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The German Bundesliga is one of the most-watched football leagues in Europe. That is evident from the fact that over 43,000 fans on average graced Bundesliga games (before the COVID-19 outbreak) during the 2019-20 edition of the competition.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga's two biggest clubs, had average attendance figures of 81,000 and 75,000 last season. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the two clubs have won the last 11 Bundesliga titles between them (Bayern - 9, Dortmund - 2) and also have the two highest average player salaries in the league.
In fact, Bayern Munich's average player salary of $8.12 million (€6.86 million), the highest in the Bundesliga, was surpassed by only Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Paris St. Germain and Manchester City in Europe's top five leagues last season.
Ten highest-paid players in the Bundesliga:
Bayern Munich players feature prominently in the list of the Bundesliga's most well-paid players. On that note, let us have a look at the German top-flight's ten highest earners in terms of weekly wages.
# 10: Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich) - €153,400 per week
After arriving from Juventus on loan in the summer of 2015, Kingsley Coman spent two seasons at Bayern Munich before the Bavarian giants made his deal permanent.
The 24-year-old French winger has been an integral part of Bayern Munich's success over the years. He notably scored the lone goal in the Champions League final against Paris St. Germain that delivered Bayern Munich's sixth title in the continental competition and confirmed their second 'treble' in seven years.
After making his professional debut against the French champions, life indeed came a full circle for Coman when he scored the winner against his boyhood club.
Coman is renowned for his dribbling ability and explosive pace. The winger is adept in playing in a variety of attacking roles but prefers to operate down the left wing, which allows him to cut onto his stronger right foot.
The 24-year-old Frenchman, who has a market value of €20 million, earns around €153,400 a week with the German champions and is contracted with the club till 2023.
# 9: Axel Witsel (Borussia Dortmund) - €155,000 per week
Borussia Dortmund's defensive midfielder Axel Witsel is Borussia Dortmund's fourth-highest paid player in the club and the tenth highest in the Bundesliga.
The 31-year-old Belgian, who earns €155000 a week at Dortmund, scored four goals in 28 games in the German top-flight last season as BVB finished second behind Bayern Munich to qualify for the Champions League.
However, the Belgian was more effective at the other end of the pitch as he made 1.05 tackles and 1.24 interceptions per 90 minutes in last season's Bundesliga.
Witsel is contracted with Dortmund till 2022 after joining the club in the summer of 2018. He has a current market value of €21.5 million.
#8: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund) - €190,000 per week
Mats Hummels, widely regarded as one of the top defenders in the game, returned to Borussia Dortmund after spending three seasons at Bayern Munich.
The no-nonsense centre-back, renowned for his physicality, tackling and aerial prowess, played all but three of Dortmund's Bundesliga games last season as he helped BVB to a creditable second-placed finish.
The 31-year-old Hummels earns €190,000 a week at Dortmund and has a current market value of €24 million.
#7: Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) - €210,000 per week
The injury-prone attacking midfielder, Marco Reus, has been a mainstay for Borussia Dortmund since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2012.
The 31-year-old is known for his versatility and shooting ability, something he has demonstrated in abundance for BVB over the years. Reus has scored 91 goals in 182 Bundesliga games for Borussia Dortmund, an impressive return of a goal every two games by a player who is not an out-an-out striker.
Reus has had a goal contribution of 138 (127 goals and eight assists) in the Bundesliga since 2009, which is the most by any Dortmund player in the competition.
Not surprisingly, the attacking midfielder's weekly earnings of €210,000 per week is the most for a Dortmund player and the sixth-highest in the Bundesliga.
#6: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich) - €229,600 per week
32-year-old Bayern Munich centre-back Jerome Boateng has been a key player for the record Bundesliga champions since joining the club in 2011.
Boateng has an imposing presence in the heart of the Bayern Munich defence. Known for his physical strength, positional awareness and tackling ability, Boateng is one of the best active centre-backs in the game.
The veteran defender has played for Bayern Munich in over 300 games in all competitions. He earns around €209,600 a week with the Bundesliga champions and is currently valued at €12 million.
#5: Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich) - €229,600 per week
Bayern Munich's Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara has played for the club since 2013-14 and has scored 17 goals in exactly 150 Bundesliga games for the Bundesliga champions.
However, the 29-year-old was more effective in the middle-third of the pitch where he had a passing accuracy of 90% and a dribble success rate of 80% after the first half of last season.
Alcantara, like his Bayern Munich compatriot Jerome Boateng, takes home around €259,600 in weekly wages and has a market value of €48 million.
#4: Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich) - €252,000 per week
After arriving at Bayern Munich on a €80 million transfer from Atletico Madrid at the start of last season, Lucas Hernandez featured in 19 Bundesliga games as he helped the Bavarian giants win a record-extending eighth consecutive title in the competition.
The 24-year-old French centre-back, who can also play as a left-back, saw his first season in Germany marred by injuries as he featured in only five games after the Bundesliga restart following the COVID-19 pandemic, starting just one of them.
"I had two big injuries and operations in 2019, but my injuries are nothing in relation to this epidemic. I was starting to get back February, early March," said Hernandez in an interview.
Hernandez earns about €252,000 per week at the Bavarian giants, which is the highest earned by a defender in the Bundesliga.
#3: Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) - €288,960 per week
Thomas Muller had one of his best seasons in a Bayern Munich jersey last season as he racked up an impressive 20 Bundesliga assists to go with his tally of eight goals.
Muller, whose goals have dried up in recent times, scored a rare brace in Bayern Munich's 8-2 thumping of Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals as the Bavarian giants ended the season with their second continental treble.
Since his debut for the club in 2008-09, Muller has played at least 28 Bundesliga games in each of his subsequent 11 seasons with Bayern Munich.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the 30-year-old is one of Bayern Munich and the Bundesliga's most well-paid players as he takes home around €288,960 a week.
#2: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) - €290,080 per week
Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer featured in over 50 games in all competitions in a season for the first time since 2015-16 as Bayern Munich completed their second treble of Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Champions League in their illustrious history.
The 34-year-old was a rock in the last line of the Bayern defence as he played a stellar role in a historic season for the serial Bundesliga winners.
Neuer is the highest-earning goalkeeper in the German top-flight, making around €290,080 a week.
#1: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - €308,000
In a record-breaking season, Robert Lewandowski was in his most prolific form in club football as he smashed 34 goals in the Bundesliga, six in the DFB Pokal and 15 in the Champions League as Bayern Munich won all three competitions.
The 32-year-old Polish marksman opened his campaign by scoring in each of the first 11 Bundesliga games of the season and went on to repeat the feat in the Champions League.
In fact, such was his scoring pace (he had scored 16 goals after 11 games) that he looked on course to break Gerd Muller's long-standing record of 40 goals in a Bundesliga season.
However, that was not to be as a long season finally caught up with the Polish striker, but not before he became the highest-scoring non-German player in the Bundesliga and the first non-German to score more than 31 goals in a season.
Lewandowski has tallied over 40 goals a season in all competitions for the last five seasons, which is why it is not surprising that he is the Bundesliga's highest earner, taking home around €308,000 a week.
