Bayern Munich are the best football club in the world presently but if the current state of German teams in Europe are taken into account then it can be safely assumed that all is not well in the Bundesliga.
Economically speaking Germany is supposed to be a superpower, especially if the discussion is limited to the European Union. It is deemed to be the only country in the EU which has managed to stave off recession, atleast amongst the countries that matter. But on deeper introspection all of this could be a mere illusion as Germany is ageing and shrinking and will soon be overtaken by France and Britain, in terms of population. It is also primarily a manufacturing based economy whereas the rest of the world seems to be migrating towards services. Immigrants are also not welcome in this part of the world and the localsai??i?? grasp of English leaves a lot to be desired as well. So while Germany might be the strong man of Europe it is certainly not invincible.
A similar story is developing as far as the football is concerned.
Bayern Munich ai??i?? the biggest and best football club in the land, have reached three out of the last four Champions League finals. Bayern won the treble last year and just when it seemed that they could not get any better, they did. This season under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola they have elevated their football to an even higher level and have combined the traditional German efficiency with Iberian panache.
Despite their well documented struggles this season, Borussia Dortmund too have been an unqualified success recently. They have captured the hearts and minds of the football watching world with their fearless approach to the game under the watchful eyes of trainer Jurgen Klopp. Their Westfalenstadion and the Yellow Wall on the south terrace are a source of envy for many an opposition supporter who could only hope for such an atmosphere in their own home games.
But like the economic scenario if one scrapes off the rosy exterior there is a cause for concern for the Bundesliga. While the number of records Bayern have broken this season is well documented what needs to be considered is the ease with which they have won their league titles. Last season they won with 6 matches to spare and this year they have gone one better and won the title with 7 matches remaining. Die Bayern have swatted away traditional rivals like Werder Bremen, Hamburg SV and VfL Wolfsburg by margins of seven goals, five goals and five goals respectively and that too away from home. Even Dortmund were not spared as they were beaten quite comfortably before the onset of the winter break.
And while it would be preposterous to compare this situation to the one in Scotland where the Glasgow Celtics are ruling the roost, one does get the drift.
Der BVB who were so electrifying in their run to the Champions League final last season have also struggled this year. They have already lost seven games in the league this season and their progression in Europe has been far from smooth. They only just managed to get past a very average Zenit Saint Petersburg side in the round of 16 and were soundly beaten by Real Madrid on Wednesday. It will be fascinating to see if Klopp can build another great Dortmund side especially considering that a lot of their current stars are being linked with moves elsewhere. The German knows that he is in a catch 22 situation with Dortmund, where in if he is successful, he risks losing his best players to wealthier opponents.
The two other German representatives in the Champions League ai??i?? Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04 also fared quite poorly when they were pitted against some of the European powerhouses. It is hard to imagine any of these two sides doing an Atletico Madrid and breaking into the European elite any time soon.
The Europa League, which often gives a better indication of the depth of a countries league, paints an even grimmer picture. No German side managed to qualify for the round of 16 in this competition and for those who champion the recent rise of the Bundesliga, this must be a damning statistic.
It is not just the situation at the top of the Bundesliga which is a cause for worry.
Some of the traditional powerhouses like VfB Stuttgart and Hamburg are struggling to avoid relegation. The latter are seven time winners of the Bundesliga and in the late seventies and early eighties were the pre-eminent German team in Europe. But presently they resemble a team which has lost its identity.
While all of this will be forgotten if Bayern manage to lift old ai???Big Earsai??i?? on the 24th of May in Lisbon, a careful analysis needs to be done of the other 17 teams in the division. All those involved with the development of German football need to earn their dough this summer.
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