By Oliver Trust

BERLIN, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- As the German Bundesliga prepares to kick off its 62nd season, it has gained ground in the race against international competitors such as the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A, Spain's La Liga, and France's Ligue 1.

Aside from Bundesliga-employed strikers having scored the most goals at the 2024 UEFA Euro (26), a summer of intense international activities is said to increase the German league's appeal on the global stage.

Dortmund CEO and 1997 UEFA Champions League winner Lars Ricken called the German league the "most thrilling competition" in European football ahead of the 2024/25 season opener, which will see 2024 Champions Leverkusen face Moenchengladbach this Friday evening.

With six clubs, including Augsburg, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Bayern, and Stuttgart, touring the US, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan, the upcoming season's open title race is attracting significant attention.

"We have been more active than every other leading league," noted Peter Naubert, Chief Marketing Officer of Bundesliga International, mentioning that over 1,000 activities were conducted abroad.

With five clubs - Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Bayern, Leipzig, and Dortmund - participating in the Champions League, all are expected to play crucial roles in the race for the 2024/25 national title.

For the first time in over a decade, Leverkusen, rather than the 2020 treble winner Bayern, is opening the season with an away game following Bayern's eleven consecutive title wins.

Leverkusen set a record by remaining unbeaten throughout their league games last season. A total of 985 goals scored secured the Bundesliga's position among the leading European leagues.

Series winner Bayern launched a squad overhaul, investing over 100 million euros in players such as Michael Olise (Crystal Palace), Joao Palhinha (Fulham), and Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart), while also appointing 42-year-old Vincent Kompany (Burnley) as the new coach.

Bayern's dominance seems challenged by Leverkusen, with three other clubs joining the title race alongside the Bavarians.

While Leverkusen claimed last season's title, the team, led by Spanish star coach Xabi Alonso, now faces the added challenge of competing in the Champions League. The 2023/24 champions appear well-prepared after securing the 2024 pre-season Super Cup title in a penalty shootout against runner-up Stuttgart.

The Bundesliga field is completed by newcomers such as Holstein Kiel and St. Pauli, while Bayern dreams of reclaiming their dominance following Leverkusen's triumphant march last season.

Like Bayern, Dortmund also made changes by appointing their former midfielder, 35-year-old Nuri Sahin, as coach, alongside new arrivals such as Serhou Guirassy, Waldemar Anton (Stuttgart), and German international Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim).

The announcement by Bayern sporting director Max Eberl of their intent to win back the league title, coupled with Leverkusen's determination to repeat last season's success and Dortmund's talk of their first title in twelve years, seems to promise a campaign with an open end. Enditem

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