So the 20th match-day of the Bundesliga is over and we know who lost and who won: but do you know who’s new in your favourite team? Ideas, anyone? After all, the winter transfer rounds in January are wreaking absolute havoc with the line-ups, and so it’s not hard to understand why some people are asking questions about whether this additional round of swaps and sales after the summer signing season is a help or a hindrance. I for one am very much of the opinion that it doesn’t help at all, leading to considerable confusion within the teams – well, in teams like Schalke 04 at least.

For the last week of so, fans have been talking more and more about marketing in the Bundesliga. How much commercialisation can the league handle? Does advertising damage the identity of the team? St. Pauli fans say it does, and are making moves against it. They want less marketing and more kicking, so they’re rejecting sponsors offering to pay for a kindergarten at the Millerntor stadium in exchange for, say, advertising announcements during the games or their company name all over the grounds. Nevertheless, at least St. Pauli still has its stadium name to sell.

The Bundesliga is back! After a short winter break, it’s business as usual – and this season, that means chasing Borussia Dortmund, who have built up a solid points lead at the top of the table. Will they be able to translate this into a victory, though, or are Mainz going to surprise everyone and become the national champions? Or will it be Leverkusen that manage to catch up? Or will Bayern München get out of the doldrums and keep the title? At the bottom of the table, meanwhile, will Mönchengladbach be relegated to the second league? And can Bruno Labbadia save Stuttgart? All these questions – and more – will have been answered before the last of the 17 remaining match days this season: by 14th May, we will know all.

That’s it: the first leg of the season is over. 17 match days since August, and that is more than enough to see who the winners and losers are this season. I thought I’d compile a magic 11 to show you who I think has really come off well.

As goalie, I’d take Manuel Neuer from Schalke 04. Despite the fact that his team had some serious starting splutters this season, he is in no way to blame, and showed himself to be Germany’s best goalie in the Champions’ League and international games. Others like Adler, Wiese or Weidenfeller aren’t fit to lick his goalkeeper’s gloves.

There are some games in the Bundesliga that seem to follow all my predictions to the letter. These are the games with nothing unexpected, no surprise goals – and there were enough of them on the 16th match day this season to make me wish I’d gone to the betting shop beforehand!

For a start, the table toppers at Borussia Dortmund won 2:0 against Werder Bremen: no surprises there, then. Then Leverkusen won 4:2 against HSV, a team currently in serious crisis. Meanwhile, last year’s champions Bayern München held the upper hand against St. Pauli, newly promoted up from the second league this year. Oh really? If Germany’s record holders in terms of Bundesliga wins can’t beat newcomers to league, then I’m a monkey’s uncle.

The footballing world spent much of last week on tenterhooks waiting for news about the World Cup hosts for 2018 and 2022, and after the decision was made known, there were plenty of heated discussions: whilst Russia at least has Moscow, St. Petersburg and Lew Jaschin in terms of football culture, Qatar is an empty, baking-hot hole that has not yet earned a place in the football World Atlas. Some jokers came up with the word Qatar-strophe to describe the decisions, while anyone who took a serious look at the proceedings worked out precisely why these two countries won: they offered Fifa the best share of the profits.

For football fans such as myself, the weekend is clearly mapped out. Either you go to the stadium to cheer on your team, or if you can’t make it, you watch the game live on television. If you’re forced to do the latter, you make sure that you watch with fellow supporters of the same club, avoiding rival fans and people who aren’t interested in football and will talk through the game. Essentially, you try to spend the weekend cocooned away from both fans of other faiths and soccer atheists: I manage it quite well, and it’s great!