Bundesliga falling far behind Premier League, Rummenigge says
Rummenigge lamented how Germany is being beaten by English opposition and is worried that the Bavarians and their domestic rivals will be stripped bare by Chelsea, Manchester United and their Premier League competitors.
"The Bundesliga has to finally act," he told Bild. "The English are overtaking us left, right and center.
"When taking into account transfer market activity, in marketing terms, in TV money – anywhere, really. The Bundesliga has to be careful not to fall further behind, I think.
He added: "Anyone who follows the transfer market at the moment, within which English clubs work, knows their clubs are being fully upgraded. The Bundesliga has to be careful that we're not emptied out."
Rummenigge was speaking at the start of Bayern's trip to China – which sees Pep Guardiola's men play three money-spinning matches in nine days – and he says such pre-season tours are a necessity in the modern footballing climate.
"We have to make these trips for economic reasons," he said. "These are not leisure trips, let's be realistic here.
"It would be possible to go to Austria or Switzerland to prepare, which would be easier on players and coaches, but if eight or nine German clubs do this then the Bundesliga wouldn't be able to continue."
He also downplayed any ill effects the travels could have on Bayern.
"There's no fears that a trip to China affects our preparation, though," he said. "Last year was very different because we only had three and a half weeks of time to work with the players [because of the World Cup].
"This time, many internationals such as Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer are already back in training, along with many others also. This year is much more relaxed."
Bayern kicks off its competitive season with a DFL-Supercup clash against Wolfsburg on August 1, with the Bundesliga getting under way 13 days later.
