5 Best Moments For Bayern Munich Fans
Bayern Munich has had more success than just about any football club in Germany, so it can be hard to narrow down the club’s history to just a few moments. However, there are some that certainly stand out as being the best of the best, with these five ones that the fans will remember for generations to come.
Opening Allianz
Bayern Munich has played in a few different stadiums throughout the club’s history, with much of that time being played in Munich’s Olympic Stadium from 1972 until 2002. While it was a nice home, there was something that was lacking for Bayern playing its home matches there. Toward the end of the 1990s, Bayern started looking for new options. The club thought about staying in Olympic Stadium while it was redeveloped but eventually settled on building the new Allianz Arena.
The new stadium was finally opened in 2005 with a capacity of just over 75,000, including an illuminated exterior. On the stadium’s opening day, 1860 Munich won a friendly against 1. FC Nurnberg. The following day, Bayern Munich had its first match in the new stadium, taking on the German national team in front of a sold-out crowd, marking a new era in the club’s prestigious history.
Club World Cup Champs
The World Cup has been around for a long time to determine the top football-playing country on Earth, but it took until 2000 for FIFA to determine the best club team in the world. The FIFA Club World Cup was introduced as essentially a trial in 2000 and would return on a yearly basis in 2005. After multiple attempts at winning the FIFA Club World Cup, Bayern Munich would break through in 2013 when the tournament was held in Morocco.
Bayern qualified for the tournament by winning the 2012-13 Champions League, earning a spot in the semifinal. There, the club defeated Guangzhou Evergrande 3-0, setting up a final match against Raja Casablanca. In the seventh minute, Dante scored what would end up being the match-winning goal while Thiago added a second goal just 15 minutes later to give the club the World Cup.
Ending the Champions League Drought
During the 1970s, Bayern Munich was a staple of the European Cup, winning the title for three consecutive years. The tournament would eventually become known as the UEFA Champions League, but after 1976, Bayern Munich struggled to win the title. Fortunes would finally turn in the 2001 edition of the tournament, though, after three losses in the final during the 1980s and 1990s.
Bayern advanced past the group stages, then defeated Manchester United and Real Madrid to meet Valencia in the final. Things started poorly for Bayern as Gaizka Mendieta scored in the third minute, but Stefan Effenberg knotted things up in the 50th minute. Extra time was needed, but neither team scored and the clubs advanced to penalty kicks. In the seventh frame, Oliver Kahn made the winning save against Mauricio Pellegrino to end the drought for Bayern Munich.
Completing the Treble
The 2012-13 season for Bayern Munich proved to be one of the best in the club’s history. The club lost just one time during the Bundesliga season, finishing 25 points ahead of second-place Borussia Dortmund in the standings. Meanwhile, Bayern competed in the DFB-Pokal, winning all six matches while surrendering just one goal prior to the final, then defeated VfB Stuttgart to win the DFB-Pokal.
Bayern had already won the DFL Supercup the previous August by defeating Borussia Dortmund, but the crowning achievement throughout the year was winning the UEFA Champions League. Despite needing away goals to defeat Arsenal in the round of 16, Bayern won a combined 11-0 on aggregate against Juventus and Barcelona to set up a match against rival Borussia Dortmund in the final. Bayern won the treble thanks to an 89th-minute goal by Arjen Robben, defeating Dortmund 2-1.
The Second Treble
The 2012-13 season wasn’t the only time that Bayern Munich won the treble. Seven years later, Bayern pulled it off by winning the Bundesliga with 82 points. That came on the back of 26 wins and just four losses, finishing 13 points ahead of second-place Borussia Dortmund. Interestingly enough, Bayern lost four matches in eight weeks from the seventh to 14th matchdays.
Bayern would not lose the rest of the season, drawing just one time. The club then won the DFB-Pokal, beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 with Robert Lewandowski scoring two goals. In the UEFA Champions League, Bayern easily advanced to the knockout stage, taking on Paris Saint-Germain in the final. The lone goal came from Kingsley Coman in the 59th minute, and although the stadium was empty due to COVID-19, it was a momentous occasion for Bayern.