BERLIN - Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer has called for the Bundesliga to join other leading European football leagues by having 20 teams in the top division.
The top leagues in Spain, England, Italy and France all have 20 teams and Beckenbauer, head of the 2006 World Cup organising committee, believes Germany must follow suit.
"Out of the five big European football nations four have leagues with 20 teams," Beckenbauer told Bild daily.
"Germany has the most inhabitants but still has the luxury of the smallest league. The country deserves more football."
The proposal by Beckenbauer would see two sides added to the 18-strong Bundesliga but not everyone is in favour of the idea.
"We have enough problems fitting the games in as it is," declared Bayern manager Felix Magath.
"The burden on the international players has reached a stage where it cannot carry on. It would be more harmful than productive."
Hansa Rostock look set to become the final team from the GDR (German Democratic Republic), former East Germany, to suffer relegation this season and many believe extending the league will give the Eastern clubs more opportunity.
"It is not a question of how big the league is but an economic problem running through the East German clubs," countered SV Hamburg sporting director Dietmar Beiersdorfer.
"Should we give east German clubs a wildcard? I do not think that would be realistic."
Abolishing the Bundesliga five-week winter break -- something that has also been discussed -- would allow more fixtures to be crammed in but Schalke manager Ralf Rangnick believes meaningless international friendlies should be scrappped.
"If we have to increase the Bundesiga then so be it," said Rangnick. "But I would suggest that the German national team reduce their friendly matches to an absolute minimum."
05/11/2005 09:17 GMT