Mario Gomez is discussing the title race in the German Bundesliga, considering whether last season’s shock win by Bayer Leverkusen should provide inspiration to Bayern Munich’s rivals. Gomez, a former Germany international striker who won the Bundesliga three times — twice with Bayern and once with Stuttgart — is now the technical director of Red Bull Soccer, the group that controls RB Leipzig (Germany), Red Bull Salzburg (Austria), New York Red Bulls (United States), Red Bull Bragantino and Red Bull Brasil (both Brazil). Red Bull has also recently taken a minority stake in Championship side Leeds United , becoming the club’s shirt sponsor and, Gomez says, sharing information and knowledge about how to develop the club.
Advertisement In Germany, where Gomez is based, Bayern Munich had won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles until Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen disrupted matters so dramatically last season , finishing 18 points clear of Bayern, who slumped to third, a point even behind Stuttgart. Leipzig came fourth. The previous year, Bayern required goal difference to win the title ahead of Borussia Dortmund .
So, are we entering a new era of genuine competition in the Bundesliga? “Bayern is playing in a different league financially,” Gomez warns. “The size of the club and the players they can get are on another level. We’re not going into the season and telling everybody, ‘OK, now we are going to become Deutscher Meister (champions)’, because that’s not ver.