Bayern München could become the first German side to win the treble if they beat Bruno Labbadia’s Stuttgart on Saturday.
The scene was set; 2002 was the year. Bayer Leverkusen was two match-days away from the Bundesliga title. They booked their place in the Cup final against Hertha Berlin. They also booked themselves a spot in the Champions League final. It all came tumbling down in a matter of weeks. At the end, Leverkusen despite being amongst the final two survivors in three competitions, could only cry in frustration.
That frustration was etched on the face of Arjen Robben last season as Neven Subotic yelled at him following a penalty miss that handed Dortmund the title. That pain was seen in Bastian Schweinsteiger’s face as he shook the hands of the DFB Pokal winners, Dortmund a few weeks later. That pain was etched in 23 faces and Jupp Heynckes’ face as the Champions League final was lost three times over in 2012.
Finally, Bayern can stop looking back. They have secured the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League. The only trophy remaining is the DFB Pokal. In truth, this trophy will complete a quadruple. Bayern already secured the Supercup at the beginning of the season when they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1.
This season speaks volumes about a club which associates itself with winning and nowadays with standing up following the greatest of defeats. Bayern München almost never feels sorry for themselves. But, even if for a brief moment, on May 19th 2012, this proud German club did not feel an ounce of pride. They were truly defeated.
Leverkusen never managed to stand up from the horrors of 2002. The team broke apart; they fought for survival rather than the Champions League the following season. Bayern strengthened and came back. They calmly made their way through the group stages before bursting out of the gates in London at the Emirates. The Italian champions Juventus and the Spanish champions Barcelona were merely flies on the wall they swatted away en route to a historic all German final. Yes, Juventus and Barcelona were beaten by an aggregate score of 11-0.
In the final, Bayern banished not only the memories of the previous CL finale but also of the defeats at Dortmund’s hands. They beat Dortmund when it mattered most. They ended the holders’ journey in this season’s Pokal in the quarterfinals. Arjen Robben was the hero of that match. Bayern has only the ghosts of Berlin to exorcize. And they are seemingly flexing their muscles to do exactly that.
However, their opponent is another team which has fought against adversity to be where they are. They have lost too many players to injury. Due to austerity measures taken by the club’s board, Bruno Labbadia has not had a penny to spend. He has made the best out of what he had. A thin squad coupled with the lack of talent in some areas led to some rather forgettable performances by the Swabians.
They did however manage to produce two customary good performances against Dortmund. They beat Leverkusen as well and gave Bayern a tough time in their encounter in the league at the beginning of this year. Stuttgart will be ready to crown a miserable season. The Pokal has showcased that they can still do considerable damage.
If Stuttgart manages to ruin Bayern’s party, nobody will begrudge them considering their hardships. If Bayern wins, nobody can begrudge a team which was literally lying on the floor in pain just a year ago yet another trophy.
The trophy with the green jewels will await its newest member on Saturday.
That frustration was etched on the face of Arjen Robben last season as Neven Subotic yelled at him following a penalty miss that handed Dortmund the title. That pain was seen in Bastian Schweinsteiger’s face as he shook the hands of the DFB Pokal winners, Dortmund a few weeks later. That pain was etched in 23 faces and Jupp Heynckes’ face as the Champions League final was lost three times over in 2012.
Finally, Bayern can stop looking back. They have secured the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League. The only trophy remaining is the DFB Pokal. In truth, this trophy will complete a quadruple. Bayern already secured the Supercup at the beginning of the season when they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1.
This season speaks volumes about a club which associates itself with winning and nowadays with standing up following the greatest of defeats. Bayern München almost never feels sorry for themselves. But, even if for a brief moment, on May 19th 2012, this proud German club did not feel an ounce of pride. They were truly defeated.
Leverkusen never managed to stand up from the horrors of 2002. The team broke apart; they fought for survival rather than the Champions League the following season. Bayern strengthened and came back. They calmly made their way through the group stages before bursting out of the gates in London at the Emirates. The Italian champions Juventus and the Spanish champions Barcelona were merely flies on the wall they swatted away en route to a historic all German final. Yes, Juventus and Barcelona were beaten by an aggregate score of 11-0.
In the final, Bayern banished not only the memories of the previous CL finale but also of the defeats at Dortmund’s hands. They beat Dortmund when it mattered most. They ended the holders’ journey in this season’s Pokal in the quarterfinals. Arjen Robben was the hero of that match. Bayern has only the ghosts of Berlin to exorcize. And they are seemingly flexing their muscles to do exactly that.
However, their opponent is another team which has fought against adversity to be where they are. They have lost too many players to injury. Due to austerity measures taken by the club’s board, Bruno Labbadia has not had a penny to spend. He has made the best out of what he had. A thin squad coupled with the lack of talent in some areas led to some rather forgettable performances by the Swabians.
They did however manage to produce two customary good performances against Dortmund. They beat Leverkusen as well and gave Bayern a tough time in their encounter in the league at the beginning of this year. Stuttgart will be ready to crown a miserable season. The Pokal has showcased that they can still do considerable damage.
If Stuttgart manages to ruin Bayern’s party, nobody will begrudge them considering their hardships. If Bayern wins, nobody can begrudge a team which was literally lying on the floor in pain just a year ago yet another trophy.
The trophy with the green jewels will await its newest member on Saturday.
