FC Bayern is German champion for the tenth time in a row. And there is little to suggest that that will change in the coming years. The principle of hope remains.
Note: This text was written and published in a similar form in May 2021. The editor stands for the topicality of the content with his name.
At this point, congratulations to FC Bayern Munich on their ninth championship in a row. Yes, you heard that right: FC Bayern celebrates winning the German championship for the tenth time in a row! If that still surprises you, you didn’t hear the shot. Even if the Bundesliga offers another exciting relegation battle this season, the championship question has already been clarified three games before the end. pure boredom. The reasons for this are quickly found.
Weakening of the competition, but also financial dominance
Bayern’s only serious competitor for years, Borussia Dortmund, has weakened too much this season. At the very latest after Borussia’s 4-1 defeat by Leipzig it was clear that BVB would not play a role in the fight for the title. And even those Leipzigers, who sooner or later see themselves as Bayern’s strongest pursuers, had to say goodbye to the title fight after a messed-up first half of the season with only 22 points from 17 games. The weakening of the competition is one thing, the Munich dominance that has grown over the years (also financially) is another.
Sure, the Bundesliga still has its charms. At a time when world clubs are risking secession from their home leagues and chasing big bucks, the importance of stable domestic competition becomes all the more apparent.
But the truth is that there hasn’t been a title fight for years. Only in 2019 was the championship decided on the last matchday. Since 2013, the bowl has always been awarded to the record champions prematurely.
Fans long for times like 2009
It’s what all football fans are longing for: suspense to the end, an open, balanced competition in which at least three or four clubs can seriously play for the title. And that was last the case in 2009, when FC Bayern, VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart became German champions on matchday 34.
Stuttgart’s Mario Gomez (right) and Bayern’s Lucio met on the 34th day of the 2009 season. Both teams could still become champions, in the end VfL Wolfsburg triumphed. (Source: Sport photo Rudel/imago images)
13 years later the reality is very different. Bayern don’t even have to have an outstanding season (with more than 80 points) to win the title. And there is little reason to hope that the Bundesliga title holders will change in the coming years.
Only a look at Italy could nourish the hope that the champions in Germany in 2023 would not be called Bayern Munich. AC Milan is at the top of the table in Serie A this season. Inter Milan won last year, while the long-standing series champions Juventus Turin seem to go away empty-handed again this year – after nine titles in a row. The principle of hope remains.