Stefan Bienkowski
@sbienkowski
UK & COM Area Manager for Transfermarkt. Tend to write about the Bundesliga and Premier League. One half of Gegenpressing Bundesliga podcast.
Two news reports on the same day, which show how broken modern media is. The internet doesn’t work anymore. We’ll all be back using physical media - CDs, books, even newspapers and magazines - within the decade.
Scenes in the village high street when the guy who flies a Scotland flag outside his house every day decided to make a change today…
England fans having a totally normal reaction to last night’s game on Reddit…
I wrote about this back in 2024, in regard to the new UCL format leading clubs like BVB to prioritise qualification each season over anything else. From a financial perspective, winning the Bundesliga just isn't worth the trouble for a club like Dortmund: tinyurl.com/yc5es2wk
On the left is France’s shots against Morocco. On the right is France’s shots against Spain. Notice how France didn’t get a single shot away in the centre of the pitch against Spain. Doesn’t take a genius to know why.
In a similar strategy to their new UK deals, the Bundesliga are foregoing short-term revenue for (hopefully) more overall exposure. I’m not sure how the US market works, but already seeing quite a lot of fans upset at needing another subscription. And bafflement at the niche broadcasters chosen.
RIP to every millennial’s first leading man and perfect role model: - Academic - Hero - Child carer - Environmentalist
For anyone wondering how @transfermarkt.co.uk market values are impacted by player performances at the World Cup, my colleague @blittlemore10.bsky.social was on the BBC a few days ago to explain it all: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
Newcastle's age problem... The squad's average age has consistently been over 26. Which means it has been in the top six oldest in each of the last five Premier League seasons under the Saudi ownership.
Probably not doing the lad any favours with this comparison, but if I had to draw a comparison to Johan Manzambi it would probably be Declan Rice or Jude Bellingham. Obviously not quite as good as either player... yet?
On episode 18 of Market Values: - The all-time most valuable players to swap national teams - Can Mbappe, Haaland or Yamal break the €200m barrier? - A deep dive into Brazil's WC failure - Can Bellingham reclaim the title of most valuable midfielder in the world? youtu.be/GC3jGbLjE3c?...
Off the pitch, Nottingham Forest have been a remarkable success in the Premier League. Oliver Glasner may be the first manager to bring them serious success on it. A look at how the Austrian may fit in at the City Ground: transfermarkt.co.uk/s/d84b
Julian Nagelsmann needs to rediscover his inner dork to get his managerial career back on track
Me waking up every morning to see how much of the World Cup I missed:
Germany are shit. They have been for a while. Maybe that makes Jürgen Klopp the perfect manager for them…
Nagelsmann out, Klopp in - Germany call in the big guns after World Cup failure tinyurl.com/3wemef2f
On the topic of Johan Manzambi and why Dortmund should sign him (probably too late now?) before the rest of European football take notice: youtu.be/Q3HETLUNVpI
The worrying storm clouds on the horizon take the form of a real lack of genuine talent emerging at youth level right now. If you look at Scotland's most highly-rated U21 players, there are 2-3 solid players, but not much else. It's slim pickings.
The overall market value of Scotland's national pool of players has dropped by 21% over the course of the last five years and sits at its lowest point since 2018. You can clearly see where this generation peaked in 2020, and the Scotland NT have been clinging on to them ever since.
Liverpool’s summer transfer business doesn’t make a lot of sense…
Yan Diomande is an immense talent. But is he ready for a move to Liverpool this summer?
Over the course of the 25/26 season, the Premier League gained more market value than the Bundesliga, Serie A and LaLiga combined. The English top-flight's 12% increase over the last year now makes it worth just under €12.5b.