Beckenbauer slams 'laughing stock' Bayern

European champions Bayern Munich are in danger of become a laughing stock after their 5-1 weekend drubbing by Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, president Franz Beckenbauer said on Monday.

Beckenbauer did not watch the match as he was on holiday but he wrote in his weekly column in Bild newspaper that his mobile phone starting ringing immediately after Saturday's match, which was the seventh in a row they have failed to win.

"Bayern is on its way to becoming a laughing stock after seven games in a row without a win. This can't go on," the former Bayern and Germany great wrote.

The winless streak is the defending champions' longest in 32 years and doubts are now mounting over Bayern's ability to bounce back and retain the Bundesliga title let alone its chances of defending its Champions League crown.

"The championship race is practically over. We now have to win nearly all our games. The only consolation is that last season we became champions with nine defeats. This season it's "only" five so far," Beckenbauer fumed.

It was Bayern's worst loss since 1994. They have won just 10 times in 19 outings this season with 15 matches still to play.

"Realistically our only goal now is the Champions League and that only if we qualify in third place," he said.

Beckenbauer said Bayern seemed to have lost the will to win.

"I can understand that the team ran out of steam at the end of last year ... but why did they let themselves be slaughtered like that without putting up a fight?" he wrote.

Bayern vice-president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge described Saturday's loss to Schalke as "an insult to the name of Bayern Munich" and "an embarrassment".

Bayern are now fifth in the Bundesliga on 34 points, eight behind pacesetters Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund.