The 2011/12 Bundesliga season was marked by intense competition, dramatic matches, and standout performances from top teams and players. Borussia Dortmund, under the management of Jürgen Klopp, won the title with dominant displays of attacking football. Led by the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Shinji Kagawa, and Mario Götze, Dortmund played thrilling, high-tempo football, often depicted as heavy metal football or the Jurgen press.
A historic season usually provides interesting sets, let’s get into the top 10!
The Topps German Bundesliga 2011-2012 Complete Album
10 – Nils Petersen Rookie Sticker – #311
Nils Petersen is a German striker known for his goal-scoring prowess and physical presence on the field. He is adept at playing as a lone striker or alongside a partner up front. Petersen had intelligent movement off the ball, making well-timed runs into the box to take advantage of scoring opportunities.
He has a strong aerial presence and is proficient at finishing chances with both his feet and head. Petersen was a true poacher and a constant danger in the oppposition box. His best football came with SC Freiburg, scoring over 100 goals over 9 seasons.
During the 2011/12 season, Petersen only managed 2 goals in 9 appearances for a strong Bayern outfit. He had just signed from Energie Cottbus after very impressive goal scoring form. He soon moved on to find first team football, which he eventually found at SC Freiburg.
Fans of the Bundesliga should be on the lookout for this rookie!
9 – Roberto Firmino – #181 – Rookie Sticker from Panini Campeonato Brasileiro 2010
Roberto Firmino is a Brazilian attacking midfielder or forward renowned for his versatility, creativity, and work rate. He excels in various attacking positions, including as a false nine, second striker, or attacking midfielder. Firmino’s playing style is characterised by his exceptional vision, intelligent movement, and ability to link up play between midfield and attack. He possesses excellent dribbling skills, close ball control, and a wide range of passing, allowing him to create scoring opportunities for teammates and score goals himself.
More importantly, Firmino is also known for his defensive contributions, often pressing opponents high up the pitch to win back possession and disrupt opposition buildup. His defensive work was key to Liverpool’s 2019 UCL title and their 2020 EPL title.
During 2011/12, Firmino had a breakout season showcasing his attacking prowess by consistently providing assists and scoring goals. His performances earned him recognition as one of the top young talents in European football.
8 – Toni Kroos – #309 – Rookie Sticker from Topps German Football Bundesliga 2009-2010
Toni Kroos is a German midfielder known for his exceptional technical ability, vision, passing range, and intelligence on the field. Equipped with composure in possession, accurate passing, and ability to dictate the tempo of the game from midfield. Kroos is equally adept at playing short, precise passes to retain possession and long, incisive passes to unlock defences. He possesses excellent spatial awareness, allowing him to find pockets of space to receive the ball and orchestrate attacks.
Kroos will go down as one of the greatest ever deep-lying midfielders from his time at Real Madrid, forming a formidable partnership with Luka Modric, Kroos has won 4 UCL titles! During the 2011/12 season, Kroos played for Bayern Munich and was a key player for the team, contributing significantly to their success in both domestic and European competitions. Kroos showcased his playmaking abilities by providing numerous assists and dictating play from midfield. Unfortunately he, and Bayern finished runners up in both the Bundesliga UEFA Champions League.
7 – Shinji Okazaki Rookie Sticker – #375
Shinji Okazaki is a Japanese forward known for his work rate, intelligent movement, and defensive pressure in the final third. Shinji has the ability to make well-timed runs off the ball, exploiting spaces in the opposition defence. Okazaki is proficient in both scoring goals and creating opportunities for his teammates through his link-up play and awareness in the final third. Okazaki is also known for his defensive contribution, often tracking back to help his team regain possession and press opponents high up the pitch.
He has been a permanent fixture for the Japanese National Team capping 119 times, scoring 50! During the 2011/12 season, Okazaki played for VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. He was a key player for the team, scoring 7 goals throughout the season. Okazaki’s performances helped Stuttgart achieve strong 6th place finish.
Okazaki was part of the famous Leicester City EPL title in the 2015/16 season. For that reason alone, this should be a rookie sticker to look out for!
6 – Marco Reus – 284 – Rookie Sticker from Topps German Football Bundesliga 2009-2010
Marco Reus is a versatile forward known for his exceptional technical ability, dribbling skills, vision, and eye for goal. His playing style is shaped by his agility, quick acceleration, and ability to operate across the attacking midfield positions.
Reus possesses excellent ball control and close control, allowing him to navigate through tight spaces and beat defenders with ease. He is also known for his precise passing and creativity, often providing key assists for his teammates. Additionally, Reus is a clinical finisher with both feet and possesses a powerful shot from long range.
During the 2011/12 season, Marco Reus played for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. It was a breakout season for him as he emerged as one of the most exciting talents in German football. Reus showcased his exceptional skills and goal-scoring ability, finishing the season as one of the league’s top scorers, with 18 goals in the league. His performances were instrumental in Borussia Mönchengladbach’s successful campaign, helping the team secure a top-four finish in the Bundesliga and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Reus’s dynamic displays earned him widespread acclaim and paved the way for his subsequent move to Borussia Dortmund, where he has gone onto become a club legend and captain.
5 – Julian Draxler Rookie Sticker – #351
Julian Draxler is midfielder known for his versatility, technical skill, and tactical intelligence. He posses excellent dribbling ability, close ball control, and vision on the field. Draxler is capable of playing in various midfield roles, including as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder, or winger. Draxler specialises in creating goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates through his precise through balls and well-timed runs into the attacking third.
During the 2011/12 season, Julian Draxler played for Schalke and it was a breakthrough season for him as he established himself as one of the most promising young talents in German football. Draxler’s performances were marked by his maturity beyond his years, showcasing his ability to influence games with his creativity and composure on the ball. He played a key role in Schalke’s midfield, contributing both defensively and offensively to the team’s success.
He would eventually earn a big money move to PSG where unfortunately he became a bench player. He has racked up 58 caps for Germany with 7 goals. He has been one of the players that was on the edge of becoming world-class but didn’t quite get there. Nonetheless, I think this is a nice rookie sticker.
4 – Marc-André ter Stegen Rookie Sticker – #276
Marc-André ter Stegen is a German goalkeeper known for his exceptional shot-stopping ability, quick reflexes, and excellent distribution skills. Ter Stegen has composure under pressure, confidence in commanding his penalty area, and play out of the back with the ball as his feet.
Ter Stegen is proficient at coming off his line to intercept through balls and crosses, often acting as an additional defender for his team. He is also known for his precise long-range passing and ability to initiate attacks from the back, making him a valuable asset in building attacks from deep positions.
During the 2011/12 season, Marc-André ter Stegen played for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. It was a breakout season for him as he established himself as one of the top young goalkeepers in German football. Ter Stegen’s performances were marked by his shot-stopping prowess and commanding presence in goal, earning him plaudits from fans and pundits alike. He played a crucial role in Borussia Mönchengladbach’s success that season, helping the team secure a fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga and qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Ter Stegen’s performances caught the attention of top clubs across Europe, eventually leading to his move to FC Barcelona in 2014, where he continued to excel at the highest level. As of 2024, he is still the Barcelona number 1 and is definitely rookie sticker worth collecting!
3 – Thomas Müller – Rookie Sticker from Panini FC Bayern München 2009-2010
Thomas Müller is a versatile German forward known for his intelligence, tactical awareness, and goal-scoring prowess. Muller has exceptional positional sense, off-the-ball movement, and ability to exploit spaces in the opposition’s defence. Müller is not only a prolific goal scorer but also an excellent provider, often delivering key passes and assists to his teammates. He possesses a unique knack for being at the right place at the right time, making him a constant threat in the final third.
Muller, put simple, is a Bayern legend and icon! At the time of writing, he is in his 16th season for Bayern, helping the team to countless titles! The 2011/12 season was a successful season for him individually and for the team as a whole. Müller continued to showcase his versatility by featuring in various attacking positions, including as a winger, forward, and attacking midfielder. His contribution to Bayern Munich’s attack was invaluable, as he scored crucial goals and provided assists throughout the season.
Although Muller’s rookie sticker is from the Panini FC Bayern München 2009-2010 set, this is his first sticker in a Bundesliga set; that being a set with all the teams in it. This has led some people to believe that this sticker is his rookie sticker, but it’s technically not. That being said, a super sticker on a legend of the game.
2 – Robert Lewandowski – Rookie Sticker from Rookie Sticker from Panini Ekstraklasa 2008-2009 (Polish Set)
Robert Lewandowski is a Polish striker renowned for his clinical finishing, aerial ability, and physical presence. He is a technical, hard working forward, able to operate effectively both as a target man and a poacher. Lewandowski possesses exceptional positioning instincts, often finding space in the box to convert chances with either foot or his head. He is proficient in holding up play and linking up with teammates, contributing to build-up play as well as being a goal-scoring threat. Known for his work rate and determination, Lewandowski is relentless in pressing opponents and winning back possession.
Lewandowski went onto break many Bundesliga records while playing for Bayern, which I am sure most readers are aware of. One of the greatest strikers of his generation, and some argue that he’s the greatest of his generation.
During the 2011/12 season, Lewandowski established himself as one of the top strikers in European football. It as a breakout year for him in his second year ar Dortmund, where he bagged 22 league goals. He showcased his goal-scoring prowess by netting crucial goals for Dortmund in both domestic and European competitions. Lewandowski’s performances played a vital role in helping Borussia Dortmund secure the Bundesliga title that season. For his incredible season, and his reputation in the game, he Robert has landed the number 2 spot!
1 – Son Heung-min Rookie Sticker – #145
Son Heung-min is the best Rookie Sticker in the Topps German Football German Bundesliga 2011-2012 set.
Son Heung-min is a South Korean legendary forward known for his versatility, explosive pace, dribbling skills, and clinical finishing ability on both feet. Son has the ability to play across the forward line, whether as a winger, wide forward, or striker. Son is known for his exceptional acceleration and agility, allowing him to beat defenders with ease and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He possesses excellent close control, which enable him to navigate through tight spaces and evade challenges.
During the 2011/12 season, Son Heung-min played for Hamburger SV. It was a significant season for him as he continued to develop and showcase his potential as a young talent. Son’s performances demonstrated his ability to contribute both as a goal scorer and a creator, providing assists and scoring crucial goals. His explosive pace and dribbling ability made him a constant threat to opposing defences, earning him recognition as one of the most promising young talents in German football. Son’s performances during the 2011/12 season laid the foundation for his subsequent success at clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur, where he further established himself as one of the top forwards in world football.
At the time of writing, Son is the current Tottenham and South Korea captain. He is the talisman of both teams and is a world wide superstar! Currently at the age of 31, he doesn’t look like slowing down and his goal record just keeps getting better.
This is a huge rookie sticker, in the coming years will be one of the more expensive ones to get. He has a huge Korean following, and if you don’t add this sticker to your collection, they will!
Summary
This was an extremely hard set to rank and many great players missed the cut. I found myself with the hard decsion of allowing second year stickers of absolute icons or omit them for rookie stickers good players. I opted for the former and I will accept any debate that may arise from that. A few of the rookies to be omitted include:
- Lars Bender rookie sticker
- Sven Bender rookie sticker
- Matthew Leckie rookie sticker
- Atsuto Uchida rookie sticker
- Olcay Sahan rookie sticker
I think I made the right choice but you can have your say by commenting below or messaging me on my Instagram