MUNICH – Bayern Munich's chances of winning the Champions
League have not diminished since the recent rise of mega-rich clubs,
according to the German club's midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
"In my opinion it's as hard as it was before, nothing has changed," the 28-year-old Brazilian said in an interview published on Tuesday
in magazines Spox and Goal.
"It's always difficult to win the Champions League. You think of all
the great teams that go away empty-handed year after year."
Bayern last won the Champions League in 2013. Since then, European
football has seen transfer fees inflate dramatically, with the
English game in particular awash with money - some of it flowing from
the Gulf states.
That money has bypassed Germany, where ownership rules preclude
wealthy foreign investors from taking charge of clubs.
Manchester City are funded by backers from the United Arab Emirates.
In France, much of Paris Saint-Germain's domestic dominance is down
to Qatari money. Yet both clubs have failed to win European club
football's biggest prize.
Meanwhile Thiago believes Bayern coach Niko Kovac, who won a domestic
league-and-cup double last season but couldn't take his team beyond
the last 16 of the Champions League, is the right man for the job.
"Niko is a young coach, he wants to win all the titles with Bayern,"
he said. "He's doing a great job. We all like him."