MUNICH.- Three months after having handed over the German league title to Bayer Leverkusen, which it held exclusively between 2013 and 2023, the Bayern Munich begins its operation to reconquer the Bundesliga under the direction of Vincent Kompany, who will have his first experience on the bench of a major club.
“Bayern will react in the coming season. Bayern will do everything possible to be champions,” said former Bayern chairman Oliver Kahn in an interview with specialist magazine Kicker on Monday.
For the first time since 2011, Bayern have not added a trophy to their trophy cabinet in 2024, after finishing third in the Bundesliga (behind Leverkusen and Stuttgart), being eliminated in the round of 32 of the Cup by modest Saarbrücken, and being disappointed at the gates of the Champions League final against Real Madrid.
In the last forty years, Bayern have only lost the league title 14 times. Even rarer is the fact that the Munich captain has not won the Schale (Bundesliga champions’ trophy) for two consecutive seasons – only three times (1991-93, 1995-96 and 2011-12).
Against this backdrop, it is no surprise that all eyes are on the ‘Säbener Strasse’, the home of the ‘Rekordmeister’, whose run of 11 consecutive league titles was cut short by Xabi Alonso’s Bayern.
After unsuccessful attempts to secure the services of the Basque coach, as well as Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick, Bayern management has handed the reins to Vincent Kompany, who succeeds Thomas Tuchel.
After spells at Anderlecht and Burnley in England, the 38-year-old former Belgian centre-back will have his first experience as coach of a team that aspires to everything, just like Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen from the European autumn of 2022.
“The champion is always the favorite”
The first club to finish a Bundesliga season unbeaten, Xabi Alonso’s Werkself are on the verge of making history in German football. Which of the two, Bayer or Bayern, is the favourite? If the experts are divided, Uli Hoeness, the honorary president of the Munich club, seems to have a clearer view.
“The reigning champions are always the favourites, we have seen that for ten years. Now it is their turn,” he told reporters at the beginning of August, perhaps trying to put pressure on Leverkusen’s shoulders.
Because by “they” he meant Alonso’s pupils. “There is no reason why we couldn’t defend our title. We’ve seen Bayern do it for many years, why couldn’t we do it too?” Nigerian midfielder Nathan Tella told AFP during pre-season in Donaueschingen.
“We have a good foundation, we need to add some things, update them and incorporate other elements,” said Alonso, whose team has gone 34 league games without defeat and is aiming to match Bayern’s 53 consecutive league games without defeat between the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons, a Bundesliga record.
Bayern’s historic rivals – having won five of the 13 Bundesliga titles since 1984 – Borussia Dortmund are looking to make up for last season’s disappointing fifth place finish.
Borussia Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke is “feeling good about the new season” and his team have secured a Champions League place thanks to the run of German clubs in European competitions in 2023-2024, in particular BVB’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid (2-0).
