Dream Teams: Bayern Munich

By Matthew Fearon

Wednesday, 25 March 2009

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<b>SEPP MAIER</b><br/> <b>Goalkeeper</b><br/> <b>Bayern Munich 1965-80</b><br/><br/> Between 1966 and 1977 Sepp Maier made 422 consecutive Bundesliga appearances for Bayern Munich. To place that in contemporary context, Aston Villa's Brad Friedel holds the Premier League's equivalent record with a paltry-sounding 176 - the American would have to keep playing for at least another six seasons before even catching sight of the record.<br/><br/> Bayern fans will forever remember Maier by his feline pet-name, 'Die Katze von Anzing' but, such are the perils of his chosen position, he his perhaps best remembered outside Germany for his involvement to in two very different - though both iconic - moments. <br/><br/> The first involves a duck, the second a Czech midfielder. During a particular dominant home performance from Bayern, Maier spent the second half entertaining himself, and the fans, by chasing a disorientated duck around the stadium. It was a far from isolated bout of distracted lunacy that became the blueprint for the Grobbelaars, Campos and Lehmanns of the next generation. <br/><br/> The Czech midfielder in question was Antonin Panenka. His cheeky chipped penalty, which made a prostrate Maier look foolish and won Czechoslovakia the 1976 European Championships, has been watched by hundreds of thousands of YouTube addicts in the last twelve months. In reality his legacy is much greater. In his time at Bayern he won four league titles, four German Cups, a European Cup Winners' Cup and three consecutive European Cups between 1974 and 1976. <br/><br/> Just in case he had any room left in the over-size gloves that he became famous for, Maier added to his glittering collection of domestic silverware by playing an integral part in Germany's European Championship success in 1972. Two years later he crowned it all by winning the World Cup alongside five of his Bayern team-mates, including Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller.

GETTY IMAGES

SEPP MAIER
Goalkeeper
Bayern Munich 1965-80

Between 1966 and 1977 Sepp Maier made 422 consecutive Bundesliga appearances for Bayern Munich. To place that in contemporary context, Aston Villa's Brad Friedel holds the Premier League's equivalent record with a paltry-sounding 176 - the American would have to keep playing for at least another six seasons before even catching sight of the record.

Bayern fans will forever remember Maier by his feline pet-name, 'Die Katze von Anzing' but, such are the perils of his chosen position, he his perhaps best remembered outside Germany for his involvement to in two very different - though both iconic - moments.

The first involves a duck, the second a Czech midfielder. During a particular dominant home performance from Bayern, Maier spent the second half entertaining himself, and the fans, by chasing a disorientated duck around the stadium. It was a far from isolated bout of distracted lunacy that became the blueprint for the Grobbelaars, Campos and Lehmanns of the next generation.

The Czech midfielder in question was Antonin Panenka. His cheeky chipped penalty, which made a prostrate Maier look foolish and won Czechoslovakia the 1976 European Championships, has been watched by hundreds of thousands of YouTube addicts in the last twelve months. In reality his legacy is much greater. In his time at Bayern he won four league titles, four German Cups, a European Cup Winners' Cup and three consecutive European Cups between 1974 and 1976.

Just in case he had any room left in the over-size gloves that he became famous for, Maier added to his glittering collection of domestic silverware by playing an integral part in Germany's European Championship success in 1972. Two years later he crowned it all by winning the World Cup alongside five of his Bayern team-mates, including Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller.

in pictures: bayern's dream team

Just two weeks ago Bayern Munich powered past Sporting Lisbon and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, courtesy of the tournaments most startling aggregate scoreline ever. The great German club are chasing their fifth European crown to sit in the Allianz Arena's new trophy cabinet alongside a record 21 Bundesliga trophies and a record 14 German Cups.

The club's Golden Age came in the late sixties and early seventies, between 1974 and 1976 they won three consecutive European titles, and that side is strongly represented in this dream team, although not by Dieter and Uli Hoeness, who just miss out in favour of more recent blood.

Click the image on the right to launch our guide.

Others who can count themselves unlucky to have their path into the side blocked by legends of the game include the Brazilian Giovane Elber and stars of the eighties, Klaus Augunthaler and Roland Wohlforth.

Is there an argument for the inclusion of any other greats and how would this side fare against the dream teams of Real Madrid, AC Milan, Liverpool and Arsenal?

The most controversial inclusion in the Bayern Munich dream team is that of midfielder Frank Ribery, less than two years into his time at Bayern, but as he has proved over the last two seasons, there are very few more exciting creative forces in world football.

The only player who can match Ribery's impact in European football this season is Steven Gerrard but can the Liverpool captain emulate the Bayern winger and claim his league's player of the season award?

Click here to join in the debate on this years footballer of the year awards.

Comments

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Get facts straight!

limpshit wrote:

Wednesday, 25 March 2009 at 09:58 am (UTC)

BRAZIL's Mario Zagallo... Not Argentina's

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After the wait...

struwelpeter wrote:

Wednesday, 25 March 2009 at 08:37 pm (UTC)

this one is a bit unsatisfying. The team chosen is a bit unbalanced. Too many contentious choices to mention, but most people who know Bayern would say that "Bulle" Roth was fundamental. Let's see Juve next and see whether you elect to fit Sivori, Platini and Zidane into the same team.

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