German clubs preparing for era of English dominance in European football

[ASFN Admin]

Oliver Kahn is no less terrifying in a business suit than he was in the goalkeeping kit of Bayern Munich. Standing tall at 6ft 2 and with a wing span to match it, the incoming CEO of Germany’s biggest club rarely struggles to get his point across when tasked with answering questions in front of a pack of reporters or the studio lights. When Kahn talks, Bayern fans tend to listen. And in an interview with German broadcaster Sport1 just a few days before the all-English Champions League final, the former shot-stopper laid bare some economic truths about Bayern’s struggles to keep up with the power and dominance of English football. “Whoever will be able to add to it is the English,” muttered Kahn when asked if any of Europe’s top clubs will be immune from the financial impact of the pandemic. “They had €2.7 billion in television revenue. We in the Bundesliga had €1.3 billion. This gap will remain the same for the time being.” Khan quickly corrected course and reassured fans of the Munich side that the club would continue to compete thanks to their “winning culture” but his warning was as true as it was stark. While Manchester City and Chelsea battled it out for Europe’s crown on Saturday night, German football’s biggest clubs were drawing up contingency plans to get through the summer transfer window in one piece. It is a fear of an era of English dominance reflected across Europe. Bayern, to their credit, have tried to compensate for a €100 million deficit by getting their summer business out of the way as quickly as possible. Rather than get dragged into an off-season bidding war with Premier League rivals for defensive target Dayot Upamecano, the Munich side bought out the French talent’s minimum-fee release clause in early February and rushed his agent to their offices to conclude the deal. Such was the speed of Bayern’s movement that sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic confirmed the deal was signed and sealed on live TV before Upamecano’s club, RB Leipzig, even had a chance to find out for themselves. And the Bavarian giants didn’t stop there.

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