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Bundesliga Considering HUGE Change To Its Format To End Bayern Munich's Dominance Of German Football

Home> Football

Updated 11:22 15 Feb 2022 GMTPublished 11:19 15 Feb 2022 GMT

Bundesliga Considering HUGE Change To Its Format To End Bayern Munich's Dominance Of German Football

Bayern have won the Bundesliga title for the last nine seasons in a row.

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan

The Bundesliga is reportedly drawing up plans for end-of-season play-offs to revitalise German football after years of Bayern Munich dominance.

Bayern have won the Bundesliga for the last nine seasons in a row and are on course for a record-extending 10th consecutive title this year.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side are currently six points clear of closest rivals Borussia Dortmund with 12 games left to play.

Bayern’s hegemony has prompted the German Football League (DFL) to explore the possibility of end-of-season play-offs to combat the predictability of the Bundesliga.

The DFL's new CEO Donata Hopfen told German publication BILD: “There are no taboos for me. If play-offs will help us, then we'll talk about play-offs.”

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The proposal has received surprising support from Bayern chief executive, former goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

“I find it exciting to think about new models such as play-offs for the Bundesliga,” he told Kicker.

“A format in the Bundesliga with semi-finals and finals would mean excitement for the fans.

“So it makes sense to play through such an idea. We at FC Bayern are always open to new ideas.”

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Bayern are on course to win the German title for the 10th successive season (Image: PA)
Bayern are on course to win the German title for the 10th successive season (Image: PA)

However, former Bayern president Uli Hoeness has slammed the idea.

“That's his opinion - it's not mine. I find that ridiculous,” Hoeness told Servus TV.

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“In the Bundesliga, whoever is the best after 34 match days and who has gone through thick and thin with his team should win the championship.

“That's just a law against Bayern Munich! That has nothing to do with tension.”

He added: “The new managing director of the DFL thinks day and night about how to break the dominance of FC Bayern.

“And that's when they came up with this idea. There are no play-offs in any major league in the world, not in England, not in Spain, not in Italy, not in France.”

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Bayern chief executive Oliver Kahn is open to the idea of play-offs (Image: PA)
Bayern chief executive Oliver Kahn is open to the idea of play-offs (Image: PA)

The majority of Bundesliga clubs are reportedly against the plans, including Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Berlin.

Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke is willing to explore the idea but is reluctant to give it the green light.

“I’ve never been a friend of the play-offs idea, but, given the general situation, there shouldn't be any ban on thinking about different formats,” he told Kicker.

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But his counterpart at Leverkusen, Rudi Voller, has voiced his opposition.

“A totally wrong approach. I'm completely against it,” he said.

Should the Bundesliga implement a play-off format? Let us know your thoughts.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Bundesliga, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Monchengladbach, Werder Bremen, RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg

Rory O'Callaghan
Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

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@rory_ocallaghan

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