Bayern celebrate the championship title – again. Neither Dortmund nor Leipzig could stand up to this season. Will the Bundesliga never be exciting again?
FC Bayern Munich secured their tenth German championship in a row early on with a 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund. 12 points ahead of the second from Dortmund can no longer be caught. The distance to the clubs behind is even larger.
One of the congratulators, DFB director Oliver Bierhoff, said: “The discussions about the lack of excitement in the Bundesliga cannot detract from this great success. Becoming German champion ten times in a row is impressive and shows how well the club has been working for many years .”
Which Bierhoff is certainly right about. But for most football fans, FC Bayern’s successes mean one thing above all: sheer boredom. There is no end in sight to the dominance. Or is it?
Will the Bundesliga never be exciting again?
Yes, nothing will be exciting anymore
The “pro by Robert Hiersemann, Head of Sport
Bayern have not just been stronger than everyone else for years, they are overpowering. They have earned this success over decades. The record champions have the greatest players, the best coach, the highest sponsorship and TV income. Nothing will be exciting anymore. On the contrary: If everything stays the way it is, Bayern will continue to expand its sporting lead. And it’s only going to get a whole lot worse.
Because Dortmund currently has no chance against them and will very likely lose the top striker Erling Haaland in the summer. And if Leipzig has a good season, Bayern simply buys the best players and coaches away from them. Dortmund and Leipzig are the two clubs that are probably best understood as Bayern adversaries – even if that’s complete nonsense. Excitement in the master fight? Under these circumstances, that will no longer exist.
And that’s why now is the time to pull the ripcord. Otherwise Bayern’s supremacy will destroy the Bundesliga. There are various models that could create new tension: Bayern’s departure into a Super League, a Bundesliga play-off mode or a new and fairer distribution key for TV money in German football. Something has to change. And right away.
No, the Lewandowski farewell creates excitement
The contra by Florian Wichert, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Müller and Neuer stay but the most recent Lewandowski statements sound suspiciously like a farewell. At the latest by the end of the contract in 2023, more likely this summer. And that changes everything. Bayern have to compensate for the departure of their best player and top scorer.
Especially since Bayern also had problems with Lewandowski this season. The record champions have given up significantly more points in the league with 18 than, for example, in the Guardiola years. In addition, Bayern made a fool of themselves in the cup and in the Champions League.
What is needed is a strong pursuer – and finally, finally, finally in sight. Leipzig had been unbeaten for 15 games before losing to Union on Saturday, will probably keep their best player in Christopher Nkunku compared to Bayern and Dortmund, stay together overall and Bayern really get going.
Any dominance is over at some point, most recently the former super teams Juventus, Celtic Glasgow and Paris, who did not become champions in 2021 after a long series, were hit. In the next two or three years, Leipzig will be champions – and the excitement will be back.
What do you mean? Who is right?
In “Duel of the Week”, Florian Wichert (Deputy Editor-in-Chief at t-online) and Robert Hiersemann (Head of Soccer and Sport) comment on current soccer topics on a weekly basis. Watch the format in the video above or from 10.30 p.m. on free TV as part of “Bundesliga Analysis” on Sport 1.