RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sources28 July 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Jan-Christian Dreesen, CEO of FC Bayern Munich, speaks at an event hosted by the Munich Press Club. Photo: Christian Kunz/dpa (Photo by Christian Kunz/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen offered an honest assessment of his clubs wage dynamics, defending massive paychecks for marquee stars while warning against letting intermediate squad contracts spin out of control.
Speaking at a recent Presse Club München event, captured by @iMiaSanMia , Dreesen made his stance clear on their choice of wages. “The stadiums are filled because of real star players—that’s why it’s right to pay them high, or even very high, salaries,” Dreesen stated. “But it’s all about balance. The middle tier of the squad can’t become too bloated. The English clubs are doing a better job than us in that regard.”
Dreesen’s transparent remarks shed light on the structural challenge facing elite sides. While paying premium wages to game-changers who sell out stadiums and generate worldwide revenue is economically justified, inflation within the squad’s middle layer, i.e. paying high, long-term salaries to rotational or system players, can quickly choke a club’s wage bill. Dreesen is signalling a clear financial strategy at Säbener Straße: protecting top-tier capital for game-changers while trimming unnecessary fat across the rest of the roster.
This does not seem to be a very empathetic strategy, how do you determine who is causing the bloating? Is there a clear hierarchy within the squad itself? It does not seem sustainable to have a living hierarchy within the players, but it has been working so far, considering that Bayern Munich is one of the richest clubs in the world.
Do you think European clubs can realistically emulate Premier League wage structures, or will elite talent demands keep pushing middle-tier salaries higher? Let us know in the comments!
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