Bayern Munich Football Club is one of Germany’s top football clubs based out of Munich, Bavaria in Germany. In Germany’s recent and past, Munich has been one of Germany’s most successful clubs. The club’s main League rivals are Borussia Dortmund. In fact, Bayern has bought several key and star players from Dortmund and integrated them into Bayern Munich. While this may seem one-sided, these clubs have a long history that goes way back to helping each other out in times of need. Over the years, Bayern has lifted the German League trophy 30 times. Over the last 8 years, they’ve won the title each season cementing themselves as the ruling team in the Bundesliga. Out of 11 Champions League finals, the club has won 6 titles. Bayern has always and currently still plays all home games at the Allianz Arena. The team wears a red jersey with variations of red and white.
Bayern Munich Football Club’s Past
Bayern was founded in 1900 and has had several successes since its inception. Within 10 years, the club would attract its first German National squad player and within 20 years, become the biggest club in the city of Munich.
1. WW2 – Bayern witnessed a period of decline during the 1930s and going into the 1940s. Some of the key members at the club such as the coach, president, etc. were Jewish and were forced to leave Germany during the rise of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. Following the war, the team witnessed more downs than ups in the following two decades. The club hired and fired over 13 coaches, got relegated and promoted, was involved in financial irregularities, etc.
2. The 1960s – In the 1960s, the Bayern Munich Football club managed to bring financial stability to the club and hire the right people in the right departments. Under coach Zlato, Bayern had a young team in the form of Beckenbauer, Muller, Maier, etc. This was the start of the golden age of football for Bayern. During this time, the club lifted the European Cup, DFB-Pokal, the German League, etc. on more than one occasion. This period lasted until the mid-70s and Bayern had problems crop up again that lasted until the end of the century.
Bayern Munich’s Present
Bayern is one of the most successful clubs in the world both on and off the pitch. They’ve had so much success that they’ve been profitable for more than 27 years, year after year. Not many other clubs can boast of such a healthy financial past and present. Based on UEFA’s club rankings, Bayern Munich is ranked first edging out Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. The club’s kit manufacturers have always been Adidas since 1974. Adidas, the German sportswear maker has a deal with Bayern that runs until 2030. Over the last two decades, Bayern has seen a constant rise in power while also being consistent. Star players who played for the club include Oliver Kahn, Robben, Ribery, Ballack, Alaba, Muller, Neuer, etc. One of the club’s biggest rivals is 1860 Munich, who are also derby and local rivals. However, it’s important to note that in spite of being rivals, Bayern Munich Football Club has helped 1860 Munich in times of financial crisis. Bayern also did the same for Dortmund in 2002 by providing the club an interest-free loan. Some of Bayern’s European rivals include Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Chelsea.
The Club’s Future
Bayern has won the Bundesliga every season since 2012 which is 8 years running. Bayern are also the current holders of the Champions League and will have to do a lot to retain the title, something they haven’t been able to do for more than 40 years. Currently, Hans Flick manages the German club with a contract that runs till 2023. With a squad that consists of Lewandowski, Muller, Alaba, Neuer, Coman, Sane, etc. The team has been rebuilding over the past few seasons leaving most of the core unchanged. Bayern Munich Football Club is going to be the leading force in German football for the next decade or so. However, they may struggle to compete with the likes of other major European clubs without further signings and developments.
In 2020, the top 4 teams in the Bundesliga agreed to pay 20 million Euros to the lower league clubs and teams in an effort to deal with the COVID pandemic. The top 4 teams get additional money for playing in the Champions League and the leading Bundesliga clubs led from the front in a time of crisis.
