It has been a season to forget for Bayern Munich. They ended the season without a major trophy for the first time in 11 years. The inconsistent performances during the campaign resulted in the departure of Thomas Tuchel just over 12 months after replacing Julian Nagelsmann.
Bayern’s Bundesliga campaign was summed up in their last league game against Hoffenheim. They went ahead 2-0 in the first half only to lose the game 4-2. There were moments of brilliance overshadowed by consistently disappointing performances for Die Roten throughout the league campaign. They finished the season third in the league behind Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart.
The Bavarian club’s dominance of 11 years in the Bundesliga was ended by a flawless Bayer Leverkusen side. Xabi Alonso’s team ended the domestic season unbeaten, lifting the league title and DFB Pokal. They came close to going the entire season unbeaten, but Atalanta got the better of them in the Europa League final.
Borussia Dortmund have also endured a torrid Bundesliga campaign, finishing fifth in the league. However, they have managed to reach the Champions League final. While talking to Bild this week, BVB chief Hans-Joachim Watzke insisted that Bayern will find it difficult to dominate the Bundesliga as they did in the past despite having the financial edge over all German clubs.
"Bayern will have a hard time in the next two or three years developing the kind of dominance they had under Pep Guardiola! The top of the Bundesliga has simply gotten better, which can also be seen in the results in Europe. I no longer believe in this extreme dominance, with eleven titles in a row."Hans-Joachim Watzke
The gap between Bayern and other German clubs has been steadily diminishing in the last few years. They would have lost the Bundesliga title last season, but Dortmund failed to win the last game of the season. Dortmund’s loss on the final day ensured Bayern won the title due to a superior goal difference.
Rekordmeister have been involved in tight title races in the last few seasons. They have been on a steady decline, while other top Bundesliga clubs have enjoyed an upward trajectory at the same time. It is a testament to the improvement in the Bundesliga that five league German teams will play in next season's Champions League.
The Bavarian club is planning a squad overhaul this summer to get back to winning ways in the Bundesliga. They have appointed Vincent Kompany as the new coach to implement a dominating and aggressive style of playing style on the pitch. The Belgian coach will be tasked to bring the Bundesliga title back to Allianz Arena.
Bayern are ready to make tough decisions this summer to bring back the hunger in the squad. Watzke is not entirely wrong. Bayern will find it difficult to dominate the Bundesliga in the near future, but they will certainly mount a better title challenge next campaign.