“It was important for Bayern to lose in 2012”
As of 4:54 p.m
Matthias Sammer looks back on Bayern’s last untitled season – and the consequences
Source: dpa/Sven Hoppe
It’s been eleven years since FC Bayern had to endure a season without a title. This experience and the consequences of it were elementary for later successes, says the former board member Matthias Sammer. The great success came just a year later.
Dhe former Bayern sports director Matthias Sammer emphasized how important the untitled year 2012 was for the development of his former Munich club. “Even if it was sad and painful, it was important for FC Bayern to lose in 2012 – to then steer everything in the right direction,” said Sammer in an interview with “Münchner Merkur” and “tz” on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Munich Treble 2013.
“Bayern’s honor was hurt, I noticed that in the first talks with Uli (Hoeneß). There was great uncertainty, all positions were questioned. Victory was less important than defeat for the insane development that FC Bayern has taken since then and to this day,” explained Sammer.
In 2012, Munich not only lost the final of the Champions League in their own arena against Chelsea, but also the final in Berlin for the DFB Cup against Borussia Dortmund. In the Bundesliga they only finished second behind Borussia Dortmund.
Sammer: “Hit to the core”
“I immediately noticed how badly this second year had hit Uli and Karl-Heinz (Rummenigge) in the core,” reported Sammer, who is currently a BVB consultant. “Back then, decisions were made and what everyone knew was demonstrated: There are no more excuses! Jupp (Heynckes) influenced and moderated that perfectly as a trainer, so it all grew. In the end, the final in London was actually just a product of this development.” Munich won the German Champions League final at London’s Wembley Stadium against Dortmund 2-1.
Sammer was signed in the summer of 2012 after the untitled season. Sports director Christian Nerlinger had to go. Javi Martínez was also signed for the then Munich record fee of 40 million euros.
For the first time since then, the Munich team is threatened with a year without a title again this year. After dropping out of the quarter-finals in the DFB Cup and in the Champions League, FC Bayern started the final day of the game in second place – two points behind BVB. Dortmund host FSV Mainz 05 on the final day of the game, while FC Bayern play at 1. FC Köln.
