But then given I support VfB Stuttgart, I will be really lucky if they are on TV. Unless they are playing against Bayern, which is a guarantee.

We all know of Bayern’s prestige (even if they are always the favourites for the Bundesliga title) and I can dare say in terms of German clubs, they are probably the most-recognised here (considering even I admit, English football is still very popular here and I actually first grew up with that). I still remembered back then the ESPN’s Asian feed in its Sportscenter programme ‘analysed’ where it all go wrong for Bayern as they were fourth in the Bundesliga standings during the 2006/07 season.

One of those very rare times Bayern (or even the Bundesliga) takes the spotlight. Unless Bayern are in the Champions League. Or the UEFA Cup as they were in that in the previous season.

I’m sure it’ll be an interesting experience going from reading about the Bundesliga to actually watching it.

What I was referring to – http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jul/29/guardianbookoffootball2

Ah…BILD’s English-language webpage. I avoided the nudity part if I am there. I actually first discovered it in the midst of Euro 2008 when someone on the Euro 2008 Blog posted the link to interesting events happening ahead of the Germany-Turkey clash. Then I was like thinking when I saw that it was all in English – ‘Bild has an English site?’.

Anyhow, I have a good news to report Jan. I was reading the local pay-TV magazine for August today (it actually came in the mail like last week but I only managed to read today given usually I was always like the first in the family to read that) and when I was looking at the highlights for the month, there was something which made me could not believe my eyes initially. Live Bundesliga matches. It said that there will be up to four live matches a week.

It’s very surprising. I was literally shrieking my head off when I first read it and it’s already good enough the neighbours never come knocking on the door asking what is going on. I mean, I don’t remember in the papers I read ever said of having another football league on the TV here (they did announced the return of Serie A which is on free-to-air TV instead of the usual pay-TV like around last December given at one time after the World Cup or something it was yanked off the air after years of broadcast). I seriously don’t know what make the pay-TV provider here decide to add the Bundesliga to the list (there’s even the J-League from Japan since last year and even England’s second division The Championship as well) but at least chances are I will still get to see Klinsmann on the pay-TV here once again. After all I have to admit, if not for him partly during the World Cup in 2006, I won’t be following the Bundesliga ever since.

Whatever I had ’suffered’ from the lack of Bundesliga coverage here since 2006…confined to history. And it’s already sweet enough to know the day when the new season kicks off with Bayern Munich and Hamburg in action (15 August), it’s actually also the day of my birthday.

I once joked to Chris at the Hamburg Offside (this was when he posted Hamburg’s fixtures for the new season) something like the German football bosses could not have chosen a better date to begin the season. I dare say now even with Bundesliga on the TV here for the new season, one of the best ever ‘birthday present’ I received in recent years.