By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Oliver Kahn has urged the Bundesliga to improve their results in international competitions.
Ahead of the opening games in the Champions League and the Europa League, the former German international said the Bundesliga is in danger of losing contact with the top European leagues like the Spanish Primera Division, the Italian Serie A and the English Premier League.
The Bundesliga is still one of the most prosperous leagues in international football due to its infrastructure and financial reputation but is in danger of mutating into "farm league supplying players to top leagues," the 49-year-old commented.
A league's attractiveness depends on the quality of its performers, Kahn emphasized.
Kahn says Germany is currently obsessed with an "anti-commercialization mood" but should instead "think about options to increase its international reputation and competitiveness."
"Only the 2018 German champion Bayern Munich is currently meeting international standards and is on the same level as the other leading European clubs," Kahn stressed.
According to the legendary goalkeeper, the recent success of Spanish and English clubs is another indication of the growing gap that has developed between the German league and its European rivals, citing the example of Real Madrid that has won the Champions League in the last three years.
He went on to mention Atletico Madrid - twice a Champions League finalist and this year's Europa League winner - and FC Sevilla, who won the Europa League three times in a row from 2014 to 2016.
All five Premier League sides in the 2017/2018 edition of the Champions League reached the knock-out stage.
Looking at the results of the German clubs, "we only see Bayern among the top sides. None of the other German clubs reached the last 16," Kahn commented.
Kahn expects the Italian league to benefit after Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus from Real Madrid.
He demanded that the Bundesliga clubs quickly decide about the future including a necessary reform of the "50 plus one rule" that forces German clubs to keep the majority of shares within the club and excludes investors from taking over the clubs.
His statements are seen as a wake-up call for German club football and a warning shot not to lose touch with the development of modern football.
Improving the quality of the Bundesliga has to be something that Bayern Munich has to address, especially as there is a lack of competitiveness amongst the German clubs. "Bayern Munich can hardly be happy when winning the league championship with a 20-point gap is easier than a stroll in the park," Kahn said.
He also said the Bundesliga is well-advised to take the Europa League seriously. "The Bundesliga must develop the will to win the Europa League shortly. It does not help when it is seen as only a minor event."
