Oliver Kahn, the former German national team goalkeeper and a legendary figure at Bayern Munich, has reignited the debate about the influence of money in international football. Kahn suggested that Chelsea’s victory in the 2012 edition of the Champions League was largely facilitated by financial resources.
According to Kahn, money plays a decisive role in football success. He highlighted the substantial financial investment required for clubs to compete at the highest level, emphasizing that while a club in the Bundesliga might require a budget of 20 to 25 million euros, winning the Champions League could necessitate a budget of around 300 million euros. Kahn implied that Chelsea’s success in the Champions League was largely due to owner Roman Abramovich’s significant financial investment.
However, it’s worth noting that Bayern Munich itself ranks among the wealthiest clubs in the world, according to the annual “Football Money League” report published by Deloitte. Despite Kahn’s criticism of Chelsea’s financial approach, Bayern Munich stands as the third richest club globally, trailing only Barcelona and Real Madrid in terms of financial power.
Kahn’s comments echo sentiments expressed by other figures in the football world, such as Barcelona’s Gerard Piqué, who has criticized excessive spending in football. Piqué previously commented on Real Madrid’s transfer activities and raised concerns about the fairness of certain refereeing decisions in matches involving wealthy clubs.
