German Giants Eye Historic Win at Revamped Club-WM: Euro Teams Sizzling Hot Like French Fries
Sizzling Hot: Temperatures Reach Oil-Frying Levels - European teams preheated for the World Cup: Sizzling hot like a frying pan, according to Watzke
Historic glory is up for grabs for Germany's representatives, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, at the reimagined Club-WM. "Sportingly, it's a daunting challenge - and you could haul in the first-ever global trophy across all continents. That would be historic," said Bayern's CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, chatty and candid in a joint interview with Borussia Dortmund's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke in a special supplement (June 11) of Mediengruppe Münchner Merkur/tz.
"The first winner of the Club-WM will go down in history, just like Uruguay at the inaugural World Cup in 1930," stressed Watzke. Thirty-two teams are slugging it out in the USA, with proceedings kicking off this weekend and wrapping up in mid-July. Champions League titans Bayern and BVB are the lone Bundesliga participants.
Huge stakes, sky-high travel costs
European clubs are as hot as French fries, asserted Watzke: "No team will take their foot off the pedal for a second." Economically, the tournament offers lucrative rewards, underlined Dreesen.
Total prize money amounts to a staggering $1 billion USD, approximately €876 million. The victor of the July 13 final in East Rutherford stands to pocket a net prize of $125 million USD (around €110 million) in winnings.
"Of course, the sum is hefty, but when you divide it by four, it becomes more reasonable," explained Watzke: "We need to remember that the Champions League is an annual event, while the Club-WM happens every four years. Moreover, additional matches boost performance bonuses for players, and travel expenses are incredibly high." The Club-WM consists of 63 matches across twelve stadiums.
The favorites' corner: Dreesen and Watzke don't tip their hand
Both football executives declined to make a clear title prediction. "It's similar to the Champions League: We aim to navigate the group stage and progress from the Round of 16 to the quarter-finals, and from the quarter-finals to the semifinals. And so on. But we shouldn't rule out the possibility that teams outside Europe might pose a threat," said Watzke.
"Our goal is always to win titles. However, our focus is on making it through the group and advancing to the knockout stage," elucidated Dreesen. He predicts at least one European team in the final, "perhaps two."
Watzke regards Paris Saint-Germain, fresh from their maiden Champions League victory, as a strong title candidate. "An outstanding team with the grit to go the distance to the very end. The squad I have the utmost faith in," he shared.
Search results do not provide specific predictions from Jan-Christian Dreesen and Hans-Joachim Watzke concerning the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. However, based on general predictions, other top contenders could include Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Real Madrid and Inter Milan are also frequently mentioned in discussions about the tournament's frontrunners.
[1] Desire Doue[2] Manchester City, "Manchester City."[3] Real Madrid, "Real Madrid."[4] Inter Milan, "Inter Milan."
The Commission, recognizing the sports fervor and global impact of football, has taken a number of initiatives to enhance the quality of information and communication services during the European leagues, such as the Premier League, ensuring fans from Member States stay connected with their favorite teams participating in the Club-WM.
Paris Saint-Germain, deemed a strong title contender in the Club-WM, has demonstrated their potential by securing their first Champions League title and is an outstanding team that Desire Doue and Manchester City will look to challenge in the global tournament.
