Bayern Munich have ripped up their transfer rule book after finishing a distant and discouraging fourth in the Bundesliga last season and have now thrown open their wallets to buy some top European talent. For Germany, it has been an unprecedented show of financial muscle, and one that must have been designed in part to appease their frustrated fans.

For years, Bayern have been able to dominate the Bundesliga and even win the Champions League by signing the best players, German or otherwise, who perform well for their nearest Bundesliga rivals, and only occasionally going after a bigger fish abroad.

After it all went wrong last season, when Bayern were regularly humiliated by sides fighting relegation, Uli Hoeness vowed a house-cleaning. The pugnacious Bayern manager has done just that. He’s also given up his preference for foreigners who speak German by signing France midfielder Franck Ribery and Italy striker Luca Toni.

In 2003, Bayern spent months haggling over the transfer fee for Roy Makaay with Deportivo Coruna before finally agreeing to a then-record 18 million euros, just as the transfer window was about to close.

This year they’ve spent 60 million in transfer fees and it’s only early June! The 26 million fee for Ribery could rise to 30 million euros and smashes all Bundesliga records. In fact, Bayern have spent far more than rest of 17 Bundesliga teams combined.

Hoeness may well prove to look like a genius. But if the revamped Bayern strategy fails to deliver results and titles — and there will be a lot of unhappy internationals sitting on the Bayern bench — he could be in for an uncomfortable season.

Erik Kirschbaum is a Reuters correspondent based in Berlin