Paris St. Germain has emerged as the deserved champion of this season’s Champions League. Munich witnessed a one-sided soccer festival in which the Bundesliga was merely a spectator. A commentary by Frank Linkesch.
Peaceful, atmospheric, rocking: Munich experienced a summer party on Saturday evening with thrilling PSG football and the highest final victory in the competition’s history. Even before kick-off, Linkin Park warmed up the fans with their new frontwoman Emily Armstrong. You don’t have to like this Americanization, but the performance was still cool.
On the pitch, Paris St. Germain rocked, leaving Inter Milan looking like the Rolling Stones past their prime and with no sense of rhythm. A worthy winner on Europe’s soccer throne, which, as is well known, draws its financial power from Qatar.
With the exception of the venue, the Bundesliga was left playing the role of spectator. A year ago, Willian Pacho was still defending Eintracht Frankfurt, and Max Eberl wanted to lure the outstanding double goalscorer and assist provider Desiré Doué to FC Bayern, but the highly talented player decided to stay in his homeland. Germany’s top league trains players, but it loses exciting players or doesn’t get them in the first place.
Exceptions rather than a trend
Champions League winners from the Bundesliga or finalists like Borussia Dortmund last year are not the trend, they are exceptions. Since their triumph in the coronavirus era in 2020, Bayern have only made it past the quarter-finals once, with their dream of winning the title at home ending against Inter, who had no chance in the final, in the last eight. But was this dream even realistic, considering the squad and injuries? Probably not.
The new format with 36 instead of 32 participants and a league phase that also offered excitement on the eighth and final matchday has proven its worth. It should be remembered that PSG needed an away win at VfB Stuttgart (4-1) to avoid early elimination.
Other heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Manchester City also struggled and bowed out unusually early. Hansi Flick’s often spectacular FC Barcelona side came unstuck against Inter. The good news is that the circle of favorites seems to have grown a little, which can only be good for the competition.
And it offers Bayern, Dortmund, Leverkusen, and Frankfurt the chance to send out positive signals in the coming season. Perhaps even with the aforementioned exception on May 30, 2026, in Budapest, the next venue for the final.
Munich, on the other hand, has only just seen the start of a great week of soccer. On Wednesday, the action continues at the same venue with the Nations League semi-final between Germany and Portugal. Then the Bundesliga and German soccer can show that, at least in a country comparison, they are not lagging behind, but can also rock.