Kotoko, Hearts can take a cue from Bayern Munich example

Everybody attached to domestic football is already missing the beautiful game in the West African country, but consolation can be taken from the excitement from watching some of the European leagues and the European inter club competitions i.e UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

READ MORE:7 things you need to know about Ghana born Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies

Ghanaian football loving fans followed the UEFA Champions League with keen interest as Bayern Munich edged PSG to win their sixth European title.

Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko were equally once power brokers in African football, just like Bayern Munich in European football, and people who have domestic football at heart would definitely have wanted to see these two iconic clubs take lessons from the success story of the Bavarian giants.

Kotoko and Hearts have, however, no longer relevant forces on the continent - both sides last reached the final of any African inter-club competitions in 2004.

The Kumasi giants used to reach the final in every decade since the inception of the African inter-club competitions in 1964/1965 - They reached the final in 1967, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1982, 1983, 1993, 2002 and 2004.

On the other hand, Hearts of Oak played in the final in 1977, 1979, 2000 and 2004.

The Bavarian giants had been like Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak for the past few years until they woke up from their slumber this season.

And they even almost lost their identity as a super power in European football.

Bayern Munich, despite monopolising the Bundesliga for years, began to show cracks and at the beginning of this season parted ways with their head coach Niko Kovac, replacing him with Hansi Flick.

Their new coach quickly turned things around and guided Bayern Munich to their sixth European crown.

Let's take a look at the things that have made Bayern Munich a force to reckon with in Europe for years that Kotoko and Hearts can take a cue from:

Good scouting

 Bayern Munich have a very strong scouting team across the globe who hunt for quality young talents.

They have been very effective for years and they are on record to have snapped up talented players who have gone on to become influential first team members.

Notable among them are David Alaba, signed from Austria ,and Alphonso Davies, who was recruited from Canada.

Consistency

Bayern Munich has also been very consistent with their philosophy.

They offer young talents opportunities and give them patience to develop. They also keep experienced players by blending them with the youth.

This is a team that kept Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben until they attained 37 and 36 years, respectively.

Brand of football

The Bavarian giants have a unique style of play that symbolises the German brand of football. The Germans are known for their mechanical football and Bayern Munich have maintained that identity for years.

Attractive to every German player

It is the dream of every German player to wear the jersey of Bayern Munich.

They have made the club so attractive that every talented German player eyes the Bavarian giants.

It is, therefore, no surprise that 90% of the legendary German players once played for Bayern Munich. These include Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer, Luther Mathias, Jurgen Klinsman, Michael Ballack, etc.

Domestic dominance

Bayern Munich can fall short by going seasons without a trophy in continental football, yet they will still maintain their relevance domestically by dominating the Bundesliga.

Bayern until this season had failed to win the UEFA Champions League since 2013, but they have won the Bundesliga every season within that period.

The problem with the two Ghanaian giants, Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak, is that they have moved away from what made them powerhouses on the African continent.

They had consistency, good scouting plan, were attractive to Ghanaian players, domestic dominance etc.

However, Kotoko and Hearts have lost their shine; they are no longer attractive to a lot of players on the domestic scene. The likes of Berekum Chelsea, Aduana Stars and AshGold, now beat them to some of the best players in Ghana.

Also, they have lost their domestic invincibility: Hearts have gone ten years without a league title and Kotoko have also failed to clinch a league title since 2014.