Bundesliga plans end-of-season PLAY-OFFS to end Bayern's dominance

Germany’s Bundesliga faces a major revamp, with plans for end-of-season PLAY-OFFS being drawn up to end the dull dominance of Bayern Munich – and even their CEO Oliver Khan says they may back the idea

  • The DFL are reportedly considering end-of-season play-offs for the Bundesliga 
  • They want to add excitement to the league after Bayern Munich’s dominance 
  • Bayern have won nine consecutive German titles and are set for their tenth 
  • Die Roten’s CEO Oliver Kahn insisted the club was always open to new ideas 

The Bundesliga is reportedly considering the introduction of end-of-season play-offs to end the years of predictability in the title race. 

Bayern Munich have dominated the German top-flight, winning the last nine titles and look set to retain their crown this season. 

Bayern are already topping the table by a comfortable nine points with 13 games left to play and are on track to wrap up a record-extending 10th consecutive title in May.

The Bundesliga is considering the introduction of play-offs to end Bayern Munich’s dominance

But their reign at the top had done little to create excitement in the league – and even Bayern agree. 

The German Football League (DFL) are reportedly exploring the idea of end-of-season play-offs to combat the dull stagnation of the Bundesliga. 

The DFL’s new CEO Donata Hopfen told BILD: ‘There are no taboos for me. If play-offs will help us, then we’ll talk about play-offs.’

Most Bundesliga sides are reportedly against the idea, including Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Berlin, except for a surprising exception.  

Die Rpten have won nine German titles on the bounce and are set for their tenth this term

Bayern’s CEO Oliver Kahn has backed the idea, telling Kicker magazine that the German giants are always open to new ideas. 

‘I find it exciting to think about new models such as play-offs for the Bundesliga,’ he said.

‘A format in the Bundesliga with semi-finals and finals would mean excitement for the fans. 

‘So it makes sense to play through such an idea. We at FC Bayern are always open to new ideas.’ 

Bayern’s CEO Oliver Kahn has backed the idea, insisting the club is open to new ideas

However, former Bayern president Uli Hoeness slammed the idea as ‘ridiculous’ and insisted it was an attack on the cub. 

‘That’s his opinion – it’s not mine. I find that ridiculous,’ Hoeness told Servus TV.

‘In the Bundesliga, whoever is the best after 34 matchdays and who has gone through thick and thin with his team should win the championship. 

‘That’s just a law against Bayern Munich! That has nothing to do with tension.’ 

‘The new managing director of the DFL (Hopfen) thinks day and night about how to break the dominance of FC Bayern,’ he added. 

Bayern’s former president Uli Hoeness slammed the play-off proposals as ‘ridiculous’

‘And that’s when they came up with this idea. There are no play-offs in any major league in the world, not in England, not in Spain, not in Italy, not in France.’  

Other club chiefs have spoken out against the idea to varying degrees, arguing that play-offs are not fair. 

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Kicker magazine: ‘I’ve never been a friend of the playoffs idea, but, given the general situation, there shouldn’t be any ban on thinking about different formats.’

But his Leverkusen counterpart Rudi Völler was more outspoken, saying: ‘A totally wrong approach. I’m completely against it.’ 




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