News about Thomas Reis

Schalke 04 is unquestionably part of not only the furniture, but also the country's upper echelons. The Royal Blues have played in Europe every season from 1991-2002 through 2018-19. In seven of those 16 seasons, and even reached the semi-finals in 2010-11, they reached the Champions League proper, before losing to Manchester United. Bayern Munich has monopoly on the game, winning the Bundesliga for ten years in a row, but Schalke - who sees themselves among Borussia Dortmund's top of the rest' - is often close to challenging the Bavarian giants.

Quite surprisingly, there hasn't been any Bundesliga action since November 13. A combination of the mid-season World Cup and the traditional winter break have boosted German football fans of top-flight action for over two months. Thankfully, it comes back on Friday evening when Bayern Munich, the ultimate leaders after 15 rounds of the season, travels to RB Leipzig, who sits third. After a slew of patient waiting, actors in Qatar, training camps, and January goodies, all else will kick-start their campaigns. Here's a look at what to watch out for as the Bundesliga returns.