Why the Bundesliga deserves more respect

On Saturday, the 27 May this year, Bayern Munich won their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title. Even though many people, (especially those who do not regularly follow the league) will scoff at this news, the domestic consistency displayed by the Bavarian giants is no easy task.

Before this current streak of Bayern dominance which started in 2013, no side had won the German top flight more than three times in a row. That in itself was a quite rare occurrence as well. Prior to this series of league wins, the Reds from Munich were still usually either there or thereabouts by the end of each season. In fact, they only finished outside of the Bundesliga's top three on two occasions between 1995 and today.

Bundesliga clubs' achievements

Eintracht Frankfurt Celebrates Winning The UEFA Europa League Final 2021/22

Along with whatever is aforementioned, the league in particular and German football as a whole are much more than just Bayern Munich alone. The national team has four World Cups and three European Championships to its name. Not to mention that the Bundesliga has produced three different European Cup / UEFA Champions League winners in Hamburger SV (1982-83) and Borussia Dortmund (1996-97) alongside the Bavarians.

Several German clubs have also won lesser continental club trophies such as the old UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup and the 2022 Europa League - the most recent triumph by Eintracht Frankfurt. The Eagles defeated Real Betis, Barcelona and West Ham United in the knockout stages on their way to the final. They were all favored to progress against the then relatively little-known side from the German banking capital, who had finished mid-table in the league that term.

A breeding ground for world-class and positive fan culture

FC Internazionale v Manchester City FC - UEFA Champions League Final 2022/23

The Bundesliga has also produced incredible talent over the years, such as Son Heung-min, Kai Havertz, and İlkay Gündoğan. It also gave Erling Haaland a chance to first prove himself at a major European club in Borussia Dortmund, before his big-money move to Manchester City.

German football has produced immense quality which tends to be sometimes overshadowed by the Premier League or La Liga. Another reason could be the lack of the glamour that the Bundesliga has, as it prohibits oligarchs from owning clubs and as a result of Bayern’s dominance.

Not having oligarchs make decisions for clubs gives German sides the flexibility to be able to charge affordable ticket prices. This cultivates a positive fan culture that is second to none. The atmosphere in the German cathedrals of the beautiful game is the envy of the rest of the continent.

The Bundesliga deserves far more respect than it gets, based on all of these factors. Manchester City have only just won their first UEFA Champions League title, while PSG still waits for its maiden continental crown. This proves that money alone is not (yet) the be-all and end-all in football.