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Success and Bayern Munich have been synonymous over the last decade. Much to the delight of fans, Mia San Mia echoed stronger than ever in one of the most consistent periods of dominance for the Bavarians.
From Bayern's dominance in the Bundesliga to the signing of key players such as Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski, the Bavarians had several moments to savor in the past decade. The appointment of Pep Guardiola after Jupp Heynckes's retirement in 2013 was a leap forward with the Spaniard's philosophy having a long-lasting effect on Bayern's football.
With 250 Bundesliga matches and 800 points won in this decade, to winning 65 percent of all domestic trophies, the decade belonged to them. Their recent demolition of Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League is a moment to cherish, and expected. They have 75 wins in the Champions League last decade, second only to Real Madrid.
Here is a list of five moments that highlighted Bayern's decade.
5. Return of Jupp Heynckes
Bayern Munich were battered by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League and after the first seven games of the Bundesliga season in 2017, they were five points off the mark against their perennial rival Borussia Dortmund. More so, the football was simply far from convincing and needed a change in guard. Carlo Ancelotti was eventually shown the door and in came Jupp Heynckes for his fourth term as a Bayern manager.
Bayern's crisis can never be so precisely addressed more efficiently than the return of this German manager, who wrote entered their history books on the back of an emphatic 2012-13 season.
Fast forward another eight months and Bayern has secured their sixth consecutive Bundesliga title and was in contention for the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League triumph. The turnaround has been nothing less than sensational with the old man masterminding yet another splendid spell at his home club.
In his own words, he revealed:
“I never planned these eight months, they were an additional chapter in my biography, albeit very exceptional.”
With four previous Bundesliga title and a Champions League, his return to management in the 2017-18 season to earn an additional fifth title and retire for the final time has been one of the best moments for the Bavarians this decade.
4. Lewandowski's record-breaking 5-goal haul
Fans across the world are well accustomed to Pep Guardiola’s animated antics at the touchline. However, some moments drag you to complete astonishment as Guardiola’s expression suggested on 22nd September 2015. Robert Lewandowski produced one of the most incredible feats in football history to stun the VfL Wolfsburg team and sumptuously inscribe his name in the record books.
In one of the best free transfer of the decade, the Pole moved to Munich from Dortmund in 2014 and flagged off his Bayern career in no time. Guardiola’s influence shaped the poacher to a more accomplished player upfront. He exhibited his remarkable consistency in netting the ball over the next few years that helped Bayern’s dominance both in the domestic and European circuit.
Of all his accomplishments, his nine-minute theatrical exhibition that ended Wolfsburg’s 14 matches unbeaten run is a marvel at the top. Replacing Thiago Alcantara at half time with Bayern trailing 1-0, he scored in the 51st, 52nd, 55th, 57th and 60th minutes. The records stumbled thick and fast and the fans witnessed an unreal spectacle.
The Polish forward may well reach new heights with Bayern shortly but his 5-goal haul in 9 minutes is truly one of the moments of the decade for the Bavarians.
3. Farewell to Uli Hoeness
Uli Hoeness embraced FC Bayern Munich as one of his own and over four decades he managed to put the club among the elites of European football. Albeit the fact that he was accused of tax evasion when in charge of the club as a president in 2014 and spent nearly two years behind bars, his reputation seldom took a hit and was supported unanimously by the board members on his return to presidency election in August 2016 for the second term.
His first spell unfolded in 2009 after being elected as club president with him vacating the post of general manager that he took over on 1979 at the age of 27. Such has been the aura of the person that even at such a young age, he took control of club’s sponsorship issues and started steadying the ship.
In an era where Bayern will be largely indebted to the general manager who ornamented the club’s financial status, the accolades were no less than what defined Bayern’s prominence in the country. To his credit, they amassed 21 Bundesliga titles, 12 DFB Cups, 2 UEFA Champions League titles, a UEFA Cup and much more.
The president was treated to felicitous gesture on his 60th birthday when a one-off match tournament against Barcelona was affiliated as Uli Hoeness Cup, which The Bavarians won 2-0. On November 15, 2019, he finally waved goodbye after cementing his legacy among the entire Bayern Munich family and as one of their other legend Franz Beckenbauer said:
“Uli Hoeness was a stroke of luck for Bayern, not just as a player but as general manager, chairman and president. What the club is today and the values for which it stands are to a large extent thanks to him.”
2. End of Robbery era
As the whistle blew on 18 May 2019 and Bayern Munich confirmed their seventh Bundesliga crown in succession, the Allianz Arena erupted in joy. However, two legendary faces that defined Bayern’s decade, were in tears as they hung up their playing boots for Bayern that lasted for ten years stretching back to 2009.
The fans couldn’t control their emotion either and the atmosphere simply triggered a sense of gratitude and the emptiness of not repossessing the robbery phenomenon ever again. The fans unveiled a banner before the start of the match that read:
“Thank you for fighting so hard in our colours.”
Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben both came on in the second half to demolish Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 and secure the title for the Bavarians. Ribery scored a marvellous chipped goal sliding past two defenders but that was not enough for the Bayern fans. The barometer of satisfaction needed a Robben goal to complement the Frenchman's strike and the fans were obliged duly.
The Dutchman didn’t fail to live up to the expectation as has been the case for the last ten years. Robben followed suit to the Ribery goal with an easy tap-in from a David Alaba assist to round off the match.
While the Frenchmen arrived in 2007, Robben joined two years later in 2009 that pioneered an era for Bayern which saw unprecedented success at the highest level. Their farewell aptly makes it to the list of most memorable moments for Bayern in this decade.
1. UCL triumph in 2012-13
The 2012-13 season at the start of the decade truly defines Bayern Munich’s unmatched success over the last ten years. They were simply relentless in their approach and rewrote the record books on every aspect of the game. Come April, Jupp Heynckes and his brigade had bullied their opponents to secure the domestic title in record time on matchday 28.
However, the penalty shoot-out loss to Chelsea in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final was a thorn in the flesh for the Bavarians, but they set things right in some style in the season that followed.
The Bavarians eased past a tough Juventus side winning both legs 2-0 in the quarterfinals and were drawn against Barcelona in the semis. What transpired in the next two Champions League fixtures for them was monumental in terms of superlative success. They demolished Barcelona both in their home and away tie with an aggregate scoreline of 7-0 to stun the Spanish giants.
However, a resurgent Dortmund side led by Jurgen Klopp was the final hindrance in their path to glory. Having already avenged the Bundesliga title loss to Dortmund in 2012 by April 2013, Bayern had an uphill task to lift the trophy which they last won in 2001.
With the score tied 1-1, Arjen Robben scored one of the best goals in his career to help Bayern win the much-coveted trophy after 12 years to send the fans into a zone of complete frenzy. They rounded off the season with a win over VfB Stuttgart in the DFB Pokal final to become the first German team in history to win the treble.
For the fans, it couldn’t have been more special a moment with Bayern dishing out some astonishing display for the entire season backed with titles and accolades all around.
