Will the new mode change the outcome of the competition? Barely. Because there, too, the 16 strongest clubs progress, which is mostly related to financial possibilities. The principle is: The same story with the same ending is just told differently. It would be the same in the Bundesliga.
“But Bayern lost 5-0 in Gladbach in the cup, something like that would be possible with playoffs,” the objection goes. Yes, that happened in a game. In a competition that does not determine participation in the Champions League. How often would Bayern do something like this in the first and second leg or in a series “best of three” happen in the fight for the Champions League places and the championship? The debate follows the false hope of a random number generator that finally spits out the longed-for master other than Bayern Munich. The problem remains unsolved.
Boredom remains the big problem
But the Bundesliga needs a way out of its dilemma with its permanent champion. The title fight is boring, for fans at home and abroad. This boredom stands in the way of the interest of consumers, media and sponsors and thus also of economic growth – a big problem.
Bayern now stand with the positive position on the playoffs as if they advocate their own disadvantage for the good of all. In reality, it is more likely to try to maintain existing revenue streams without having to give anything away.
The call for an abolition of the 50+1 rule to equalize conditions, on the other hand, further suggests to fans that investors are either generally the saviors or are completely excluded in Germany. A look at Hertha BSC, FC Augsburg or Hamburger SV shows that neither is true.
The question now is what the other clubs will do with the playoff proposal in the coming years. Will they be able to withstand the supposedly tangible wins of chance in the playoffs? Will the media and sponsors push them? The league’s problem is well known, but no one is likely to get close to the real cause of the problem.