European Paper Review

‘Pedro dazzles on perfect debut’ reported Sport in Catalonia after the Canarian did just that for new club Chelsea at West Bromwich. Everyone at Barça was sad to see him go and wishes him well - but not too well should the clubs meet yet again in the Champions League.

The Catalan papers also reported the news from England that Neymar was ‘open’ to signing for Manchester United. Reported, that is, with little conviction and the weariness of another player who wants an improved contract.

Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A were the last of the major leagues to start. At 2014 champions Atletico Madrid, Felipe Luis told AS “I feel like I never left.” But the Brazilian defender who’d been so consistent in Spain definitely did leave for an underwhelming year with Chelsea. His team Atletico, who’ve spent more than any other in La Liga so far this summer, got off to a winning start with a 1-0 win against promoted Las Palmas.

Villarreal had an unexpected surprise after a plane crash meant their aircraft was diverted and the entire team took taxis for the final 250 kilometres from Jaen to Sevilla for their game at another promoted team, Real Betis.

The Bundesliga started a week earlier and the German press was full of reaction to the opening day of the 53rd season as Bayern Munich beat Hamburg 5-0 in what is slowly becoming a traditional hammering. Die Welt said it had become Bayern’s “duty” to beat HSV, and that even the score line had ceased to surprise. Die Zeit were less impressed, describing Bayern’s play as “gritty, sluggish, no-mans-land football” against “clueless” opposition, and questioned why the DFL wanted to televise such a “boring, miserable” opening fixture to an increasingly global Bundesliga audience.

Bayern’s challengers this season, Wolfsburg, started their campaign with a 2-1 win at home to Frankfurt, whilst Dortmund seemed to put last season’s rollercoaster ride behind them with a “euphoric” (Welt) 4-0 win at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach in new manager Thomas Tuchel’s first league game. “Why focus on quick transitions after regaining possession when you can dominate it with Reus, Mhikitaryan, Kagawa and Aubeameyang?” questioned Kicker, before describing Julian Weigl (19) as “as elegant as Beckenbauer”. Bundesliga newcomers Darmstadt drew 2-2 at home to Hannover and Ingolstadt won 1-0 away at Mainz in a “perfect, highly deserved top flight debut” for the Bavarians (Welt).

SPORTBILD was at the centre of controversy surrounding Kevin De Bruyne on Tuesday after the host of the magazine’s annual awards ceremony asked the young Belgian to swear that he will stay at Wolfsburg. De Bruyne obliged, much to the anger of his agent who told the paper he was furious that his client had been “tricked in a language he doesn’t understand”. BILD reported on Wednesday that Wolfsburg had offered him an improved contract. Wednesday’s SPORTBILD led with an alleged bid of €100m for Thomas Müller from Manchester United, revealing simultaneously that Bastian Schweinsteiger cost United only €9m. In an exclusive interview with broadcaster Sport1, Müller stated that “no person is worth €100m euros, it’s just a business transaction.”

German interest in Schweinsteiger’s progress at Manchester United continued with an exclusive BILD interview on Wednesday. The midfielder is convinced that he can become “stronger and more valuable for Germany by playing for United” since he now has a new challenge: “to help United reach the level of Real, Barcelona and Bayern.”

Schweinsteiger’s former team played a benefit game against third division Dynamo Dresden on Monday night, Kicker reporting on the latest in a series of friendlies the club have played over the last decade to give a financial boost to struggling, traditional sides. Previous beneficiaries include FC Magdeburg, who featured in the latest instalment of Zeit’s “Ostblock” series on Thursday, covering the eight former GDR sides currently in the third division. Marco Bertram, editor of football culture magazine Turus, told the paper that “football is helping east Germans to develop a new self-confidence and regional identity. Kids who used to run around in Bayern Munich shirts are now wearing the blue and white of Magdeburg.”

Over in France, the chaos at Marseille following Marco Bielsa’s exit continued. Les Phocéens followed up last week’s home defeat to Caen with another 1-0 loss away at Reims. L’Équipe said the Marseillais were “not playing their game.” France Football was less polite, attacking a “complete lack of fluidity” and “limited desire up front”.

L’Équipe thought it had discovered Bielsa’s successor when it quoted a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport that former Napoli and Italy manager Roberto Donadoni had met with OM representatives. Whilst OM denied the reports in La Provence, the French-Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports had it correct, announcing on Twitter that former Spain international Míchel would be taking over.