Axel Witsel‘s transfer to Borussia Dortmund is indicative of the gap between the Bundesliga and other leagues in Europe, says Stefan Effenberg.
Witsel joined Dortmund for €20 million from Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian, becoming the second-most expensive player to move to the German league over the summer.
Witsel has never played for a club in Europe’s top five leagues yet is arguably the most high-profile player to join a Bundesliga side this season. According to former Germany international Effenberg, this shows that Germany’s top flight is unable to entice the world’s best players.
“When I look at the Bundesliga transfers, the most notable player, who has come from outside, is Axel Witsel at Dortmund. He is undoubtedly a really good player, but he comes from Tianjin Quanjian in China and has never played in one of Europe’s top leagues,” Effenberg, who won the German top flight three times with Bayern Munich, is quoted by Bulinews.
“If this is one of the most notable new players, then it’s clear: The Bundesliga is currently not attractive for top players.
“And that’s why I’m sure that the gap between the Bundesliga and the Premier League as well as the other top leagues will be much bigger.”
Is the Bundesliga really lagging behind?
Despite Effenberg’s claims about the Bundesliga lagging behind other European leagues, it remains the most highly attended league in world football. The figures for last season are in fact the second-highest in the league’s history.
Yet high attendance does not necessarily translate to high revenue and even though German fans are still turning up in their droves, the Bundesliga has been unable to attract the same level of TV viewers and broadcasting deals that other leagues, especially the Premier League, enjoy.
In terms of transfer business, the subject at the heart of Effenberg’s analysis, the difference in all-time incoming and outgoing record fees is stark. The price paid for Ousmane Dembele, who joined La Liga champions Barcelona from Dortmund for around €130 million, is over three times that which Bayern Munich paid to sign Corentin Tolisso from Lyon, €41m. Both deals took place in the summer of 2017.
This financial gap is not, perhaps, reflected by how competitive they remain in Europe, with Bayern and Dortmund having competed in the 2013 final, which was the last year the eventual winners did not come from Spain. Bayern also made the semi-finals last season.
The 2018/19 Bundesliga begins on Friday 24 August, when reigning champions Bayern take on Hoffenheim.
The post Why Axel Witsel’s Dortmund transfer sums up the Bundesliga’s decline – Stefan Effenberg appeared first on Squawka News.
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