Rummenigge, Voller critical of Premier League

Posted Tuesday, May 31, 2016 by foxsportsasia.com

The failure of Premier League clubs to land a number of Bundesliga targets illustrates the superiority of the German top flight, says Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

In a statement that’s sure to inflame existing tensions between the two countries ahead of the European Championship this summer, the FC Bayern München CEO has openly stated that the English top flight lags behind its German and Spanish counterparts.

This follows the inability of certain high-profile Premiership clubs to land the signatures of Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng and David Alaba, all four of whom signed contract extensions with the German champions.

“What we’ve shown with those contract extensions is that the door is closed, no matter who comes,” Rummenigge told Kicker. “All those players are world class and there was a great demand.

“The players feel well here, in the city and in the [Allianz] Arena. We don’t have to discuss that finances also play a role.

“We don’t have to be excessive like it’s the case in England. I don’t believe the English market is very popular with the players.

“It’s no coincidence that the football there lags behind the Spanish or the German.”

His sentiments are backed up by Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s director of sports, Rudi Voller.

The former Germany international and World Cup winner feels that the amount of money spent by the English clubs is disproportionate to the success they enjoy.

“There are clubs in England that spend much more money, but don’t do a lot of things as properly as Bayern,” Voller told Kicker. “That’s the difference.

“Bayern buy the best players, and it fits. You can see they have a plan. With English clubs you sometimes get the impression that’s not case.

“I follow Spanish, Italian and English football, and Premier League is least fun to watch. Maybe the level of excitement is higher because more teams compete for the title than it’s the case in Spain or Germany,” he added.