FCB - General Talk

[Oliver_Kahn]

FC Bayern München

Nickname(s) :
- Der FCB (The FCB)
- Die Bayern (The Bavarians)
- Die Roten (The Reds)

Founded: 27 February 1900
Stadium: Allianz Arena
Capacity: 69,901

Club's official website: FC Bayern München - Website



Chairman: Franz Beckenbauer
Manager: Ottmar Hitzfeld
League: Bundesliga

Honours:

German Championship: 21
> 1932, 1968/69, 1971/72, 1972/73, 1973/74, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1993/94, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2007/08

DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 14
> 1957, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008

European Cup / Champions League: 4
> 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001

European Cup Winners Cup: 1
> 1967

UEFA Cup: 1
> 1996

Intercontinental Cup: 2
> 1976, 2001

German Super Cup: 3
> 1983, 1987, 1990

German League Cup: 6
> 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007

History:

Bayern Munich was founded in 1900 by members of a Munich gymnastics club. The club played its first games in the regional Bayern league. Bayern's first success came in 1926 in the form of the championship of southern Germany, an achievement repeated two years later. Their first national honour was gained in 1932, winning the German championship by defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 in the final. The advent of the Hitler regime put an abrupt end to Bayern's development. The president and the coach, both of whom were Jewish, left the country. Many others in the club also saw themselves purged. In the following years, Bayern, taunted as the "Jew's club", decayed into irrelevance.

After the war Bayern became a member of the southern conference of the German first division, which was split five ways at that time, the Oberliga Süd. Bayern struggled, and in 1956 suffered the ignominy of relegation. The following season the club returned to the Oberliga and even won the German Cup for the first time, beating Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-0 in the final. The club progressed to become one of the better sides of the league, but struggled financially, verging on bankruptcy at the end of the 1950s. Manufacturer Roland Endler provided the necessary funds and was rewarded with four years at the helm of the club. In 1963 the Oberligas in Germany were consolidated to one national league, the Bundesliga. Bayern were denied membership, but gained promotion two years later, fielding a team with young talents like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier - who would later be collectively referred to as the axis.

In their first Bundesliga season Bayern finished third and also won the German Cup, qualifying for the European Cup Winners Cup, which they won in the following year in a dramatic final against Scottish club Rangers, when Franz "the Bull" Roth scored the decider in a 1-0 extra time victory. In 1967 Bayern retained the German Cup, but slow overall progress saw a new coach, Branko Zebec take over. He replaced Bayern's offensive style of play with a more disciplined approach, and in doing so achieved the first league and cup double in Bundesliga history, using only 13 players throughout the season.

1970 saw a new coach, Udo Lattek, taking charge. After winning the cup in his first season he led Bayern to their third German championship. The deciding match in the 1971-72 season against Schalke 04 was the first match in the brand new Olympic Stadium, and was also the first live televised match in Bundesliga history. Bayern swept Schalke away 5-1 and thus claimed the title, also setting several records, including points gained and goals scored. Bayern also won the next 2 championships, but the zenith was the triumph in the 1974 European Champions Cup final against Atlético Madrid, which Bayern won 4-0 after a replay. In the following season the team was unsuccessful domestically, but defended their European title by defeating Leeds United in the final when "Bull" Roth and Müller secured victory with their late goals. A year later in Glasgow, AS Saint-Étienne were defeated by another Franz Roth goal and Bayern became the third club to win the trophy in 3 consecutive years. The final trophy won by Bayern in this era was the Intercontinental Cup, in which Brazilian club Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte were defeated over two legs.

The 1980s were a period of off-field turmoil for Bayern, with many changes in personnel and financial problems. On the field, the Bundesliga title was won in 1980 and 1981, but two trophyless seasons followed, after which former coach Udo Lattek returned. Bayern won the 1984 cup final, then went on to win 5 championships in 6 seasons, including a double in 1986. However, European success was elusive during the decade; Bayern only managed to claim the runners-up spot in the European Cup in 1982 and 1987. Bayern's form dipped after their 1990 championship win, the club finishing just five points above the relegation places in 1991/92. Success returned when Franz Beckenbauer took over for the 2nd half of the 1993-94 season, winning the Championship again after a 3 year gap. Beckenbauer was then appointed club president, but his successors as coach did not meet expectations. During this time Bayern's players frequently appeared in the gossip pages of the press rather than the sports pages, resulting in the nickname FC Hollywood. Franz Beckenbauer returned as coach, and led his team to victory in the 1996 UEFA Cup, beating Bordeaux in the final.

Opened in 2005: the Allianz Arena, one of the world's most modern football stadiums.From 1998-2004 Bayern were coached by Ottmar Hitzfeld, who became the most successful Bayern coach of all time. In Hitzfeld's first season, Bayern won the Bundesliga and came agonisingly close to winning the Champions League, losing 2-1 to Manchester United conceding two goals in injury time after leading for most of the match. The 1999-2000 season resulted in Bayern winning their third league and cup double. A third consecutive Bundesliga title followed in 2001, won in a finish on the final day of the league season. Days later, Bayern won the Champions League for the fourth time after a 25 year gap, defeating Valencia CF on penalties. The 2001-02 season finished trophyless for Bayern in the Bundesliga, but they won the Intercontinental Cup for the second time. But a season later Bayern won their fourth double, winning the league title by a record margin. Hitzfeld's reign ended in ignominious fashion in 2004, with Bayern underperforming, including a cup defeat by 2nd division Alemannia Aachen.

Prior to the start of the 2005-06 season, Bayern moved from the Olympic Stadium to the new Allianz Arena, which the club shares with TSV 1860. In summer 2006 TSV 1860 Munich had to sell its party of the Allianz Arena to Bayern Munich due to a financial crisis. Bayern Munich now is the single owner of the Arena but both clubs hope that TSV 1860 Munich will repurchase its parts as soon as possible.

The current Bayern manager is Ottmar Hitzfeld, who returned to Munich in January 2007 after Felix Magath was sacked. In his first term at Bayern between 1998 and 2004 he won 4 Bundesliga titles, two DFB Pokals and the 2000-01 UEFA Champions League.

Noted players:

Three Bayern Munich players have been named European Player of the Year; Gerd Müller (1970), Franz Beckenbauer (1972 and 1976) and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (1980 and 1981). Several Bayern players have been named German Footballer of the Year, giving a total of 16 titles, more than any other club. A Bayern player has been the season's top goalscorer in the Bundesliga on 12 occasions, with Gerd Müller winning the Golden Boot for the top goalscorer in any European league twice.

"Greatest Ever" squad:

On June 1 2005, on the opening of the new Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich announced the results of its online poll for the "Greatest Ever" squad. 66,000 fans voted for players from a shortlist presented to them.

S. Maier
K. Augenthaler - G. Schwarzenbeck - F. Beckenbauer - P. Breitner
M. Scholl - S. Effenberg - L. Matthäus
K. Rummenigge - G. Müller - G. Elber
(coach: O. Hitzfeld)

[Oliver_Kahn]

Daniel van Buyten was a shade behind schedule when he reported to the Säbener Strasse for training at twenty past four on Thursday afternoon, but the Belgian's arrival meant the first team squad was short of just one fit professional: Ali Karimi will be the club's final international to return from his midweek exertions when the Iran star flies back to Munich on Friday following a fixture in Taiwan.

With just 48 hours remaining until the top-of-the-table showdown against Hertha BSC Berlin, Bayern stepped up the pace of preparations on Thursday afternoon. Just two players – long-term injury casualties Valerien Ismael and Owen Hargreaves, both recovering from leg fractures - are out of contention as Felix Magath considers his options for Saturday's clash.

In search of renewed impetus

The Reds coach declined to reveal his line-up thoughts in advance of the home meeting with the current Bundesliga leaders, refusing to confirm a start for Lukas Podolski despite the youngster's gala two-goal display for Germany in Bratislava against Slovakia on Wednesday evening.

Magath is convinced his men will finally start firing on all cylinders in domestic competition from now on. "We've yet to benefit from a settled formation, as we've hardly had the opportunity for that up to now. I'm hoping we'll get into the groove from now on, and play more successfully than we have done so far."

Injury concern for visitors

For their part, the visitors from the German capital are determined to defend top spot in front of another sell-out crowd at the Allianz Arena, although Hertha supremo Falko Götz is definitely without creative inspiration Yildiray Bastürk (ligaments) and Brazilian World Cup star Gilberto (ankle).

Question-marks remain over Christian Gimenez (fitness) and keeper Christian Fiedler (back). The first-choice shot-stopper resumed training on Thursday, with striker Gimenez restricted to a light solo workout. "I'm still assuming they'll both be available for Munich," Götz commented.

http://www.fcbayern.t-com.de/en/news...3347f084f51704

[Oliver_Kahn]

Daniel van Buyten was a shade behind schedule when he reported to the Säbener Strasse for training at twenty past four on Thursday afternoon, but the Belgian's arrival meant the first team squad was short of just one fit professional: Ali Karimi will be the club's final international to return from his midweek exertions when the Iran star flies back to Munich on Friday following a fixture in Taiwan.

With just 48 hours remaining until the top-of-the-table showdown against Hertha BSC Berlin, Bayern stepped up the pace of preparations on Thursday afternoon. Just two players – long-term injury casualties Valerien Ismael and Owen Hargreaves, both recovering from leg fractures - are out of contention as Felix Magath considers his options for Saturday's clash.

In search of renewed impetus

The Reds coach declined to reveal his line-up thoughts in advance of the home meeting with the current Bundesliga leaders, refusing to confirm a start for Lukas Podolski despite the youngster's gala two-goal display for Germany in Bratislava against Slovakia on Wednesday evening.

Magath is convinced his men will finally start firing on all cylinders in domestic competition from now on. "We've yet to benefit from a settled formation, as we've hardly had the opportunity for that up to now. I'm hoping we'll get into the groove from now on, and play more successfully than we have done so far."

Injury concern for visitors

For their part, the visitors from the German capital are determined to defend top spot in front of another sell-out crowd at the Allianz Arena, although Hertha supremo Falko Götz is definitely without creative inspiration Yildiray Bastürk (ligaments) and Brazilian World Cup star Gilberto (ankle).

Question-marks remain over Christian Gimenez (fitness) and keeper Christian Fiedler (back). The first-choice shot-stopper resumed training on Thursday, with striker Gimenez restricted to a light solo workout. "I'm still assuming they'll both be available for Munich," Götz commented.

http://www.fcbayern.t-com.de/en/news...3347f084f51704

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bayern better win or Magath can start looking for another job.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bayern beat Hertha today 4-2 at home to regain top spot

[Oliver_Kahn]

Following maximum points from their first two Champions league Group B matches against Spartak Moscow and Internazionale, Munich travel to Lisbon as leaders of the section, ahead of opponents Sporting on four points, followed by the Russians on a single point and the Milanese who have yet to get off the mark.

"They're a young team playing fresh, attacking football," Magath warned ahead of the midweek meeting with Sporting, naming two major threats to his side's perfect record: "Liedson is a potent striker, and Nani is set to go a very long way. In my opinion, he's one of the most interesting young players in Europe."

http://www.fcbayern.t-com.de/en/news...b3cc78f7a41550

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bayern can win, Sporting is good but not good enough to beat the German champions.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bayern will in all likelihood name an unchanged side from Saturday's 4-2 victory over Hertha Berlin when the German double winners travel to face Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday in the Champions League. Mark van Bommel and Claudio Pizarro, substituted in the course of the weekend clash at the Allianz Arena with minor strains, are expected to be fit for the trip to the Portuguese capital.

"The medical unit reckons they'll have the two of them ready for Wednesday," Bayern boss Felix Magath reported on Sunday following team training at the Säbener Strasse. "I'm assuming both of them will be available for selection."

http://www.fcbayern.t-com.de/en/news...baef30cf6c8f32


Pizarro in line to start against Sporting.
I'm confident he can score.

[Oliver_Kahn]

On Champions League matchday three, Bayern could take a giant stride towards the first knockout round should they take all three points away to Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday evening (Live in English from 8:30 pm CET on FCB Web Radio). The German champions will be boosted by an impressive 4-2 victory over Hertha BSC Berlin at the weekend, a performance chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge reckoned was his club's "best game of the season."

"It would be wonderful if we could just carry on like that, but I fear it will be more difficult in Lisbon than it was against Berlin," Rummenigge continued, insisting he would be satisfied with a draw in the Portuguese capital. "That would mean we stayed top of the group, and would qualify with a win at home to Lisbon."

Magath expecting intriguing clash

The men from Munich lead Group B with maximum points from two matches, ahead of Sporting (4), Spartak Moscow (1) and Inter Milan (0). However, general manager Uli Hoeneß warned his side to beware the team currently lying second in Portugal. "They beat Inter, and they have an ambitious young team. We must take them seriously. If we fail to do that, we've lost already."

Coach Felix Magath, buoyed by the recovery from minor injury of Mark van Bommel and Claudio Pizarro, agreed with the board director. "It's their second home match, so they'll be looking for the points they need to retain a chance of getting through. I believe it'll be a truly intriguing match which will push us to the limit."

Few scoring chances

The 53-year-old boss declared himself "very optimistic" about his side's chances at the Jose Alvalade stadium. "We're aiming to set off for home with all three points, and I'm confident that's what we'll achieve in Lisbon."

Magath declined to confirm he would retain a three-man front line. "Sporting think and operate very defensively, so scoring goals will be tough. We probably won't get many chances in Lisbon."

Most challenging group opponents

The coach may revert to the formation which proved so successful in Milan with two strikers and a narrow four-man midfield. "It's not up to us to take the initiative in Lisbon, so we're not obliged to play with three up front - although we could."

"Sporting are probably the most challenging opponents in our group," Rummenigge and Hoeneß warned. "It's important we don't lose, so we'll have to concentrate," the chairman continued. Hoeneß was more forthright in his point of view: "If we win, we're through."

Probable line ups:

Sporting Lisbon: Ricardo – Abel, Tolga, Tonel, Marco Caneira – Paredes – Nano, Romagnoli, Joao Moutunho – Liedson, Alecsandro

Bayern Munich: Kahn – Sagnol, Van Buyten, Lucio, Lahm – Van Bommel, Ottl, Demichelis (Pizarro), Schweinsteiger – Makaay, Podolski

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bayern can win, I'm confident of that!

[Oliver_Kahn]

Magath made good substituions and Bayern beat Sporting 1-0

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bayern had a tough game at Lisbon still they managed to win, 1-0 the final score after an amazing goal by Schweinsteiger

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bayern lost at Bremen 3-1 and now they are in 4th place with 13 pts, 3 behind Schalke and Bremen