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Although Bundesliga is widely considered to be one of the lowest challenging leagues, Bayern Munich have proved worth their billing on numerous occasions. The German giants are one of only two teams to have won the treble on two occasions.
The Bavarians have always nabbed the best players in Germany to build a formidable side. By doing so, Bayern Munich have been successful in eliminating competition within the domestic league.
The club have enjoyed high-quality players and lots of trophies in its 122 years of history. The team has always been a haven for German players. In return, they have gotten players who have given their everything for the success of the team.
In this article, let's take a look at five such players who spent successful lengthy tenures with Bayern Munich.
#5 Franz Beckenbauer — 582
Franz Beckenbauer is a player who has achieved a rare feat. He is the only defender to have won the Ballon d'Or award on two instances (1972 and 1976). Throughout his playing career, Franz Beckenbauer lived up to his nickname, Der Kaiser (The Emperor).
The German defender's elegance and level-headedness was an inspiration to many. Beckenbauer joined Bayern's youth setup in 1959 and broke into the senior side in 1964. He played for the German juggernaut for fourteen seasons.
Beckenbauer has won 13 major titles with Bayern Munich and two with the national side, West Germany. Shortly after retirement, Beckenbauer switched to coaching and managed West Germany, Marseille and Bayern Munich.
#4 Gerd Muller — 605
Before the Ronaldo-Messi era took the world of football by storm, there was one man responsible for amassing massive numbers under his belt. We are speaking of none other than Gerd Muller.
The German is regarded as one of the best goal poachers in the history of the sport. During his star-studded career, many individual and team titles crossed his path, including the 1970 Ballon d'Or award.
Gerd Muller, alongside Franz Beckenbauer, was considered to be one of the strongest pillars of the West Germany national team. Together, they won the FIFA World Cup and the EURO Championship. Muller's goalscoring numbers were massive and intimidating.
Gerd Muller left Bayern Munich in 1979 after spending fifteen seasons with the club. He later joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and remained with them for three seasons.
#3 Thomas Muller — 617
Pick any attacking role and Thomas Muller will be there to take care of it gracefully. The 32-year-old forward is already playing his 14th season with the Bavarians. The German international, though, had to work really hard to make it to the top.
Muller used to travel about 18 miles to attend training sessions with Bayern Munich during his academy days. He has accumulated countless trophies with Bayern Munich and is nowhere near stopping.
Thomas Muller is also one of the best and arguably the most influential German players in recent history. Listing down his individual accolades would be a tiring job and hence let's sum up that Muller owns tons of them.
#2 Oliver Kahn — 632
Nicknamed 'The Titan' and 'The Volcano', Oliver Kahn had a reputation for being a strong figure on and off the pitch. Kahn is often lauded as one of the modern-day greats between the sticks. He has won a record four consecutive UEFA Best European Goalkeeper awards, three IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper awards and two German Footballer of the Year trophies.
The former Bayern Munich shot-stopper achieved a rare feat during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He was awarded the Golden Ball and is, till date, the only goalkeeper to have won the award.
Oliver Kahn guarded Bayern Munich's goalposts between 1994 and 2008. During his lengthy tenure at Bayern Munich, the German goalie collected trophies for fun. Oliver Kahn played his last match as a Bayern Munich player in 2008 against Indian club Mohun Bagan. They won the game 3-0.
#1 Sepp Maier — 700
Sepp Maier is one of Bundesliga's greatest ever players. He was often compared to a cat because of his lightning-fast reflexes and agility. Apart from being an incredible shot-stopper and a dominant figure inside the six-yard box, Maier was a fan favorite due to his sense of humor.
Sepp Maier was a part of the legendary Bayern Munich side that included the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller. He was elected German Footballer of the Year thrice (1975, 1977, 1978) despite facing heavy competition from his teammates.
Sepp Maier has an incredible record under his belt. Between 1966 and 1979, the goalkeeper played in 442 consecutive Bundesliga matches. This is still a German national record.
Sepp Maier retired in 1980 after playing 700 gracious matches for Bayern Munich.
