29 years after his farewell as an FC Bayern player, Hansi Flick returned to the German record champions in July 2019 as assistant coach to Niko Kovač and was promoted to the position of head coach in the following November. That was the start of the most successful period in the history of FC Bayern with wonderful football and numerous titles. At the end of the 2020/21 season, the 56-year-old is leaving FCB at his own request. fcbayern.com looks back at Flick's outstandingly successful time in charge.
1. Off to a cracking start
Flick could always rely on <a href="robert-lewandowski">Robert Lewandowski</a>. The Pole scored twice in his first Bundesliga match as head coach against Borussia Dortmund.
In his first games in charge, Flick showed what his team was about and their style: Exciting attacking football. After opening with a 2-0 win against Olympiakos in the Champions League, Flick went straight into the top Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena – and FCB sent BVB packing with an impressive 4-0 victory for the Reds. That was followed by another two wins in the next two matches with an incredible goal difference of 16 for and 0 against from 4 games. That was the best start for a Bayern coach since promotion to the Bundesliga in 1965.
2. Magic touch and impressive run
That was followed by two bitter 2-1 defeats against Leverkusen and Gladbach with Bayern being on top for much of those games and having numerous clear-cut chances. Flick and his team refused to be put off course and went on the next impressive run. The 15 matches across all competitions up to the suspension of play due to the coronavirus pandemic in the middle of March produced 14 wins and one draw (0-0 against Leipzig). Flick demonstrated a magic touch in the games against Freiburg and Wolfsburg. In the closing stages of both matches, he brought on Joshua Zirkzee and he netted the winner for FCB on both occasions.
3. Record in the Champions League group stage
In the 3-1 win for Bayern in the final group match in 2019 against Tottenham Hotspur <a href="alphonso-davies">Alphonso Davies</a> provided two assists. The then 19-year-old Canadian stood out with impressive performances in 2019/20 and made a full breakthrough at FCB under Flick.
Bayern were not only setting the pace at home but Hansi Flick's team also demonstrated their class in Europe. For example, Bayern clocked up a 6-0 victory in Belgrade and won all their games in the Champions League group stage in 2019. 18 points and a goal difference of plus 19 is still the best record for a team in the history of the group stages of the Champions League.
4. The first titles – Flick wins the double
In July 2020, Flick was overjoyed to bring the first two trophies to the FC Bayern Museum as head coach.
Bayern dealt extremely well with the break enforced by coronavirus in the spring of 2020 and went on to impress again with attractive football. Flick was able to celebrate the first title on matchday 32. FCB were certain of finishing top of the table after the 1-0 at Werder Bremen and were champions of Germany with two games to play. When Flick took over the helm at Bayern in November there was a four-point deficit to league leaders Gladbach. The Reds ended up with an impressive 13-point lead and were presented with the Schale after the final matchday in Wolfsburg. That was followed a week later by a 4-2 win against Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB Cup that sealed the thirteenth double for FCB.
5. Show of strength against Barça
The third coup followed in the Champions League. The knockout stages were played as a tournament in Lisbon due to the coronavirus pandemic and Bayern made a clear statement in the quarter-finals. Barcelona were knocked out of the competition on the end of an 8-2 defeat. The Flick team were on fire and impressed with great play and moves. That emphasised the title ambitions.
6. Line-up trick for the treble
Flick sprang a surprise by playing Kingsley Coman in the starting eleven in the final. It was thanks to his goal that Flick was able to hoist the coveted trophy in the air.
Bayern ran out winners in the final against PSG and Flick paid a big part in that. In somewhat of a surprise, Kingsley Coman, who had been injured before the tournament and only came on as a sub in previous matches, was in the starting line-up. "Kingsley came through the ranks at PSG and that might provide extra motivation," said Flick in explaining his decision before kick-off – and he was proved to be right. Coman had a great game and he headed FCB to the title with the winning goal.
7. Bayern overcome packed fixture list
The next magic touch: Flick brought on Joshua Kimmich in the closing stages at Leverkusen. The midfield dynamo made the crucial intervention to set up the winning goal and bring a broad smile to the coach’s face.
Bayern were faced with a packed fixture list in the new season and a heavy workload. The result was that the Reds did concede a lot of goals but were so impressive in attack and therefore almost always picked up points. Flick's team now impressed with an incredible mentality and morale. They came from behind again and again. In the last match before the short winter break, FCB regained top spot with a 2-1 win in Leverkusen and retained it for the rest of the season.
8. Chasing records
After winning the UEFA Super Cup and the DFL Supercup, Bayern also lifted the FIFA Club World Cup title in February 2021. That made FCB the best team of the world officially with all six possible titles won within a year – only Barcelona achieved that before in 2009. After winning the World Cup with Germany in 2014 as assistant coach, Flick was also now the club world champion. At this point Flick had more titles (6) than defeats and draws (5 each).
9. Farewell with the Schale
The Reds went out of the DFB Cup in the second round at Kiel in 2021 and there was also a disappointing exit against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. However, Bayern were unstoppable in the league. Closest rivals Leipzig were kept at arm's length after a 1-0 win on matchday 27 and Bayern were champions of Germany before playing on matchday 32. As Leipzig lost to Dortmund in the afternoon game, the result for FCB in the evening match against Gladbach was actually irrelevant. But the Flick team won 6-0 to show they deserved to win the ninth title in succession. Bayern picked up an impressive 78 points in the end and also scored 99 goals – there were only more scored in 1971/72 (101) and 2019/20 (100). The final record for Flick in 86 games was 70 matches won (with 8 defeats and 8 draws) and an incredible seven titles.
The gallery provides another review of this incredible period:
On Sunday we will show the big Hansi Flick film:
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