BUNDESLIGA
BUILDING A DYNASTY BAYERN MUNICH WON THE TREBLE IN 2013 BUT THEN FAILED TO RECRUIT PROPERLY AND IT ALMOST COST THEM. MICHELLE OSEI BONSU LOOKS AT HOW THE BAVARIANS HAVE BUILT A TROPHYWINNING MACHINE…
‘BAYERN ENSURED THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WIN OF 2020 WAS A SPRINGBOARD, NOT A PLATEAU’
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he 2020-21 season across Europe’s big five leagues has been an interesting one, with more genuine title races than is usual on the continent. Many of the reigning champions – be they in the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1 or La Liga – have found that hanging on to the trophy has been a much harder task than they might have expected, and the same to a degree applies in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. But, after some wobbles, die Roten found their feet and pulled away, with an unprecedented ninth consecutive title – and 31st overall – becoming an increasingly likely prospect as the rounds passed. From a neutral, or anti-Bayern, perspective, that was a disappointing development. The Bundesliga is blessed with interesting coaches and talented player, but none have been able to maintain a challenge to Bayern’s dominance. For supporters of the Bavarian titans, business as usual is encouraging. However, nothing lasts forever, and all good things must come to an end. Bayern fans could be forgiven for having a concern that key players such as Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Javi Martinez, Manuel Neuer and more
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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021
TOP LEFT: Robert Lewandowski poses with the 2020 Champions League Trophy ABOVE: Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman holds the trophy after winning the 2020 UEFA Champions League final match between Paris SaintGermain and Bayern Munich
are approaching the tail-ends of their careers, whether those final seasons are spent at the Allianz Arena or elsewhere. In 2013, Bayern made history as the first German side to win the coveted treble. But unlike the period that followed, during which they struggled to replicate the same form – mostly in Europe, due to a lack of strong recruitment and failure to make replacements in key areas. Bayern’s hierarchy learned from the aftermath of the Champions League win in 2013 and moved to ensure the Champions League win of 2020 was a springboard, not a plateau. Already, Bayern’s management has guaranteed that, by and large, the squad has a deputy who is more than ready to step into the regular XI as players age out or move on. That is why the club was able to call David Alaba’s bluff when the Austria star demanded a hefty increase on his annual wage packet in order to commit his future to Bayern – and why, for the first time in over a decade, he’ll be playing his football elsewhere. And it’s why die Roten will be saying auf wiedersehen to veteran defender Jerome Boateng, as opposed to extending his contract. The 32-year-old may not be the only
old-timer on his way out either, as the summer transfer window opens shortly after the end of the season. So, who are the players Bayern are entrusting to keep the trophy machine running smoothly, for next season and beyond? And it’s not just domestic success that’s on the agenda either. After a seven-year wait between European trophies, Bayern want Champions League dominance too. High on the list is the player whose goal won the Champions League in 2020, Kingsley Coman. It was the France international who found the net and scratched that seven-year itch, ironically against his former club, Paris Saint-Germain. Coman also spent time at Juventus prior to moving to Germany but it is at Bayern that he has found his footing and made clear his ambitions to be part of the Bayern attack for years to come. He’s part of a young group of exciting attack-minded players that also includes Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and the youngest of all, 18-year-old Jamal Musiala. Musiala was not a household name prior to the start of the season but after his exploits against Lazio – when he became the youngest
