The History of FC Bayern Munich
One of Germany and Europe’s Most Successful Football Clubs
Mar 19, 2009
The beautiful German city of Munich is home to FC Bayern Munich.
Members of a Munich gymnastics club, MTV 1879, founded FC Bayern Munich in 1900 when those who played football were told they could not play in the German Football Association (DFB). Eleven members of the club left and FC Bayern Munich was born on the 27th February.
Within months, Bayern had reached the semi-finals of the 1901 South German Championship and in the following years had begun to win a number of local trophies.
By 1910, Bayern Munich had joined the newly founded Kreisliga, the first regional Bavarian league and they won it in its first year. However, they did not win it again until 1914, the same year that saw football halted in Germany due to the outbreak of the First World War.
After the resumption of football, Bayern won several regional competitions before gaining their first South German Championship in 1926 and won it again in 1928.
Bayern Munich Wins their first National Championship
By 1932, the club had secured their first National German Championship, but the rise of Hitler spurned their chances of being able to compete further as there then President and Coach, both of whom were Jewish, were forced to leave the country. Bayern Munich was in decline and they only managed league finishes in mid-table positions in the regional leagues.
After the Second World War, Bayern joined the Oberliga Sud, the southern conference of the German first division but struggled for the first few years. In 1955, the club was relegated but managed to regain promotion the following year back to the Oberliga and won the 1956 German Cup for the first time.
Bayern Munich Enjoy a Golden Era, Dominating German Football
In 1963, the Oberliga’s were consolidated into one national league, the Bundesliga, but Bayern were left out when the authorities chose to include city rival 1860 Munich instead. However, by 1965 Bayern Munich had won promotion to the Bundesliga and had in their team at the time young talents like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Sepp Maier.
During their first Bundesliga season, Bayern finished in third place and won the 1966 German Cup. In 1967, the club won their first European trophy by beating Glasgow Rangers 1-0 in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup and retained the German Cup that year.
By 1969, Branko Zebec had led Bayern to the first League and Cup double in Bundesliga history and the success continued under new coach Udo Lattek securing the German Cup in 1971 and the German title for the third time in 1972. Bayern Munich went on to retain the League title in 1973 and again in 1974, but this great success was overshadowed by what the club were to achieve in the following years.
Bayern Munich Win the European Cup on Three Consecutive Occasions
Bayern won their first European Cup in 1974 by beating Athletico Madrid in a final replay and managed to defend their European crown with wins over Leeds United in 1975 and AS St Etienne in 1976, becoming only the third club to win the trophy in three consecutive competitions. Domestically Bayern were unsuccessful and the team of this golden age began to disband.
By the 1980s Karl-Heinz Rummenigge inspired the club to Bundesliga titles in 1980 and 1981 and a German Cup win in 1982. They then went on to win the Bundesliga in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990 and the German Cup in 1984 and 1986 to complete the League and Cup double once again. European success eluded them though despite finishing as runners- up in the competition in 1982 and 1987.
Franz Beckenbauer returned to the club as manager helping them to achieve the 1994 Bundesliga title, before being appointed as club president. After the disappointing seasons that followed Beckenbauer took over the reigns of the club again in 1996 and led them to victory in the UEFA Cup, beating Bordeaux in the final.
One time manager Giovanni Trapattoni returned as boss in 1997 and helped secure Bayern the title again that year, but was sacked a year later after they could only finish as runners-up.
Bayern Munich League and Cup Success Continues
Ottmar Hitzfeld was appointed manager in 1998 and Bayern achieved the Bundesliga title in his first season in charge. They also finished as runners-up in the European Cup in 1999, losing out to Manchester United.
However, success was to continue and Bayern won their third League, Cup double in 2000, and made it three consecutive Bundesliga titles with by winning the Championship in 2001. The club then went on to win their fourth European Cup the same year, by beating Valencia on penalties in the final.
The trophies continued to arrive for Bayern Munich as they secured the League and Cup double in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008.
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