Out in the Champions League - and now?

Dangerous days for Bayern

Created: 04/13/2022, 11:00 am

By: Alexander Kaindl

FC Bayern Munich is eliminated again in the Champions League quarter-finals.

What happens now to top performers like Robert Lewandowski?

Difficult times are imminent.

Munich - Treble?

double?

no

It ends up being a single.

FC Bayern Munich * has said goodbye to the Champions League.

The late 1-1 draw against FC Villarreal will have a lasting impact on the immediate future of the record champions.

Not just for the current season, in which only the championship is now possible - and quite likely.

That only shot on goal by Manuel Neuer, that ball that substitute Samuel Chukwueze didn't even hit properly in the 88th minute of April 12, 2022.

He's really flying around Bayern's ears now.

The goal to make it 1-1 hurts brutally, as we know all too well in Munich.

Aus in the quarter-finals of the Champions League * is unusual for FC Bayern, coach Julian Nagelsmann confessed after the game himself: "The semi-finals are always the minimum goal." FCB did not achieve this - neither in the premier class nor in the DFB Cup.

And so Nagelsmann's first season will be an average one.

FC Bayern Munich: Dangerous days after the Champions League end

Difficult days and weeks are now beginning for Bayern.

Another championship trophy - yes, a nice success.

But when it comes to contract extensions with superstars, other arguments really count.

Munich is not one of the top four in Europe, for the second time in a row the CL quarterfinals are over.

The imposed self-image of belonging to the continent's elite is crumbling.

Both athletically and financially.

Because the Chukwueze shot is worth 12.5 million euros.

That's how much a semi-finalist collects in the premier class.

A place in the final will be rewarded with at least 15.5 million euros - funds that Bayern are now missing.

They could certainly have used one or the other note for the upcoming talks with Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller, Serge Gnabry and Manuel Neuer.

Clubs from England or Spain can better compensate for this lack of income with their sheikh millions or incredible TV money.

And so, of course, they attract the stars from the Bundesliga.

FC Bayern Munich: Lewandowski departure after CL-Aus?

Ultimately, the realization remains: The table seventh from Spain was too strong for the giants from Germany.

And now, at the latest, the players with expiring contracts should think about how they want to shape their personal future.

First and foremost: Robert Lewandowski*.

In Poland it was reported on Monday that the striker would like to join FC Barcelona.

Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn said before the Villarreal game on

: "We're not crazy and are now discussing the change of a player who scores between 30 and 40 goals with us every season." The contract runs until 2023 should be extended.

Kahn called the Polish headline a "nonsense story".

The fact is: Lewandowski has won everything there is to win with Bayern.

All Bundesliga records bear his name.

Isn't a new chapter exciting?

Should Lewandowski actually change, FC Bayern is threatened with a huge upheaval.

The bosses around sports director Hasan Salihamidzic and CEO Kahn now have to have a lot of talks in order to be able to keep their squad as powerful as possible.

Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic has a lot of work to do after being eliminated from the Champions League.

© Moritz Müller / Imago

Lewandowski change?

Hard times are threatening FC Bayern Munich

Externally, FC Bayern is of course still a giant.

The club's appeal has continued to weaken after the recent failure.

Any examples?

Thiago was also sure that he would stay.

But when he was almost 30, he wanted to start a new adventure and moved to Liverpool in 2020.

The situation was similar for David Alaba, who was drawn to Real Madrid - undisputedly one of the biggest football brands in the world.

The most prominent opponent of the royal is now courting Lewandowski.

A transfer to Barcelona is not that far-fetched, the past provides the proof.

And should the Bavarian goal guarantee actually change - what happens afterwards?

What do other short-term top performers think when the best striker in the world is suddenly gone?

Is a Champions League semi-final even possible again?

Or are you content in the long run to “just” become German champion?

Uncomfortable times threaten FC Bayern.