Master question: As always? Majority of the clubs back to Bayern

The desire for a changing of the guard is great. The belief in a fall of the permanent champions FC Bayern Munich is kept within even narrower limits after the engagement of star striker Harry Kane.

In a survey by the German Press Agency before the start of the new season, 13 of the 17 competitors in the Bundesliga declared Munich – before their Supercup defeat against RB Leipzig (0: 3) – to be the big favorite. Four clubs did not give a championship tip.

“As the past season showed, Bayern can only stop themselves,” said Freiburg’s sporting director Jochen Saier. Last season, the Munich team had only snatched the title from Borussia Dortmund on the last day of the game and extended the winning streak to eleven championships in a row.

That’s why the industry leader for Max Eberl is “automatically the top favorite in the Bundesliga,” said Leipzig’s sports director. The third in the table had to “reorganize” after a major change in personnel. But it is also clear: “We remain ambitious and hungry.”

Union types differently

While Eberl wants to “reduce the gap to Bayern in the medium term”, Oliver Ruhnert, managing director of 1. FC Union Berlin, does not only think that the Saxons are ready for the title in the 61st season: “To everyone’s surprise” Bayer Leverkusen or RB Leipzig will become Master. Borussia Dortmund could also stop Bayern, “maybe even” Eintracht Frankfurt. For Hoffenheim coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, “a changing of the guard” in the league title race would be good.

“It helps everyone when the fight for the championship is exciting. We all have to try,” said Bayer sporting director Simon Rolfes. “But Bayern don’t make it that easy for you.” Munich would always start the season as the clear favorite, and nothing will change in the next few years. The economic gap is huge and “not so good”. Who else can afford Harry Kane for €100m and South Korean defender Min-Jae Kim for about half that amount?

In view of this new sporting quality in the squad, it has “become even more difficult” to stop FC Bayern Munich, said Frank Schmidt, coach of promoted 1. FC Heidenheim. Since hardly anyone believes that the record champions can be prevented from winning their 34th title, the league rivals hope that there will be no start-finish victory and Bayern going it alone. “I would be happy for the league and all the fans to have another close championship race,” said Augsburg head coach Enrico Maßen.

Munich’s head coach Thomas Tuchel was angry and helpless after the Supercup bankruptcy in view of the disappointing performance, but had previously made a clear declaration of war: “Our goals are very clear. We are playing for the title, we want to be champions. We want to be cup winners . And we want to go far in the Champions League.”