In recent years, Oliver Kahn has repeatedly presented himself as a reformer. The former CEO of FC Bayern never tires of pointing out the differences between the European and US sports business – and calls for a rethink.
You have to “consistently think of tradition and further development together. In the USA, sport is consistently thought of as an overall experience – from college sports to the NFL. In Germany we still have a hard time with this. Here, there is often still the belief that sport alone has to speak for itself,” Kahn explained in an interview with “Sports Illustrated”.
Although German football has “a unique fan culture and a strong emotional bond”, people in this country are “too cautious when it comes to further developing the sport: too much fear of criticism, too little courage to stage things. Too much administration, too little vision.”
Of course, it is “a mistake to demand that Germany should simply copy the US system,” said Kahn, but tradition should not “lead to blocking necessary changes.”
His conclusion: “German football doesn’t have to become like US sport. But it has to understand why it is so successful worldwide – and have the courage to draw the right conclusions from it.”
Ex-Bayern boss Kahn calls for “distinctive characters”
Meanwhile, Kahn also recognizes untapped potential in the personal development of footballers in Germany.
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“In the USA, athletes are developed as personalities early on. Self-promotion is part of the system. The athletes have profiles, posture, rough edges. They are not only top performers, but also identification figures. Stories emerge from this – and bonds emerge from stories,” analyzed the 56-year-old.
In contrast, in German football, “individuality is less encouraged; it’s all about avoiding mistakes and control. This makes a lot of things seem professional, but also smoother and more predictable.”
However, without “distinctive characters” emotions would be missing: “Players are projection surfaces. And without them, a sport loses its appeal – especially in a global competition for attention.”
