Champions watch party with Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry

50 years ago, Franz Beckenbauer’s team cemented FC Bayern’s place among the world’s elite with their third consecutive European Cup win. We took this anniversary as an opportunity to take a journey through the Reds’ rich history of finals with Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry. From the early days to 2020 – what lessons can be applied to the present day?

Kimmich and Gnabry sit side by side in the ground staff's building on Säbener Straße, which has been converted into a TV studio for our experiment. The walls are lined with metal cupboards, the floor is criss-crossed with cables, there's a rake leaning here, a spade there, buckets are stacked on top of one another. There's a table for snacks and, next to the fire extinguisher, a dispenser for earplugs. The two players have made themselves comfortable in front of a television, while behind them the TV images are projected onto a curtain to provide more decorative lighting for the room. At one point, both are completely bathed in Bayern red, as a reel of the 2020 Champions League final plays – the pair’s greatest triumph in a Munich jersey. “Can we rewind ten seconds, please?” asks Kimmich as the build-up to Kingsley Coman’s crucial winner and the ensuing celebrations are shown. There are some moments you can never get enough of – professional players are no different from fans in that respect.

Serge Gnabry: “It was the Coronavirus pandemic back then; that feels like a distant memory now. Of course, you imagine a Champions League final differently – celebrating alongside the fans.”

Joshua Kimmich: “We celebrated in the dressing room, and then there was a party at the hotel. But as you say, it’s still a real shame that our fans couldn’t be there with us to experience it.”

SG: “The celebrations in the dressing room were really, really good. But not being able to go out to the fans in the stands, and having no contact with them in the days that followed – that’s what was missing.”

JK: "Watching the match now, Manu was simply outstanding in goal."

SG: “But we really did have this great togetherness: we grew closer as a team. We had this feeling that, actually, no-one could beat us. We were really in the zone.”

JK: “Success binds people together. When you win matches together, a certain dynamic eventually develops. We’re seeing that this season too. You become a unit.”

The two decide to split up to analyse further FCB finals – Kimmich now leans forward in his chair to take a closer look at the 1967 Cup Winners’ Cup final: Franz Beckenbauer is pulling the strings, Gerd Müller is working tirelessly, and Franz ‘Bulle’ Roth gets the decisive 1–0 against Glasgow Rangers. The footage is in black and white; during slow-motion replays, a capital “R for 'replay' flashes at the edge of the screen – that’s how it was done then, long before Kimmich’s time: he was born in 1995.

How was football played back then, in 1967?
JK: "The playing style feels more man-oriented – although today we’re returning to that approach to some extent, particularly when pressing high up the pitch."

Are there any figures that stand out?
JK: “Franz Beckenbauer is of course instantly recognisable – by his style, his gait, the way he controls the ball, how he floats across the pitch. Gerd Müller is unmistakable too.”

The goal was scored by ‘Bulle’ Roth – he scored decisive goals in three finals.
JK: “That’s really unique. And this goal here: a volley, absolutely brilliant. The chip that set it up, too. There are plenty of elements in there that are still popular today.”

As Gnabry intently watches the 2013 final at Wembley, images of Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben flit over his head. As Kimmich just said: some elements from the past never go out of fashion – Gnabry has taken on that role out on the wings. “Ooh,” he gasps, as Dante concedes the penalty with the foul on Dortmund’s Marco Reus, but the momentary 1–1 becomes a footnote following Robben’s goal.

What set that team apart back then?
SG: “The determination they showed after losing the ‘Finale dahoam’ (final at home). The fact that they developed such a fighting spirit – in the sense of saying, 'We’re unbeatable this time and we’re going to win this.' They didn’t wallow in self-pity, but stepped it up a gear – a tremendous achievement.”

What do you think of the winning goal?
SG: “Spine-tingling! Every single time. I played alongside Arjen for another year. He always gave his all – a true role model.”

You’ve already won the Champions League. How do you stay hungry?
SG: “Once you’ve experienced it, you want it again. And if we look at FC Bayern’s history – it was built on success: this constant desire to win is a tradition here. The foundations were laid by the successes of the Beckenbauer era.”

Gnabry knows what he’s talking about: he watches the 1974 final, leaning back casually with one hand resting on the back of his chair. He keeps grinning – especially when Paul Breitner sets up Uli Hoeneß for the final goal in the 4–0 win at Atlético Madrid. Back then, the tie was decided by a replay, after Hans-Georg ‘Katsche’ Schwarzenbeck had scored an equaliser at the death in the first game.

What do you know about the heroes of yesteryear?
SG: “I had the privilege of meeting Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in person – it’s always interesting to see what they were like back in the day. We’re talking about absolute world-class players.”

At the time, Beckenbauer told Schwarzenbeck not to cross the half-way line – let alone go for goal…
SG: “Fortunately, he managed to put that out of his mind. In a final, it all comes down to your mindset – making sure you’re at your best on the day. In 1975 and 1976, they went on to win it again – getting to the top is easier than staying there. It was during this period that this distinctive FC Bayern mentality was born, the one that still drives the club to this day.”

How does your generation view Gerd Müller?
SG: “I’ve watched lots of videos of him and I constantly hear that he was incredibly fast and had a unique instinct. He always found the target. People will be telling stories about players like that forever – and everyone knows them.”

Kimmich starts gesticulating when it's his turn to commentate on the 2001 final. Behind him on the screen, Oliver Kahn clenches his fists after saving the last penalty, and Kimmich gets fully caught up in the moment in front of the TV: “I was six years old back then; that’s when I started watching football – I remember the World Cup a year later quite well.” The fan’s banner at the final in Milan remains unforgettable: ‘Today is a good day to make history’.

As a player, do you actually notice a banner like that?
JK: “Absolutely. It’s incredibly emotional when you see how many people share their thoughts ahead of a match like that. A display like that makes you really feel you’re not alone on the pitch; there’s a whole crowd behind you!”

What’s striking is the look on their faces during the penalty shoot-out – how it all comes pouring out.
JK: “Especially when you see someone like Oliver ‘Titan’ Kahn or Stefan ‘Tiger’ Effenberg here: they lost the final in 1999 in the most heart-breaking way imaginable, and that’s Bayern for you – they weren’t going to let their story end like that."

What does pressure mean at FC Bayern?
JK: “The more success you have, the more pressure there is to perform. Here, both externally and internally, there’s an expectation that you'll always win. That has an impact on the club, and it has an impact on the players. If you don’t embrace that here, you won’t be able to cope in the long run. Even after winning a final, it just keeps coming. You have to be able to enjoy that to a certain extent. And I believe the players here with us really do enjoy it. Personally, it spurs me on enormously.”

In the 1980s, FC Bayern reached the European Cup final in 1982 and 1987, but lost both times. Kimmich's brow furrows as he stares intently at the screen. “The game seems more dynamic than in the 1970s,” he remarks. “Is that Hansi Flick?” asks Gnabry when he sees his former coach doing a slide tackle during the 1987 final. The clip ends with the camera frozen on a close-up of Matthäus, who is looking sadly at the ground.

JK: “When you see that feint from Rummenigge here. Or a bicycle kick like that – football became more athletic again in the 80s. Klaus Augenthaler was captain for a long time; I even played against him once in a Paulaner fan match. He played a great game just like in the old days – it was impressive. He’s still the coach of the FC Bayern World Squad.”

What does a defeat in a final like that do to a team?
JK: “Even negative experiences can generate energy; they can bring a team closer together too.”

SG: "You have to move up a gear by the start of the new season at the latest. Even after the defeats in 1999 and 2012, Bayern Munich bounced back. There are few clubs in the world with such a rich history of finals. And I wouldn’t be averse to adding a few more chapters to that story."

The article appeared in the April issue of the FC Bayern members' Magazine '51' (in German).

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