Fifty years ago, Bayern became the first German team to win a hat-trick of Bundesliga titles and the European Cup – all within the space of eight days. Members magazine ‘51’ has taken a look back at four unforgettable games and forgotten moments off the pitch in May 1974. Part 4 looks at the omens in the build-up to the final against Atletico Madrid.
Tuesday, 14 May
There wasn’t much space on the front pages for the final. The newspapers were dealing with the resignation of Chancellor Willy Brandt and the government crisis in Bonn. Johan Cruyff analysed the game on Bayerischer Rundfunk with a good eye and tactical precision, praising Atletico's “unique double wings” and Bayern's greater variability: “Munich can play in an Italian way and at an English tempo, they control the game with long and short passes (...) and can expose Atletico to constant changes - sometimes cold, sometimes hot.” Nevertheless, King Johan's verdict was: “The odds are 50-50.”
I was squealing like a pig.
Gerd Müller
At lunchtime, the president, general manager and coach held a secret meeting to plan what would happen after the final and went through various scenarios. In the event of a victory, the team would fly directly back to Munich on Thursday and travel from there to Mönchengladbach for the last Bundesliga game so that the many players called up for the World Cup would have as much time as possible with their families. In the event of a defeat or a replay, they would travel directly to Gladbach by coach. But was a defeat really conceivable?
Gerd Müller received four anti-inflammatory injections from Bayern club doctor Dr Erich Spannbauer and said: “I was squealing like a pig.” However, his participation was not jeopardised. The mood in the hotel was good. Heysel Stadium is “a very good omen”, said Uli Hoeneß.
It was here that he and five other Bayern players had won the European Championship in 1972. “And this is also where we’ll win the European Cup.” Another good omen was that Bayern had won all seven finals in the club's history.
Read part 3 of our series here:
Topics of this article