"It's boring to watch": Former FC Bayern Munich star already fed up with the Premier League

"I'm telling the truth – it (the Premier League, ed.) is not a spectacle," Tel emphasised in conversation with Twitch streamer and YouTuber Zakaria Haddad on the Zack Nani Foot & Live podcast. The former FC Bayern Munich striker had this to say about football in England's elite league: "It's boring to watch. It's really just a clash between two teams with their own ideas."

What Tel particularly misses in the Premier League are spectacular and unpredictable actions from exceptional players: "There is less flair, no Vinicius performing a sombrero flick, no dribbling, no Kylian (Mbappe, ed.) sprinting."

The fact that Tel is not particularly happy in the Premier League is evident from his 13 months at Spurs so far. In February 2025, he was initially loaned from Bayern to London, and last summer Tottenham signed the 20-year-old on a permanent basis. However, things are not going particularly well.

The striker has scored just six goals and provided two assists in 48 appearances for Spurs so far. This season, Tel has often been used as a substitute or has remained on the bench for the entire 90 minutes on several occasions. In 2026, a goal in the 2-3 defeat at Bournemouth in early January has been Tel's only direct contribution to a goal so far.

His situation is also made more difficult by the fundamental crisis his club is in. After a string of poor results, Tottenham are in danger of being relegated from the Premier League, threatening their first fall into the second division in almost 50 years. Even under new manager Igor Tudor, nothing is coming together.

Tel is also bothered by the way in which set pieces, which have become enormously important, are executed, especially in the Premier League. "The scuffles in the penalty area in front of the goalkeepers? I told the assistant coach responsible for set pieces at Tottenham: 'Don't put me on man-to-man marking.' Because it's pure chaos out there!" Tel explained that he doesn't think much of it.

Tottenham's arch-rivals Arsenal are pioneers in causing a huge commotion in the five-metre area during corners and free kicks, with several players blocking the opposing goalkeeper. Their success provides them with a decisive argument for their strategy, but Tel is fed up with it: "Everyone is pushing everyone else, throwing each other to the ground, holding on to each other. Forget it! The goalkeeper can't come out, he can't see anything."

Liverpool manager Arne Slot recently expressed similar criticism of the current trend in set pieces. Meanwhile, Arsenal's set-piece coach Nicolas Jover recently had to read the headline about himself in the Swiss newspaper Blick: "Is this man ruining football?"

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