Bayern Munich's most notable jerseys in their 125-year history
To mark the 125th year of Bayern Munich's founding, we take a look at some of the club's most notable jerseys, from the familiar red kits to lesser-known versions in white and even a 'lucky' yellow-and-blue ensemble.
1900: No sign of red
Founded on 27 February 1900, Bayern played their first match in blue and white, inspired by the colours on the Bavarian state flag. They kept this colour scheme for five years before switching to red - but more out of obligation than by choice.
Watch: Celebrating Bayern's 125th anniversary
1906–1908: Merger and new colours
Back then, Bayern were by no means the behemoth they are today. They even merged with Münchener Sport-Club (MSC) in order to be able make use of their larger stadium, which had a capacity for 1,000 spectators.
However, as a condition of the merger, MSC insisted that the team wear their colours of red and white. As a result, the Bavarians switched to white shirts and wine-red trousers, which also featured smart belt buckles. It was here that Bayern's love affair with red began, and it still exists today.
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1983/84: The "lucky Betzenberg jersey"
Fast-forward 80 years or so, however, and there have been exceptions to the rule of red. One such occasion arrived in 1983/84, when president Uli Hoeneß was determined to end the club's poor run of results away to Kaiserslautern, who play at a stadium known as the 'Betzenberg', where Bayern had earned just two points from eight games between 1975 and 1982, losing six times and drawing twice.
Hoping to turn the tide, Hoeneß commissioned a new kit to give the players a sense of starting afresh. It had a distinctly Brazilian look, with the yellow shirts and blue shorts reminiscent of the Seleção.
Hoeneß's mind games worked. On 26 November 1983, Bayern ended their drought in Kaiserslautern by earning a 1-0 win thanks to a Klaus Augenthaler penalty.
That victory led to the shirt becoming known as the 'lucky Betzenberg jersey'. It wasn't used as much as the decades wore on (Bayern won their next two trips to Kaiserslautern), but it reappeared as the official away kit in the 1993/94 campaign.
1995/96: Historic UEFA Cup triumph in white
In 1995/96, Bayern opted for a white away kit with red and blue vertical stripes. Jürgen Klinsmann and Co. even wore it when the team won the UEFA Cup against Girondins Bordeaux. This was a notable triumph because it is one of the few titles Bayern have only won once.
It all started the previous season when the team finished sixth in the Bundesliga and therefore only qualified for the UEFA Cup, the equivalent of the Europa League today. Despite it being the continent's second-tier competition behind the European Cup, Bayern did not consider it beneath them and beat Bordeaux in both legs of the final (2-0 and 3-1). The silver logo on the white jersey was reminiscent of the designs of the 1960s and 1970s and symbolised a link between tradition and modernity.
2017/18: No Bayern blues in blue
In the 2017/18 season, Bayern unveiled a dark blue away kit with a red horizontal stripe across the chest. The design was inspired by the club's jerseys from 1998, but it was met with resistance by fans, who felt the colour scheme was too close to that of city rivals 1860 Munich. Nevertheless, on-field success remained undiminished as the team went on to win a league and cup double.
2025: The 125th anniversary jersey
There were plenty of historic details to weave into the design for the club's 125th anniversary jersey.
It not only honours Bayern's three historic home stadiums, but also pays homage to club legend Franz Beckenbauer. The iconic number five, which Beckenbauer wore during his playing days and has now been retired at the club in his honour, has been incorporated into jersey.
A number of other traditional elements and logos are discreetly printed on it, all in a stylish dark red colour. It clearly struck a chord with fans, as demand was so high that the online shop's servers were overloaded as they tried to cope with the quantity of orders.
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