BERLIN (AP) - The ease with which Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga title exposed the gap between the German championship and the other top leagues in Europe.
Bayern clinched its 21st German title Sunday after a dull 0-0 draw at Wolfsburg. It now has an unassailable 10-point lead with three games remaining.
But the 4-0 humiliating loss at Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA Cup semifinals left a bitter taste and got the front office wondering what it needs to do to make the team more competitive in Europe.
"Next year, the Champions League is more important than everything else," general manager Uli Hoeness said.
Bayern considers itself one of the top eight teams in Europe and believes it should be playing in the Champions League - which it won in 2001 - and not the UEFA Cup. To do that, however, it needs to be consistently in the top two of the Bundesliga.
When Bayern flopped last season and finished fourth, the management splashed out a record €75 million (US$114 million) on new players like Luca Toni and Franck Ribery.
It was more than enough for a seventh domestic double - Bayern also won the German Cup - but Bayern fell short in the UEFA Cup, a competition it expected to win as well.
Wolfsburg's coach Felix Magath, who also won two domestic doubles with Bayern, believes another Champions League title without another major investment is "unrealistic."
Bayern has lost only two games in the Bundesliga so far and conceded only 18 goals in 31 games. But it gave up 19 goals in 14 UEFA Cup games and failed to win its last four games in the competition - to Getafe and Zenit - advancing against Getafe on away-goals rule after two draws.
Hoeness said the Bundesliga's broadcasting rights income is less than leagues in England, Spain or Italy, whose clubs dominate the Champions League.
"When the Bundesliga solves this problem at some point, or the other leagues get less money, we can close the gap on the top teams in Europe," Hoeness said.
Bayern will have a new coach next season, Juergen Klinsmann, and the team seems sure to hire more international stars. German media mentioned AC Milan defensive midfielder Gennaro Gattuso as a possible addition.
"I am sure Juergen Klinsmann will know how to improve the current team a little bit," Hoeness said. "But we have to watch out that we don't raise the expectations too high. No great team was created in 12 months. I think we have the right conditions to create a really great team in two, three years."
While Bayern can now start looking ahead to the new season, Werder Bremen and Schalke are locked in the race for second place and the other direct berth in the Champions League.
Schalke, coming off a 1-1 draw with Hannover, plays Tuesday at VfL Bochum and needs to win to stay in the chase. Schalke is third at 55 points, while Werder has 55 in second.
But Werder has a tougher match Wednesday at Hamburger SV, which revived its own hopes by beating Hansa Rostock 3-1 and is now fourth at 51 points. VfB Stuttgart, also at 51, travels to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
Also Tuesday, Karlsruher SC plays Energie Cottbus and Hannover hosts Hansa Rostock.
On Wednesday, Bayer Leverkusen hosts Hertha Berlin, Bayern plays Arminia Bielefeld, Eintracht Frankfurt meets VfL Wolfsburg and MSV Duisburg travels to FC Nuremberg for a match that could be decisive in the battle against relegation.
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