Bundesliga – A League of Few

When many people read this article, they will be wondering what it means. ‘Bundesliga has 18 teams’ is what many chaff. But I say ‘Take a closer look’. The Bundesliga is the 3rd largest football league in the world after La Liga and EPL, based on UEFA’s coefficient. It boasts of the highest attendance per match. Bundesliga was always known to be the most effective, fostering German national team, with most major players having been groomed by the league. It has also been often quoted as one that met its objectives as the league was for Germans, with stringent regulations, encouraging a good play culture than money.

The Bundesliga was founded in 1962 i.e. a total of 51 championships. Bayern Munich, the poster boy of Bundesliga has won 23 times!  It is only one of the 3-4 clubs of Bundesliga which has a following outside Germany. Others are Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart. Bayern has been the most successful out of the lot, followed by Dortmund with 8 wins. Bayern also has numerous UEFA Champions league titles to its credit, with the recent treble of Bundesliga, DFB and Champions League in its pocket. The Bundesliga, like most other leagues has two categories of teams – The Big and the Small. The big ones are well off, raking profits and having their own academies for training players.  Due to regular participation in Champions league, players have gained extensive international exposure to augment their already enviable skill sets.

While most critics were panning EPL and La Liga giants like ManU, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona and others for placing money and stars over quality players, the Bundesliga escaped the limelight, largely due to lack of media exposure beyond Germany. Even as EPL and La Liga are chasing viewers in Asia and Americas, Bundesliga teams are content with status quo. But what really surprises one is how dominant the big ones have become over the years. The Big are becoming bigger, even as most matches have become a farce. Other leagues are highly competitive, with one often witnessing a ManU losing to a smaller side like West Bromich. But this is rarely the case in Bundesliga. Bayern and Dortmund are on a winning spree, each breaking their own records. Critics say lower teams are satisfied with mediocrity. Avoiding relegation is the objective; not winning the Bundesliga.

The Bundesliga has often been appreciated for fulfilling its objectives. Players often value teams more than money; contrary to EPL or La Liga where players shamelessly backstab their clubs for money. But the top 3 – 4 have become very rich due to continuous participation in Champions League. Time for changes in the regulations and structure of Bundesliga?
PS: Detailed analysis and stats to follow soon.