Why the Bundesliga lags behind Premier League and La Liga

Far more big names have left the Bundesliga this offseason than have come to Germany's top football league. So does the Bundesliga have a problem?

There is no denying that the Bundesliga has experienced a significant loss of talent over the summer. Florian Wirtz has moved from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool; Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller chose to wind down his career at the Vancouver Whitecaps, and Kingsley Coman, who scored the winner in the final the last time Bayern won the Champions League in 2020, has moved on to Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League.

Each move had its own logic: The 22-year-old Wirtz was looking to take the next step in his career, while the now-35-year-old Müller chose Vancouver, a city regularly ranked as one of the best places in the world to live, after sliding down the pecking order at Bayern. Coman, 29, stands to increase his already generous annual income from a reported €17 million ($19.8 million) to around €20 million – net.

However, viewed collectively, these three transfers are symptomatic of an issue for the Bundesliga. In return, only one player with a global profile has moved to Germany from abroad; Colombian forward Luis Diaz, joined Bayern from Liverpool.

'Bayern can get any player it wants'

This came after Bayern had failed in its attempts to lure a number of other stars to Munich, including Wirtz and Spanish youngster Nico Williams, who elected to extend his contract with Athletic Bilbao rather than join the serial German champions. Bayern sporting director Max Eberl bristles at the suggestion that this could more than just a blip.

"Anyone who claims that FC Bayern has lost its international appeal for top stars doesn't know the market," Eberl told the "Sport-Bild" weekly.

"FC Bayern can get any player it wants if it is willing to pay the asking price."

Bundesliga's appeal 'deceptive'

Former Bayern chairman Oliver Kahn, though, is sounding the alarm, saying the Bundesliga has long since lost its prestige and that its supposed appeal is "deceptive."

"The Premier League and La Liga stand out clearly," Kahn told "Kicker" magazine. "Everyone knows the stars and teams."

The fact that Florian Wirtz decided against Bayern and for Liverpool should also give us food for thought, said the former Bayern and Germany goalkeeper.

"This shows that the Premier League has established itself as an exceptional player, not only in sporting terms but also in terms of business. It's the most exciting place to be if you want to compete at the highest level – sportingly, financially, and media-wise."

Thomas Müller is now aiming to lead the Vancouver Whitecaps to a first MLS Cup title Image: Tomaz Jr/Pximages/IMAGO

No major title since 2022

In sporting terms, the Bundesliga has lost ground in Europe. In the past decade, German clubs have only won two major international titles: Bayern Munich won in the Champions League in 2020, and Eintracht Frankfurt the Europa League in 2022.

In the five-year ranking of European football's governing body UEFA, which reflects the performance of club teams, the Bundesliga currently ranks only fourth behind the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga.

Premier League ahead in every category

Financially, things don't look quite as bleak. According to the German Football League (DFL), which operates the Bundesliga, the league generated record revenue of €4.8 billion in the 2023-34 season. This was good enough for second place in Europe – but well behind the Premier League, which generated €7.4 billion.

The Premier League is also in the driver's seat in terms of revenue from television rights. In the 2025-26 season, the division's 20 clubs, will collect around €1.95 billion. In the Bundesliga, the TV revenue totals €1.12 billion and is distributed among the 36 clubs in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.

Kingsley Coman has traded the Bundesliga for the Saudi Pro League Image: Frank Hoermann/Sven Simon/IMAGO

For years, the Bundesliga boasted the highest attendance figures in Europe. But here, too, the Premier League is now in first place. Last season, the average attendance in the English top flight was 40,474, while in the Bundesliga, it was 38,662. Attendance in Bundesliga stadiums is declining overall. The total number of spectators fell from 13.1 million in the 2022-23 season to 12.1 million in 2023-24 and 11.8 million in 2024-25.

Average is not world class

Among the others sounding the alarm is another former national team player, Matthias Sammer, who won Euro 96 with Germany and was named 1996 European Footballer of the Year.

"When I watch German football right now, I ask myself the question: What does German football actually stand for today?" Sammer told "Kicker."

"I can't see it." German football must "again learn not to try to sell average as world class."

Should the Bundesliga fail to heed Sammer's words, even more stars are bound to leave.

This article was originally published in German.

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