Bayern Munich seize Bundesliga title as Borussia Dortmund collapse but major doubts remain
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Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala celebrates scoring the second, winning goal, with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DORTMUND – They may have won a record 11th straight Bundesliga title, but Bayern Munich’s immediate future has been thrown into serious doubt after the shock dismissals of chief executive officer Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
Coach Thomas Tuchel revealed the decision had been pre-meditated, regardless of the result of Saturday’s matches.
The drama continued after the sackings, with Kahn taking to Twitter and complaining he had been banned from the club’s title celebration.
Kahn congratulated the team, but said: “I would love to celebrate with you, but unfortunately I can’t because the club have prohibited me from doing so.”
Pre-match, Dortmund looked set for a memorable championship win, having closed the gap to Bayern from nine points at Christmas to take a two-point lead into the final round.
A veteran of now 12 Bundesliga titles, Bayern captain Thomas Muller piled on the pressure on Friday, unleashing mind games via social media, saying he knew Dortmund’s players would be nervous.
“I think 200,000 to 400,000 fans will be expected at the championship celebration,” Muller wrote, adding “if Dortmund want to win, you have to stand up to (the pressure) as a player”.
The side were 2-0 down after 25 minutes against Mainz, with striker Sebastien Haller having missed a penalty.
While Dortmund fought back to draw 2-2, the point was not enough as Bayern won the title – their 33rd Bundesliga crown – on goal difference.
Bayern and Dortmund finished the season on 71 points, the lowest points total for a winning team in Germany in more than a decade.
Indeed, the failure to capitalise said a lot more about Dortmund’s nerves than it did about Bayern’s quality, with many of their European rivals likely to be less accommodating.
While much of the post-match focus was aimed squarely at Dortmund’s inability to take advantage of a golden opportunity, Tuchel suggested the upcoming celebrations would be muted.
“Instead of celebrating, we now have another issue,” the coach said, in response to the sackings.
Kahn and Salihamidzic were behind the decision to axe coach Julian Nagelsmann and hire Tuchel in March, despite the coach having lost just three of 37 games in all competitions this season.
The two also signed off on the exit of record-breaking forward Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona. Bayern still clearly miss his goals – the Pole bagged 344 goals in 375 games for Bayern.
Lewandowski left Bayern, frustrated at the public courting of then-Dortmund forward Erling Haaland by Salihamidzic, later saying he felt disrespected after his service to the club. Haaland eventually went to Manchester City.
Kingsley Coman put Bayern into the lead, with a superbly curled shot into the top corner.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Money is also a major issue at Bayern. Although they may not splash the transfer cash to the same degree as their English and Spanish counterparts, the side’s wage bill is reportedly higher than City’s, with several older players on long-term deals.
The average age of Bayern’s squad is 26.5, one of the oldest in the Bundesliga and much higher than competitors Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
While Bayern’s domestic supremacy is assured, internal uncertainty and the rise of state-funded super clubs mean the German champions have a cloudy future. AFP
