'Dramatic turn': Bayern chief Dreesen raises the alarm | OneFootball

Strong words from Bayern boss Jan-Christian Dreesen. At the annual general meeting of the German record champions, the CEO sounded the alarm—and gave the Bundesliga a sobering report card.

In the past financial year, FC Bayern generated 103 million euros in media revenue—a figure that seems impressive at first glance, but made the Munich boss sit up and take notice. Because the result is below the level of 2018 and 2021.

“And what hurts the most is the stagnating—or even worse, declining—revenue from international marketing,” Dreesen explained in his speech at Munich’s BMW Park. “In the statistics, we are now lower than we were ten years ago. That cannot satisfy us.”

The CEO backed up his criticism with striking numbers: While the Premier League brought in around two billion euros from international marketing in the 2024/25 season, La Liga reached 835 million euros—while the Bundesliga managed only 174 million.

“We have all now accepted that the English have left us far behind. We won’t catch up with them anymore,” said Dreesen. “But the fact that the Spanish earn more than four times as much abroad cannot satisfy us. We cannot and must not accept this any longer in the future.”

Dreesen calls for reform: “Do more, don’t complain”

Photo: IMAGO/osnapix

Especially alarming: According to Dreesen, the last-placed team in the Premier League—FC Southampton—earned 25 percent more media revenue last season than the German champions. “If even Inter Milan gets more than 40 percent more than FC Bayern, then something is wrong in the system,” emphasized the 57-year-old.

His demand to the DFL is clear: “The Bundesliga needs more visibility.” Instead of complaining about additional matches or new competition formats, these should be seen as opportunities to become internationally competitive again.

Bayern economically strong—league remains the problem

Financially, FC Bayern remains solid despite the criticism: The record champions generated revenue of 978.3 million euros in the 2024/25 financial year, an increase of 27 million compared to the previous year. Earnings before taxes stand at 42.5 million euros, with an annual surplus of 27.1 million.

With total personnel expenses of 408.3 million euros, the club remains on a stable course—but Dreesen’s message is clear: “The Bundesliga cannot afford to sit back. If we continue to stagnate like this, the gap to the top will remain dramatic.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.