TOP 10 PLAYERS IN BAYERN MUNICH EVER
With all the glory, plenty of fantastic footballers wore the red shirt but who are our top 10 best Bayern Munich players of all time?
You can tell a lot about the history of a football club by looking at their trophy cabinet and their domination over World football over a period.
Champions League winners last year, Bayern Munich, a huge name in the Bundesliga (German League) and World football, have an illustrious history and there have been several players who have contributed to the vast success of the club.
Top 10 players in Bayern Munich’s Prestigious History:
1) GERD MULLER
Trophies: 1 x World Cup, 1 x European Champion, 3 x European Champions Club’s Cup Winner, 4 x Bundesliga Champion, 4 x German Cup Winner, 1 x Intercontinental Cup Winner.
Personal Accolades: 2 x European Golden Shoe, 2 x Footballer of the Year, 1 x Ballon d'Or, 1 x FIFA World Cup Golden Boot.
From the perspective of Bayern Munich, there is no better place to start than Gerd Muller. One of the most prolific strikers of all time, Gerd Muller or ‘Der Bomber’ as he was called by Germans, joined Bayern Munich in 1964. Muller went on to etch his name in the club’s history books, as the German still holds the record of being the Club’s all-time top goal-scorer with 523 goals in 580 appearances, including the record of most goals (85) in a calendar year (1972), something Lionel Messi broke in 2012.
Gerd Muller received the prestigious Ballon d'Or, in 1970, after his impressive performances with Bayern Munich and Germany. Muller will always be a Bayern Munich favourite and is rightly heralded as one of the Club’s all-time legends in the game.
2) OLIVER KAHN
Trophies: 1 x European Champion, 1 x Champions League Winner, 8 x Bundesliga Champion, 6 x German Cup Winner, 1 x UEFA Cup Winner, 6 x German League Cup Winner.
Personal Accolades: 1 x Player of the Year, 2 x Footballer of the Year.
“None shall pass”- This iconic saying holds true for most players who have faced Oliver Kahn. A goalkeeper by trade, Oliver Kahn is arguably Bayern Munich’s greatest shot-stopper of all time. Kahn joined Bayern Munich in 1994 and made a staggering 632 appearances over 14 years. The German kept 247 clean sheets in that period, including a Bundesliga record of 196 clean sheets, which was recently broken by current Bayern Munich keeper, Manuel Neuer.
A fierce character in goal, Olivier Kahn was a brick wall in his time with Bayern and was a hugely influential character when the club won the Champions League in 2001, something the Bayern faithful will never forget. The Club’s No:1 for the longest time, Oliver Kahn is one for Bayern’s history books.
3) LOTHAR MATTHÄUS
Trophies: 1 x World Cup, 1 x European Champion, 7 x Bundesliga Champion, 3 x German Cup Winner, 1 x UEFA Cup Winner, 3 x German League Cup Winner.
Personal Accolades: 1 x Ballon d'Or, 2 x Footballer of the Year, 1 x The Best FIFA Men’s Player.
A Bayern Munich great by every definition, Lothar Matthäus joined the Bavarian giants in 1984 from rivals Borussia Monchengladbach. One of the very few players in Bayern’s history to have two stints with the club, Lothar Matthäus played for the German club between 1984-1988, and then returned in 1992, after which he spent another 7 years at the club.
The midfielder scored 100 goals in over 400 appearances for the club and is often regarded as one of the best players in World football during his prime. Matthäus was deservedly awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1990, after his incredible performances for club and country.
One of Bayern’s most diversified players, Lothar Matthäus will always be a club legend and still holds a very integral place in the hearts of many Bayern Munich fans.
4) PHILIPP LAHM
Trophies: 1 x World Cup Winner, 1 x Champions League Winner, 8 x Bundesliga Champion, 6 x German Cup Winner, 1 x FIFA Club World Cup Winner, 1 x UEFA Super Cup Winner, 1 x German League Cup Winner, 3 x German Super Cup Winner.
Personal Accolades: 1 x Footballer of the Year.
One of Bayern’s very own, Philipp Lahm demonstrated Bayern’s football through his playing style and years of loyal service to the club. Lahm joined the club at the age of 12 and played through the ranks, after which, he joined the senior squad in 2002 as a 19-year-old. A defender and leader on the pitch, Lahm’s versatility showcased his importance to Bayern Munich, as Pep Guardiola talked about the German’s “innate footballing brain” in 2015.
Lahm first captained Bayern Munich in 2011 and immediately led the club to two successive Champions League finals (2012,2013), as Bayern won in 2013, with Lahm deserving a lot of credit for his contribution to the side during that tournament. A product of the club itself, Lahm holds a very special place in Bayern Munich’s prestigious history.
5) BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER
Trophies: 1 x World Cup Winner, 1 x Champions League Winner, 8 x Bundesliga Champion, 7 x German Cup Winner, 1 x FIFA Club World Cup Winner, 2 x German League Cup Winner, 1 x UEFA Super Cup Winner, 2 x German Super Winner.
Personal Accolades: 1 x Footballer of the Year.
A midfield general and warrior, Bastian Schweinsteiger like Philipp Lahm, joined Bayern Munich at a very young age (15). Schweinsteiger never went into a tackle without the intention of not winning the ball and played a very important role for the club in the center of the pitch. Schweinsteiger played a crucial role in Germany’s 2014 World Cup win as well as Bayern’s 2013 Champions League victory.
In 2013, the midfielder was provided with the Footballer of the Year award and was provided a standing ovation at the Allianz Arena when he left the club in 2015 for Manchester United.
6) SEPP MAIER:
Trophies: 1 x Fifa World Cup, 1 x European Champion, 3 x European Champion Club’s Cup Winner, 4 x Bundesliga Champion, 4 x German Cup Winner, 1 x Intercontinental Cup Winner.
Personal Accolades: 3 x Footballer of the Year.
The 2nd and final goalkeeper on this list, Sepp Maier was yet another loyal servant to Bayern Munich as the German spent his entire playing career with the club. His amazing reflexes in goal led to Bayern fans calling him 'Die Katze von Anzing' (The Cat from Anzing). A member of Germany’s 1974 World Cup victory, Maier was awarded German Footballer of the Year in 1975, due to his contribution in the tournament as he had also won the Bundesliga, the German Cup, and the European Champions Club’s Cup in the same year.
Maier was also the founding member of the German goalkeeping royal family and he was the perfect representative for it, as he kept a ridiculous 137 clean sheets in his time at the club- a record he held at Bayern until Oliver Kahn broke it. A fan favourite at the club, Sepp Maier holds the record for most appearances (681) in a Bayern Munich shirt and is certainly a player to remember for the ages.
7) KARL-HEINZ RUMMENIGGE
Trophies: 1 x European Champion, 2 x European Champion Club’s Cup Winner, 2 x Bundesliga Champion, 2 x German Cup Winner, 1 x Intercontinental Cup Winner.
Personal Accolades: 2 x Ballon d’Or, 1 x Footballer of the Year.
The only one on the list who is still a part of the Bayern hierarchy, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was and continues to be an integral part of how Bayern Munich functions as a club. A striker by practice, Rummenigge scored 217 goals in over 400 appearances for the club and is also only one of two players in Bayern Munich history to have won the prestigious Ballon d’Or on two occasions (1980,1981).
Currently, the chairman of the Bayern Munich board, the club has won 2 Champions Leagues under Rummenigge’s leadership, who continues to serve the club he served so well as an incredible player.
8) ARJEN ROBBEN
Trophies: 1 x Champions League, 8 x Bundesliga Champion, 8 x German Champion, 5 x German Cup Winner, 1 x FIFA Club World Cup Winner, 1 x UEFA Super Cup Winner, 4 x German Super Cup Winner.
Personal Accolades: 1 x Footballer of the Year, 1 x Player of the Year.
One of the two non-German players in this list, Arjen Robben defined an era of exemplary wing-play, as the Dutchman’s signature move of cutting in and scoring became historical which was then followed by the current generation. Arjen Robben won everything there was to win at club level with Bayern Munich and was very unlucky to lose out on the Ballon d’Or in 2012 due to Lionel Messi’s insane season.
Arjen Robben’s impact at Bayern was almost instantaneous as he won the Footballer of the Year award in Germany in his 1st season (2010) itself, as he won the Bundesliga and reached the World Cup final with the Netherlands. Robben scored the winning goal in Bayern’s 2013 Champions League final and forever etched his memory in the minds and hearts of Bayern fans.
9) FRANZ BECKENBAUER
Trophies: 1 x World Cup, 1 x European Champion, 3 x European Champion Club’s Cup Winner, 5 x Bundesliga Champion, 4 x German Cup Winner, 1 x Intercontinental Cup Winner.
Personal Accolades: 2 x Ballon d’Or, 4 x Footballer of the Year.
Rock-solid at the back, Franz Beckenbauer or ‘Der Kaiser’ (The Emperor) was known for his dominant defensive displays in a Bayern Munich shirt. One of the very few people in World football to redefine an area on the pitch, Beckenbauer made the ‘sweeper’ role his own in the center of the pitch for Bayern Munich.
Beckenbauer’s talent coupled with his flawless performances earned him the Ballon d’Or on two occasions (1972,1976), as the German holds the record for being the only defender to have won the award more than once. A player who will always be remembered for his leadership on the pitch, Franz Beckenbauer will forever remain a legend in the eyes of the Bayern faithful.
10) FRANCK RIBÉRY
Trophies: 1 x Champions League, 9 x Bundesliga Champion, 6 x German Cup Winner, 1 x FIFA Club World Cup Winner, 1 x UEFA Super Cup Winner, 4 x German Super Cup Winner.
Personal Accolades: 1 x UEFA Best Player in Europe, 3 x Footballer of the Year.
Franck Ribéry was not just any winger, as the Frenchman was the closest player in the modern era to break the reign of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or in 2013. The 2nd non-German in this list, Ribery caused havoc among defenders with his sublime control of the ball and his trickery in the box.
While the Frenchman won everything there was to win with Bayern Munich, Ribéry was one of the few players of his generation to play for the badge on the front rather than the name on the back. In a class of his own, there were a lot of tears in the Allianz Arena when Ribéry left the club in 2019.
Do you think you’re a hot hand at Fantasy Premier League? Do you back yourself to play your chips in the right gameweeks, and nail your captain every single time?
Download BalleBaazi fantasy football app and take your bragging rights to the next level!