You’ve suspected it for months, but after the undignified defeat against RB Leipzig at the latest, it should be clear: FC Bayern Munich didn’t deserve the championship title this season. A comment.
FC Bayern Munich played against RB Leipzig for the first time in the new home jersey, which actually doesn’t look like a Bayern home jersey at all. Lots of white, little red, pretty much anything. The dress could also be from Leipzig – or has Leipzig even played in this outfit before? Anything that didn’t look like Bayern didn’t appear like Bayern either.
The Munich team took a 1-0 lead in the course of a strong initial phase, but then broke apart in a remarkable manner. First came the passivity and then the compensation, followed by the defenselessness and finally the defeat. From the 1-1 onwards, CEO Oliver Kahn “didn’t have the feeling that we still had much to counter.” A worrying observation in such an important game.
With a win against RB Leipzig, Munich could have brought about a preliminary decision in the title fight. They could have put immense pressure on pursuers Borussia Dortmund, who are visiting FC Augsburg on Sunday. If BVB didn’t win, the Munich team would have secured their eleventh championship title in a row. Instead, the team gambled away the good starting position in the table and once again a good starting position in a game itself, even against TSG Hoffenheim and FSV Mainz 05 they dropped points despite being in the lead.
Super-Bayern’s return in the 6-0 win against FC Schalke 04 a week ago was just a brief flare-up against weak opponents. The bankruptcy against Leipzig and above all the way it came about, on the other hand, confirmed the general impression of the past few months. The team doesn’t give the impression that they really want to win the title – and that’s why they didn’t deserve it (whether BVB deserved it is another question).
FC Bayern: Amateur on and off the pitch
After the final whistle, all Munich protagonists correctly emphasized that the defeat was not due to an outstanding performance by Leipzig, but to their own mistakes, which only made everything even sadder. Coach Thomas Tuchel clearly listed the numerous mistakes, but he had no explanations ready. The players lack not so much in basic class as in the will to win and charisma, the feeling for situations and the ability to deal with obstacles. Difficult to grasp characteristics that have often distinguished FC Bayern in the past.
The Leipzig equalizer by Konrad Laimer in the 65th minute is an example of the misery. It was incomprehensible why the team generally acted so passively in this phase of the game. Even more incomprehensible, however, why she suddenly moved up far too bravely from her own corner kick and allowed herself to be countered mercilessly.
As amateurish as the team is on the field this season, the whole club is also off the field. The theater around Manuel Neuer and Toni Tapalovic, Sadio Mané’s physical attack on Leroy Sané and the unworthy treatment of coach Julian Nagelsmann by the bosses were just the most serious incidents.
The change of coach has completely fizzled out, after being eliminated from both cup competitions, the loss of the championship title is now threatened. Kahn and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic are rightly in question – just like every player should be in question. By the way, there was not only a revolt against Leipzig on the pitch. The unworthy appearance of FC Bayern was rounded off by the behavior of thousands of fans who left the stadium long before the final whistle.
