With the World Cup 10 months away, soccer is gaining momentum in Germany, especially the Bundesliga.
As the 43rd season gets set to open Friday, season-ticket sales are soaring, 11 of the league's 18 sides are playing in new or renovated stadiums and record attendance is expected. Signs of excitement are everywhere.
"The World Cup has everyone under its spell," former Germany coach Rudi Voeller said. "No one that has the least bit of interest in football can get free."
The World Cup, which Germany will stage in 12 cities, may have sent a jolt through the league, but it has generated expectations too.
Highly touted youngsters such as 20-year-old forward Lukas Podolski will be scrutinized all season, expected to demonstrate their ability to lead the national team at soccer's premier event.
FC Cologne and Eintracht Frankfurt, promoted this season to the Bundesliga, can't afford a return the second division, not with new World Cup stadiums to pay for.
During this World Cup year, no one is concerned about attendance. Cologne's season-ticket sales have topped 25,000, while Frankfurt stopped selling after 17,000 were purchased.
On the field, defending champion Bayern Munich is the favorite of many to earn an 18th Bundesliga title and sixth in eight years. The team kicks off the season Friday against Moenchengladbach.
"Bayern Munich will be the champions," said coach Felix Magath, whose team is eying loftier goals.
"There are, perhaps, 10 teams that can win the Champions League and we are one of them."
Schalke, runner-up last season, is regarded as Bayern's main rival after again spending heavily to acquire new players, including forward Kevin Kuranyi and defensive midfielder Fabian Ernst.
Schalke beat Bayern twice last season but lost four of its last seven and finished 14 points behind Bayern -- one reason the club won't talk openly about a title this time around.
"After last year's good season, we want to take the next step and become a top team -- both domestically and internationally," Germany midfielder Gerald Asamoah said.
Magath believes his team is stronger with the additions of French defender Valerien Ismael, Iran's Asia player-of-the-year Ali Karimi and Philipp Lahm, the Germany back retuning from loan to Stuttgart.
But Magath expects even a bigger boost from playing in 66,000-seat Allianz Arena, a modern new palace where the World Cup opener will be staged.
"The atmosphere is hard to beat," Magath said. "It will be a real advantage in the Champions League."
The Bundesliga's biggest concern is that fresh revelations from the match-fixing season could taint the season and wash over to the World Cup. Three referees and numerous players are under investigation for helping a Croatian betting ring.
The country's final sprint to the World Cup began at June's Confederations Cup, where one of Germany's youngest teams in history finished third after strong performances against Brazil and Argentina.
Since then the Germans believe its young players could reach the World Cup title match.
More will be demanded of Podolski than anyone else. Despite playing in the second division last season, he was voted Germany's second-best player behind Michael Ballack.
The stocky forward draws 1,500 spectators to FC Cologne's practices, raising expectations by scoring goals everywhere in his brief career.
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