opinion
Munich win their tenth title in a row – but saying goodbye to the supposedly boring Bundesliga is not justified. Because the Bavarians are back within reach for the competition and are facing a restless summer of transfers.
In the past ten years, a ritual has become established in the Bundesliga. Every FC Bayern championship was followed by poisoned congratulations as a reflex: Munich had won to death and destroyed the league – nobody wants to see football like that anymore, after all everything was already decided at the beginning of the season.
Considering that the Bundesliga has been declared dead a thousand times, precisely because of the evil Bavarians, it is still quite alive. Sold out stadiums and crowds in a party mood were evidence of this once again this weekend.
Blaming Bayern for their superiority is understandable from the perspective of disappointed fans from Dortmund, Leipzig or Leverkusen; the frustration needs some outlet. But such complaints are not justified in sporting terms. Has Mike Tyson ever been called names for knocking out opponents in a row? Has Usain Bolt been criticized for outrunning everyone else and racking up eight Olympic gold medals?
The team needs a refresher
This tenth title win by FC Bayern, sealed on Saturday evening by a 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, is not suitable for a swan song to the league anyway. Bayern have recently been more vulnerable than ever before – a far cry from the form of the past, when they collected six championship trophies and trophies under Hansi Flick; including the handle pot of the Champions League.
It’s only been two years since that magical season. The Bavarians of 2022, on the other hand, are struggling with very earthly problems. In the DFB-Pokal they lost 0:5 against Mönchengladbach and were eliminated in the second round. In the Champions League it was over in the quarter-finals; the small FC Villarreal from Spain had defeated Munich in their own stadium.
The fact that the core of the team still consists of the super Bavarians from 2020 proves to be more of a burden than an advantage. The team needs a refresher; In addition, some of the old heroes apparently don’t feel like going to Munich anymore. Robert Lewandowski hesitates to sign a contract, it is quite possible that he will move to FC Barcelona. Negotiations with Serge Gnabry are also stalling; He is said to be asking for an extremely high salary – also a way of saying that you’d rather play somewhere else. And then there are still vacancies on the defensive. Central defender Niklas Süle is going to Dortmund, and Corentin Tolisso is also leaving Bayern.
Bayern systematically weaken their opponents
The coming summer will be an eventful one for FC Bayern. Because of the corona pandemic, the club’s treasury is not as full as in previous years, which makes rebuilding more difficult. Just a few months ago, Bayern were flirting with a commitment from Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) to succeed Robert Lewandowski. “An interesting boy” is this Haaland, enthused sports director Hasan Salihamidzic. Oliver Kahn, CEO of FC Bayern, has now had to admit that a Haaland transfer would have a volume that “is very, very far from what we imagine”. Haaland is reportedly about to move to Manchester City and will then be among the top earners in the Premier League.
It is questionable whether Bayern will be internationally competitive next season and play for the Champions League title. Nationally, however, they will dominate again. Two commitments that will strengthen their own squad and at the same time weaken their opponents will probably ensure this: Bayern are rumored to be interested in Konrad Laimer and Christopher Nkunku, both top performers at RB Leipzig.
That would be typical Bayern transfers. In the 1970s and 1980s, Munich stole important players from Gladbach, later they used them in Bremen and Dortmund, and now it’s the up-and-coming Leipzig’s turn. The Saxons recently had to give up their coach Julian Nagelmann, defense chief Dayot Upamecano and midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. Small, nasty transfers. That’s not how you become a master of hearts in Germany. But that hasn’t bothered the people of Munich for a long time.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
