If Leverkusen wins the Bundesliga, it won't be dramatic for Bayern

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, former CEO of Bayern, spoke this Tuesday on the "Tomorrow Business & Style" podcast about the crisis facing the Bavarian giant.

It is worth noting that the Munich giant is at risk of being eliminated by Lazio in the Champions League round of 16 (having lost 0-1 in the first leg in Rome) and, for the first time in 11 years, not winning the German championship (currently trailing 10 points behind the leader Bayer Leverkusen) at the end of the season.

A dark moment that, according to Rummenigge, is due to the "lack of hierarchy" within the Bavarian team.

"I am absolutely in favor of hierarchy. A team with clear hierarchy will always function. In 2020, we had a superior hierarchy: Manuel Neuer in goal, David Alaba in defense, Thiago in midfield, Thomas Muller in the center of the attack, and Robert Lewandowski in the attack. In my opinion, a big mistake was made by abandoning a top hierarchy unnecessarily. I arrived at Bayern when I was 18, and there were Maier, Beckenbauer, and Gerd Muller, the leaders of the field. Everyone was behind them, and it always worked. Whenever we had a functional hierarchy at Bayern, we succeeded," he argued.

The former top executive of the German club also considered that the team lacks a coach who fits better into their style of play, such as Jupp Heynckes or Pep Guardiola.

"It is a fact that we now change coaches very frequently. In the past, we had moments where continuity was better, also because we had coaches who fit better at Bayern, like Jupp and Pep. It's no coincidence that we're still friends because what united us was more than football. I used to have dinner with Pep almost every week, we'd drink a nice bottle of red wine and talk about everything under the sun. We had a fantastic, trusting relationship. We need to find that kind of coach again, which will be difficult," he admitted.

In conclusion, Rummenigge offered high praise for the work being done by Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, also ensuring that if they were to clinch their first-ever German championship, it wouldn't be a disaster for the reigning dominant champions.

"Everyone in Germany is celebrating now because they've been trying [to win the Bundesliga] for 11 years but couldn't succeed. Now Leverkusen will probably win, and they deserve it because they not only have been successful but also played attractive football. If Leverkusen ends up winning the title, I don't think it will be catastrophic for Bayern. We have to accept defeat gracefully and say, 'We won 11 times in a row, but couldn't secure the 12th.' Now we have to work hard and improve to win again in the coming years, so people continue to celebrate, even though they don't have reasons to do so now," he concluded.