Another year and another title for the Rekordmeister Bundesliga Champions from Bavaria. This has been the story for the last nine years in the German Bundesliga and looks to be on its way to ten. For the previous decade, Bayern Munich have dominated this elite European league through player signings, academy products, and a winning mentality that is second to none. The Bavarian giants are unmatched in elite European football for the domestic run of success over the last decade. The club is even once again among the favorites to win the Champions League this year. Its now going on ten years of Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga domination and there is no end in sight.
Reasons Behind Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga Domination
Poaching Elite Players From Within Germany
Bayern has made some incredibly astute and important signings from other clubs in the league. This is a two for one special because the players improve their team and diminish the other team’s greatness and ability. This valuable and successful tactic has become one of Munich’s calling cards to sustain this incredible run of trophies and success each offseason. There were two examples from this last summer window when the club brought in Dayot Upamecano and Marcel Sabitzer from Bundesliga foes and fellow title challengers RB Leipzig. Both of these stars were vital to the recent success of Leipzig and left a massive hole in the squad, which could be part of the reason Leipzig has started the year slow. Two years prior, in 2019, Bayern was able to sign Benjamin Pavard from Stuttgart after he shined in the 2018 World Cup. The deal was agreed on a year in 2018 but didn’t trigger until the following summer. The Frenchman has become invaluable in the squad in both fullback and center-back roles.
Another example is the stalwart in midfield, the imposing German Leon Goretzka. The former Schalke man was poached in the summer of 2018 and has become one of the automatic first choices for club and country since. The previous summer provided the club with Nikolas Sule and Serge Gnabry. Gnabry would initially be sent out on loan for a year to Hoffenheim, and after returning, he became a vital cog in the Bayern attack. Sule has been on and off injured but is one of the top choices at center back when healthy and provides stability and solidity at the back. There are three more superstars that can’t be forgotten and fit under this category. One will be discussed in the next section, but the others are Joshua Kimmich and Manuel Neuer.
Acquired from Stuttgart in 2015, the German midfielder has become a mainstay in the Bayern setup and German national team squad. Kimmich is the captain for Germany, and according to most former and current players, a future captain at Bayern. The former Stuttgart man is a jack of all trades; he has played anywhere from right back to center back to holding midfielder and even attacking midfielder in his time at Bayern. The consensus seems to rate him the best at holding midfielder, where he provides the last line of defense in front of the backline. The German captain is the present and the future for both club and country and one of the main reasons Bayern Munich display such consistency year to year. Manuel Neuer has become one of the best keepers globally over the last decade and provided the consistency in goal to keep Bayern in every game. The former Schalke shot-stopper has become elite with both his hands and feet in goal. The German keeper has been the starting point of many attacks, with his distribution skills providing the pass needed to start a counter. Neuer, Kimmich and all the key players listed have contributed to Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga domination.
Robert Lewandowski as Individual Model of Consistency
To answer the lingering question from above, this is the all-world superstar goal scorer that is the best example of Bayern’s transfer policy and one of the core reasons why the club is so successful year after year. The Polish striker was brought in on a free transfer, after guiding Borussia Dortmund, then coached by Jurgen Klopp to the Champions League final, where they lost to, you guessed it, Bayern Munich. This one transfer is the best representation of Bayern strengthening their squad while simultaneously weakening other teams. The elite goal scorer has notched 317 goals in 346 appearances for Bayern, almost a goal per game average. This year, the Polish phenom is actually above a goal per game at 23 goals in 17 appearances as it stands. Lewandowski is the perfect microcosm of the Bayern team as a whole. The Polish striker has been the model of consistency now in his ninth year with the Champions, averaging about 25 goals per year in the league. There is no telling where the club would be without the pinpoint finishing ability the Pole has provided over the last nine years and counting. Lewandowski seems to be getting better with age, as evidenced by his pace this year and showing no signs of letting up. The club has the former Dortmund man signed for two more years after this, and it would be wise to consider tacking a few more years on to that deal. Robert Lewandowski is arguably the most outstanding finisher and pure goal scorer on the planet. Numbers don’t do justice to the actual impact the superstar has had on this club over the last nine years. Bayern Munich owe a huge debt of gratitude to Lewandowski for contributing greatly to thier run of consistency and sustainability.
Elite and Productive Academy Pipeline
The Academy of any elite European club is invaluable because the players that come through the system are cheap because they are so young and often have been with the team their entire life. Some kids sign with an academy at 4 or 5 and grow up through the youth system until they are deemed ready for the first team or sent out on loan for the experience. There is a legitimate case to be made having a successful academy is the best way to achieve sustained success on the field and off it. The money that is not being paid to the graduates in huge contracts or transfer fees can be used to add to the squad in superstar signings. Bayern Munich have had multiple graduates make huge impacts on the first team that has contributed to this incredible run of consistency. The beginning of this run was significantly aided by academy graduates Toni Kroos, Philip Lahm, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, who all became first-team regulars with Bayern and the German national team. Two more recent examples are defenders Mats Hummels and David Alaba, who were significant parts of the Bayern backline over the last few years. The performances of both players have earned them moves to Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, respectively. The best example, though, that is on the current squad, is none other than Thomas Muller. The often criticized midfielder/winger has become the heart and soul since jumping to the first team. Muller has become known as the “Raumdeuter,” which means interpreter of space. The nickname is in reference to his style and how the divisive figure occupies different areas on the pitch and doesn’t play like your typical winger. The former academy man was on the outs with club and country not too long ago, which coincided with the downturn in form at country level, where the calls were rampant for his inclusion back in the squad. Muller puts up substantial goal-scoring and assists numbers, but his impact on the team in what he brings in leadership might even outweigh those gaudy numbers. Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga domination has been made up of players, coaches and the tactics the giant has used to create the juggernaut that is on display today.
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