

coherent, uh, sporting directors that,

598

:

uh, Germany's Green Company team had.

599

:

Uh, when I covered his transfer

windows, he at least tried

600

:

to put a thesis together.

601

:

Um, and I think that, um,

Leipzig's transfer window was

602

:

rather good, uh, this year.

603

:

I mean, of course you don't have to, to…

604

:

When somebody offers you 120 million or

whatever it was for Diomande I mean- Yeah.

605

:

… you know, you don't have to work

terribly hard to say that you…

606

:

I mean, the, just a, a huge pile of money

just, just fell- Mm … uh, into your lap.

607

:

Uh, so I mean, when it comes to assigning

transfer window grades, in Leipzig's

608

:

case you have to take that into account.

609

:

I mean, that's, that's not, uh…

610

:

I, I don't know how much credit

Schaefer or anybody deserves.

611

:

Uh, uh, but they, they brought

in Diomande, uh, last year.

612

:

They paid 20 million for this, this guy

who was only valued at, at, uh, at 1.5

613

:

million or something like this,

and then they flipped him.

614

:

And, uh, you know, meanwhile, uh, some

of the transfers that, uh, that didn't

615

:

work out so well, uh, uh, last…

616

:

They also, they flipped, uh, uh,

Suleiman Sané You know, they, they

617

:

really, he did a good job getting

this, this, this roster down.

618

:

Also with the loans for Biciabu, Elmas,

Getreda, and, and, and all of this stuff.

619

:

Um, and I like the additions.

620

:

Uh, Esteve is, has been good.

621

:

From what I've seen of, uh,

Gio, he's, he's been good.

622

:

Um, uh, the, the Moroccan, the

central midfielder, Onyewe.

623

:

El-Nouy?

624

:

Justin Crozer: Yeah.

625

:

Uh,

626

:

Peter Weis: yeah, El-Nouy, yeah.

627

:

I think that that's, that's

been, uh, a prime addition.

628

:

Uh, you know, not to mention,

I mean, Nkunku's not, he, he's

629

:

not quite back in form yet.

630

:

Uh, but to have him and his balloons

back in the Bundesliga is, is definitely

631

:

a benefit for all of us, and we'll see

more of those balloons, uh, I'm sure

632

:

before the, b- before the season's out.

633

:

So, uh, f- yeah, I, I

wouldn't say that, that, uh…

634

:

Yeah, I mean, you, to have Klopp's

sort of m- subdued dominance,

635

:

if that makes any sense, uh, in

the, uh, uh, in the fold, uh, is

636

:

probably not good, uh, for the club.

637

:

And, you know, you think back

to, um, uh, Max Eberl during,

638

:

during his time, uh, with Leipzig.

639

:

I mean, that was also, uh, not a great

time for, for club administration.

640

:

And I think that Mintzlaff, uh,

ultimately made the right move in,

641

:

in terminating Eberl at that time

because of all the Bayern rumors

642

:

and just saying, "You know what?

643

:

I, I don't want, uh, my, my chief,

uh, personnel executive, uh, actively

644

:

negotiating a move to, to a better club.

645

:

Uh, I don't care if

he's flirting with them.

646

:

Uh, I don't care if he's, uh, you

know, just, just basically holding

647

:

some casual talks with them.

648

:

I, I want him out.

649

:

I want somebody who's committed to

this club, uh, and to this city."

650

:

So it, it probably is, uh,

yeah, I would say that it's, it

651

:

works out well for both sides.

652

:

It works out better for Leipzig

that Klopp's no longer there.

653

:

Um, and it, it, 'cause it streamlines,

it streamlines the administration.

654

:

And, uh, it works out better for

Germany because we have the Bundes

655

:

trainer that we always wanted,

who has a little ways to go.

656

:

Uh, but we have him and we're happy.

657

:

Justin Crozer: Well, I just wanted

to, uh, quote your recent article

658

:

that you published, uh, at the start

of, uh, this, this, uh, interview.

659

:

And, uh, to close with,

"Without Klopp in the RB Cosmos,

660

:

Dimitris has one ally less."

661

:

That's quoting you from your, from your

article, which is a fantastic read.

662

:

I'll make sure to drop that

in the show notes as well.

663

:

Mm-hmm.

664

:

But with the inheritance for Klopp

with the national team, he's walked

665

:

into a side that has crashed out

of the World Cup in the round of 32

666

:

to Paraguay, and Nagelsmann's gone.

667

:

What's the state of the German

national team he's inherited?

668

:

How big of a rebuild is this?

669

:

Peter Weis: I mean, it's everything.

670

:

That's why, you know, we talked a great

length at the beginning of this podcast

671

:

about the, uh, the press conference, uh,

the, the 44-man roster, uh, the fact that,

672

:

uh, Klopp said that we need to take the

flag back and make sure that patriotism

673

:

doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

674

:

The fact that he emphasized that,

um, you know, we need to be proud of

675

:

our Nationalmannschaft once again,

uh, the same way that we're proud

676

:

of our basketball teams, uh, tennis

stars, and, uh, track and field

677

:

athletes, the, the other sources of

sports patriotism that we're, that

678

:

we're pulling from at the moment.

679

:

Um, now I kind of outlined the rough

history of it all, going back to

680

:

the 2006 Sommermärchen, and that

was the pinnacle of German pride.

681

:

Uh, and then the, the Euros, uh, in

:

682

:

to be the nadir, uh, or the low point

of Germans and what they thought

683

:

about, about their football team.

684

:

The, the World Cup gave us a new

low Um, as a matter of fact um,

685

:

there was a vlog, uh, that Mark and

I did that, uh, we weren't able to

686

:

publish on YouTube, but I, I put, uh,

I put on, uh, X and, and Facebook.

687

:

Uh, you know, I put it,

published it as a reel.

688

:

Um, I bought tickets to what I

thought would be Germany, France

689

:

in Philadelphia on the 4th of July,

and that, uh, elimination, uh, in

690

:

the round of 32 meant that I had

tickets to, uh, France, Paraguay.

691

:

Goddammit.

692

:

And I'm, I'm still absolutely

furious about this.

693

:

Uh, as as…

694

:

And I met many, many

Germans at that match.

695

:

As a matter of fact, I met a

couple of guys that were holding

696

:

up a sign that said, "I bought

my tickets before Germany lost."

697

:

Um, you know, I was never behind

Jurgen, uh, uh, Julian Nagelsmann's

698

:

appointment as the Bundes trainer.

699

:

Uh, and most Germans were not.

700

:

Uh, he came up through Hoffenheim.

701

:

He put his years in at RB Leipzig,

and he did his time at Bayern.

702

:

But the boy wonder, um, was

coaching, you know, uh, rich, uh,

703

:

Ralf Rangnick influenced sides,

and was always one who made things

704

:

far too tactically complicated.

705

:

And when it came to his dealings

with the press, particularly when

706

:

it came to players like Undav or…

707

:

You know, I mean, he was just simply

too combative, he was too arrogant.

708

:

He was too young, uh, to

be our Bundes trainer.

709

:

Bundes trainer is we have

a word for it for a reason.

710

:

The Bundes trainer is as important as

the Bundeskanzler, the Bundesbahn, the

711

:

Bundespräsident, all of these things.

712

:

It's if you got Bundes in front of

your name, you're representing Germany.

713

:

Uh, so Klopp has inherited, um, what once

was the pride of the nation, uh, and is

714

:

now um, after three disappointing, uh,

World Cups, uh, and two disappointing

715

:

Euros, just, just something that, that

Germans are, are not behind anymore.

716

:

So what it means, this, this 44-man roster

and, and all of the, the new faces and,

717

:

and, uh, and things like this, this is…

718

:

He is, uh, basically hitting the

reset button, the restart button,

719

:

much in the way the Leipzig

fans did, um, what was that?

720

:

The opening day, uh, last season.

721

:

Justin Crozer: Yeah.

722

:

Peter Weis: Uh, coming back from that.

723

:

They, they put up a really kind

of cool little choreo there.

724

:

It was-- I forget if it was a

restart- The button pressing one.

725

:

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

726

:

Justin Crozer: I think it was

restart or reset or something.

727

:

Yeah.

728

:

Yeah.

729

:

Peter Weis: I forgot if

it was restart or reset.

730

:

But in any case, I appreciated that.

731

:

And, uh, you know, I appreciated

that they took the time to do

732

:

that, and that's what Klopp's doing

with our nationale Mannschaft now.

733

:

You know, there are a number of

veterans, um, what's a good example?

734

:

Matthias Ginter, uh, of Freiburg, who

is in fantastic form Uh, but, uh, he

735

:

admitted in an interview that he had

had a conversation with Klopp, and Klopp

736

:

specifically said, um, "I'm not taking

you because you will be 34 years old

737

:

when the next major tournament arrives."

738

:

So he revealed that he actually got

a call from the Bundes trainer, uh,

739

:

who told him, "It doesn't matter what

kind of form you're in, you're not

740

:

coming along 'cause you're too old."

741

:

Um, one feels a little bit bad about that.

742

:

Uh, one feels especially bad

for Oliver Baumann, poor guy.

743

:

Oof.

744

:

Cannot get, you know, his

inheritance to, to save his life.

745

:

Um, one feels a little bit bad for

Dennis Undav, uh, being passed over this

746

:

time because of his, uh, his weak form,

uh, at the beginning of the season.

747

:

But, uh, well, we don't

have much of a choice.

748

:

In, in Klopp we trust.

749

:

Um, you know, of these 44 players that

he's called up, um, you know, uh, not

750

:

only Philip Treu, who we discussed

earlier, was the only new one, uh,

751

:

the only brand-new one who started.

752

:

You could probably, uh, say that Kevin

Schade, um, having been capped so few

753

:

times, uh, and, and not really figuring

into Nagelsmann's plans, uh, was sort of

754

:

a, you know, a nouveau, uh, uh, talent.

755

:

Um, and of course, Havertz's injury

in the, in the game last night brought

756

:

Ebne- Ebnu Talib into the fold.

757

:

Uh, so yeah, I mean, he's

758

:

uh, uh, your German casual football

fans do not know these names.

759

:

You would think that they would, but

they don't know who H- Hennes Berens

760

:

is, they don't know who Yan- Jannik

Engelhardt is, uh, they, they don't

761

:

know who Max Rosenfelder is, uh,

they don't know who Mika Bauer is,

762

:

they don't know who Vitaly Janelt is.

763

:

They…

764

:

Th- he's brought in, uh, plenty

of new faces to indicate that

765

:

this is, that this is his project.

766

:

He's starting from scratch.

767

:

Uh, to his credit, something that he

said in the press conference which

768

:

I didn't mention earlier was that,

uh, he's not going to be one of those

769

:

trainers who asks for more time.

770

:

You know, he's, he's not gonna be one

of those who, who sort of makes an

771

:

excuse and says, "Well, we've only

had a couple of training sessions.

772

:

I haven't had a chance to

get the squad together."

773

:

He's not asking for more time.

774

:

Uh, he's not asking

for the public's trust.

775

:

He's just saying, "Okay,

here's what we got.

776

:

Here's what I'm trying to do.

777

:

Um, you can take it or leave it."

778

:

Justin Crozer: As an Australian-born

German, most of my, uh, fellow countrymen

779

:

in Australia, as in Australians, um, they-

… don't know half the German football

780

:

or Bundesliga or anything like that.

781

:

So when I tell them something, they

just look at me weirdly and go, "Huh?"

782

:

So, uh, 'cause me, my, for me, my

national team is Germany even though I

783

:

was born here, so but that's just me-

Oh … 'cause all my family were all

784

:

from Germany, so that's, uh, you know,

785

:

Peter Weis: that's- Well, Justin, we're,

we're pleased to have you, my good man.

786

:

Well, why don't you, why don't you talk

about your thoughts then in that case?

787

:

I mean, if it, it's, it's as

much your team as it is mine.

788

:

I mean, what-

789

:

Justin Crozer: Yeah … what do you say?

790

:

So me, me personally, um, I, I think

that, uh, the golden era was, you know,

791

:

going, when I was growing up, you know,

when first watching the, you know,

792

:

the World Cup and everything went 2006

up until, you know, the, you know,

793

:

2010s, 2014s and things like that.

794

:

And I just slowly watch, you know,

what I still classify the, you know,

795

:

the world's best team, bias as well.

796

:

Mm-hmm.

797

:

Mm-hmm.

798

:

Um, in national football that, uh,

the slow decline, it hasn't been

799

:

just we've fallen off a cliff.

800

:

It's been a gradual slow decline.

801

:

Peter Weis: Mm-hmm.

802

:

Justin Crozer: And I've even looked at

it from the outside looking in, you know,

803

:

'cause I'll get up at, you know, early

hours of the morning and, and watch these

804

:

games, you know, um, and things like that.

805

:

We-- I remember we had things which

I was a little bit annoyed about,

806

:

but again, I live in Australia.

807

:

Uh, so like they had like gathering

events to watch the Australian team

808

:

at 4:00 AM and I'm at home instead

screaming watching the Germany games.

809

:

But Um, so we've…

810

:

That's, that's me anyway.

811

:

So look, it's, it's a, it's a long

time coming and I've, uh, it was

812

:

more disappointment for me looking

at it like how, how did we get

813

:

it, let it get this bad, you know?

814

:

Mm-hmm.

815

:

'Cause, you know, football is,

is so rooted in German culture.

816

:

It's, you know, it's like

here in Australia, you know,

817

:

it's their AFL, you know?

818

:

They s- they call that

football and I go, "No.

819

:

Fußball in Bundesliga."

820

:

"That, that's for me, that's football.

821

:

None of this stuff," you know?

822

:

But that's, that's, you know, from me.

823

:

But, uh, uh, again, like I, I'm intrigued

and happy that Klopp is there and

824

:

compared to what he did at RB Leipzig.

825

:

Yes.

826

:

I'm more happy that he's at the national

le- level, and I'm looking forward to what

827

:

he's going to do 'cause I've got a couple

of things that we'll touch on in a moment.

828

:

I do wanna talk about

the Klopp way, though.

829

:

Mm-hmm.

830

:

'Cause he's brought, uh, Krabbes.

831

:

I, I apologize if I'm saying

any of this wrong 'cause you're

832

:

the better linguist than I am.

833

:

Linders and Bender with him.

834

:

Uh, what does- Mm-hmm … Klopp

Germany actually look like?

835

:

Does the heavy metal high

press football translate to the

836

:

international game where you get the

players a handful of days a month?

837

:

Peter Weis: Um, we shall see.

838

:

Um, I thought that the, the pressing

last night was probably the only

839

:

thing that was consistently solid.

840

:

Uh, and it was that that produced several

sort of end-to-end phases, uh, which were

841

:

eminently entertaining, uh, in the match.

842

:

Um, you know, to bring on Sven Bender,

that's, that means a lot, uh, to

843

:

Germans who, who like the Bender twins.

844

:

And remember, uh, Lars's, uh, goal

in the, in the:

845

:

best goals that was ever, uh, scored

for the German, uh, national team.

846

:

So that's a statement.

847

:

Uh, I, I mean Whether or not, uh,

he can bring his brand of football

848

:

to the national team is, is also…

849

:

You know what?

850

:

I mean, uh, something else I didn't

mention was, you know, I mean, obviously,

851

:

uh, Klopp, uh, he's not a total modern

football trainer in that he's not

852

:

obsessed with data and, and running

routes and, and things like this.

853

:

But he is, uh, specifically a,

a zonal marking, uh, trainer.

854

:

And he mentioned last night, uh, when

discussing some of the defensive errors

855

:

that, uh, that individual players make,

he said, "Well, I can't expect much of

856

:

them just yet because we're not doing…

857

:

You know, we haven't had time

to train in the, the sort of

858

:

modern, uh, zonal marking scheme.

859

:

So the best that I can hope for them is

that they, they can do one-on-one against

860

:

specific players in, in man marking."

861

:

And Troy, uh, made his fair

share of mistakes, but he was,

862

:

he was marking Cody, uh, Gakpo.

863

:

So uh, Klopp, you know, admitted that

and said, "Look, I mean, what, what

864

:

do you want him to do exactly against

one of the world-class players who

865

:

once played for me at Liverpool?"

866

:

Mm-hmm.

867

:

Uh, and, uh, yeah.

868

:

So the, the real zonal marking system

that we wanted, that Klopp wants to,

869

:

to integra- I mean, to, to get the

national team in, we're not going to see

870

:

that during this international break.

871

:

I don't think we'll see it during the

one in November, maybe even March.

872

:

Um, you know, obviously being a, a,

a national team trainer is, is…

873

:

I mean, it's a different galaxy.

874

:

Uh, and if you look at, um, what happened,

uh, with the last, uh, three club trainers

875

:

that we had, uh, I mean, Hansi Flick…

876

:

Well, he worked with Löw at the DFB as

an assistant coach, uh, before he went to

877

:

Bayern and ultimately took on that job.

878

:

Um, but Nagelsmann was a straight

club coach who, who proved

879

:

himself, uh, incapable of, of,

uh, of coaching the national team.

880

:

So I mean, we have these,

these club trainers now.

881

:

Uh, and, and Löw ironically enough was

one of the, the worst club trainers,

882

:

uh, that, that you'd ever witness.

883

:

He was…

884

:

He, he worked in Karlsruhe here,

uh, where I, my German home base is

885

:

for a little while, and coached the

KSC in a, in a terrible fashion.

886

:

Um, but he proved a, you know, sort of

a perfect fit for the national team- Um,

887

:

because he could hide out in Freiburg,

uh, for most of the year and, and then

888

:

just do some, some general scouting.

889

:

Uh, yeah, we'll have to see.

890

:

I mean, one thing that Klopp has done

a lot better than Nagelsmann is that,

891

:

uh, he is attending not only all of the,

as many Bundesliga matches as he can.

892

:

I mean, you see him at two or three

Bundesliga matches a, a weekend,

893

:

but he's actually going to the club

training sessions and, and holding

894

:

conversations, uh, with the players.

895

:

Plenty of photographic

evidence to support that.

896

:

Um, I think that that's very, very

important, and he talked about that.

897

:

He's talked about that in his comments

to the press as well, that his job, the

898

:

way he sees it as a Bundes trainer, is to

develop, uh, a close working relationship

899

:

with these players, to stay in touch

during the international breaks, to

900

:

routinely visit them, uh, at their clubs,

not just visit the matches, but, um, visit

901

:

them in the club training sessions and,

and, and carry on, uh, conversations with

902

:

them and have relationships with them.

903

:

In that sense, he may be the most active

Bundes trainer ever because, uh, even

904

:

successful Bundesliga or Bundes trainers

like, like Löw, um, or like to a certain

905

:

extent, uh, Rudi Völler or like, uh,

Berti Vogts, I mean, you know, they

906

:

famously just called the players up

when they needed them and only, uh, uh,

907

:

interacted with them when they were at

the, uh, uh, what we call the Adidas

908

:

City camp there in, in Herzogenaurach.

909

:

Um, it's…

910

:

Yeah, Klopp has given every indication

that he's going to be probably

911

:

one of the most active player

relations Bundes trainers ever.

912

:

And so we have that, and we have the

zonal marking, and I think we'll see the

913

:

influence and the impact of that, mm, uh,

next summer, certainly next calendar year.

914

:

We're not going to see it immediately.

915

:

Justin Crozer: W- with the names,

who are the players that suits

916

:

down, uh, to the ground, and who

might find life harder under him?

917

:

Any Leipzig lads in the

th- in his thinking?

918

:

Obviously, you did mention two

earlier with, uh, Gruda and Odrago

919

:

as, uh- Mm-hmm … anyone else, not

even just not from Leipzig as well?

920

:

Peter Weis: Hmm.

921

:

Interesting question.

922

:

Uh, okay, so Gruda and, uh,

Ouedraogo are the ones that, that,

923

:

that pop to mind immediately.

924

:

I…

925

:

Ouedraogo, th- what he did for club

and country before incurring that, that

926

:

injury last year, it's so heartbreaking.

927

:

H- um, I did mention, uh, Baku, um,

who has actually gotten off to a very,

928

:

very good start this club campaign,

and was recalled to the German

929

:

national team, uh, last November.

930

:

Uh, Ouedraogo actually, uh, referenced

Baku as, um, as one of, uh, you know,

931

:

his role models I think last fall.

932

:

I'm- I've always been

a huge Riedle Baku fan.

933

:

I mean, since his…

934

:

I know he played for my Kaiserslautern

rivals Mainz, that's where he's from.

935

:

His, his actual name is Boté, uh, Baku.

936

:

Uh, but his father, uh, nicknamed

him Riedle after Karl-Heinz Riedle.

937

:

So I've, I've always thought that he

is, um, an amazing athlete and deserves

938

:

to represent our country, and probably

could have, um- Constituted our solution

939

:

to the right back problem but, you

know, he just never seemed to, to get

940

:

a chance to consistently ingratiate

himself, uh, into the, the national team.

941

:

Uh, Hendricks, uh, is a player

who I always considered to

942

:

be, uh, severely underrated.

943

:

I think when we did our, um,

post-season review show, uh, and I

944

:

challenged myself to pick, uh, players

from, you know, different clubs.

945

:

I didn't wanna pick, uh…

946

:

When we were doing, like, our, our 11

of the season, um, you know, I wanted

947

:

to pick a player from every club.

948

:

I think I actually picked up Hendricks.

949

:

Again, injury has been,

you know, an issue for him.

950

:

Uh, Klostermann's national

team days are, are over.

951

:

That's clock has- He, he

952

:

Justin Crozer: barely

plays at club level too, so

953

:

Peter Weis: Yes, true.

954

:

Yeah.

955

:

Uh, that was…

956

:

Yeah, we had…

957

:

I mean, for, for a while there

we had, uh, uh, the two…

958

:

We had a Leipzig, uh, fullback, uh-

Mm … axis there, um, with, with

959

:

Klostermann and, and who was…

960

:

Shit.

961

:

Justin Crozer: David Raum?

962

:

Peter Weis: Not Raum.

963

:

Uh, before Raum.

964

:

Justin Crozer: No, I mean before that.

965

:

Uh.

966

:

Peter Weis: Yeah.

967

:

It was…

968

:

Oh, God, who was the other one?

969

:

Who was the other, uh, Leipzig fullback?

970

:

I, I guess it wasn't that, uh,

so important as I, I f- It's…

971

:

The, the name just es- escapes my mind.

972

:

Justin Crozer: Yeah, I mean- It

escapes my mind too, so it, it's okay.

973

:

Peter Weis: Yeah.

974

:

Um-

975

:

Justin Crozer: And,

and I'm the specialist.

976

:

Peter Weis: I'm gonna look it up now.

977

:

Or, or it's gonna- Yeah … or it's

gonna come to me, uh, uh, later on

978

:

this afternoon and I'm gonna be…

979

:

Halstenberg for crying out loud.

980

:

It was Kloste- Yes.

981

:

Yes, yes … Klostermann and Halstenberg.

982

:

Yes.

983

:

Yeah.

984

:

That's what

985

:

Justin Crozer: it was.

986

:

He also played center back at

one point for us as well, so

987

:

Peter Weis: Yeah.

988

:

True, true.

989

:

Yeah.

990

:

Um, yeah, with Raum, uh, well, I

mean, he could be this, this assist

991

:

meister, you know, with his crosses.

992

:

But club form and, and national

team form is, has oftentimes,

993

:

uh, uh, been inconsistent.

994

:

He's really had some great times

for both club and country, uh, after

995

:

that delayed start, uh, for both.

996

:

You know, af- when he…

997

:

After he moved from Hoffenheim,

uh, over to Leipzig.

998

:

But, uh, yeah, I mean, he's not our

starting, uh, left back anymore.

999

:

That's, uh, that role belongs to

Nene Brown Unless uh, Bayern keep

:

00:56:15,115 --> 00:56:19,755

playing Brown as a 10 uh, to make

room for Davies and then, and then

:

00:56:19,755 --> 00:56:21,665

Raum can, can get back in there.

:

00:56:22,435 --> 00:56:29,955

Uh, yeah, I mean, uh, oh, if there's

Rice, uh, if he can get healthy

:

00:56:29,955 --> 00:56:31,445

and I believe that he could play.

:

00:56:31,685 --> 00:56:34,565

I mean, the problem is, is that

midfield is so crowded for the German

:

00:56:34,565 --> 00:56:36,225

national team and it always has been.

:

00:56:36,795 --> 00:56:41,955

And with this great Kimmich debate

on, on moving him back into midfield,

:

00:56:42,495 --> 00:56:44,935

I, I'm not the only German who

has had enough of this debate.

:

00:56:44,935 --> 00:56:49,335

I mean, I've really had enough of,

of Kimmich hates playing right back.

:

00:56:49,795 --> 00:56:53,245

Nagelsmann said that he had to

subordinate himself to country.

:

00:56:53,875 --> 00:56:56,475

You know, Kimmich wants

to play in midfield.

:

00:56:56,475 --> 00:56:59,955

He wants to be somebody who's more

of a, of, of a goal scoring threat.

:

00:56:59,965 --> 00:57:02,485

He wants to be more of a,

you know, pseudo eight.

:

00:57:03,255 --> 00:57:06,215

Um, I really don't care

what Kimmich wants.

:

00:57:06,215 --> 00:57:09,465

I mean, he should play where,

where, where he needs to play.

:

00:57:09,465 --> 00:57:13,125

I mean, uh, with Kimmich, he always has

this huge chip on his shoulder because,

:

00:57:13,645 --> 00:57:17,465

because people d- he doesn't like how

he was compared to Philipp Lahm like

:

00:57:17,465 --> 00:57:19,215

they were the same player, you know?

:

00:57:19,935 --> 00:57:24,897

Um- But, uh, anyways, now what we

saw last night was definitely a

:

00:57:24,897 --> 00:57:29,427

4-1-4-1 with Kimmich as the, as

the lone six, as the solo six.

:

00:57:29,677 --> 00:57:32,517

So I don't see, you know, how

you get Reitz back into the

:

00:57:32,517 --> 00:57:34,437

national team, uh, at this point.

:

00:57:34,447 --> 00:57:36,147

Hopefully he can get

back on the pitch soon.

:

00:57:36,797 --> 00:57:40,697

Uh, that's, it's, it's really

unfortunate that he's, uh, the

:

00:57:41,307 --> 00:57:42,527

injury he's been able to do that.

:

00:57:43,447 --> 00:57:48,187

I, I think that just about covers

it in terms of, of potential, uh,

:

00:57:48,187 --> 00:57:52,567

uh, German internationals for, uh,

uh, currently playing for, for RB

:

00:57:52,587 --> 00:57:56,047

Leipzig, unless, unless there's

somebody I'm forgetting on loan.

:

00:57:56,047 --> 00:57:56,257

Um-

:

00:57:56,967 --> 00:58:00,807

Justin Crozer: Uh, no, but is there

anyone else from any other teams that

:

00:58:00,807 --> 00:58:04,517

you've, Bundesliga or elsewhere that

hasn't made the national team that you

:

00:58:04,537 --> 00:58:06,627

think is acceptable to jump into that?

:

00:58:07,317 --> 00:58:11,677

Peter Weis: I mentioned Ginter, uh,

whom I believe, uh, should have, um,

:

00:58:11,777 --> 00:58:14,057

uh, been taken along this summer.

:

00:58:14,227 --> 00:58:14,837

Absolutely.

:

00:58:15,357 --> 00:58:19,947

Um, I mentioned Undav, whom I, I wish

that, uh, Klopp had probably brought

:

00:58:19,947 --> 00:58:23,757

in this time, despite the fact that

he's, he's gotten off to slow club form.

:

00:58:23,757 --> 00:58:27,757

He was the, he was the best player

for, for Germany at the World Cup.

:

00:58:28,187 --> 00:58:32,997

Um, Nagelsmann did himself and

this country a great disservice by

:

00:58:32,997 --> 00:58:35,737

publicly feuding, uh, with Undav.

:

00:58:35,827 --> 00:58:38,207

Um, I think Undav should have

been welcomed back into the

:

00:58:38,207 --> 00:58:39,547

fold immediately by Klopp.

:

00:58:39,637 --> 00:58:40,987

I think he made a mistake there.

:

00:58:41,697 --> 00:58:45,647

Um, yeah, those are the only

ones that spring to mind.

:

00:58:45,647 --> 00:58:49,777

I mean, uh, Julian Brandt is a, is a

complicated issue because he's now,

:

00:58:49,927 --> 00:58:52,257

uh, uh, playing, uh, off in Holland.

:

00:58:52,267 --> 00:58:55,547

He's just another one of those guys

that, that Klopp is, is probably

:

00:58:55,547 --> 00:58:57,047

just says, "Okay, you're too old.

:

00:58:57,397 --> 00:58:58,557

You're going to be too old."

:

00:58:58,997 --> 00:59:03,197

Um, I thought that Brandt

should have, uh, been taken by

:

00:59:03,197 --> 00:59:05,387

Nagelsmann for the:

:

00:59:05,767 --> 00:59:09,247

I always, uh, I really, really

like Brandt, and despite his

:

00:59:09,247 --> 00:59:13,137

form inconsistencies, I think

that he's been, he's been given,

:

00:59:13,977 --> 00:59:16,487

you know, uh, it's been…

:

00:59:17,347 --> 00:59:20,187

He's been sort of treated

unfairly, I think, by fans and,

:

00:59:20,217 --> 00:59:21,577

and the German press alike.

:

00:59:22,397 --> 00:59:30,353

Uh- Uh, I, I kind of maybe wanted

to see maybe Ragnar Ache, uh,

:

00:59:30,373 --> 00:59:35,093

former Kaiserslautern player, uh,

current Köln, uh, striker, uh,

:

00:59:35,213 --> 00:59:37,293

maybe, maybe get a chance as well.

:

00:59:37,823 --> 00:59:41,833

Um, I don't think that we have

to placate Nick Woltemade at this

:

00:59:41,833 --> 00:59:43,633

point by giving him a roster spot.

:

00:59:44,183 --> 00:59:49,033

Uh, he's, he's got enough money and,

uh, the fact that he said he was glad he

:

00:59:49,033 --> 00:59:51,733

missed that penalty this summer almost

:

00:59:54,503 --> 00:59:57,983

To my mind at least means you shouldn't

be playing for the German national team.

:

00:59:58,243 --> 00:59:58,563

Justin Crozer: Mm.

:

00:59:59,173 --> 00:59:59,543

Peter Weis: What about…

:

00:59:59,573 --> 01:00:03,613

Well, I mean, as I said earlier, it,

it's also as much your team as it is

:

01:00:03,613 --> 01:00:06,403

mine, so- Mm … so what are, what

are your thoughts on the matter there?

:

01:00:06,403 --> 01:00:07,343

I'd be interested to know.

:

01:00:08,233 --> 01:00:10,313

Justin Crozer: To be blatantly

honest, I don't have anything

:

01:00:10,313 --> 01:00:11,233

off the top of my head.

:

01:00:11,613 --> 01:00:15,783

Um- Mm-hmm … I, I'm also looking,

you know, that obviously Klopp's

:

01:00:15,783 --> 01:00:20,513

looking for longer duration and things

like that, so you've got the core

:

01:00:20,513 --> 01:00:21,803

that is still, you know, getting…

:

01:00:21,843 --> 01:00:23,403

They're mature and, and whatnot.

:

01:00:23,673 --> 01:00:27,103

But I'm also looking for players

that would be, you know, early

:

01:00:27,103 --> 01:00:32,253

20s as they would get to maturity-

Mm … coming into the later 10 years

:

01:00:32,273 --> 01:00:37,843

of Klopp's, um, well, legacy mission,

which I'll touch on in, in shortly.

:

01:00:38,343 --> 01:00:41,853

'Cause to me that looks at it go,

is he going to extend or is he

:

01:00:41,903 --> 01:00:43,393

going to leave something behind?

:

01:00:43,403 --> 01:00:43,833

Mm-hmm.

:

01:00:43,833 --> 01:00:47,763

So, um, because he has signed

through to the:

:

01:00:47,783 --> 01:00:49,533

with the Euro:

:

01:00:49,983 --> 01:00:53,293

As a man who's won everything at club

level, going back to the national team

:

01:00:53,303 --> 01:00:57,473

for the first time since Liverpool, what's

he actually chasing here and what does

:

01:00:57,473 --> 01:00:59,213

his success look like, do you think?

:

01:01:00,805 --> 01:01:04,865

Peter Weis: Well, it's not news to

you what our German expectations, uh,

:

01:01:05,035 --> 01:01:07,235

are when it comes to, uh, tournaments.

:

01:01:07,235 --> 01:01:09,515

We expect the semifinals, period.

:

01:01:10,155 --> 01:01:11,845

Uh, that is our expectation.

:

01:01:11,855 --> 01:01:15,135

Beyond the semifinals, anything

that you can accomplish is gravy.

:

01:01:15,645 --> 01:01:18,435

Uh, but we want, uh, maximum matches.

:

01:01:18,465 --> 01:01:23,625

We want maximum opportunities to, to

wave our flags and to, uh, demonstrate

:

01:01:23,635 --> 01:01:25,905

our safe nationalism and patriotism.

:

01:01:26,375 --> 01:01:30,985

And since Klopp has taken it upon

himself to, uh, say that he wants

:

01:01:30,985 --> 01:01:35,325

German football to take the flag back

and the patriotism back, uh, then

:

01:01:35,325 --> 01:01:39,585

our expectations are the semifinals,

uh, in all tournaments, period.

:

01:01:39,595 --> 01:01:41,765

That's always been our expectation.

:

01:01:42,225 --> 01:01:43,065

Again, period.

:

01:01:43,425 --> 01:01:50,645

Uh, had, uh, Flick or, uh, Nagelsmann

managed to, to reach, uh, the semifinals

:

01:01:51,165 --> 01:01:55,525

in any of their, uh, uh, in their

tournaments, then that would've been fine.

:

01:01:55,645 --> 01:01:56,595

We would've kept them.

:

01:01:57,155 --> 01:02:01,115

Uh, and we even gave Löw a pass for

that group stage elimination in,

:

01:02:01,155 --> 01:02:06,135

in, in:

uh, we had reached the semifinals

:

01:02:06,135 --> 01:02:08,375

in, in every tournament under him.

:

01:02:08,965 --> 01:02:09,305

Mm-hmm.

:

01:02:09,305 --> 01:02:11,405

Uh, so yeah, that's…

:

01:02:11,475 --> 01:02:13,715

Just deliver the semis and we're happy.

:

01:02:13,715 --> 01:02:15,965

And you, uh, you feel

the same way, I'm sure.

:

01:02:15,975 --> 01:02:16,385

Uh, do you not?

:

01:02:16,385 --> 01:02:16,790

Justin Crozer: Absolutely.

:

01:02:16,790 --> 01:02:17,195

Yeah.

:

01:02:17,195 --> 01:02:21,145

I mean, I could be cocky enough and say

to win it, but, uh, Well- It's, but you

:

01:02:21,145 --> 01:02:22,995

know, that's an unrealistic expectation.

:

01:02:23,005 --> 01:02:25,935

It's nice, but it's not, you know,

something that- Well, if you-

:

01:02:25,935 --> 01:02:27,415

oh, you don't win, you lose, so.

:

01:02:27,635 --> 01:02:27,975

Peter Weis: Yeah.

:

01:02:28,005 --> 01:02:30,405

I mean, if you reach

the semis, you've, uh…

:

01:02:30,535 --> 01:02:34,035

I mean, of course the, the Euros doesn't

have a third place match, but, um-

:

01:02:34,165 --> 01:02:34,385

Justin Crozer: Mm

:

01:02:35,015 --> 01:02:37,225

… Peter Weis: you know, if you reach

the semis in the World Cup, you're

:

01:02:37,225 --> 01:02:39,455

still guaranteed maximum matches.

:

01:02:39,965 --> 01:02:43,575

Uh, you know, we've, we, we still

get that third place playoff, which

:

01:02:43,575 --> 01:02:46,345

Germans actually kind of like, you know?

:

01:02:46,355 --> 01:02:49,065

A, a lot of- Mm … uh,

uh, people could care less.

:

01:02:49,615 --> 01:02:54,135

Uh, but, but Germans are, i- if we get

that little extra match, that a- that

:

01:02:54,145 --> 01:02:57,685

extra chance to, to wave our flags

a little bit, we're, we're content.

:

01:02:59,715 --> 01:03:02,075

Justin Crozer: Let's say that

he makes it through to that

:

01:03:02,075 --> 01:03:03,975

:

:

01:03:04,075 --> 01:03:06,545

Let's say- Mm … we don't get the,

the final, you know, but we win

:

01:03:06,545 --> 01:03:09,225

the third place, like the playoff

for, you know, as you- Mm-hmm

:

01:03:09,225 --> 01:03:10,315

as some people would say.

:

01:03:10,755 --> 01:03:15,145

Do you think he extends or does

he leave what he's built behind?

:

01:03:17,041 --> 01:03:20,701

Peter Weis: Yeah, that's an interesting

question because, um, there are

:

01:03:20,961 --> 01:03:25,121

reports that he kind of had to be

coaxed out of retirement, uh, that-

:

01:03:25,231 --> 01:03:25,491

Justin Crozer: Mm

:

01:03:25,651 --> 01:03:28,721

… Peter Weis: he was, he was rather

content with his, with his se-

:

01:03:29,081 --> 01:03:32,531

uh, semi, uh, uh, retirement

there in, in the Red Bull system.

:

01:03:33,321 --> 01:03:38,851

Um, on the other hand, we talked about

how, uh, you know, after sort of a

:

01:03:38,851 --> 01:03:44,311

laissez-faire first year at Leipzig,

Klopp, the competitor in him, uh, woke up

:

01:03:44,311 --> 01:03:49,091

and, and he wanted to, you know, get his

fingers, uh, more in, in what was going

:

01:03:49,091 --> 01:03:51,471

on in terms of Leipzig administration.

:

01:03:52,161 --> 01:03:56,211

And that's probably ultimately why he

didn't need, uh, too much persuading

:

01:03:56,211 --> 01:03:58,051

to, to take the Bundes trainer job.

:

01:03:58,751 --> 01:04:01,551

Um, you have to take his age into account.

:

01:04:01,591 --> 01:04:05,901

I mean, of course thanks to the hair

transplants and the, uh, and the dentures,

:

01:04:06,501 --> 01:04:11,401

um, he, he does, uh, cut a, uh, a

younger figure and, and he, he's never

:

01:04:11,531 --> 01:04:14,241

hidden, you know, uh, that stuff either.

:

01:04:14,241 --> 01:04:17,011

I mean, it's not like he has

plastic surgery on the sidelines

:

01:04:17,011 --> 01:04:17,691

or something like that.

:

01:04:17,691 --> 01:04:21,321

Klopp has always been forthright,

uh, about what he's done there.

:

01:04:21,321 --> 01:04:26,881

So let's see, by:

:

01:04:27,481 --> 01:04:28,441

No, 62, uh,

:

01:04:30,581 --> 01:04:31,391

years old.

:

01:04:36,401 --> 01:04:40,331

Yeah, I, I don't know too

many German trainers who have,

:

01:04:40,421 --> 01:04:42,451

who worked into their 70s.

:

01:04:42,681 --> 01:04:48,191

I mean, there's guys like Felix Magath

who, who just can't let it go and, and

:

01:04:48,241 --> 01:04:53,631

they, they, you know, they, they appeal

for jobs, uh, that they have no business

:

01:04:53,631 --> 01:04:57,201

appealing for whenever they pop up in

the Bundesliga or something like that.

:

01:04:57,861 --> 01:04:59,681

Um, yeah, uh,

:

01:05:03,221 --> 01:05:08,671

I mean, yeah, I, I think he would

probably continue on until his,

:

01:05:08,681 --> 01:05:10,871

until his, uh, uh, late 60s.

:

01:05:11,741 --> 01:05:14,651

Um, and because after all this is

gonna be the last, this is, this

:

01:05:14,651 --> 01:05:15,951

will be the last job that he has.

:

01:05:16,491 --> 01:05:19,321

Um, you know, the last

coaching appointment that he

:

01:05:19,321 --> 01:05:21,061

has certainly in any case.

:

01:05:21,141 --> 01:05:22,821

I mean, uh, I, I couldn't see him…

:

01:05:23,261 --> 01:05:25,961

I mean, who, what is there left

to coach after you've coached the,

:

01:05:25,961 --> 01:05:27,191

uh, the German Nationalmannschaft?

:

01:05:28,481 --> 01:05:31,721

Um, you know, I don't- To me, that's the

:

01:05:31,721 --> 01:05:32,091

Justin Crozer: pinnacle.

:

01:05:32,631 --> 01:05:33,451

Peter Weis: Well, sure.

:

01:05:33,531 --> 01:05:38,471

And I mean, Jogi Löw is another guy

a little bit like, like, uh, uh,

:

01:05:38,531 --> 01:05:43,091

Magath who is constantly almost like

trying to sell himself for jobs.

:

01:05:43,151 --> 01:05:46,691

I mean, he's, he's always said,

"Oh, the rocking chair isn't for me.

:

01:05:46,691 --> 01:05:48,961

I've been working on my

Spanish language skills."

:

01:05:49,401 --> 01:05:51,781

Löw wanted that job that Flick has.

:

01:05:52,091 --> 01:05:53,871

He, he tried to lobby for it.

:

01:05:53,921 --> 01:05:57,611

Uh, he tried to get it, but nobody

was really interested in him, so.

:

01:05:59,461 --> 01:05:59,711

That's-

:

01:06:01,261 --> 01:06:03,791

Justin Crozer: I wanna start

on the way, runway home.

:

01:06:04,211 --> 01:06:06,721

So for Leipzig's start, quick one on home.

:

01:06:06,971 --> 01:06:10,651

Four games into Demichelis's league

campaign, from your n- neutral

:

01:06:10,651 --> 01:06:12,701

eye, how are Leipzig shaping up?

:

01:06:12,731 --> 01:06:16,041

Is the tri blueprint holding

against Bundesliga sides?

:

01:06:16,371 --> 01:06:16,781

Peter Weis: Yeah.

:

01:06:16,781 --> 01:06:21,111

So, uh, the, the four three three, uh,

slash four one four one if you wanna call

:

01:06:21,281 --> 01:06:22,801

it that, I think that works just fine.

:

01:06:23,191 --> 01:06:27,691

The four two three one, um, it,

it has potential in Elounoui and,

:

01:06:27,701 --> 01:06:32,051

and also Bajrami surprise, uh, uh,

midfield, uh, uh, double six there.

:

01:06:32,621 --> 01:06:36,571

Um, but the track record has been

horrible when you look at the, uh,

:

01:06:36,581 --> 01:06:39,571

the Champions League match and,

and also the Leverkusen match.

:

01:06:39,581 --> 01:06:41,891

So, maybe we've seen the last of that.

:

01:06:43,571 --> 01:06:46,201

Justin Crozer: Oh, as you said, uh,

as well, we'd like to quote your

:

01:06:46,211 --> 01:06:50,371

article again, "Gladbach gave Leipzig

disorder, Bremen gave them organization.

:

01:06:50,651 --> 01:06:51,211

RB knew- Mm-hmm

:

01:06:51,231 --> 01:06:54,801

what to do with the former while utterly

failing to cope with the latter."

:

01:06:55,441 --> 01:06:57,641

So do you think- Absolutely … that's

going to be something going

:

01:06:57,651 --> 01:07:01,921

forward this season as the

Bundesliga season progresses?

:

01:07:03,601 --> 01:07:06,291

Peter Weis: Yeah, I was surprised

that Bremen had such organization.

:

01:07:07,311 --> 01:07:08,601

I was not expecting that.

:

01:07:08,651 --> 01:07:12,451

Uh, few of us were, were expecting

that on, on that particular day.

:

01:07:12,961 --> 01:07:17,561

Uh, the, the opening day victory, which

was, uh, by far the most convincing, uh,

:

01:07:17,601 --> 01:07:21,361

of the season, needs to be taken in the

context of the fact that, uh, Gladbach

:

01:07:21,391 --> 01:07:23,371

have proven an absolute total mess.

:

01:07:23,881 --> 01:07:29,171

Um, the Hamburg, uh, victory was, was

much more hard-fought, and we had those

:

01:07:29,201 --> 01:07:34,901

three goals in, in six minutes, um, or

maybe even less, maybe five minutes.

:

01:07:35,531 --> 01:07:41,631

Um, Poulsen said afterwards that his,

uh, team, uh, actually came out after

:

01:07:41,631 --> 01:07:44,701

the restart and looked like the better

team, and I think that that was the case.

:

01:07:45,251 --> 01:07:48,381

So the only thoroughly dominant

performance we have from, from

:

01:07:48,381 --> 01:07:51,921

Leipzig thus far this season was

against Gladbach, and Gladbach are

:

01:07:51,921 --> 01:07:53,161

bottom of the league for a reason.

:

01:07:53,161 --> 01:07:53,171

Hmm.

:

01:07:55,871 --> 01:07:58,611

Justin Crozer: And if you look at their

home games as well for RB Leipzig,

:

01:07:58,611 --> 01:08:00,881

it was against Gladbach and Hamburg.

:

01:08:00,881 --> 01:08:03,701

So you- Yes … sort of look at that,

and you have to take that with a grain

:

01:08:03,701 --> 01:08:07,241

of salt as- Mm-hmm … a indication

of how their football is shaping

:

01:08:07,241 --> 01:08:11,401

up as, uh, they're both, uh, down

towards the bottom end of that table.

:

01:08:12,001 --> 01:08:15,511

And, uh, and zooming out at that table,

is there anything jumping out at you

:

01:08:15,511 --> 01:08:16,961

from the first month of the season?

:

01:08:17,060 --> 01:08:19,651

Dortmund's start, the usual

Bayern question, anyone

:

01:08:19,651 --> 01:08:20,941

surprising you at either end?

:

01:08:21,903 --> 01:08:24,542

Peter Weis: Well, I thought it was

great that, um, after two match

:

01:08:24,542 --> 01:08:28,202

days we had Augsburg leading the

table, after three match days we had

:

01:08:28,212 --> 01:08:29,643

Freiburg, and now we have Dortmund.

:

01:08:30,143 --> 01:08:33,493

Uh, and this is something of a

historical moment because it had

:

01:08:33,493 --> 01:08:38,183

been I don't know how many, uh,

months, years, uh, that Bayern were

:

01:08:38,183 --> 01:08:40,343

not, uh, at the top of the table.

:

01:08:40,792 --> 01:08:46,303

So, um, we're in for, I think, a, a

very good, uh, Bundesliga campaign.

:

01:08:46,343 --> 01:08:50,143

Bayern of- unfortunately

are far too, uh, uh, good.

:

01:08:50,143 --> 01:08:54,792

I mean, good Lord, the, uh, the amount

of talent that they have now with Saibari

:

01:08:54,792 --> 01:08:58,813

and, and Nene Brown being able to play at

10 and things like this, they, um, they're

:

01:08:58,813 --> 01:09:01,042

definitely going to win the league again.

:

01:09:01,372 --> 01:09:06,383

But as we, uh, as we do, uh, we

Germans can reconcile the fact

:

01:09:06,383 --> 01:09:08,243

that we have a good Bundesliga.

:

01:09:08,283 --> 01:09:09,133

We have a good league.

:

01:09:09,143 --> 01:09:12,393

Our Bundesliga is something that

we can be proud of, uh, because it

:

01:09:12,433 --> 01:09:15,773

produces interesting players, it

produces interesting storylines.

:

01:09:15,773 --> 01:09:19,113

There are races beyond the title

race, the race for Europe, the race…

:

01:09:19,673 --> 01:09:24,673

uh, the relegation race, and,

um, of course the fan culture,

:

01:09:24,943 --> 01:09:26,233

which is second to none.

:

01:09:26,233 --> 01:09:27,643

Uh, you know, this is…

:

01:09:28,093 --> 01:09:32,223

I wrote an editorial recently, um,

which I haven't put on social media yet.

:

01:09:32,223 --> 01:09:34,863

I guess I'll put it on there

along with, with promoting this.

:

01:09:34,893 --> 01:09:36,582

It's just one of those

things I forgot to do.

:

01:09:37,212 --> 01:09:43,633

About, um, uh, German, uh, uh, stadium

fan vlogging, uh, something that Germans

:

01:09:43,633 --> 01:09:47,343

are, uh, coming down hard against for

understandable reasons because they don't

:

01:09:47,343 --> 01:09:51,023

want their hard work that they've put into

their choreos and their protest actions,

:

01:09:51,603 --> 01:09:56,583

uh, to be used for commercial benefit

by, uh, English opportunists maybe.

:

01:09:57,452 --> 01:10:03,723

Uh, I am going to, uh, disagree with

my fellow countrymen on that and say

:

01:10:03,723 --> 01:10:10,213

that, um, I think that a- anything

that shows German fan culture, that

:

01:10:10,273 --> 01:10:15,033

broadcasts it to the world, um, is

something that is ultimately beneficial.

:

01:10:15,033 --> 01:10:17,923

There are so many people, uh,

like yourself who may live far,

:

01:10:18,063 --> 01:10:20,383

far, far away, way down under.

:

01:10:20,723 --> 01:10:25,853

Um- Yes … and, you know, when it comes

to my own personal vlogging projects

:

01:10:25,853 --> 01:10:28,333

and things like this, you know, I've

gotten some really touching letters

:

01:10:28,343 --> 01:10:33,293

from people, uh, who, you know, may

be disabled or just they live half a

:

01:10:33,293 --> 01:10:40,073

world away, and it, it brought them

some joy to see the choreos um, that,

:

01:10:40,123 --> 01:10:41,993

uh, the German fan culture provides.

:

01:10:42,543 --> 01:10:46,213

So, um, not every vlogger's

heart is in the right place.

:

01:10:46,213 --> 01:10:49,433

Many of them are just looking

for more Instagram, uh, clicks

:

01:10:49,433 --> 01:10:51,303

and, you know, being Mr.

:

01:10:51,313 --> 01:10:55,573

Influencer here and, and promoting

themselves and, and, you know, their

:

01:10:55,573 --> 01:10:57,653

own YouTube channel or whatever it is.

:

01:10:57,663 --> 01:11:01,952

But a lot of us have our heart in the

right place when we're trying to share,

:

01:11:02,413 --> 01:11:06,533

uh, German fan culture with the world

because as you know, that's why…

:

01:11:06,713 --> 01:11:10,053

that's what makes the Bundesliga the

best, the world's best footballing beat,

:

01:11:10,573 --> 01:11:17,177

uh, is because it has, um, the, the

most devoted Uh, hardcore fans who've,

:

01:11:17,267 --> 01:11:22,987

uh, helped this league blow every other

league in the world away in attendance,

:

01:11:23,427 --> 01:11:28,017

uh, and also in, in choreography and

TIFO displays and protest actions.

:

01:11:28,067 --> 01:11:31,717

And yes, I'm in favor of pyrotechnic, uh-

:

01:11:31,767 --> 01:11:32,397

so far.

:

01:11:32,677 --> 01:11:35,957

Yeah, so long as it's, it's,

uh, uh, safely coordinated.

:

01:11:36,537 --> 01:11:40,557

So even though Bayern's going to win

this league, um, I think that we're going

:

01:11:40,557 --> 01:11:42,727

to have an interesting race for Europe.

:

01:11:43,297 --> 01:11:49,397

I think as always we're going to have an

interesting relegation race and, um, every

:

01:11:49,397 --> 01:11:55,287

Sunday or every weekend, and this is why

I'm pro, uh, stadium vlogging, is, uh,

:

01:11:55,287 --> 01:12:00,117

you know, you can watch the Bundesliga

from abroad, you can get a taste of some

:

01:12:00,117 --> 01:12:05,137

great football, but they're not showing

you fully what's going on in the stadiums.

:

01:12:05,227 --> 01:12:08,737

Um, they're not showing you all

of the, the great choreos and all

:

01:12:08,737 --> 01:12:12,397

of the great protest actions, and

certainly not all of the pyro.

:

01:12:14,267 --> 01:12:16,157

So- Yeah.

:

01:12:16,157 --> 01:12:16,627

Justin Crozer: Yeah.

:

01:12:16,717 --> 01:12:19,837

As I've, I've seen some, uh, some

doozy pyros, though, that's for sure.

:

01:12:19,837 --> 01:12:22,367

When, uh, things go

wrong, they do go wrong.

:

01:12:22,367 --> 01:12:22,777

Um-

:

01:12:22,777 --> 01:12:24,057

Peter Weis: They do go wrong, yes.

:

01:12:24,077 --> 01:12:26,397

I, I, I mean, it's,

that's, that's another…

:

01:12:26,407 --> 01:12:27,747

We could do a whole pod on that.

:

01:12:27,757 --> 01:12:34,177

But I mean, it's, it's simply the

vast majority of it is, is pretty,

:

01:12:34,457 --> 01:12:36,657

pretty safely, uh, uh, coordinated.

:

01:12:37,407 --> 01:12:41,857

And, uh, yes, it does go wrong

on occasion, but, uh, it's…

:

01:12:42,187 --> 01:12:44,237

The, the vast majority of it is, is…

:

01:12:45,357 --> 01:12:46,697

It's, it's part of the thing.

:

01:12:47,347 --> 01:12:47,797

What do you want?

:

01:12:49,127 --> 01:12:51,497

Justin Crozer: Quick one before

I start to wrap things up.

:

01:12:51,517 --> 01:12:57,357

What is the, your take on how there

was social media people, I think

:

01:12:57,357 --> 01:13:00,895

mainly in the UK Sorry about that.

:

01:13:00,895 --> 01:13:01,875

My ph- phone was going off.

:

01:13:03,265 --> 01:13:03,465

Excellent.

:

01:13:03,475 --> 01:13:09,215

The, h- what is your take on social media

people in the UK or the U- United States,

:

01:13:09,465 --> 01:13:11,835

um, broadcasting the Bundesliga matches?

:

01:13:11,865 --> 01:13:14,885

I, I believe they were on their, like,

YouTube channels and things like that.

:

01:13:15,285 --> 01:13:18,125

Um- Yeah … we, we sort of just slightly

touched on that just a moment ago.

:

01:13:18,175 --> 01:13:19,735

What's your take on, on that?

:

01:13:19,735 --> 01:13:19,905

Yeah.

:

01:13:19,905 --> 01:13:20,925

Are they the right people?

:

01:13:20,925 --> 01:13:21,934

Is that okay?

:

01:13:22,085 --> 01:13:22,515

What's your take?

:

01:13:22,525 --> 01:13:25,675

Peter Weis: Well, as I said, I, I

wrote an editorial about this and

:

01:13:25,675 --> 01:13:29,765

I could have probably taken a, um,

a bigger stand on it than I did.

:

01:13:30,275 --> 01:13:34,495

Um, but, uh, you know, I really had to

think about this, uh, as somebody who

:

01:13:34,495 --> 01:13:38,605

is a staunch advocate of German football

and, and German football and culture.

:

01:13:39,035 --> 01:13:43,515

I really had to think hard about

this and, and, uh, you know, it's

:

01:13:44,175 --> 01:13:47,335

this is an issue that's, that's

everywhere in the Bundesrepublik.

:

01:13:47,915 --> 01:13:51,855

Um, so many in Dresden, from

Dresden right here to Karlsruhe.

:

01:13:52,205 --> 01:13:55,175

As a matter of fact, that's what

formed the basis of my editorial,

:

01:13:55,175 --> 01:13:57,395

were these two, uh, instances.

:

01:13:57,405 --> 01:14:00,775

But it's the case in pretty much every

club is having this debate right now.

:

01:14:01,355 --> 01:14:06,235

Um, you know, the ultras their side of

the debate is saying, "We put in all

:

01:14:06,235 --> 01:14:11,055

of this hard work, this volunteer work

to, to make the, to put these choreos

:

01:14:11,055 --> 01:14:14,555

together, to make these protest banners

that you always see, uh, coming up,

:

01:14:14,585 --> 01:14:16,085

popping up throughout the matches.

:

01:14:16,555 --> 01:14:22,325

Um, you know, to, uh, uh, organizing,

uh, uh, the Kurve, uh, with the songs.

:

01:14:22,375 --> 01:14:25,455

Our Chorsänger, you know, who, who

lead the chants and everything.

:

01:14:25,455 --> 01:14:27,855

And this is really a project

of the community, and it's

:

01:14:27,855 --> 01:14:28,975

a project of the heart.

:

01:14:29,475 --> 01:14:35,485

And for that to be reduced to, you know,

your, uh, self-promoting, uh, Instagram

:

01:14:35,495 --> 01:14:39,625

or, or YouTube feed is, is … it's wrong.

:

01:14:39,785 --> 01:14:40,105

You know?

:

01:14:40,105 --> 01:14:42,455

It, it, as a matter of

the soul, it's wrong.

:

01:14:42,555 --> 01:14:42,815

Justin Crozer: Mm-hmm.

:

01:14:44,571 --> 01:14:46,491

Peter Weis: I understand

that part of the argument.

:

01:14:46,971 --> 01:14:50,241

Uh, on the other hand, there are three

things that are important to keep in mind.

:

01:14:50,241 --> 01:14:54,091

Number one, as I mentioned before, a

lot of people can't make it to Germany.

:

01:14:54,441 --> 01:14:57,481

A lot of people may never make it

to Germany, and they, and they may

:

01:14:57,481 --> 01:15:01,361

never experience this part of the fan

culture which deserves to be shared

:

01:15:01,371 --> 01:15:05,991

unless somebody, uh, no- you know, not

affiliated with the official broadcast

:

01:15:06,001 --> 01:15:07,901

partners of the league promotes it.

:

01:15:08,201 --> 01:15:09,481

So that's important point.

:

01:15:09,911 --> 01:15:13,631

Impor- uh, point number two,

the clubs themselves are hiring

:

01:15:13,641 --> 01:15:17,591

influencers to, to run their social

media feeds and so on and so forth.

:

01:15:17,591 --> 01:15:23,351

So I mean, uh, if, you know, Germans,

we don't want too much commercialization

:

01:15:23,351 --> 01:15:25,771

or corporatization of, of our game.

:

01:15:26,251 --> 01:15:32,411

Uh, but, uh, you know, there are people

who are already being, you know, uh,

:

01:15:32,541 --> 01:15:37,381

paid, uh, to do this, and they may

not necessarily be people who have the

:

01:15:37,381 --> 01:15:41,941

heart and soul of the game as their

best interests, uh, as well anyway.

:

01:15:42,811 --> 01:15:50,181

Um, and, and three, uh, if we truly are

a, you know, a, a welcoming country,

:

01:15:50,211 --> 01:15:55,891

uh, uh, one that's all about inclusion,

um, is it really our place, uh, to

:

01:15:55,891 --> 01:15:58,301

say who is a fan and who is not?

:

01:15:58,791 --> 01:15:59,111

You know?

:

01:15:59,161 --> 01:16:03,271

I mean, that this is, uh, part of the

core of, of ultra ideas is that we're

:

01:16:03,271 --> 01:16:07,471

not, uh, you know, or at least West German

and sort of left-leaning ultra ideas

:

01:16:07,471 --> 01:16:12,111

is that we, we, we do want inclusion

and, and we want that in the club.

:

01:16:12,151 --> 01:16:15,671

You know, I'm a stadium vlogger

myself and, and Mark and I have

:

01:16:15,671 --> 01:16:18,761

gone and we've done the vlogs and

occasionally we've been accosted.

:

01:16:18,761 --> 01:16:23,021

And when people find out that I'm

German they seem to care less.

:

01:16:23,421 --> 01:16:23,851

You know?

:

01:16:23,881 --> 01:16:27,511

If I'm brutally honest about this,

this is an uncomfortable truth, but

:

01:16:27,961 --> 01:16:31,771

I think that a lot of Germans are

being a little cliquish about this and

:

01:16:31,771 --> 01:16:34,731

saying that, you know, "This belongs

to us and it doesn't belong to you."

:

01:16:35,231 --> 01:16:39,351

And of course you can understand that par-

that, that side of the argument, right?

:

01:16:39,531 --> 01:16:43,641

I mean, you know, you, you love your

club, you love your hometown, you, you

:

01:16:43,641 --> 01:16:49,291

work all week on, on, uh, on putting

together a show that, that you and your

:

01:16:49,291 --> 01:16:53,381

fellow fan groups are going to show inside

the stadium, and then here comes some

:

01:16:53,391 --> 01:16:59,371

English, you know, some coked up English

YouTube vlogger who's like, "Hi mate.

:

01:16:59,591 --> 01:17:00,981

Oh, check it as fucking metal.

:

01:17:01,151 --> 01:17:02,971

Look man, how I film this, I film that."

:

01:17:02,971 --> 01:17:06,811

I mean, that, that's, that's

their view of the issue.

:

01:17:07,391 --> 01:17:10,371

Uh, but it's not, we're not

all like that, you know?

:

01:17:10,421 --> 01:17:17,381

Some of us really genuinely want to show

to the world, uh, what's so special about

:

01:17:17,381 --> 01:17:19,341

German fans and, and their football.

:

01:17:19,341 --> 01:17:23,331

And, um, you know, if you watch the

broadcast, the broadcast is gonna

:

01:17:23,331 --> 01:17:28,297

catch some of the choreos Um, uh,

but it's, it's not gonna film the

:

01:17:28,416 --> 01:17:33,797

pyro and it's not going to film, um,

the, the protest banners, uh, because

:

01:17:33,847 --> 01:17:35,397

there's just simply too many of them.

:

01:17:35,397 --> 01:17:39,537

And, and in every Bundesliga match,

uh, those, you know, those sort

:

01:17:39,537 --> 01:17:43,267

of white protest banners, they're

coming up, uh, usually about four or

:

01:17:43,267 --> 01:17:46,027

five of them minimum, uh, per match.

:

01:17:46,157 --> 01:17:50,257

You know, Mark and I did a vlog when, uh,

we were doing Kaiserslautern Nürnberg,

:

01:17:50,257 --> 01:17:55,657

and I called it Friends, Football and

50+1 because throughout the entire

:

01:17:55,657 --> 01:18:00,467

match, Nürnberg ultras were holding up

these banners, uh, with, uh, that were

:

01:18:00,467 --> 01:18:05,477

all very creative, uh, defending 50+1

and, and defending German fan culture.

:

01:18:05,937 --> 01:18:07,587

And it was a nil-nil match.

:

01:18:07,597 --> 01:18:09,017

It was a total crap game.

:

01:18:09,407 --> 01:18:11,427

There wasn't anything

going on on the pitch.

:

01:18:11,457 --> 01:18:15,387

So I just sat there in the stands

the whole time, and I filmed, uh,

:

01:18:15,427 --> 01:18:19,217

all of these, these banners and,

and that was the entertainment.

:

01:18:19,217 --> 01:18:19,937

That was the show.

:

01:18:21,397 --> 01:18:23,247

So who else is gonna show that?

:

01:18:23,257 --> 01:18:23,267

Mm.

:

01:18:23,607 --> 01:18:27,467

How else is, are we gonna get that out

to the world that, that German fans

:

01:18:27,787 --> 01:18:32,707

will literally spend the entire week

coming up with creative ways, uh, to

:

01:18:32,707 --> 01:18:37,217

protest things and, and s- uh, and put

these banners together and everything?

:

01:18:37,217 --> 01:18:40,027

That, the world deserves

to see that, I think.

:

01:18:41,497 --> 01:18:42,166

Justin Crozer: I agree to…

:

01:18:42,607 --> 01:18:42,847

Sorry.

:

01:18:42,977 --> 01:18:44,177

I should say I agree.

:

01:18:44,807 --> 01:18:44,877

Right, Peter.

:

01:18:45,647 --> 01:18:48,437

We've reached the final

whistle on RBL Talk.

:

01:18:48,457 --> 01:18:51,916

That means a bit of a tradition,

uh, mean butchering words as

:

01:18:51,916 --> 01:18:53,197

well, just the simple ones too.

:

01:18:53,916 --> 01:18:56,777

Every guest gets one of our

staple questions from the bank.

:

01:18:56,797 --> 01:18:56,827

Okay.

:

01:18:56,997 --> 01:19:01,727

Normally I pick just the one, but this

time I could not choose between the two.

:

01:19:01,737 --> 01:19:01,757

Yeah.

:

01:19:02,017 --> 01:19:04,087

So you're getting both, and there's

no- Oh … getting out of it.

:

01:19:04,087 --> 01:19:05,087

I do apologize.

:

01:19:05,297 --> 01:19:05,457

Peter Weis: No

:

01:19:05,457 --> 01:19:05,637

Justin Crozer: problem.

:

01:19:05,637 --> 01:19:10,337

So the first one is I've picked the

one I put to all Bundesliga guests.

:

01:19:10,377 --> 01:19:14,097

Outside of your own home ground,

what is the absolute best stadium

:

01:19:14,097 --> 01:19:16,507

experience or away day you've ever had?

:

01:19:18,499 --> 01:19:23,869

Peter Weis: Um, outside of

Kaiserslautern, uh, Freiburg is, is

:

01:19:23,869 --> 01:19:28,019

my favorite, uh, ground to visit,

and it's also a beautiful city.

:

01:19:28,689 --> 01:19:31,169

So, uh, yes.

:

01:19:31,599 --> 01:19:35,539

When, apologies to Mark who would be

upset that I didn't pick Augsburg.

:

01:19:35,679 --> 01:19:38,529

Uh, Freiburg is, is my

f- is my second favorite.

:

01:19:39,219 --> 01:19:44,669

Um, actually an honorable mention,

I lived in Berlin in, uh,:

:

01:19:44,679 --> 01:19:48,479

when, uh, FC U was, um, uh, in…

:

01:19:48,479 --> 01:19:52,189

Th- this was before they invented

the Dritte Liga, so they were in the

:

01:19:52,189 --> 01:19:54,289

Regionalliga, and I visited them once.

:

01:19:54,859 --> 01:19:57,709

And you wouldn't recognize that club.

:

01:19:57,898 --> 01:19:59,139

I mean, they, they…

:

01:19:59,139 --> 01:20:01,229

It was nothing but punks and skins, man.

:

01:20:04,648 --> 01:20:07,579

Justin Crozer: Well, and uh, I mean,

I'm a straight edge punk, but I

:

01:20:07,579 --> 01:20:08,539

don't look like one, so but anyway.

:

01:20:10,009 --> 01:20:13,869

And, uh, and the second, this one's

a personal favorite, the hill you

:

01:20:13,869 --> 01:20:17,609

are willing to die on, your single

most controversial football opinion.

:

01:20:17,898 --> 01:20:18,939

Don't hold back on me.

:

01:20:18,979 --> 01:20:19,729

We can take it.

:

01:20:20,259 --> 01:20:20,879

Peter Weis: Oh, okay.

:

01:20:21,599 --> 01:20:25,949

My single most controversial football

opinion I might have just expressed in

:

01:20:25,949 --> 01:20:32,289

that I, uh, I, um, am sort of siding with,

with the German ultras and their desire

:

01:20:32,289 --> 01:20:34,309

to get, uh, vloggers out of the stadium.

:

01:20:34,389 --> 01:20:38,549

But, uh, yeah, that, that could get

me in a, that might get me in a lot

:

01:20:38,549 --> 01:20:42,639

of trouble because, uh, I'm going

against the grain there in saying

:

01:20:42,648 --> 01:20:48,759

that, you know, okay, I, I understand

you don't want, you know, uh, uh, Mr.

:

01:20:48,939 --> 01:20:51,209

"Oh, man, I went to see Kiel.

:

01:20:51,209 --> 01:20:53,193

It was fucking awesome, man.

:

01:20:53,193 --> 01:20:54,789

And then oh, yeah, uh."

:

01:20:54,818 --> 01:20:55,849

You don't want that guy.

:

01:20:55,889 --> 01:20:56,259

Uh,

:

01:20:58,409 --> 01:20:59,349

Justin Crozer: Nobody wants that.

:

01:20:59,999 --> 01:21:01,099

Peter Weis: Nobody wants that guy.

:

01:21:03,379 --> 01:21:09,579

So I, I'm gonna, the hill that I'm gonna

die on is, is say that, um, you know-

:

01:21:10,403 --> 01:21:17,133

Um, hobby vloggers who, uh, who, um, will

sit there and film the German fan Kurva

:

01:21:17,143 --> 01:21:20,782

for a full 90 minutes, are, are cool.

:

01:21:23,653 --> 01:21:24,943

Justin Crozer: Peter,

this has been terrific.

:

01:21:24,952 --> 01:21:24,963

Oh.

:

01:21:24,973 --> 01:21:28,113

Where can the listeners and viewers

for this video find your work

:

01:21:28,282 --> 01:21:29,723

and everything you do online?

:

01:21:30,202 --> 01:21:32,513

Peter Weis: Uh, well, uh,

I'm working right now for,

:

01:21:32,513 --> 01:21:33,923

uh, Get German Football News.

:

01:21:34,503 --> 01:21:38,593

And, uh, yes, I've been working with

them for, for about 18 months now.

:

01:21:38,973 --> 01:21:41,503

Um, hello to all my friends

at, at Bully News as well.

:

01:21:41,503 --> 01:21:43,843

I still keep in touch with

many of them, and they, they

:

01:21:43,873 --> 01:21:45,663

also, uh, produce good work.

:

01:21:46,053 --> 01:21:50,663

Uh, and, uh, yeah, there's, there's

a lot of good people out there,

:

01:21:50,663 --> 01:21:52,103

uh, covering the Bundesliga.

:

01:21:52,573 --> 01:21:54,753

I could stand to be on social

media a little bit more.

:

01:21:54,753 --> 01:21:58,452

I'd s- I swear to you, it's just,

it's what happens at the end of

:

01:21:58,452 --> 01:22:02,163

a long day after writing 12 or

13 articles, I'm just too gassed.

:

01:22:02,163 --> 01:22:04,663

I,

:

01:22:04,663 --> 01:22:05,843

Justin Crozer: I absolutely understand.

:

01:22:05,843 --> 01:22:06,183

I get it.

:

01:22:06,183 --> 01:22:09,563

Like, me doing what I do take, takes

it out of me sometimes too, so.

:

01:22:09,673 --> 01:22:10,073

Peter Weis: It does.

:

01:22:10,073 --> 01:22:10,108

It

:

01:22:10,108 --> 01:22:10,143

Justin Crozer: does.

:

01:22:10,143 --> 01:22:10,973

I completely get it.

:

01:22:11,023 --> 01:22:12,013

Peter Weis: People don't

realize that, you know?

:

01:22:12,013 --> 01:22:12,473

They, they

:

01:22:12,613 --> 01:22:12,913

Justin Crozer: don't realize that.

:

01:22:12,913 --> 01:22:15,333

And people, people don't realize that I'm

gonna be going straight into work doing

:

01:22:15,333 --> 01:22:18,463

my shift and not getting home until, like,

2:30 in the morning straight after this.

:

01:22:18,463 --> 01:22:18,763

Peter Weis: Absolutely.

:

01:22:18,763 --> 01:22:18,823

So, yeah.

:

01:22:19,153 --> 01:22:23,713

Well, thank you for, yeah, then,

uh, I, as, as a fellow, uh, I, I

:

01:22:23,753 --> 01:22:27,353

salute you as a fellow German and

as a fellow, uh, hardworking person

:

01:22:27,353 --> 01:22:30,993

who's out there promoting, uh, the

Bundesliga and German football and

:

01:22:34,603 --> 01:22:36,532

Justin Crozer: Thank you very

much for, for your heartwarming,

:

01:22:36,782 --> 01:22:37,893

uh, words there, Peter.

:

01:22:38,133 --> 01:22:40,263

And a huge thanks again

to Peter for coming on.

:

01:22:40,393 --> 01:22:41,913

Generally brilliant of him to do so.

:

01:22:42,213 --> 01:22:43,293

Go and follow his work.

:

01:22:43,313 --> 01:22:46,013

All the links will be down in

the description or in the show

:

01:22:46,053 --> 01:22:48,443

notes, depending on where you're

listening or watching this one.

:

01:22:48,883 --> 01:22:51,333

And before we go, a question

for the terrace to chew on.

:

01:22:51,613 --> 01:22:56,143

Klopp's on the other side of the fence

from now, Germany's man, not Red Bull's.

:

01:22:56,213 --> 01:23:01,383

So which current RB Leipzig player most

deserves a call into his squad and why?

:

01:23:01,833 --> 01:23:02,803

Get it on SpeakPipe.

:

01:23:02,803 --> 01:23:04,223

You've got up to five minutes of audio.

:

01:23:04,473 --> 01:23:07,613

Drop it in the Spotify comments or

post it in the Digital Terrace Discord.

:

01:23:07,853 --> 01:23:10,532

The best takes get played

right here on the next episode.

:

01:23:11,073 --> 01:23:14,323

And you know the deal, RBL Talk

is completely independent, no

:

01:23:14,323 --> 01:23:17,443

corporate sponsors, no club

money, just me and this community.

:

01:23:17,653 --> 01:23:20,483

If you've enjoyed today, the best

thing you can do is follow the show

:

01:23:20,483 --> 01:23:22,073

wherever you're listening or watching.

:

01:23:22,403 --> 01:23:25,183

Leave a, a rating if you've

got a spare second and share

:

01:23:25,183 --> 01:23:26,583

it with another Leipzig fan.

:

01:23:26,833 --> 01:23:29,043

Everything's in the show

notes or the description.

:

01:23:29,282 --> 01:23:32,603

No agendas, no gatekeepers,

just pure Leipzig passion, and

:

01:23:32,603 --> 01:23:33,983

that's exactly how we keep it.

:

01:23:34,303 --> 01:23:35,373

That's your lot for this one.

:

01:23:35,443 --> 01:23:38,473

I've been Justin Crozer, and

until next time, bye-bye for now.

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About the Podcast

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RBL Talk — RB Leipzig Podcast (English)
The global home for RB Leipzig fans. Independent, fan-led coverage, in English.

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About your host

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Justin Crozer

Tactics. Terrace. Truth.

The Analyst from the Antipodes
I'm based in Australia, and I've spent years closing the 15,500-kilometre gap between the stands of the Red Bull Arena and the international fan community. I'm the creator and host of RBL Talk, where I pair the cold, hard data of SofaScore tactical breakdowns with the warm, unfiltered pulse of the global fanbase. I do it all around a 60-hour working week, with no corporate sponsors and no gatekeepers — just one fan who decided the international RBL community deserved a home.

More Than xG
RBL Talk was born from a genuine love of the fearless, youth-driven football that put Leipzig on the map — but I was never going to stop at verticality and expected goals. As the modern game drifts toward VAR overreach, all-seater sterility and the over-policing of the people in the stands, I've sharpened what this show is for. I'm not just here to talk about the three points on a weekend; I'm here to be a vocal advocate for the supporters who make the sport worth watching in the first place.

A Community-First Philosophy
From Digital Terrace Feed watchalongs to an active Discord home, listener takes via SpeakPipe, and my Player Watch segment, RBL Talk is built on one belief: football is nothing without its fans. It's a home for supporters who love this team but aren't afraid to demand more of it — the kind of place where a regular fan, a rival supporter and a working journalist can all end up on the same mic. I've had guests from across the Bundesliga, from clubs around the world, and from the reporters and journalists who cover the game for a living.

Roots and Reason
My feel for the game runs deeper than one club, but it stays where it belongs: on the pitch. With my own family roots reaching back to Germany, I understand how deeply football and identity are woven together over there — but RBL Talk keeps the focus on the football itself, not the agendas around it. That's the whole point.

I'm no trophy hunter, but I hold this club to a standard: competing for the Bundesliga and the Pokal every season, and going as deep as we can in Europe. Top four and a real cup run isn't a dream around here — rebuild years aside, it's the baseline. This is where data meets DNA: the most honest, analytical and fan-first coverage of RB Leipzig I can put into the world.

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