Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich was founded on 27 February 1900 by 11 young men led by Franz John, who became the club’s first president. The group established FC Bayern after leaving the football section of MTV Munchen. Red and white eventually became the club’s recognised colours. Bayern developed through regional competition before winning their first German championship in 1932, defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 in the final.

The club was not selected for the inaugural Bundesliga season in 1963, but earned promotion to the competition in 1965. A young generation containing Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Sepp Maier then helped transform Bayern’s history. The club won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1967 and completed its first Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 1969.

Bayern’s first great European era followed during the 1970s. With Beckenbauer captaining the side and Muller providing a prolific source of goals, Bayern won three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976. Atletico Madrid were defeated after a replay in 1974, Leeds United lost the 1975 final and Saint-Etienne were beaten in 1976. Bayern also won the Intercontinental Cup in 1976. Players including Uli Hoeness, Paul Breitner and Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck were prominent alongside Beckenbauer, Muller and Maier during this period.

Domestic success continued through the following decades. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge became a major figure in the late 1970s and 1980s, while Lothar Matthaus later played an important role in Bayern’s midfield. By winning their tenth German championship in 1987, Bayern moved ahead of Nurnberg as the country’s record champions. European success returned in 1996, when a team captained by Jurgen Klinsmann defeated Bordeaux over two legs to win the UEFA Cup.

Bayern returned to the top of European football under Ottmar Hitzfeld. After losing the 1999 Champions League final to Manchester United through two late goals, they reached the final again in 2001. Bayern drew 1-1 with Valencia before winning the penalty shootout, with goalkeeper Oliver Kahn saving three penalties. The club also won the Intercontinental Cup later that year.

Bayern moved from the Olympiastadion to the newly built Allianz Arena in 2005. The stadium subsequently became Bayern’s exclusive home and developed into a central part of the club’s modern identity. Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben became important figures during another successful period. In 2012-13, Jupp Heynckes guided Bayern to the first treble by a German club. Robben scored the decisive goal against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley before Bayern completed the treble by winning the DFB-Pokal.

Pep Guardiola succeeded Heynckes and oversaw three consecutive Bundesliga titles. Robert Lewandowski joined Bayern in 2014 and became one of the club’s leading goalscorers, famously scoring five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg in 2015. Ancelotti took over in the following year, but his tenure wasn’t very long.

Once again Lewandowski was central to another historic campaign in 2019-20 under Hansi Flick. Bayern won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal before completing an unbeaten Champions League campaign with a 1-0 final victory over Paris Saint-Germain. Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich and were also among the key players. Bayern subsequently added the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Vincent Kompany became head coach in 2024 and restored Bayern to the Bundesliga title in his first season. Harry Kane, who had joined from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023, won the first major team trophy of his career with the 2024-25 championship.

Bayern retained the Bundesliga title in 2025-26, with Kane scoring 36 league goals and winning the Bundesliga top-scorer award for a third consecutive season. Kompany’s side also defeated VfB Stuttgart 3-0 in the DFB-Pokal final, with Kane scoring all three goals to complete a domestic double. Kompany remains Bayern’s head coach for the 2026-27 season, with his contract running until 2029.