Bayern Munich takes on the title fight in the Bundesliga against Union Berlin. A signal to the competition, who want to steal the championship trophy from the club after a decade. But the record champion has long since eliminated chance. But he writes the most beautiful stories, says President Hainer.
Before the big snowstorm started, a beaming Bayern President Herbert Hainer stood on the square of Munich's Allianz Arena. Next to him the even more radiant Isabelle Gütlein. She had been asked to see Hainer and the rest of the Presidium. Not because she was celebrating her birthday, but because she was the 300,000th member of FC Bayern Munich. They were all beaming and the president spoke of the biggest club in the world, not only in terms of sport, and was quick to celebrate Isabelle Gütlein's birthday. "Chance writes the most beautiful stories," he said, hoping that chance would not have an impact on what will happen in the next 90 minutes in the Bundesliga against 1. FC Union Berlin (3-0). approaching the square, would interfere.
Because next to chance, football also writes the most beautiful stories. That's why people love football so much. Because nobody can ever know before a game exactly what will be on the scoreboard at the end of the 90 minutes. That's why the spectators flock to the stadium, that's why they turn on their streams and TV sets and are afraid and feverish. "The Uncertainty of Outcome" is what research calls this, the uncertainty about the outcome of a game. But the uncertainty is of course something that no one who was in league with Bayern that evening in the Allianz Arena could use.
Bayern got a total of nine points after the league restarted and lost nine points to Borussia Dortmund and seven to Union Berlin, which were now breathing down their necks or, in the case of BVB, even passed them for a short time. An incredible thing in German football, which for years has only lived from when FC Bayern Munich becomes German champion. They are too quick to beat the competition in this 34-day race. Even minor crises can be overcome without problems. FC Bayern wins the league in passing and lives for the Champions League, in which they go into the race in just over a week in the second leg against Paris St. Germain after 1-0 in the first leg with a good chance of reaching the quarter-finals. There they want their second title in this decade, there they want to prove to Europe and the world that they are not only the club with the most members in the world, but also the "sportingly" largest club, as Hainer put it before the game against Union.
The lack of tension in the championship fight is often justified with a lack of mentality and a lack of attitude on the part of the challengers. An explanation that falls short, but at least froze a little in the midst of Dortmund's winning streak in winter 2023. In the long term, however, the differences can hardly be absorbed, or just barely. FC Bayern's personnel costs exceed those of its closest competitor BVB by more than 150 million euros. There are a number of quality players like Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sané and Manuel Neuer, who at least has brought about a little more balance with his "Schwabenrunde" and his injury while "fetching bread rolls". The average balance after the restart was due to the club's contortions to moderate this topic and similar ones (Serge Gnabry's trip to Paris, Leroy Sané's punctuality problems). They didn't want to succeed.
Only if FC Bayern eats itself up from the inside out and overwhelms itself with internal crises, losing focus in the process, can they even be defeated at national level in the Bundesliga marathon. Before the game on Sunday in the Allianz Arena, there was something like confidence among the contenders for the title. Would the excitement, which had picked up speed again with Julian Nagelsmann's dropout in the mixed zone of Borussia Park after the 2: 3 at Mönchengladbach, weaken Bayern in a way that even an exhausted Union Berlin could lead to a point win? The answer after 90 minutes was no. "We had no chance," said Union coach Urs Fischer and was damn right.
The angry Bavarians dismantled Union in the Munich snowstorm according to all the rules of the art. Yes, coach Nagelsmann could even afford to leave his favorite winter break player, João Cancelo, on the bench for the second game in a row. The Portuguese, who came from Manchester City and could move to Munich in the summer for an alleged 70 million euros, does not fit into the back four. The 28-year-old is still holding back, but he is someone who likes to let his dissatisfaction run free and thus gives hope to the league. Because, as already described, a Bayern championship can only be stopped by an internal decomposition process. One who now seems to be stopped with the 3-0 win against Union Berlin. In the next two league weeks, the two relegation fighters VfB Stuttgart and FC Augsburg will face each other. Mandatory tasks framing the round of 16 against PSG.
For now it stays that way. If FC Bayern want to, they can dominate the league at will with all their star power, with the incredibly deep bank, on which Sadio Mané, who is returning from injury, the problem children Gnabry and Sané and Cancelo, who was a winter wish transfer, sat on it against Union . Not a good signal for the league, which has been basking in a “title fight” for a long time. Because that's what it's come to in the last few years. It's no longer a question of whether Bayern will win the title, it's just that there is still some residual tension, at least at the beginning of March. That is the case, but at best provides a short-term relaxation of the most pressing problem in the league. That is: When will chance finally write the most beautiful stories again? Because with all the correlation between squad costs and sporting success, the elements of luck and chaos are also part of the game to a small extent.
But none of this means long-term relief for the league's long-term problem: the superiority of Bayern and the long-established pursuers around Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, who are also breaking the laws of the transfer market under the new sports boss Max Eberl and are again at the sister club RB serve Salzburg. In the summer, Nicolas Seiwald, another player, will move from the city of Mozart to the city of heroes. But like BVB, RB will also lose the biggest stars after the season. Bayern usually only sees both clubs with binoculars. Changes are not foreseeable.
Just a few days ago, Bayern Honorary President Uli Hoeneß presented a "solution" to the problems of German football. The Bundesliga should get off its special path and override the 50 1 rule, the club's patron said sitting on a podium in Hanover. They prevent the league from progressing. Now, during the game against Union Berlin, he was presented with an answer. From the fans in the curve, who are indeed still open to chance returning to the game at some point.
"If everyone decides for themselves, it is by no means everyone who is helped, Uli. 50 1 is non-negotiable," read the message after a good ten minutes on the south curve in Munich, while at the other end of the field Bayern threw ball after ball into the penalty area Unioner hunted and had to be patient a bit longer. The first goal came a few minutes later. Isabelle Gütlein - Bavaria's number 300,000 member - also cheered in the stands, that's for sure. There was nothing accidental about the success against Union. It would have been a nice story.
