The former chief executive of Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, in a detailed interview for a Spanish sports media showed his attitude regarding the current developments in football, from the Super League, Financial Fair Play, to the departure of Lionel Messi from Barcelona.

“Football has been on the wrong track since 1995, more precisely since the decision for Bosman. At the time, a court ruling allowed players to leave the clubs free of charge after the contract expired. This has led to an artificial increase in figures regarding salaries, commission for managers and transfer fees. UEFA and FIFA will have to re-analyze a market that is getting more and more out of control.”

Rummenigge referred to the transfer fees that were paid in England and by PSG this summer:

“The amounts spent in the last trading session, when the effects of the pandemic continue to be felt, are difficult to understand.”

Rummenigge described as an own goal the fact that Barca were forced to allow Messi to leave because of the Financial Fair Play:

“There was no other alternative. My good friend, Joan Laporta, knows this. Catalonia can not be imagined without Barcelona. It’s impossible.”

The famous Europa League project is kept alive by only three clubs, Barça, Real Madrid and Juventus:

“I find it difficult to imagine a race with only three members. No club in England, France or Germany will be tempted to play with fire again.”

Rummenigge also commented on rumors of Robert Lewandowski’s transfer to Real.

“Florentino Perez knows me well and knows that a player like Lewandowski will not be sold.”

Erling Haaland has been rumored to be Lewandowski’s successor, but for former Bayern executives, buying with the figures required to be imposed is unimaginable.

“The big clubs have lined up to convince the player and his representative. We will be looking at a real auction to see who pays the highest salary because the transfer fee has already been set. Haaland’s next salary cannot be afforded by any Bundesliga club, not even Bayern. I know Watzken and I know he is a person who keeps his word. He said they would not sell it and they did not.”

The situation is similar to that of Franck Ribery in 2008. Real offered 75 million euros for the Frenchman:

“It would have broken all records at that time. We wanted to show the world that Bayern is not a sales association. Contracts are signed to fulfill them.”