THE MARGIN HAS JUST GOT CLOSER

ON Tuesday night, in an empty stadium on the banks of Bremen’s Weser river, Bayern Munich won their eighth straight Bundesliga title.

- Chris DUNLAVY

Think about that for a moment. Since Jurgen Klopp and Dortmund last broke Bayern’s hegemony in 2012, a generation of children has started and finished primary school.

Great Britain has had three Prime Ministers and SIX different governments. Marcus Rashford has gone from eating school meals to campaigning for them.

As a demonstration of sporting excellence, it is clearly impressive. But from a competitive standpoint, Bayern’s dominance is, frankly, depressing.

Sport – especially team sport – is not ballet, or opera, where the brilliance of the performer is the raison d’être. Brilliance is to be admired and cherished. Nobody wants to see less of Robert Lewandowski or Thomas Muller. Nobody will ever forget Maradona.

But the true soul of the game is the contest; the agony, ecstasy, and glorious unpredictability of the chase.

It is Kevin Keegan slumped over the advertising hoardings, Michael Thomas waltzing through at Anfield, Leeds United blowing promotion with an inexplicable loss to ten-man Wigan.

For me, nothing will ever top a League One match between Brentford and Doncaster on the final day of 2012-13, when a missed penalty and a breakaway goal – both in the final 30 seconds – sent Donny up at Brentford’s expense and changed the destination of the title.

Without brilliance, football can still thrill. Without competition, it grows boring. And that, as the ongoing mess in Scotland illustrates, is a serious problem.