In what can be termed as a competition-killing suggestion, Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has asked for teams to be seeded for the knockout stages of the Champions League rather than have the teams enter a random draw. The current system sees teams who finished first in their group drawn against runners-up from other groups, provided they are not from the same country.
The suggestion comes after the Bundesliga club were minutes away from getting knocked out by last year’s finalists Juventus at the Allianz Arena in Munich. With the tie evenly poised at 2-2 after the first leg in Turin, the Serie A club had taken a two-goal lead in the first half before Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller restored parity in the second half.
Bayern eventually finished the job with two goals in extra time to qualify for the quarter-finals with a 6-4 aggregate scoreline. Goals from Thiago Alcantara and Juve loanee Kingsley Coman sealed The Old Lady’s fate.
Rummenigge has had enough of fate deciding outcomes
Rummenigge was of the opinion that two top clubs should not meet so early in the knockout stages of the tournament. Bayern had topped Group F and finished above Arsenal whereas Juventus finished second in Group D behind Manchester City.
Both Bayern and Juve are the defending champions in the Bundesliga and Serie A respectively and Rummenigge felt ‘fate’ should not be a factor.
“What I don’t like about the Champions League draw for the knockout stages is that it all depends on fate,” Rummenigge told the press. “UEFA should consider an alternative with seeded teams or something similar.”
Rummenigge felt that with so much at stake for top clubs in Europe such as its reputation and revenue, UEFA should adopt a system that is in place in other sports.
“We talk a lot about image, about money, about merits,” he continued. “Somewhere along the line it has to be done. It’s just common practice in tennis or other sports.
“I saw some games in the first knockout stage where I came close to switching off the TV. And now we see a team like Juventus – who made it to the final last season – crash out in the round of 16.
“This is no longer acceptable. I am fed up with how fate plays such a big role,” he concluded.
