Getting to know: Bayern Munich

Germany’s most successful team on both the national and international stage by some considerable margin, Bayern are a footballing powerhouse. With a record 31 German titles and 20 DFB Cups to their name, plus six UEFA Champions League/European Cup trophies - including three in a row during the 1970s. The Munich club remain the only German team in history to win the treble of league, cup and Champions League in the same season, which they first achieved under legendary coach Jupp Heynckes in 2012/13 before repeating the feat under Hansi Flick in 2019/20.

Bayern has played home to some of football’s biggest names down the years. Three of Germany’s four World Cup-winning captains (Franz Beckenbauer, Lothar Matthäus and Philipp Lahm) have worn the red of FC Bayern, while fellow legends of the German game such as Gerd Müller, Paul Breitner, Sepp Maier, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Oliver Kahn and Bastian Schweinsteiger – to name but a few – have also turned out for the Bavarians during their distinguished careers.

31x German champions (1932, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 - record)
20x DFB Cup (1957, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020 - record)
8x German Supercup (1987, 1990, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 - record)
6x German League Cup (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007 - record)
6x Champions League/European Cup (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020 – record by a German club)
1x UEFA Cup (1996)
1x UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1967)
2x UEFA Super Cup (2013, 2020)
2x Intercontinental Cup (1976, 2001)
2x FIFA Club World Cup (2013, 2020)

Coach

The man in the Bayern hotseat from the start of 2021/22 is Julian Nagelsmann. Perhaps the hottest coaching prospect in world football, he follows in the sizeable footsteps of Flick, who won seven titles in the space of 20 months at the helm. Nagelsmann – still only 33 at the time of his arrival at the start of July 2021 – may not be the youngest person to take charge of Germany’s record champions but is the first born in their home state of Bavaria and will understand better than most what it means to be Bayern boss. With Kahn also succeeding Rummenigge as CEO at the same time, the former Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig coach ushers in a new era in Munich but with the unchanged goal of extending the club’s unprecedented run of nine straight Bundesliga titles.

In a galaxy of star players, Poland international Robert Lewandowski shines brightly from the front. The Bundesliga's top scorer in the last four seasons, he’s been breaking records for fun of late. Not only does he have more goals than any other non-German in Bundesliga history, the 2020 Best FIFA Men’s Player ensured his place in the annals of Bundesliga football in 2020/21 by surpassing the great Gerd Müller’s 49-year record for most goals in a single season. Lewandowski got 41 in only 29 appearances the year after he became the first player to win the treble as top scorer in all three competitions.

Watch: All 41 of Lewandowski’s Bundesliga goals in 2020/21

Improving on their 2019/20 treble of Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Champions League was always going to be tough the following year. That being said, Bayern laid down a marker on the opening night by thrashing Schalke 8-0 – the biggest win ever on Matchday 1 of a Bundesliga season. They then beat Sevilla in extra-time to win the UEFA Super Cup before a shock 4-1 defeat at Hoffenheim on Matchday 2. The DFL Supercup was added to the collection the next week thanks to a brilliant late goal from Joshua Kimmich. It wasn’t until 8 January 2021 that Flick’s team were beaten again, but by this time they had already reclaimed top spot from Bayer Leverkusen and wouldn’t be caught again.

There was another big shock following their loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach when the holders were knocked out of the cup on penalties by Holstein Kiel in the second round and dream of retaining their treble were ended. The European champions did, though, claim the world crown for a second time in February by beating Mexico’s Tigres in the FIFA Club World Cup final. Although the Champions League campaign was ended on away goals by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, Bayern made it nine straight Bundesliga titles and a seventh trophy since Flick took over in November 2019 with three games to spare. The final two matchdays were then about Lewandowski, as he first equalled Müller’s 40-goal record against Freiburg before claiming it outright with the final kick of the season against Augsburg.

The stadium

Bayern’s Allianz Arena is one of the most modern and technologically advanced football stadiums in the world. Opened for the start of the 2005/06 season to replace the former Olympiastadion in Munich, it hosted the opening game of the 2006 World Cup in Germany with Bayern’s own Lahm scoring the tournament’s first goal.

Watch: Inside the Allianz Arena

Boasting space for 75,000 spectators in domestic fixtures, the Allianz Arena is just as famous for its exterior as what happens on the pitch inside. An architectural masterpiece, 2,784 diamond-shaped ‘cushions’ form the façade of the Arena and can be illuminated in any colour depending on the event – Red for Bayern matches, white for Germany and green for St. Patrick’s Day each year. Rising up in the distance as you make the 875 yard walk from the station to the stadium itself, the Allianz Arena can appear like a spaceship on the horizon with its red glow lighting the way for spectators.

The city

Football and beer – it’s a combination that Germany does so well, but perhaps none more than the city of Munich. The Bavarian capital is home to two of Germany’s most famous establishments: Bayern Munich and the annual Oktoberfest. Despite its name, the beer festival actually takes place mostly in September but is of course a must for any visitor to the city, and Bayern are typically guaranteed at least one home game during the celebrations. Besides the Oktoberfest (known locally as the Wiesn), Munich is home to some of the largest beer gardens in the world, which are open throughout the year, including the Augustiner Keller, the 8,000-seater Hirschgarten and the 7,000-seater Chinesischer Turm in the city’s Englischer Garten – a park larger than New York’s Central Park. These are ideal places to sample the local food and drink delicacies, such as Weißwurst sausages and Schweinehaxe (pork knuckle).

There is, of course, more to Munich than beer and football. The city has been the regional powerhouse for over 800 years, but also rose to prominence in the last century as the home of the Nazi movement. That has left its mark on the city and provides the ideal location for those wishing to learn more about the rise and impact of National Socialism in Germany. The former concentration camp at Dachau is also only a short train journey away from the city centre.

As well as numerous galleries and theatres, Munich is also home to the world’s largest science museum – the Deutsches Museum, which has also hosted concerts by musicians such as Elton John. It is home to around 28,000 exhibitions and the best way to describe the museum is “if a German built it, it’s in there.” There are, of course, exhibits from throughout the world and history. Many museums and galleries also offer free or substantially reduced prices for entry on Sundays, when it must be noted that most shops are closed.

Getting there

Munich’s Franz Josef Strauss Airport is the second largest in Germany and (in normal times) serves almost 250 destinations worldwide, including both coasts of the United States with frequent direct flights to New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and more. The airport is about a 40-minute train ride (using suburban lines S1 and S8) from the city centre, from where visitors can reach their final destination with ease using the city’s comprehensive transport network.

Getting to the Allianz Arena

The simplest and most immersive way to reach the Allianz Arena is to take the U6 underground line to Fröttmaning on the northern edge of the city, with trains running every couple of minutes on matchdays. From the station it’s about a 5-10-minute walk up the esplanade to the Allianz Arena as you join in the throng of fans in their Bayern colours making their way to watch the German record champions.

Buying tickets

Bayern matches are almost always sold out, but tickets can still be bought via the official club website HERE.

Watch on TV

If you can’t make it to the stadium, Bundesliga matches are broadcast around the world. ESPN provides coverage in the United States, while BT Sports are the exclusive broadcaster in the United Kingdom. In Germany, Sky Sports show the majority of matches, with DAZN hosting one match per week.

Buying the kit

You can get your own Bayern jersey from the official club shop.

Bayern have more than 4,000 official fan clubs throughout the world, with over 100 of them in the US and Canada alone. That is more than any other European football club and makes it easy for you to meet up with other North American Bayern fans. That includes a number in New York City, Philadelphia, Miami and Los Angeles. Head here to find your nearest FCB fan club.