Legendary former Bayern Munich and Germany keeper Oliver Kahn is of the old guard; one of the biggest names to ever grace football across any period in its history. So it should come as no surprise that some are shocked to see that Kahn has positioned himself to be in favor of discussing the possibility of establishing a playoff system in the Bundesliga.

According to a report in Bavarian Football Works which cited quotes from national outlet Kicker, the current Bayern CEO is an ‘open advocate’ for the establishment of a playoff system that would decide the Bundesliga winner amidst a period where the DFL is already in open discussions surrounding that very topic.

Such a system already exists in Belgium’s top division, the Jupiler Pro League, where after 34-matches are played from August until April of the following year, the top-four clubs in the table then play each other twice and then the winner of the mini-tournament finally being crowned champion.

For Kahn, the possibility of molding the Bundesliga into a more attractive league looms large regarding his stance on the matter: “Of course, the league would be more attractive if it had more competition at the top. There are no sacred cows for me. If play-offs help us, then we’ll talk about playoffs.”

“I think it’s exciting to think about new models like play-offs for the Bundesliga. After all, a new format is also taking hold in the Champions League from 2024, and we expect a lot from it. A mode in the Bundesliga with semifinals and finals would mean excitement for the fans. So it makes sense to play through such an idea. We at FC Bayern are always open to new ideas.”

When asked about the possibility of the league format changing, the DFL confirmed that the idea was being explored but that the governing body was a long way off from any decisions or implementations: “As is well known, there are various ideas in the league with regard to the playing mode, but they are currently far from a decision and certainly far from implementation. Such a far-reaching decision must be preceded by an intensive and structured dialog with the clubs and the relevant league bodies, taking into account all the arguments. The DFL will carefully prepare this open-ended discussion process and conduct it together with the clubs in the coming months.”

Premier League global dominance could influence change in Europe

The expected growth of the Premier League both at home and abroad paints a picture in financial terms that his home for the other top leagues around Europe and their inability to compete with the top flight of English football as each year passes after the league is expected to eclipse a combined domestic and overseas revenue of £10billion within the next three years.

For the Bundesliga, a league that historically floats as arguably the third-best league on the continent, the reality that they must increase their attractiveness is paramount to their survival on and off the pitch.

Bayern Munich legend Oliver Kahn open to discussions surrounding a possible Bundesliga playoff system

MUNICH, GERMANY – OCTOBER 03: (BILD OUT) . bavaria flag prior to the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena on October 3, 2021 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

At current, the Bundesliga receives only 1/1oth of the overseas TV rights revenue that the Premier League does, and that fact alone shows that the league chiefs and clubs across Germany must champion an approach that can bring in more sponsorship and other revenue streams while remaining competitive when it comes to continuing to secure lucrative TV rights deals.

But the reality is that many neutral football supporters become bored when there is less competitiveness when it comes to title races. While the situation from 2nd to 10th year on year is some of the most hardly-fought ground across any league in the world, the fact that Bayern is on course to secure their tenth consecutive league win is a black mark against the league’s ability to bring in fans that are looking for far more instability from a sporting perspective.