Bayern Munich may have won five straight Bundesliga titles, but even now, it’s the first of those that stand out.
In 2012-13, Bayern Munich became just the fourth club to complete a treble, with the Champions League triumph being that year’s crowning glory.
It was the Bavarian side’s first European title since 2001, ending a long wait for a fifth win that had become the club’s obsession as domestic success became more or less a guarantee, apart from a brief lean spell.
Manager Jupp Heynckes had announced that he would be leaving at the end of that season, with his failure to deliver a European title ruining his standing with the club’s hierarchy.
It’s fair to say he signed off with the perfect riposte, beating Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling final at Wembley Stadium.
Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti – regarded as two of the best managers in football – were unable to replicate Heynckes’ success, and the 72-year-old is now the favourite to take over until the end of the season following Ancelotti’s sacking last week.
It would be a stunning turn of events, and although the personnel has changed since Heynckes’ last spell there’s no doubt he’d look to install his 2012/13 blueprint.
Here’s a look at what made that season’s team so successful.
