Daily Schmankerl: Former Bayern Munich player James Rodriguez a star in “Miami Nights”?; A rant on idiots; Bayern back in on Marcelo Brozovic?; Inter Milan chasing Filip Kostic; and MORE!

James — allegedly — plays starring role in “Miami Nights” (Daily Mail)

James Rodriguez might not have been at Bayern Munich all that long, but he sure found his way into some trouble.

We saw details from the “Miami Nights” scandal emerge, but it quickly turned into a 80s era midday commercial: “But wait....THERE’S MORE!”

Apparently Rodriguez played a starring role in the hijinks:

Details have emerged of Bayern Munich’s party group — spearheaded by James Rodriguez — that openly defied new manager Niko Kovac in 2018 after he took over at the German giants.

Bild add that on the night itself, Rodriguez’s ‘party beast’ came to the fore, and that the playmaker also filmed the night’s antics and shared them on the ‘Miami Nights’ group.

I gotta say...what a headache that guy was.

Is Bayern in or out on Brozovic? (Sempre Inter)

One day Bayern Munich wants Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, the next they don’t. The latest news, however, says that the Bavarians are at least kicking the tires on the 29-year-old:

Bayern Munich have reportedly joined the list of clubs interested in signing Inter midfielder Brozovic on a free transfer next summer. This according to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, who report that the German giants are considering moving for the 29-year-old when his contract expires should he not agree on an extension with the Nerazzurri.

ICYMI: Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show Season 4 Episode 15 (Bavarian Football Works)

With Bayern Munich on break this week, you’d expect there to be very few topics for a Bayern fan podcast to discuss, but you’d be wrong! Turns out that this club is never truly free from controversy, and we here at BPW are obligated to discuss it.

In this episode, Samrin and Ineednoname discuss:

• How Bayern Munich should deal with its quintet of unvaccinated players, including Joshua Kimmich.
• The consequences of allowing players in the squad to remain without the vaccine, especially in relation to mandatory isolation and the Champions League.
• If Hansi Flick should continue calling up unvaccinated players for Germany.
• Why Bayern having so many unvaccinated stars is terrible PR.
• The squad dynamics surrounding the vaccine decision, and why it’s not exactly easy for Nagelsmann or the Bayern bosses to convince Kimmich and co. to get vaccinated.
• Moving on to Germany — what are Flick’s chances at the World Cup?
• Areas of concern ahead of Qatar 2022.
• Is Jonas Hofmann the answer at right-back for Germany?
• Last topic — Kingsley Coman playing at right wingback for France, and what that could mean for Bayern.
• The Pavard vs Coman debate, started by you know who.
• Wrapping up the pod with some rambling.

Inter chasing Kostic...again (Transfer Market Web)

It seems like Inter Milan is once again looking to bring in Eintracht Frankfurt winger Filip Kostic:

Inter Milan is looking at the market for reinforcements for next year and one of the players that Gusseppe Marota likes the most is undoubtedly Filip Kostic, current Eintratch Frankfurt player. The Serbian is at an impressive level for a couple of seasons and has become one of the best players in the Bundesliga, it is normal that many big clubs ask about him, although it seems that the Germans will not let him out so easily.

According to the Italian media ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’, Inter are looking for long-distance footballers to improve their bands and the one they like the most is Kostic, who can also play on either lane. The Neroazurro team hopes to be able to take out the Serbian winger in exchange for about 10 million euros, although it seems that this figure will not be able to convince Eintracht, who would be demanding a figure between 15 and 20 million euros to let his player go.

A rant on idiots (@cameronsalerno1)

So...I played a multitude of sports growing up, including in college. I have coached a multitude of sports since I was in high school. I have also officiated baseball and basketball at the youth level (long story, but I needed community service hours to graduate high school and stuck with it for a while). And while I have been royally screwed by bad calls in all facets of my life in sports, I always had enough respect for the officials to not cross the line, no matter what...because, you know, it’s dumb to do so.

What you will see below is crossing the line...in a huge way:

First, this moron should go to jail. He took a 50-yard running start, planted a dude who wasn’t looking, and then stood over him like it was something that any 12-year-old couldn’t do from that distance.

Second, there is a freaking epidemic going on that no one will acknowledge or problem solve here in the United States: We don’t have enough officials to grow with the sports. This has become a major issue that is getting worse. But why?

Here is the answer: Most officials have the motivation to want to make an extra buck — and many (not all) genuinely care about the players and whatever sport they are officiating. There is a general “love of the game.” The time commitment vs. the monetary reward, however, is not great.

For the amount of verbal (and sometimes physical) abuse these people take, it is easier to Uber, Lyft, Door Dash, Amazon, Instacart, or whatever as a side hustle. Simply put, why deal with a bunch of entitled idiot players, coaches, and parents when you can pick up someone’s meal and deliver it for just about the same pay in the same amount of time?

If we — as a somewhat evolved society — cannot get to the point where we can watch kids play games without physically or verbally assault an official, we should jump off a cliff.

All of us.

The guy in the video is a dolt and a jackass, but the other parents who saw him waddle-run his butt over and did nothing to prevent it are just cowards, too.

Be better people.

Bayern scoping Alvarez? (Sport1)

Per Sport1, Bayern Munich is among the clubs chasing young Argentine Julian Alvarez. Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur, and Juventus are also allegedly in the mix. Alvarez is a 21-year-old center-forward for River Plate:

He could become the next big Argentine superstar in Europe’s top leagues: Julián Álvarez. The 21-year-old in the service of River Plate has already been associated with various top clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus Turin and should now also be closely monitored by FC Bayern Munich, as Corriere dello Sport reports.

While Juventus Turin is said to have already submitted an offer for the talent from Buenos Aires, the Bundesliga clubs are still reluctant. That could change soon, however, as Álvarez is currently playing big in Argentina.

With 15 goals and six assists from 16 games, the youngster is currently the best scorer in the league and even scored a hat trick within twelve minutes of the league leaders’ 5-0 win against CA Patronato before the international break.

The 1.70-meter-tall center forward is also gaining a foothold in the national team and has made five appearances for Albisceleste since his debut in the summer.

The top clubs in Europe can therefore slowly position themselves in view of his contract, which runs until the end of 2022, to convince Julián Álvarez to move.

With a fixed transfer fee of 20-25 million euros, he should be much cheaper than some other top talent.

ICYMI: Bavarian Podcast Works: Preview Show — Augsburg vs Bayern Munich (Bavarian Football Works)

The international break is finally over, and we are back in Bundesliga business. Bayern Munich face Augsburg this weekend, with many key players coming off of some stellar performances for their countries. Yes, Augsburg haven’t been great so far this season, but they do have the tools to frustrate Bayern, and their compact defensive block could be difficult to break down.

However, with the Bayern boys in free scoring form, here’s hoping that they can bag more goals while keeping a clean sheet against their Bavarian rivals. A tall order, but one that is certainly doable, considering the form and the depth of this squad.

Here are the key points covered in the podcast:

• A recap of the international break and how Bayern players fared
• The form of Bayern and Augsburg heading into the fixture
• Bayern Munich’s injury situation
• Key players and predicted lineups
• A final scoreline prediction