FCB - General Talk/News

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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: Jürgen Klinsmann
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.

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)

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Guys, this is the fresh new General Talk thread.

You already know what it is about. Just like the title says.

To access the old thread, click HERE!.

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17 Spiele, 17 Mal ausverkauft

Der FC Bayern hat in der Double-Saison 2007/08 einen neuen Klub-Rekord aufgestellt. Zum ersten Mal waren alle 17 Bundesliga-Heimspiele mit 69.000 Zuschauern restlos ausverkauft. Fast 1,2 Millionen Fans strömten zu den Spielen in der Allianz Arena. Mit den UEFA-Cup- und DFB-Pokalspielen waren es weit über 1,7 Millionen Zuschauer.

FC Bayern has set a new club record this season. For the first time, all 17 Bundesliga home matches have been sold out (69.000 spectators). 1,2 million fans have visited Allianz Arena for the matches. Adding the UEFA Cup and DFB-Pokal matches, the number goes over 1,7 million spectators.

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Fünf Bayern in Premiere-Elf des Jahres
Mit fünf Spielern stellt der FC Bayern fast die Hälfte der „Mannschaft der Saison“ von Bezahlsender „Premiere“. Neben Torwart Oliver Kahn und Verteidiger Martin Demichelis gehören auch die beiden Mittelfeldspieler Zé Roberto und Franck Ribéry sowie Luca Toni dazu. Trainer der Saison ist für „Premiere" Bayern-Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

Five Bayern players have made Premiere's XI of the year: Oliver Kahn, Martin Demichelis, Zé Roberto, Franck Ribéry and Luca Toni. Coach of the season for Premiere is Bayern's Ottmar Hitzfeld.

[YaFCBoy]

Wow.
What a freaking season. We really are that damn good. Can't wait for the CL.

Congrats to the 5 who made the Premiere XI. That's great for them.

[RunX]

Perfect Send Off For Hitzfeld And Kahn
It was an emotional time at the Allianz Arena as Bayern Munich were handed the Bundesliga trophy following a 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin. Both Ottmar Hitzfeld and Oliver Kahn took their final bows in front of a sold-out home crowd.

There were tears before the game from Hitzfeld and a standing ovation for Oliver Kahn as he was substituted at the end, while Luca Toni secured the ‘Torschützenkanone’ with a hat trick in the game itself.

Bayern won 4-1 with Toni hitting three and Franck Ribéry grabbing the other. Despite conceding late on, Bayern did in fact set a new record for the fewest number of goals conceded in a season.

“At the moment I can smile again and I am very happy to have survived it all. The farewell was very moving and emotional and I had to shed a tear” Bayer trainer Ottmar Hitzfeld admitted.

“I have had seven and a half years at Bayern and we’ve had a great relationship sharing the same philosophy. Even though the pressure has been huge it has been a wonderful time” he added.

“My biggest disappointment was the 1999 Champions League final. That was an important moment in life, but you have to go through such things in life.”

Bayern legend and president Franz Beckenbauer joined in the words of praise. “You can’t celebrate winning the title better than that” he revealed.

“The weather also played its part. It didn’t rain and the mood inside the stadium was simply fantastic.”

Manager Uli Hoeneß added: “It was difficult to say farewell to Oli and Ottmar. It was a very emotional moment.”

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After less than 14 months under construction, the club is poised to open the new FC Bayern Service Center complex, including an underground car park, new above ground parking and two new practice pitches. The new facility at the Säbener Strasse headquarters brings a host of benefits and a few changes for fans of Germany's most successful club, which we detail for you here:

Closed for move

The offices will be closed to the public from 19 May until Sunday 1 June inclusive during the move from the old building to the new Service Centre. The existing offices and the club restaurant will be renovated during this period.

Personal appointments for services including ticketing, membership and fan club liaison are not possible in this period. The current merchandising outlet and the restaurant also close on 19 May!

Communication by post, telephone and e-mail will only be marginally affected. The merchandising section, stationed in Oberhaching for the last 12 years, will return 'home' and take up residence on the second floor of the Service Center.

Service Center opening times

The new Service Center opens to the public on Monday 2 June at 8 am.

The Service Center is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8 pm. Visitors should call first at the dedicated Welcome Desk, where our friendly customer service personnel will be ready with help and advice, even at times when the new shop and service desk may be closed.

New official addresses

Addresses at the club formally change with the opening of the new building as follows:

FC Bayern München AG / e.V.
Säbener Strasse 51- 57
81547 Munich

This is the new official address for visitors, guests and formal communications. Furthermore, to assist in dealing with the enormous volume of post (up to 10,000 letters and packages per day), written communications and orders may be addressed to the following new PO Boxes:

FC Bayern München AG (general enquiries)
and FC Bayern München e.V.
Postfach 90 04 51
81504 Munich

FC Bayern Merchandising
Postfach 90 04 20
81504 Munich

FC Bayern Fan mail/autographs
Postfach 90 02 22
81504 Munich

FC Bayern Ticketing
Postfach 90 04 55
81504 Munich

Please use the above PO Box addresses from now on – your communication will reach the right person more quickly!

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FC Bayern auch deutscher Fan-Meister
Eine Woche nach dem Titelgewinn in der Bundesliga setzte sich der FC Bayern auch bei der offiziellen deutschen Fan-Meisterschaft, dem Premiere Fan Cup, durch. Der Fanclub „Red Dogs Stopfenheim“ gewann im Finale des Kleinfeldturniers gegen die Auswahl von Werder Bremen mit 5:4 (1:1) nach Neunmeterschießen.

One week after winning the Bundesliga title, there comes another honour. Bayern now have the official german Fan-Club champion. The fan-club „Red Dogs Stopfenheim“ won in the final of Premiere Fan Cup against the representers of Werder Bremen 5:4 (1:1), after penalties.

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Just 14 months after construction work began, the new FCB ServiceCenter opened its doors to the public at 8 am on Monday morning. The brand new facility at the Säbener Strasse headquarters offers members, fans and customers a vast range of services connected to the club, including ticketing, the members’ and fan clubs’ sections, and a new FCB megastore.

The ServiceCenter is open daily from 8 am to 8 pm CET. A Welcome Desk will be permanently staffed during these hours, where two friendly and helpful personnel are on hand to assist customers with their needs, including times when the shop and/or service desks may be closed.

250 square metre fan shop

The reception desk and the service desks for members’ administration and ticketing are miniature replicas of the Allianz Arena, providing just one of many visual treats at the new home-from-home for Bayern supporters. The all-new 250 square metre megastore is a veritable treasure trove for loyal fans of the club and its superstars Ribéry, Toni, Schweini & Co, with replica kit, shirts, caps and so much more.

Everyone at the club would be delighted to welcome fans visiting Munich to the ServiceCenter. See you soon at the Säbener Strasse!

FCB ServiceCenter opens for business

Gallery: The new ServiceCenter (here: FC Bayern München - Website)

[Munchen Minded]

Bayern haven't had to get many new signings and look really strong at least in the bundesliga for next season, but I am curious about everyone's thoughts about how they stack up against others in the bundesliga. Not that Bayern will struggle, but who will be our closest rivals. As all of us have been seeing the likes of Wolfsburg pull off some interesting signings of late (especially the Palermo boys). Anyway, I personally believe Wolfsburg to be strong as well as Shalke. I don't see Werder competing too much, and they have alot of players leaving their squad as of late, and possibly even Frings -- but they have time to get transfers. Not sure about Hamburg, especially if they lose Van Der Vaart. Anyway it might be the usual suspects at the top, but who knows. But all of you are knowledgeable and I am interested in your thoughts. I love the transfer months! (***MODERATOR - I hope I am not posting this in the wrong place, maybe a new thread should be created for this)

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Klinsmann coaching debut open to public

Four days to go! After a 44-day break, the players report back to the Säbener Strasse for training next Monday. New head coach Jürgen Klinsmann will supervise the stars as Germany’s leading club aim to defend their domestic double, while Munich are also back in the Champions League after a season away.

Bayern fans will be able to witness the start of preparations for the new season for themselves, as Klinsmann has scheduled no fewer than six public training sessions at the Säbener Strasse in his first week at the club. The inaugural workout is on Monday 30 June at 3.30 pm, with sessions at the same time on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday and Saturday training is at 10.30 am.

Rump squad

Fans who visit in person will catch a glimpse of the new coaching staff and their working methods, although player numbers will be severely reduced as Klinsmann is initially without half his squad.

The club’s six Germany players are involved in the EURO 2008 final on Sunday, while Hamit Altintop, Luca Toni and Willy Sagnol have only just commenced the three-week holiday granted to the internationals after their team’s Euro exit. Franck Ribéry is absent with injury in any case.

New signing Butt on display

Finally, Martin Demichelis and Lucio were on World Cup qualifying duty last week and do not return to Munich until 9 July. Klinsmann is set to take charge of just 12 players, including newly-signed number two keeper Hans-Jörg Butt.

Klinsmann coaching debut open to public

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Two days to go
Finishing touches at the Säbener Strasse

The senior Bayern squad reports back to the Säbener Strasse headquarters and training ground on Monday as the official 44-day summer break comes to an end. Fans and visitors who have not dropped by the club’s flagship facility since the end of last season are in for a big surprise after a major reconstruction programme which started on 17 May.

The former professionals’ quarters have been combined with the changing rooms, weights room and physiotherapy unit into an expansive new performance centre, where Mark van Bommel and his colleagues will surely quickly feel at home on Monday. A lick of paint remains to be applied here and there, but the vast bulk of the remodelling work is complete.

Fences come down

The players will not be the only ones rubbing their eyes in astonishment, as arrangements for the thousands of fans who regularly flock to the practice ground and club HQ have also been transformed. The all-new ServiceCenter, which officially opened its doors four weeks ago, boasts a comprehensive range of service facilities including ticketing, membership and fan club desks, while a completely revamped 250 square metre FCB megastore offers every conceivable merchandising item the Bayern loyalist could desire.

The diehards who like to attend training sessions will also be more than pleasantly surprised. On Friday and Saturday, the security fencing surrounding training pitch number one was lowered or in many places removed altogether. Where the action on the pitch was once obscured by tall mesh fencing, waist level barriers now permit a full and uninterrupted view of the stars at work.

Feelgood factor

“We’ll create a force field which will be hugely enjoyable for the players,“ explained new head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, initiator of the radical alteration to the fencing system. Both the players and the fans will benefit from a feelgood atmosphere at the heart of the club. Everyone is welcome to come by on Monday at 3.30 pm for a first taste of the ‘new’ Bayern Munich.

Finishing touches at the Säbener Strasse

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Butt und Co. weihen Dachterrasse ein

Mit einem Barbeque ist am Sonntagabend die neue Dachterrasse auf dem Profihaus eingeweiht worden. Neuzugang Hans-Jörg Butt, José Sosa und Toni Kroos sowie einige Mitglieder aus dem Trainerstab schauten gemeinsam das EM-Endspiel zwischen Spanien und Deutschland. „Es war eine gemütliche Runde“, berichtete Butt am Montag.

With a barbeque, on Sunday evening, the new roof terrace at the professional headquarters has been inaugurated.

Hans-Jörg Butt, José Ernesto Sosa, Toni Kroos and some members of the coaching staff watched together the Euro 2008 final.