Bundesliga’s Der Klassiker Live on StarTimes/HS Media Theatre

This Saturday’s Bundesliga El-Clasico between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund – the two superpowers of German football promises to be full of surprises.

Already, StarTimes/HS Media has selected industry topnotch to view the game live at its ultra modern studios in Oregun, Lagos.

Since January 20 the German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A matches and the European qualifiers to the 2018 World Cup have been broadcast live accompanied with quality analysis by knowledgeable Nigerians.
On Saturday, the selected audience, according to Taye Ige, the CEO of HS Media Group, will watch the game live on the biggest screen available and in the very cosy ambience of the newly completed studio no. 2 inside the sprawling HS Media Group headquarters.

Bayern have won more honours but few sides in Europe can match their rivals, Dortmund for thrilling, effective football which will make every minute of Saturday’s viewing well spent.
The rivalry between the two Bundesliga giants is something comparable only to that of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Der Klassiker was indeed derived from the Spanish El Classico.

The German rivalry expanded in the 1990s. Since 1994, only four clubs other than Bayern and Dortmund have won the German league with Bayern having won 12 titles and Dortmund five.
The Der Klissiker was superbly heightened between 1994 and 1998 when Dortmund won two Bundesliga titles and the UEFA Champions League at rivals Bayern’s home ground.

Ige stressed that the idea of bringing these shakers and movers in the marketing communications industry to the HotSports theatre is to bring home to them the potential of the Bundesliga to help them reach their various audience in an experiential way and to give them a closer view of what Nigerian fans have experienced in the comfort of their homes over the months.

He said, “First, it is important to give these men and ladies the opportunity to relax but above that, we want them to see what we have been able achieve so far with the highly competitive and extremely entertaining German League. After this they should be able to see the world of football, the excitement it generates and therefore the marketing possibilities from a broader perspective.”

Dortmund are stepping out with their share of internal issues as forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is in trouble with his club after pulling a mask stunt in the Ruhr derby against Schalke.

Aubameyang pulled on a mask after scoring in the 1-1 draw Saturday, as he’s done before with Spiderman and Batman masks, but this time it was the mask he had worn as ‘The Masked Finisher’ for a Nike commercial. And that is where the trouble lies.

Dortmund Chief Executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told Kicker magazine, ‘It can’t be that Nike is trying to push economic interests in this way.’
He added it’s ‘unworthy of a large concern.’

Dortmund uses Nike rival Puma as its official equipment supplier.
On Saturday, Watzke had said that if it turned out to be true that Aubameyang’s action was linked to Nike, it would be ‘possibly a bit more difficult’ for Aubameyang.

Whichever way it turns out, the former African Footballer of the Year will be of keen interest in that game for Nigerian and indeed African fans.