Bayern Munich Fanzone: Getting to know Germany's most successful football club
Fancy heading to Bavaria to take in a Bayern Munich match first-hand but you're not sure where to begin? Never fear, bundesliga.com has you covered.
History
Germany’s most successful team on both the national and international stage, Bayern Munich are a footballing powerhouse. With a record 28 German titles and 18 DFB Cups to their name, plus five 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 achieved under legendary coach Jupp Heynckes in 2012/13.
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.
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Coach
The current man in the Bayern hotseat is Niko Kovac. The former Croatia and Eintracht Frankfurt boss succeeds Heynckes following his retirement at the end of 2017/18, and arrives in Munich as a DFB Cup winner after beating Bayern in the final. Kovac previously spent two seasons as a player at Bayern, claiming a league and cup double in 2002/03 alongside his brother Robert, who is also his assistant on the touchline.
Last season
Despite an inauspicious start under Carlo Ancelotti, the Bundesliga champions went on to make it six league titles in a row under the guidance of the returning Heynckes. He turned a five-point deficit to Borussia Dortmund into a 21-point lead at the top come the end of the season. Robert Lewandowski led the way for Bayern with a league-best 29 goals, aided superbly by Thomas Müller’s 14 assists – his personal best for a season and also a league high – and debutant James.
The club looked destined to repeat its historic feat from 2013 as it reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and final of the DFB Cup. Yet Bayern came up just short in both. They dominated holders Real Madrid in both legs of the European semi-final but could not find a way past. They were also surprisingly beaten 3-1 by future coach Kovac’s Frankfurt side in the cup final to end the season with ‘just’ the Bundesliga title.
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 Philipp 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).
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 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.
Watch on TV
If you can’t make it to the stadium, Bundesliga matches are broadcast around the world. FOX Sports and Univision provide 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 Eurosport hosting one match per week.
Buying the kit
You can get your own Bayern jersey from the official club shop.