The German professional football Bundesliga boasts the highest average number of spectators per game among European football leagues. 41,789 in the 2021-2022 season, higher than 39,989 in the English Premier League (EPL) in the same season.
Domestic fans’ interest in the Bundesliga is so high, but overseas, the Bundesliga is known as a ‘no jam league’. For this reason, the Bundesliga’s overseas broadcasting rights income is lower than that of the EPL and Spain’s La Liga, and recently the income has decreased further.
There are many reasons for this, but the first reason is that there are not many world-class stars. Even ahead of the 2022-2023 season, the Bundesliga sent “scoring machine” Robert Lewandowski (35, Barcelona) and “emerging goalscorer” Elling Hollan (23, Manchester City) to Spanish La Liga and EPL, respectively.
There are reasons more serious than star absences. That’s Bayern Munich’s solo. Bayern Munich won the league championship 10 times in a row from the 2012-2013 season to last season. This is a record that could not be found in the European football big leagues. Although the sports are different, the only comparable teams are the Yomiuri Giants, who won 9 consecutive defeats (1965-1973) in Japanese professional baseball, and the Boston Celtics, who recorded 8 consecutive losses (1959-1966) in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Bayern Munich is a team representing the Bundesliga. So far, in 59 Bundesliga seasons, it has shown an overwhelming appearance, reaching the top 31 times.
However, the dominant analysis is that Bayern Munich’s 10 consecutive league defeats are making the Bundesliga a more boring league. In fact, it has been a long time since the Bundesliga has been dismissed as a league among soccer fans where 18 teams compete each season, but Bayern Munich wins in the end. It is a completely different situation from the EPL, where it is relatively difficult to predict the winning team.
The British football magazine ‘World Soccer’, published in September of last year, also argued that the Bundesliga, which is gradually losing its attractiveness due to Bayern Munich’s dominance, needs reform in an article on the European professional football season.
Among the reforms, the top priority is the ’50+1′ regulation. This requires fans and members to own at least 50% of shares in German professional football clubs. Accordingly, no specific company or individual can own more than 49% of a professional soccer club.
Of course, because of this regulation, fans’ opinions were reflected in the management of the club and the average entry fee in the Bundesliga was kept low. The structure of the Bundesliga, where even football fans who do not have a lot of financial resources can often visit the stadium, also started from here.
Ironically, however, the ’50+1′ rule broke the power balance between Bundesliga clubs. This is because a certain amount of investment from big hands must be made in order for a weak team to grow into a strong team and emerge as a new dark horse in the league championship game. However, this kind of investment doesn’t happen often in the Bundesliga because of the ’50+1′ rule. This is why it is difficult to find a case like Manchester City, which has emerged as the strongest player in the EPL thanks to the power of Middle Eastern capital, in the Bundesliga.
In the midst of this, Bayern Munich, a traditional powerhouse and sponsored by global companies such as Allianz and Audi located in Bavaria, was able to win 10 consecutive victories.
However, as of the 21st (Korean time), the 2022-2023 season Bundesliga, which has finished up to round 21, is fiercely competing at the top. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin all have 43 points. Although Bayern Munich are in first place due to goal difference, it is difficult to predict how the final result will play out. 스포츠토토
It is Dortmund that is mentioned first as a team that can close Bayern Munich’s solo run. Dortmund, who finished second last season, last won the league in the 2011-2012 season. At the time, Dortmund’s baton was held by Jurgen Klopp (56), who is currently manager of Liverpool.
Dortmund’s coach this season is Edin Terjic (41). After serving as a scout, youth team coach and technical director at Dortmund, Terzić is known as a young manager who is good at motivating players. He is pinning high hopes on top scorer Julian Brandt (27) and talented Karim Adeyemi (21).
Union Berlin, from the former East Germany, is a team that joined the Bundesliga after unification. In the early days, it was a difficult time financially, but it is a blast team that was promoted to the first division in 2019. Union Berlin is the sixth team from the former East Germany to advance to the first division of the Bundesliga. The dominant evaluation is that it is still not enough to aim for the league championship, but it is dreaming of a miracle based on the enthusiastic support of the home fans.
Bayern Munich’s nickname has been ‘FC Hollywood’ since the 1990s, when commercial broadcasting, such as satellite TV, opened in Germany. This is because famous soccer stars representing Germany have always been the focus of the media. Another highlight of European football this season is the competition between Bayern Munich, who is seeking an unprecedented 11th consecutive league title, and the team trying to stop it.