With the 10th consecutive Bundesliga Title, Bayern Munich have once again stamped their authority in the German league circuit. They are by far the best side in a major league across the globe. Juventus might have 9 Serie A championships on the trot but Bayern have now overtaken them with a decade of excellence. Most importantly, Bayern Munich also have 32 German championships, 31 out of these coming in the Bundesliga era of the 1963-64 edition. So, what makes Bayern a giant in the German league and an intimidating side across Europe. It is time to decode their success story.
The Beginning Of The Golden Era
The good times for the club started in 1965, almost the same time Bundesliga came into being, when Bayern ended up in third place. The fortunes of the club began to rise due to good coaching and selection policies as legend Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller brought in glories at home and abroad. They both laid an ideal platform for the club to flourish in future as well.
Their tryst with success continued as they won titles in quick succession. However, a financial crisis in the 1980s halted their golden run briefly but things changed for the better in 1998. This was the time when they appointed erstwhile Dortmund coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who helped Bayern transform into a champion side. Many more glories embraced them in the process and Bayern eventually turned into a perfect abode for the genuinely talented footballers across the globe.
Money Matters
No sport can survive without adequate money and the same holds true in terms of clubs as well. Take any successful club, for example, it is very certain that money has played an integral part in their growth as a successful outfit, be it Liverpool, Man City, PSG etc. In the case of Bayern’s success as well their financial clout has had a vital role.
As per Forbes, Bayern happens to be the fourth-most valuable team in the world with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United being the only clubs ahead of them. They are also ranked 17 in the world in any sport, again according to Forbes. In fact, there are no German team even in the top 50 apart from Bayern. Primarily, the earnings from ticket sales, merchandise and prize money have enriched this club to such an extent that they enjoy the luxury of attracting even the hugely talented into the team. However, their pattern of spending is different from other clubs as they don’t splurge on big names but rather invest in promising youngsters.
Prudent Spending
As said previously, Bayern do not believe in lavish shopping when it comes to selecting players. They spend wisely and the conservative approach has served them well even if some of their purchases have not brought the desired results. Ordinary outings or below average performances can be a curse for other teams but not for Bayern as they never brought anyone to Germany with a high price tag. So, their prudent ways have benefited them immensely even if things have not gone as per plan.
For example, they could have spent a fortune to get James Rodrigues and Philippe Coutinho, but they took the option of loans. And when these players did not live up to their lofty expectations, Bayern were able to sever ties with them quite easily. But things could not have been smooth had they bought these players instead of loaning them. This apart, Bayern have also taken recourse to free transfers, bringing in a player whose term is about to end with another club without paying a single penny as transfer fees. Robert Lewandowsky, for instance, entered Bayern without flattening the club’s wallet and the Pole is having an impressive run with the Bundesliga leaders even now. So, Bayern have mastered the art of spending money smartly, which the other clubs are yet to come to grips with.
Therefore, Bayern have not only benefitted from their cushion of wealth but also from smart operations as they have built a good outfit without spending big and by putting the money on the right people. This probably explains the sustained success of Bayern Munich over the years in a succinct manner.
