Summary: German football correspondent and historian Uli Hesse makes another triumphant return to take a look at the many positive trailing indicators in full bloom for the Bundesliga including its most treasured and trumpeted arrival in the name and figure of Pep Guardiola, who will become manager of Bayern Munich for the 2013-14 campaign. There is much to discuss as we consider the rising tide of German football, its growing reputation and what exactly its ceiling could be given the current state of its revenue model and lagging international TV rights earnings when compared to England, Italy and Spain - if only, briefly - as three clubs find themselves in the Champions League group stage, providing Germany its best chance of a European champion in some time. We examine the emergence of Borussia Dortmund as a case study, how the club views its goals against the European and domestic landscape, how the view is changing and whether this increased profile at Bayern and Dortmund will eventually surrender to forces willing to capitalize upon this popularity in raw earnings or whether the continued model and fan experience can remain in tact. We discuss these factors and circle back to the arrival of Guardiola, the boldness of the challenge and whether the old ghosts that plagued Louis van Gaal and Giovanni Trapattoni might actually catch up with him as well given the larger forces at work inside the Bayern changing room and the board room. Will the old ghosts of FC Hollywood emerge again or could it be a new turning point for the Bavarian giants - appears to be little middle ground with such an appointment. This is a big test for both Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola which shall be quite interesting to observe in the months ahead. We also touch on each of the German teams in the knockout rounds, where they stand in relationship to the trophy and whether Bayern, as usual, sits in pole position to deliver on the double at the very least.
