| BORUSSIA DORTMUND (2001-02: First place) |
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| Matthias Sammer's side pipped Bayer Leverkusen to the title last season and can call on players of real quality such as Czech playmaker Tomas Rosicky and Brazilian Amoroso. However, Sammer is staying tightlipped.
"No one is an automatic favorite," he says about the coming season, saying only that Dortmund's aim was to maintain the standard in the league and to broaden its European horizons. Dortmund reached the final of the UEFA Cup last season.
A mooted pay-cut at the club had been widely accepted by the players, although it was not enforced, which indicates Dortmund will put up a spirited defense of the title.
Highest profile signings have been Argentine midfielder Juan Ramon Fernandez for 1.6 million euros (US$1.58 million) and World Cup star Torsten Frings from Werder Bremen for 8.5 million euros. Veteran defender Juergen Kohler has finally retired aged 36. FORECAST: Runners-up.
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| BAYER LEVERKUSEN (Second) |
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| Leverkusen were last season's nearly men after reaching the
finals of the Champions League and German Cup and losing the championship on the last day to Dortmund.
Coach Klaus Toppmoeller has had to stand by and watch as Michael Ballack, arguably Germany's most gifted player, and
Brazilian Ze Roberto, departed for cash-rich rival Bayern and has not really been able to fill their positions.
The club's big signings include striker Franca from Sao Paulo for 8.5 million euros and defender Juan from Flamengo for
3.5 million euros. The team still has strong players such as World Cup star Bernd Schneider but Leverkusen might find the
going tougher this year. FORECAST: 3rd.
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| BAYERN MUNICH (Third) |
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| Bayern failed to win any silverware last season for the first time since 1995, finishing third in the Bundesliga and losing in the Champions League quarterfinals to eventual winner Real Madrid -- but don't expect that to happen again.
Some top-class purchases over the summer make Bayern clear a favorite for the title, adding to a squad which contains stars such as German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, midfielders Jens Jeremies and Mehmet Scholl and French defender Bixente Lizarazu.
Leverkusen's loss has definitely been Bayern's gain and the arrival of midfielders Michael Ballack and Ze Roberto for six and 9.5 million euros apiece should inject valuable new positional strength and pace into Bayern's game.
The purchase of the gifted but injury-prone midfielder Sebastian Deisler from Hertha Berlin could prove either a
revelation or a sensational disappointment, depending on Deisler's now infamous right knee. FORECAST: Champion.
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| HERTHA BERLIN (Fourth) |
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| Hertha's fourth place last season flattered an inconsistent
team and it will be hoping that its Brazilian players Alex Alves and Marcelinho can up their performances in the 2002/03
season.
Hertha welcomes a new trainer in Huub Stevens from Schalke. It is unlikely to miss Sebastian Deisler much as he was out for most of last season with injury and it hopes that the signing of Brazil striker Luizao will add to its goals tally.
Stadium renovation could prove a distraction but the team has existing strengths in midfielder Bart Goor and German
defender Marko Rehmer, if he's fit. FORECAST: 6th.
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| SCHALKE 04 (Fifth) |
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| German Cup holder Schalke 04's new trainer Frank Neubarth
admits that Dortmund and Bayern have the best squads but warned that Schalke can still make an impact.
"We also plan to push our way up front," said Neubarth.
Among its big signings were goalkeeper Frank Rost from Werder Bremen and Copenhagen's Christian Poulsen. Schalke will probably be without influential Belgian midfielder Marc Wilmots for their opening match against Wolfsburg as he is still recovering from a knee operation.
German midfielder Joerg Boehme, Belgian striker Emile Mpenza and his strike partner Ebbe Sand of Denmark should be its key players. FORECAST: 4th.
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| WERDER BREMEN (Sixth) |
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| Werder Bremen's two German World Cup star midfielders, Marco
Bode and Torsten Frings have left the side, with the former departing on a free transfer, while the latter has gone to
Dortmund. Goalkeeper Frank Rost has also moved on -- to Schalke.
Trainer Thomas Schaaf has bought in some talent, including striker Angelos Charisteas from Aris Saloniki for three million euros, but he will be hoping that Werder's famous spirit comes to the fore to help the north German club. FORECAST: 8th.
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| KAISERSLAUTERN (Seventh) |
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| It's now four years since Kaiserslautern won the title in a
promotion year but since then it has failed to really shine. This season does not look like breaking that particular mould.
Andreas Brehme has German World Cup star Miroslav Klose leading his attack and has brought in former Arsenal target
Christian Timm from Cologne for one million euros. Nzelo Lembi, who arrives from FC Bruges for three million euros, should
strengthen the defense.
Striker Olaf Marschall has left on a free transfer after a long and illustrious career at the Red Devils. FORECAST: 7th.
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| VfB STUTTGART (Eighth) |
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| Like so many other German clubs, cash-strapped Stuttgart
has no funds for big spending and Felix Magath has been asked to tighten his belt in the coming season.
Playmaker Krasimir Balakov and striker Sean Dundee will be called on to produce the goods but avoiding the drop will be Stuttgart's main priority in the year ahead. FORECAST: 13th.
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| TSV 1860 MUNICH (Ninth) |
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| Another team making savings, trainer Peter Pacult will
complete his first year at the club and will be looking for a UEFA Cup placing, despite the departure of midfielder Daniel
Bierofka to Bayer Leverkusen for four million euros.
Thomas Haessler continues to rule the midfield at "Munich's other club," with the focus likely to fall on strikers Paul Rodrigo and Martin Max. Brazilian striker Costa has joined from Gremio on a free transfer. FORECAST: 9th.
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| VfL WOLFSBURG (10th) |
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| Wolfsburg is an ambitious club and trainer Wolfgang Wolf
has made a few signings during the summer, including defender Kim Madsen from FC Copenhagen on a free transfer, but it will
feel the loss of striker Andrei Juskoviak to Energie Cottbus.
It welcomes back Roy Praeger from Hamburg, who has scored 40 Bundesliga goals in his career and has big hopes for its
youngsters, including midfielder Tobias Rau and Sven Mueller. FORECAST: 5th.
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| HAMBURG SV (11th) |
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| Once-mighty Hamburg has slipped gradually down the table
and Kurt Jara is called upon to restore order to the club and stop the rot.
The big summer signing is Argentine midfielder Cristian Ledesma from River Plate for four million euros. Jara has sold Stig Toefting to Bolton and Tony Yeboah to focus on younger players such as Stephan Kling.
"Joerg Albertz in top form can add a lot to our game," said the coach. FORECAST: 10th.
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| BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH (12th) |
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| Moenchengladbach trainer Hans Mayer has no illusions about
the size of the task facing his team in the coming season.
"This season will be no stroll. Our goal is not the UEFA Cup, it's avoiding relegation," Mayer said.
The former European giants' main signing this season is Jeff Strasser from Kaiserslautern. FORECAST: 15th.
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| ENERGIE COTTBUS (13th) |
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| Cottbus's ability to avoid relegation with limited resources, its admirable scouting network in central Europe and its strong team spirit always makes it difficult to assess ahead of time.
Striker Andrzei Juskoviak's arrival from Wolfsburg is a boost, while the midfield pairing of Zsolt Low and Robert Vagner from Ujpest Budapest will give Cottbus more depth.
It joins a strong central European contingent at Cottbus, including talismanic Hungarian midfielder Vasile Miriuta. FORECAST: 11th.
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| HANSA ROSTOCK (14th) |
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| Some commentators say Rostock is the invisible team of the
Bundesliga and trainer Armin Veh, who loves attacking football, hopes that a renewed focus on scoring goals will give it a
greater profile.
Three Swedes will form the brunt of the attack, including midfielder Thomas Meggle from FC St. Pauli, and strikers Rade Prica from Helsingborg and Magnus Arvidsson who arrived three years ago. FORECAST: 12th.
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| NUREMBERG (15th) |
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| Trainer Klaus Augenthaler narrowly avoided the drop last season and his team scored only 34 goals, although Augenthaler said he expects the attack to do better this season.
"We've tried to lift the squad on to a higher, broader basis. The error rate is still too high," Augenthaler said.
Among the new talent is defender Michael Kuegler from Borussia Dortmund, while the fans' favorite, 34-year-old
striker Sasa Ciric, remains the key striker. FORECAST: Relegated
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| HANOVER 96 (PROMOTED) |
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| After dominating the second division last season, Hanover
bade farewell to the lower league by crushing SvVgg Greuther Fuerth 5-1 in its last game and returning to the Bundesliga
first division for the first time since 1988-89.
Hanover play a 4-4-3 formation which could prove risky against first division opponent, though its open, exciting
style of play won it many fans and helped it score 88 goals last season. FORECAST: 14th.
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| ARMINIA BIELEFELD (PROMOTED) |
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| Difficult to assess, Bielefeld shows individual flashes of
skill but its team performance failed to convince many commentators.
"We will have to adjust to the style of play in the top flight. We're concentrating on our work in the box," said
trainer Benno Moehlmann. FORECAST: Relegation.
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| VFL BOCHUM (PROMOTED) |
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| Bochum used to be known as the team which always managed to
just avoid relegation, but in recent years it has yo-yoed between the top flight and the second division.
Among its few high profile players are Cameroon defender Raymond Kalla, while former Hertha Berlin and German
international midfielder Dariusz Wosz has played a decisive part in midfield.
Midfielder Dino Toppmoeller, son of Leverkusen's Klaus, has departed for Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer. FORECAST: Relegation.
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