First without a title, then a major attack?
Only this one miracle can save FC Bayern
By Tobias Nordman
May 22, 2023, 8:09 p.m
In Dortmund, the euphoria knows no bounds: BVB is about to break the merciless dominance of FC Bayern and become champions for the first time since 2012. Only a miracle can prevent that on a historically exciting day.
At Bayern they ignore reality. Not because they made a gigantic mistake again, like when planning the current squad. But because they have no other choice after this weekend. Everything is still possible, Thomas Müller called out to the fans of the reeling record champions via Instagram. He’s about solidarity. For the last goal to be achieved: the eleventh championship in a row. Sure, the title is still within reach. But in order to lift the shell again, it takes a football miracle at the end of a season with never-ending turbulence – now, for example, the RB bankruptcy and Mazraoui trouble.
Yes, the word miracle gets way too much use in football, but that’s how it is in this case. The Munich side have to win their away game at the in-form 1. FC Köln (possible, more on that below) and hope that FSV Mainz 05 of all teams can take at least a point from the crazy league leaders BVB. Just a few weeks ago, this did not seem a hopeless endeavor. Coach Bo Svensson’s team fought to qualify for Europe and fell on defenseless Bayern Munich in a home game on April 22 (3-1). The Munich coach Thomas Tuchel was stunned afterwards.
Mainz collapses after Bayern win
His footballers, he judged, simply couldn’t stand up when things went wrong. He released them, gave them time to recharge their batteries. And things seemed to be taking a turn for the better before RB Leipzig came to Munich on Saturday night and smashed Bavaria’s last chance for the title to rubble. Because Borussia Dortmund averted the next away embarrassment (3-0) at FC Augsburg with force on Sunday evening and stormed to the top of the table. And because the black and yellow in their uninhibited bliss meet an opponent who has not recovered from the small sensation against FC Bayern. The following four games were lost, most recently 4-1 at home against relegation candidate VfB Stuttgart.
What should a team that has given Europe as a gift in recent weeks and can only construct goals as ninth in the table, do against a football force in black and yellow that wants to storm in front of more than 80,000 fans for the first championship in eleven years? Against a force that gains more power every day towards the grand finale, in euphoria, in love and faith. You don’t have to write out the answer. The Westfalenstadion, which has trembled and boiled so often, will almost burst with burning passion on Saturday. Yes, things can still go wrong. But for the Munich team, the prospect of a real chance couldn’t be worse. Especially since the homework has to be done at the same time.
All nine games are still about something
The 34th matchday of the 60th Bundesliga season has it all. As usual, all games will be played in parallel. And all nine games are still about something. Not always at a turning point (FC Bayern and BVB) or survival in the league (Borussia Mönchengladbach – FC Augsburg, VfB Stuttgart – TSG Hoffenheim, VfL Bochum – against Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig – FC Schalke 04), but about lucrative financial flows via the Ways Europa League (Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt) or even Champions League. Here Union Berlin (against Werder Bremen) and SC Freiburg (at Eintracht) are in a long-distance duel. There was rarely so much excitement – the schedule is available in the overview here and the current table here.
The people of Munich still have five days after this Monday to stand up again. Finding answers to what they experienced on Saturday. After many small steps in the right direction, he found it inexplicable “why we then decided to go in the completely different direction with seven-league boots,” complained Tuchel. He has already announced a radical analysis: “We will turn everything upside down.” That applies with a view to next Saturday, but even more so with a view to next season. Because the first untitled season since 2012, this scenario is the most likely, the Munich will not sit on it. There will and must be major changes. In the squad. At the top?
“FC Bayern is in a very, very good financial position”
The club boss Oliver Kahn, who has come under heavy criticism, must continue to fear for his future. On May 30th, when the supervisory board meets with club patriarch Uli Hoeneß, the big picture will be discussed. This also includes the role of sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić, who continues to be accused of completely misjudging and compensating for the departure of Robert Lewandowski. Both also have the misconception that everything would get better with the dismissal of coach Julian Nagelsmann, everything would be fine.
But the topic of squad offensive will also come up. A new striker is needed, a world-class six should also come. Whether the one with Konrad Laimer has already been found is unclear. The necessary small change for a new beginning is there, as President Herbert Hainer assured. “Financially FC Bayern is in a very, very good position. We have a high equity ratio and also a little money in the fixed deposit account.”
An attack worth millions on the transfer market – that would be classic FC Bayern. Fourth place in 2007 was followed by Franck Ribéry and Luca Toni, after the swatter against eventual champion Wolfsburg in 2009 Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez, after the vice triple in 2012 record signing and defensive giant Javi Martinez and storm giant Mario Mandzukic, later supplemented by the BVB stars Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski. But the balance of power in the market has shifted. FC Bayern no longer only competes with clubs for the best players, but with powerful investors. But the situation is like this: “If you provoke Bayern,” knows Jürgen Klopp, the then Dortmund champion, “they will fight back in decades”.
“Bayern’s honor was injured”
So more hope than miracles. “Even if it was sad and painful, it was important for FC Bayern to lose in 2012 – to then steer everything in the right direction,” said former sports director Matthias Sammer in an interview with “Münchner Merkur” and “tz”. on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Munich treble in 2013. “Bayern’s honor was hurt, I noticed that in the first conversations with Uli (Hoeneß). There was great uncertainty, all positions were questioned. For the crazy development that FC Bayern took after that and up to now, winning was less important than losing.”
In 2012, Munich not only lost the final of the Champions League in their own arena against Chelsea, but also the final in Berlin for the DFB Cup against Borussia Dortmund. In the Bundesliga they only finished second behind Borussia Dortmund. “I immediately noticed how badly this second year had hit Uli and Karl-Heinz (Rummenigge) in the core,” reported Sammer, who is currently a BVB advisor. “Back then, decisions were made and what everyone knew was lived: there are no more excuses! Jupp (Heynckes) influenced and moderated that perfectly as a trainer, so it all grew. In the end, the final in London was actually just a product of this development .” But there is still Cologne – and Mainz.