The EPL is no model for the Bundesliga

Former Bayern Munich and long-time EPL player Didi Hamann argues that England should follow the model of the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich, not vice versa.

Hamann concentrates particularly on money, which naturally has been a great concern to observers in Germany, as English clubs stand to profit immensely from the EPL’s massive new TV-revenue deal.

In contrast, Hamann believes the EPL is in the midst of a “bubble” that he considers a threat to the stability of the league: “When players make 3 million a year just because they can run straight, it becomes dangerous for the English clubs.” Hamann argues that, while paying skyrocketing fees for international players, English clubs have neglected their own youth; and yet they still are not signing real superstars: despite the wealth of the EPL, out of the top fifty international stars playing Hamann counts only five who play in the EPL (Aguero, Hazard, Silva, Ozil, Sanchez), while the “giants” play elsewhere – for example, at Bayern, which alone boasts Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller – and one could add a few more names to Hamann’s list.

In contrast to the English model, Hamann singles out the sound financial practices of Bayern Munich as a model for the Bundesliga