It took sweat, blood and tears to reach the Champions League final. Toni Kroos and Mario Götze were lost along the way. However, all the hard work ensured that their will be one true winner in this season's Champions League: the Bundesliga.
The Premier League's wage bill and foreign TV rights both exceed the Bundesliga by far. Aston Villa and Arsenal combined pay more wages to their players than the two Champions League finalists combined. Individually the fourth placed side of the Premier League pays its players more than the Bundesliga champions and the finalist of three of the past four editions of the Champions League.
A relegation threatened Premier League side earns more than the team which finished second in the Bundesliga after winning it twice and is in the final of the Champions League. As far as foreign revenue is concerned, the Bundesliga barely earns even one tenth of what the Premier League earns. The clubs want to extend their fan base to beyond Germany but not at the cost of their souls.
Both these factors beg two questions: why would players want to feature for clubs which pay them less money and which do not have as much international appeal as other clubs? The answer is perhaps stuck somewhere between tradition and connection. Bayern's main appeal apart from the wages of course is their rich tradition. Any player would want to serve a club which has four European Cups to its name along with countless domestic titles.
As far as Dortmund is concerned, which player, regardless of his form, would not want 80,000 fans supporting him in every match? In the Premier League, players are booed, sometimes by their own fans. In the Bundesliga, players also get booed; however, those incidents are rare. (We should leave Köln out of the equation though as they are in the 2.Bundesliga.)
The Bundesliga is being rewarded for sticking to its principles. Other clubs around the world have chosen to sell to foreign owners for success. The Bundesliga on the other hand has remained true to its clubs’ members, the people who truly love the club. How many teams in the world would have cheered for their coach despite being confined to a humiliating relegation battle? Bremen, champions not too long ago, fighting relegation cheered on Thomas Schaaf despite the poor performances of his team on the pitch.
This togetherness has really kept the league together through the bad times. In 2010, Bayern became only the first German semifinalist in the Champions League since Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2002. The Germans held their patience; when Bayern finally broke the duck, they welcomed the change in air with open arms. Since then, Germany has had at least one representative in the semis of the European Cup.
The finalists have also been German twice in the past three seasons. This season, Germany is guaranteed a winner. In its 50th season, this league could not have received a better award for developing their youth, giving them a chance, sticking to the ‘50+1’ rule, encouraging financial stability and allowing fans from all walks of life to attend games.
Happy 50th Birthday Bundesliga! May Wembley be the most memorable moment of your golden jubilee!
A relegation threatened Premier League side earns more than the team which finished second in the Bundesliga after winning it twice and is in the final of the Champions League. As far as foreign revenue is concerned, the Bundesliga barely earns even one tenth of what the Premier League earns. The clubs want to extend their fan base to beyond Germany but not at the cost of their souls.
Both these factors beg two questions: why would players want to feature for clubs which pay them less money and which do not have as much international appeal as other clubs? The answer is perhaps stuck somewhere between tradition and connection. Bayern's main appeal apart from the wages of course is their rich tradition. Any player would want to serve a club which has four European Cups to its name along with countless domestic titles.
As far as Dortmund is concerned, which player, regardless of his form, would not want 80,000 fans supporting him in every match? In the Premier League, players are booed, sometimes by their own fans. In the Bundesliga, players also get booed; however, those incidents are rare. (We should leave Köln out of the equation though as they are in the 2.Bundesliga.)
The Bundesliga is being rewarded for sticking to its principles. Other clubs around the world have chosen to sell to foreign owners for success. The Bundesliga on the other hand has remained true to its clubs’ members, the people who truly love the club. How many teams in the world would have cheered for their coach despite being confined to a humiliating relegation battle? Bremen, champions not too long ago, fighting relegation cheered on Thomas Schaaf despite the poor performances of his team on the pitch.
This togetherness has really kept the league together through the bad times. In 2010, Bayern became only the first German semifinalist in the Champions League since Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2002. The Germans held their patience; when Bayern finally broke the duck, they welcomed the change in air with open arms. Since then, Germany has had at least one representative in the semis of the European Cup.
The finalists have also been German twice in the past three seasons. This season, Germany is guaranteed a winner. In its 50th season, this league could not have received a better award for developing their youth, giving them a chance, sticking to the ‘50+1’ rule, encouraging financial stability and allowing fans from all walks of life to attend games.
Happy 50th Birthday Bundesliga! May Wembley be the most memorable moment of your golden jubilee!
