Germany

While fans of the European game will rightly be keeping an eye on the nail-biting title races in the top divisions of France and Spain, an exhilarating fight for promotion is coming to a head in Germany's second division.

With Bochum seemingly comfortable in first place on 60 points (first and second secure automatic promotion), the six teams below are dueling it out for second and third-placed finishes. It is incredibly high-stakes as unlike England's Championship, there is only one playoff place up for grabs as opposed to four.

MUNICH — Bayern Munich on Tuesday signed RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann to take over from Hansi Flick next season on a five-year contract, bringing to Munich one of Europe's most sought after young managers.

The 33-year-old took the reins at second-placed RB Leipzig in 2019 and led them to the Champions League semi-finals last year. Flick is leaving Bayern at the end of the season of his own free will despite having a contract until 2023.

MAINZ, Germany — Bayern Munich squandered its first chance to seal the Bundesliga title when it lost 2-1 at Mainz 05 on Saturday and will now have to wait for RB Leipzig's game on Sunday to see whether it has clinched its 31st German league crown.

Jonathan Burkardt stunned the visitors after three minutes, turning at the edge of the box and releasing only for Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer to turn the ball into his own goal.

OH NO, MANUEL NEUER pic.twitter.com/61GbDr7lA7

MANCHESTER, England — The European Super League collapsed on Wednesday as eight of the 12 founding members from England, Italy and Spain abandoned the breakaway project under massive pressure from fans, politicians, soccer officials and even the British royals.

Founder and Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli told Reuters he was reluctantly calling time on the new league after six English clubs withdrew on Tuesday, with Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid following suit and AC Milan indicating they would too.

In the wake of 12 of Europe's major soccer clubs planning an independent Super League we look at a selection of previous sporting breakaways and how they turned out.

A History Of Breakaway Leagues Across Sports

WORLD SERIES CRICKET

Late Australian media mogul Kerry Packer changed the face of world cricket in 1977 when he secretly recruited top players for a series of day-night matches for his Channel Nine Australian TV network.

DORTMUND, Germany - Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland scored twice in four minutes on Sunday, ending his seven-game goal drought in all competitions, to help his team to a 4-1 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga and revive their hopes of a top four finish.

Fifth-placed Dortmund, on 49 points, cut the gap to Eintracht Frankfurt, in fourth, to four with five games left. The top four teams qualify for next season's Champions League.

WOLFSBURG, Germany — Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick said on Saturday he had told the team and club bosses that he wanted to leave the German champions at the end of the season despite his contract running until 2023.

The former Germany assistant coach, who initially took over on an interim basis in November 2019, led the club to a spectacular winning run that earned them six domestic and international titles in the following months, including the Champions League and the club World Cup crown.

Borussia Dortmund’s Edin Terzić and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola promised not to sit on any advantage in Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Signal Iduna Park, but both were alternately guilty of doing just that in a tumultuous match that was ultimately decided by two second-half goals from the Premier League champion-elect. 

But 40 minutes following Jude Bellingham’s marvelous opener for the home side, Borussia Dortmund genuinely believed. 

Not long ago, Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer appeared to be entering the twilight of his career.

After missing nearly all of the 2017-18 season due to a fractured foot, Neuer returned the next season and played the worst football of his career. The German allowed 5.5 more goals than expected, ranking 32nd out of 37 qualified Bundesliga keepers.