A Bavarian Podcast Works Bonus: An Interview with Commentator Derek Rae

We know it’s a rough week with the international break depriving us of more wonderful Bayern Munich games. However, I hope this will be able to brighten your spirits.

A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through Twitter, when I saw a tweet from commentator Derek Rae, saying he was about to go on air do a radio interview. I decided to reply and ask for the chance to do an interview, which would be a first for the podcast.

It wasn’t too long before I got my answer:

And so, here we are. After a month of planning and preparation, we are proud to bring you our very first interview:

Hello everyone! This is a special edition of Bavarian Podcast Works, where today, we sit down with soccer broadcaster Derek Rae. You may have heard his voice covering the Bundesliga on FOX Sports, on the NFL for Amazon overseas, or as the voice of the Champions League on the latest installment of the FIFA video game franchise. We talk about the BuLi season so far, and who has surprised him, plus his thoughts on the Thomas Muller situation, Philippe Coutinho’s start, and Niko Kovac’s job as manager. We also discuss the new deal with the Bundesliga and ESPN+, as well as the growth of soccer in America for both men and women.

Here are some time stamps to find your favorite talking points:

1:19 - Thoughts on the Season so far?

3:18 - Who has surprised you this year?

5:06 - Is RB Leipzig legit?

8:14 - Does Thomas Muller deserve a starting spot and will he leave?

12:17 - Are you impressed with Philippe Coutinho?

14:29 - Should Bayern find a replacement for Niko Kovac?

17:50 - How will Bayern fare this season in the BuLi, the Pokal and the Champions League?

20:46 - What is The International Feed?

24:42 - Are you in favor of streaming?

28:40 - Will you go back to ESPN now that they have the rights?

31:38 - Who wins a World Cup next: the United States or England?

32:17 - What was it like covering the Women’s World Cup?

35:30 - What should be done to grow the NWSL?

39:39 - Which young American in the BuLi has the potential to become the next star?

43:32 - Did Pulisic make the wrong move?

49:25 - Will the MLS ever get rid of its “retirement league” image?

53:23 - Will soccer ever be considered one of the four major sports in America?

We hope you enjoy the podcast! You can follow Derek Rae on Twitter @RaeComm, and you can find me on twitter @jeffersonfenner.

We will return this Friday with an episode of Der Ausblick and then the following week we will bring another full episode to you.

Enjoy!