Oliver Kahn has warned Bundesliga clubs that clinging to "tradition" will only see them fall further behind Europe’s elite. The Bayern Munich legend urged German football to follow Real Madrid’s forward-thinking model, stressing that long-term financial planning and strategic investment are key if the league wants to compete with the Premier League’s global power.
Kahn urges Bundesliga to rethink ‘tradition-first’ mindset
German legend Kahn has sounded the alarm over the Bundesliga’s competitive decline, urging clubs to “stop hiding behind tradition” and instead embrace a future-oriented strategy similar to Real Madrid’s. Speaking on , Kahn said the current model risks leaving the Bundesliga “a kind of training league” if major structural changes aren’t made.
The ex-Germany goalkeeper pointed out that while Real Madrid remains a member-owned club, Spanish club's top brass is exploring ways to integrate strategic investors to ensure financial strength without compromising the club’s identity. “For now. And Florentino Perez is currently intensively considering how we can integrate strategic investors into this club," Kahn said. “We always hide behind this tradition, it’s used as an excuse too often. Of course, tradition is important, but it’s also about looking to the future.”
According to Kahn, the Bundesliga’s financial gap with the Premier League and even La Liga is widening every year, driven by limited TV revenue and restrictive investment policies. He warned that German football risks becoming a feeder system for richer leagues if it fails to adapt.
Advertisement‘We have to wake up at some point’ – Kahn on German football
Kahn admitted that heavy Champions League defeats suffered by German clubs should be a “wake-up" call for the entire football system. "I think we can't play tricks on ourselves. Yes, we have to get used to such results in the future if we don't wake up at some point. And if you look at what Real Madrid is doing now, you have to imagine that Real Madrid is an eV (registered association). There is no capital company; it's still a pure club," he said.
"If I look at the Premier League, what's happening there, I might not be able to keep up with Real Madrid at some point. And that's called strategic thinking. Thinking about the future. And we have this tendency here in Germany, that we always hide behind this tradition, and I'll put it a bit bluntly, often. That means that tradition is always used as an excuse. Of course, it's important. It's a value, and the The entire club system in Germany. No one disputes that. Nevertheless, it's also about looking to the future. Ultimately, the most successful football is played where the most financial resources are. That's the way it is. So I have to address how we can ensure the financial resources are available in the future so that German players don't constantly go elsewhere, and the league doesn't gradually degenerate into a kind of training league. Nobody wants that."
He argued that financial sustainability and sporting competitiveness must coexist, and clubs should find creative ways to secure future investment. “Selling the club and its tradition to investors isn’t the point at all,” Kahn explained. “It’s simply about considering what paths we can take to maintain the club’s value and still generate financial resources. That’s the job of a professional football club.”
Kahn’s comments came in the wake of renewed debate about the Bundesliga’s ownership model, following protests against potential external investors in the DFL. His remarks highlight a growing divide between those who wish to protect Germany’s unique 50+1 rule and those who believe change is necessary to survive financially.
Kane and the Premier League comparison
Bayern's superstar striker Harry Kane, who left Tottenham to join Bayern Munich, has also noted differences between the Bundesliga and the Premier League. The England captain described German football as more open but less structured than its English counterpart. “In the Bundesliga, more teams try to play out from the back, more teams press and sometimes even play man against man,” he said. “The spaces are a bit bigger, which we can take advantage of by bringing pace into our game.”
Kane added that the Bundesliga atmosphere was “fantastic” but admitted that the Premier League’s global reach and commercial structure make it the most dominant league in world football. While, Kahn echoed that sentiment, warning that unless German football adopts a more business-savvy mindset, its clubs will struggle to retain top players and talent will continue to flow abroad.
Getty Images SportFrom European glory to chasing the pack
In recent seasons, the Bundesliga’s influence in Europe has dwindled, and over the past decade, only two German clubs have lifted major continental trophies, Bayern's 2020 Champions League triumph and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Europa League win in 2022.
According to UEFA’s five-year ranking, the Bundesliga has slipped to fourth, trailing behind the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga. Financially, the gap is even more alarming, Premier League clubs generated €7.4 billion in revenue last season, compared to the Bundesliga’s €4.8 billion.
The disparity extends to television rights, where the Premier League’s domestic and international deals far outstrip Germany’s. For the 2025-26 season, English clubs will share nearly €2 billion from TV income, while Bundesliga sides will split just €1.12 billion, across both divisions.
Kahn’s warning reflects growing concern that German football is losing both its best players and its global appeal. High-profile exits like Florian Wirtz, Thomas Muller and Kingsley Coman in the summer underscored that trend, while the arrival of only a handful of top names, most notably Luis Diaz from Liverpool, highlighted the league’s struggle to attract elite talent.
The challenge now lies in striking a balance between Germany’s footballing values and the realities of modern economics. Kahn’s comments could reignite debate within club hierarchies, particularly at Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, where calls for reform are growing louder.