CEO Oliver Kahn: FC Bayern open to play-offs in the Bundesliga

In the discussion about the introduction of play-offs in the soccer Bundesliga came a few days after the corresponding advance of the new league boss Donata Hopfenbewegung. In a survey conducted by the trade magazine “Kicker”, industry leader Bayern Munich in particular caused a stir with its willingness to examine the idea. “I find it exciting to think about new models such as play-offs for the Bundesliga,” said Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn: “A mode with semi-finals and finals would mean excitement for the fans. So it makes sense to run through that idea.”

In an interview in the “Bild am Sonntag” last weekend, hops once again presented play-offs as a possible innovation based on the model of several professional leagues in North America. From her point of view, there are “no bans on thinking” and “no sacred cows”, and if play-offs would help the league in terms of competition, “then we’ll talk about play-offs,” said the successor to long-time managing director Christian Seifert at the Top of the German Football League (DFL).

Kahn’s openness to Hopfen’s mind games is at least not a matter of course due to Munich’s leading role in German football. A change in mode would mean that the record champions, who have won the title in succession for the past nine years, would at least no longer be able to achieve future success weeks before the end of the season.

“Must not be forbidden to think”

The declining income of the recent past has also led to more willingness to change at Munich’s top privilege Borussia Dortmund. “It’s well known that I’ve never been a fan of the playoffs. But there must be no ban on thinking, taking into account the overall situation with a view to the game modes,” said BVB managing director and DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke, almost word for word with hops.

Resistance comes from other clubs. “A completely wrong approach,” said Bayer Leverkusen’s managing director Rudi Völler and is in line with representatives of clubs such as Arminia Bielefeld, VfL Bochum, Spielvereinigung Greuther Fürth, Union Berlin and Hertha BSC. The idea of ​​play-offs, said Berlin’s sports director Fredi Bobic, “has always not been pursued for understandable reasons.”

Any changes are only possible in the future anyway. “There are different ideas in the league with regard to the game mode, but they are currently a long way from a decision and even less from being implemented. Such a far-reaching decision must be preceded by an intensive, structured dialogue with the clubs and the relevant league bodies, taking all arguments into account. The DFL will carefully prepare this open-ended discussion process and conduct it with the clubs in the coming months,” the DFL told Kicker.

The fan alliance “Unsere KURK” vehemently opposes the idea of ​​introducing master playoffs in the Bundesliga. “It is significant that a new game format is being discussed instead of tackling the actual problems that lead to a lack of competition at the top,” said a statement on Thursday in response to a dpa request.

“We don’t need new formats and competitions that flush more money into football through even more marketing. We finally need regulations that ensure the integrity of the competition,” explained “Unsere Curve”. This includes a more even distribution of TV money as well as the introduction of national financial fair play, “the urgently needed cap” on salaries in football and the prevention of multiple investments.