Are Bayern Munich making the Bundesliga boring?

Recently, Arsenal goaltender Bernd Leno stated his belief that Bayern Munich had made the Bundesliga no fun; does he have a point?

The complaint is of course, also a compliment; Bayern Munich, despite the European trophy drought, has won eight straight Bundesliga campaigns. This is not to mention their German Super Cup success over that time as well; they are truly an unstoppable force in German football it is true.

But the question remains, as it does across all sports; is this amount of dominance bad for the game itself? Does it hurt the league when one team dominates so throughly and consistently? They are questions as fair to pose here as in any other league surely; and yet if the answer is yes, what can be done about it?

Bayern Munich: Masters of German football

When one looks at Bayern Munich, it is very much a matter of perspective; in the late 1990’s the New York Yankees were dominating Major League Baseball to a lesser degree surely, but to one hardly less remarkable. They had wonderful talent across the team with a good mixture of solid veterans and young talent. Between 1996 and 2000, four championships were attained; it was certainly not a frustrating time for those Yankee fans in New York.

Around the United States, however, the feeling was much different; the grumblings around the Yankees always featured a discussion of their immense pocketbook; they bought the great old talent and held onto their Derek Jeters and Andy Pettite’s.

In Germany, the same can be said for Die Roten. The team has deeper pockets than any other side in Germany, and they flex these Euros willingly and often. Not only do they keep players from within their system, but they are also willing to try for the likes of LeRoy Sane and Kai Havertz.

Despite these grumblings, it must also be noted that Die Roten has had wonderful managers over this time as well; even those that have not lasted. For at Bayern it is not enough to win merely a Supercup and Domestic Campaign; one must go deep into Europe as well.

In this way it is a bit ironic that Bayern is derided for dominating so thoroughly year in and year out; they seem to regard their domestic challenges as rather a foregone conclusion it seems.

Bernd Leno’s comment also fails to appreciate the skill and ability that teams such as Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Leverkusen and RB Leipzig continue to build in chase of the great Bayern Munich. While they’ve dominated in recent history, they have bred great young competition beneath them; I personally believe Dortmund is right there with consistency, their immense young talent and innovation.

The European Problem

If Bayern has made Germany boring to some, they’ve not had the same luxury in the rest of Europe; the team has not seen victory since Pep Guardiola’s departure. That is why they are constantly switching managers; because Europe alludes them, while Germany bores them.

But this still doesn’t mean that Bayern makes the Bundesliga boring or anything to that effect; their dominance will only make their eventual lul or shock upset that more incredible to witness when it eventually does. But as Bayern has shown this season, they are capable of slumping but are never to be counted out.

While they remain in European competition this year under the barn-burning performance of manager Hansi Flick, their eight straight Bundesliga title should be taken into historical consideration as much from that of the fan.

Bayern Munich: One for the ages

Winning eight straight of most any competitive endeavour is worth taking note of; that these are professional footballers and a string of domestic titles is truly incredible for sure. Intimating that they’ve somehow hurt German football is a bit shortsighted although I appreciate where the sentiment derives from. It is more fun and unknown when a new team can come out of nowhere every year to shock the world.

As wonderful as it is to appreciate those fairytale-like circumstances, it’s equally as important to remember too that those fairy tales happen fairly infrequently. Across American sports as well as the European footballing leagues it happens less frequently in today’s age than in the past to be sure; so why does this rarity still cause such a sensation when it’s invariably not seen?

It is because aside from the diversity of competition, the most romantic of circumstances also bring fans to the edge of their seats. Every sports fan can remember a truly stunning moment where they looked, wide-eyed at their friends in sheer disbelief at what they’ve just witnessed; that is what many people I’m sure, feel about the Bundesliga during the reign of Bayern.

But make no mistake, when it is gone, it will be looked back with equal reverence as those shock champions and moments; it is simply that dominance of this scale often takes distance to appreciate best. Don’t make the mistake of missing it while it’s here though.