7 March 2007 - Makaay Makes His Mark

On 7 March 2007, Bayern Munich's Roy Makaay scored the Champions League's fastest goal when he netted against Real Madrid after only 10 seconds.

The match was the second leg of the Round of 16. Real Madrid won the first leg at the Bernabéu 3-2, but Bayern's two away goals would prove to be crucial.

Bayern hosted the second leg at the Allianz Arena, where a crowd of 69,500 turned out to watch Makaay's record goal. Real Madrid took the opening kick and quickly sent it back to left back Roberto Carlos, whose poor touch allowed Bayern's Hasan Salihamidžić to steal it away. He slipped behind the defensive line and centered the ball for Makaay, surging through the middle. The striker collected it and beat keeper Iker Casillas with a calm finish with just 10.12 seconds on the clock.

The goal crushed the previous record of 20.07 seconds, set by Arsenal's Gilberto Silva in a 2002 match against PSV Eindhoven.

The match ended 2-1 to Bayern after they got a second-half goal from Lucio (66') and Madrid got a late penalty from forward Ruud van Nistelrooy (83'). Even at 3-3 on aggregate, Bayern advanced on away goals (but lost to Milan in the quarterfinals).

12 December 1949 - A Born Leader

On 12 December 1949, two-time Club Coach of the Year Ottmar Hitzfeld was born in Lörrach, West Germany.

As a striker, he enjoyed a successful playing career, including a spell with Basel (1971-75) in which he won two league titles and was once the league's top scorer. After subsequent stints with Stuttgart (1975-78), Lugano (1978-80), and Luzern (1980-83), he moved into management, starting with SC Zug (1983-84) and Aarau (1984-88).

But he rose to prominence with Grasshopper Zürich, where, between 1988 and 1991, he guided the team to two league titles and two Swiss Cups. That earned him a move to the Bundesliga where he led Borussia Dortmund to the championship in 1995 and 1996, then lifted the Champions League trophy in 1997. The latter performance led the IFFHS to name him their Club Coach of the Year.

He then moved to Bayern Munich, where he won another four Bundesliga titles, including the 2001 title when he also claimed a second Champions League trophy. That year, IFFHS again made him their Club Coach of the Year.

Hitzfeld left Bayern in 2004, but returned for a second spell in 2007 and won yet another league title, then left in 2008 to manage Switzerland, where he stayed until his retirement in 2014.

11 January 2008 - Yeah, It's All Smiles Now, But Just Wait

On 11 January 2008, Bayern Munich announced that Jürgen Klinsmann would replace outgoing manager Ottmar Hitzfeld at the end of the season, but it was a match that didn't last.

Klinsmann, who played briefly for Bayern during a career that also included stops at Stuttgart, Inter, Monaco, and Tottenham, had held only one prior managerial post, but it was an impressive one. Guiding the German national team from 2004 to 2006, he retooled the administration of the entire organization, from the youth team up. But after taking the senior side to the World Cup semifinals in 2006, he stepped down, citing his intention to rest and spend more time with his family.

But in 2008, Bayern lured him from retirement, announcing in January that he was going to take the team over in July, replacing Hitzfeld (who went on to win the league title--his fifth with Bayern--that year, as well as his third German Cup).

Klinsmann proceeded to restructure the club as he had done with Germany, starting with a new player development center. But toward the end of his first season, his relationship with the board of directors had soured. Even though Bayern had reached the semifinals of the Champions League and were sitting three points out of first in the Bundesliga with five games still to play, the board sacked Klinsmann.

After another two-year break, Klinsmann returned to football as manager of the United States from 2011 to 2016.

4 November 1945 - Willkommen Zu Hause

On 4 November 1945, after a short break, league football returned to Germany. Part of Germany, anyway.

While some countries suspended their football leagues for the duration of World War II, the sport continued to be played in Germany, with the last recorded match under the Third Reich being a 3-2 Bayern Munich win over 1860 Munich in April 1945. When the German government surrendered three weeks later, the Allied powers occupied Germany and banned all organizations, including sports clubs.

But in September 1945, the Americans, in charge of southeastern Germany including the states of Bavaria and Hesse, allowed matches in their zone and then, at the end of October, sanctioned the formation of a new  league. Called the Oberliga Süd, it consisted of 16 teams, with league play starting on 4 November. Each team played thirty games, with Stuttgart (pictured) winning the inaugural title.

Four other leagues soon followed in the other occupied zones, with each being the top flight in their regions: the Oberliga Berlin and Oberliga Südwest in 1945, the Oberliga Nord and Oberliga West in 1947.

The Oberliga system lasted until 1963, when it was replaced by the nationwide Bundesliga.

5 August 2005 - There's No Place Like A New Home

On 5 August 2005, Bayern Munich hosted the first competitive match at the new Allianz Arena, beating Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0.

Built with a capacity of 66,000 (and later expanded to 69,000) the Arena replaced the Olympic Stadium as home to both Bayern and 1860 Munich, and also serves the German national team. In recognition of its multiple tenants, it includes an exterior surface that changes color based on the team playing--red for Bayern, blue for 1860 Munich, and white for the national team.

Construction began in 2002 and the stadium officially opened on 30 May 2005 with an exhibition between 1860 Munich and Nuremberg. Bayern and the German national team faced each other there in a friendly the following day.

In that first competitive match, a Bundesliga contest, Bayern midfielder Owen Hargreaves scored the opening goal, curling a right-footed shot into the far top corner from just inside the box in the 28th minute. His teammate, striker Roy Makaay, doubled, then tripled, the lead with goals in the 86th and 89th minutes.

It was the start of an excellent year for the hosts, who went on to win the double that season, taking both the league title and the German Cup.

17 May 1974 - Bayern Delivers A Beating

On 17 May 1974, Bayern Munich won the first of three consecutive European Cups, beating Atlético Madrid 4-0 in a replay.

It was the first time in the final for both teams, who played to a 1-1 draw two days earlier, with both goals coming late in extra time to force a replay. They returned to the Heysel Stadium in Brussels on 17 May and did not have to wait long for Bayern to stake their claim to the trophy.

In the 28th minute, forward Uli Hoeness (pictured) outraced the Atlético defenders to a long ball played out of Bayern's own half, then pushed the ball between the keeper's legs to open the scoring. Exactly thirty minutes later, his striking partner Gerd Müller, the Bundesliga's top scorer for six of the previous eight seasons, powered a shot into the top of the net from a tight angle.

Müller extended the lead to 3-0 with another goal in the 71st minute. Not to be outdone, Hoeness got a second of his own in the 83rd minute to push the final margin to 4-0.

It was the completion of a double for Bayern, who had just won their third straight Bundesliga title. They went on to win the tournament again in 1975, 1976, 2001, and 2013.

9 May 1945 - Heynckes The Hometown Hero

On 9 May 1945, striker Josef "Jupp" Heynckes was born in Mönchengladbach where he went on to become his home team's all-time top scorer.

Heynckes made his professional debut in 1964 with Borussia Mönchengladbach, then in the second-tier Regionalliga West. But his 23 goals in 25 league appearances that first season helped the club earn promotion to the Bundesliga for the following season. He played only two more season there before transferring to Hannover in 1967.

He did well at Hannover, scoring 35 goals in three seasons, but returned to Gladbach for the 1970-71 season which ended with them as league champions. Additional titles followed in 1975, 1976, and 1977--along with the 1975 UEFA Cup--as Heynckes established himself as one of the world's premier strikers. He was the league's top scorer in 1974 and 1975, with 30 and 29 goals, respectively. He retired from playing in 1978 having scored a club record total of 292 goals in 400 appearances for Gladbach (plus another 35 in 101 appearances for Hannover).

He moved immediately into management, taking charge of Gladbach from 1979 to 1987, then again from 2006 to 2007 . His resume includes a long list of other teams, including Athletic Bilbao (twice), Schalke, Benfica, and Real Madrid (with whom he won the Champions League in 1998). He had three separate stints in charge of Bayern Munich, where he won three Bundesliga titles (1989, 1990, and 2013) and another Champions League trophy (2013).

25 April 1985 - The Toffees Taste Sweet Victory In Europe

On 25 April 1985, Everton claimed one of their greatest wins, beating Bayern Munich 3-1 at Goodison Park.

Both Everton and Bayern Munich were enjoying strong seasons that would end with both of them winning their leagues. Their match-up came in the European Cup Winners' Cup semifinals, with the two teams playing to a scoreless draw in Munich on 10 April in the first leg. 

At Goodison for the return leg, Bayern took the advantage with a 37th-minute goal from striker Dieter Hoeness. Down 0-1 at the break, Everton manager Howard Kendall reportedly pointed out that, in the second half, they were going to be shooting toward the Gwladys Street end, location of the most rabid home supporters, and told his players "Just kick toward Gwladys Street, the fans will suck it into the goal."

It didn't take long. The Toffees equalized in just the 47th minute with a strike from forward Graeme Sharp. Striker Andy Gray then put them ahead in the 73rd minute before winger Trevor Steven completed the comeback and sealed the win with a goal in the 87th minute.

The win sent Everton to the final where they proceeded to beat Rapid Wien 3-1 for their first and only piece of European silverware.

7 April 2001 - Enough Cards For A Round Of Poker

On 7 April 2001, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich battled to a 1-1 league draw that included a total of fourteen yellow cards and three ejections.

The match was part of a tight title race--Bayern were in first, just one point clear of second-place Dortmund, who would claim the top spot with a win in front of their home supporters. 

The visitors started strongly, with forward Roque Santa Cruz putting them ahead with a 6th-minute strike. Shortly afterward, the contest degenerated into a brutish display that held little resemblance to a football match. Bayern were the main culprits, accumulating a total of six yellow cards before the break, including two for left back Bixente Lizarazu, who was ejected in the 35th minute.

With Bayern a man down, Dortmund equalized in the 52nd minute with a goal from striker Fredi Bobic. Just three minutes later, Bayern went down to nine men as midfielder and captain Stefan Effenberg (pictured, from a different match) received a straight red, but the hosts could not capitalize on their numerical advantage and the game ended 1-1. By that time, Dortmund had a player of their own sent off, with right back Evanilson receiving a straight red in the 90th minute. In all, the referee showed ten yellows and two reds to Bayern, and two yellows and a red to Dortmund, for a league single-match record total of 15 cards.

Bayern went on to win the league that year, while Dortmund finished in third.

18 January 1971 - He Truly Does Have Barcelona DNA

On 18 January 1971, former Barcelona player and manager Pep Guardiola was born in the Catalonian town of Santpedor.

Guardiola first joined Barcelona in 1983 as a 12-year old member of their famed La Masia youth academy. He signed a professional contract with the club in 1990 and, later that year, then-manager Johan Cruyff called him up to the first team. Playing a central role as a defensive midfielder, Guardiola proceeded to collect a number of honors, including six league titles between 1991 and 1999 and the 1992 European Cup.

In 2001, the 30-year old left Spain and spent time playing for Brescia (2001-02, 2003), Roma (2002-03), Al-Ahli (2003-05), and Dorados (2005-06). Upon his retirement in 2006, he took a year off, then returned to Barcelona in 2007 as manager of the club's B team. After only one season, the club promoted him to manager of the first team, replacing the departing Frank Rijkaard.

As manager, Guardiola emphasized the possession-based total football concept promoted by his own former manager, Cruyff. It paid immediate dividends, as Barcelona won the league in Guardiola's first season back, then proceeded to win the next two, as well as two Champions League titles and two Club World Cups. 

In 2013, he moved to Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga for three straight years before joining his current club, Manchester City, in 2016. 

2 October 2010 - Mainz Roll To Seven

On 2 October 2010, Mainz joined an exclusive group by opening their season with a record-matching seven straight league wins. Like the others before them, however, the streak ended at seven.

Bayern Munich were the first team to win their first seven Bundesliga matches back in 1995 and Kaiserslautern matched the feat in 2001. In the 2010-11 season, Mainz beat both of them en route to their own streak. It started in August with Stuttgart and included wins over Wolfsburg, Werder Bremen, and Cologne to extend the run to six.

Their seventh match came against Hoffenheim, who had beaten Mainz twice the previous season. But the hosts, who were sitting at the top of the table, wasted no time in taking the lead--striker Sami Allagui put them ahead in just the second minute. Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba equalized in the 41st minute, Ádám Szalai (pictured at right) restored the lead six minutes later. Hoffenheim midfielder Luiz Gustavo inadvertently extended the lead with a 59th-minute own goal and the two teams traded late strikes to end the match as a 4-2 Mainz victory.

Unfortunately for Mainz, they fell short of taking sole possession of a new record, falling to Hamburg 0-1 in their next match two weeks later. 

Since then, Bayern Munich broke the record by opening with eight straight league wins in 2012, then pushed the record to ten in 2015. 

15 June 1969 - Khaaaaaaaaaaannn!

On 15 June 1969, Bayern Munich legend and 2002 World Cup Golden Ball winner Oliver "King" Kahn was born in Karlsruhe, West Germany. He is widely considered one of the greatest goalkeepers in history.

Kahn started his professional career in 1987 with his hometown team, Karlsruher SC (after joining their youth academy in 1975). But in 1994, he moved to Bayern Munich for a fee of €2,385,000--a record at the time for a goalkeeper--and remained there for the rest of his career.

In 1996, he won his first piece of team silverware, the UEFA Cup, followed a few months later by winning that year's European Championship as Germany's starting keeper. He then added to his collection with eight Bundesliga titles (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008), six German Cups (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008), the 2001 UEFA Champions League trophy, and the 2001 Intercontinental Cup.

In the 2002 World Cup, Kahn captained Germany, keeping five clean sheets and surrendering only a single goal as they advanced to the World Cup Final. Although they lost to Brazil, 2-0, Kahn became the first goalkeeper in history to win the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.

He retired from the national team in 2006, then from Bayern Munich in 2008.

26 May 1982 - "Oh It Must Be, And It Is!"

On 26 May 1982, Aston Villa won the European Cup over Bayern Munich with an outstanding performance from an unlikely hero.

Playing before a crowd of 45,000 at the Feyenoord Stadion in Rotterdam, Villa started the match as decided underdogs to three-time champion Bayern. And their hopes took another hit when their starting goalkeeper, Jimmy Rimmer, had to leave the match after only 10 minutes. He had injured his neck previously and was relying on painkillers to see him through the day, but he could not make it and had to withdraw. Villa sent on his replacement, 23-year old Nigel Spink. Despite joining the club in 1977, Spink had made only one other appearance with the first team.

His inexperience did not show, however, and he made several dazzling saves to deny the Germans, who boasted three of the tournament's top four scorers (Dieter Hoeness, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and Paul Brietner).

Villa scored the day's only goal in the 67th minute. Forward Gary Shaw delivered a cutting pass down the left to midfielder Tony Morley, who dodged a couple of Bayern defenders and slipped the ball behind them and across the goalmouth. Forward Peter Withe was waiting there and tapped the ball into the net for the win. Commentator Brian Moore famously announced the goal by saying "Shaw, Williams, prepared to venture down the left. There's a good ball in for Tony Morley. Oh, it must be and it is! It's Peter Withe!"

Spink remained with Villa until 1996, making a total of 460 appearances before moving to West Brom.

29 April 1996 - The Return Of The Kaiser (Again)

On 29 April 1996, Franz ("Der Kaiser") Beckenbauer returned to Bayern Munich for a second stint as manager and collected another piece of silverware in his two months in charge.

Beckenbauer, who won four league titles and three European Cups with Bayern from 1964 to 1977, originally returned to the club for the second half of the 1993-94 season. After lifting them to the 1994 Bundesliga title, he stepped aside as manager, handing the reins to Giovanni Trapattoni. Beckenbauer remained with the club as president.

Otto Rehhagel was their manager for the 1995-96 season, but despite some success on the pitch, he had a difficult relationship with the team's players, who considered his tactics and style to be too old-fashioned. Bayern cut ties with him in April 1996, just as the team was preparing to contest the UEFA Cup Final.

Once more, they turned to Beckenbauer, who took over for the last two months of the season. His first match in charge was the UEFA Cup Final, which ended as a 2-0 victory over Bordeaux. Bayern proceeded to win one and draw one of their last four matches to secure a second-place spot in the Bundesliga. Beckenbauer stepped down once again, and once again turned the club over to Trapattoni.

18 April 2001 - United's 12th Man

On 18 April 2001, Manchester United took a team photo of their starting XI--with a surprise twelfth person.

United were at Munich's Olympic Stadium for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich, having lost the first leg 0-1 at Old Trafford. As the starters gathered on the pitch for their pre-match photo, they were unknowingly joined by out-of-work laborer Karl Power (pictured at far left).

Power had snuck into the stadium disguised as a member of a television crew, then changed into the Manchester United away kit and walked out unchallenged onto the pitch for the photo. Some of the players noticed him (such as Roy Keane, standing at far right and looking at Power), but he managed to stay for the photo, then retreated into the stands to watch the match.

He claimed that he had spent two years planning the stunt and later pulled similar pranks, such as walking out with the English cricket team for a match, performing the haka before an English rugby match, and sneaking onto Wimbledon's Centre Court. In 2003, he received a lifetime ban from Old Trafford after invading the pitch to re-enact a famous Diego Forlán goal.

28 December 1993 - The Return Of The Kaiser

On 28 December 1993, Bayern Munich legend Franz Beckenbauer returned to his former club, this time as manager.

Beckenbauer, nicknamed "Der Kaiser," originally joined Bayern's youth team in 1959 and remained with the club until 1977. During that time, they won 4 league titles, 4 DFB-Pokal Cups, and 3 consecutive European Cups (1974, 1975, 1976). He also helped guide Germany to victory in the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup. His play earned him the Ballon d'Or in 1972 and again in 1976.

After spells with the New York Cosmos and Hamburg, he moved into management, with successful tenures in charge of West Germany and Olympique Marseille before his return to Bayern in 1993. The return brought more silverware in the form of the 1994 league title. After only one season, he became president of the club, though he briefly returned as manager in 1996, winning the UEFA Cup.

4 August 1995 - Ballack Begins

On 4 August 1995, 18-year old Michael Ballack made his professional debut for 2.Bundesliga side Chemnitzer FC. He would go on the become a three-time German Footballer of the Year, winning four Bundesliga titles and one Premier League title.

Chemnitzer lost Ballack's first match, 2-1 against VfB Leipzig, and were relegated at the end of the season. Ballack remained with them for one season in the third division, then moved to the top flight in 1997 with Kaiserslautern. He spent two seasons with Kaiserslautern, winning his first Bundesliga title in 1998, then played three seasons for Bayer Leverkusen (1999-2002) before moving to Bayern Munich. He enjoyed his greatest success at Bayern, winning league and German Cup doubles in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

In 2006, Ballack moved again, this time to Chelsea FC, helping the Blues to the FA Cup in his first season. Another FA Cup followed in 2008, the same year Chelsea advanced to the Champions League Final, then he won the fourth double of his career with the 2010 FA Cup and Premier League title.

Ballack returned to Bayer Leverkusen in 2010 and retired two years later.

12 July 1988 - An Award For Winning Awards

On 12 July 1988, UEFA recognized Juventus as the first club to win all three of UEFA's major competitions—the European Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup, and the UEFA Cup—by awarding them the UEFA Plaque.

One of the most successful clubs in Europe, Juventus won the first of their three UEFA Cups in 1977, defeating Athletic Bilbao over two legs by virtue of the away goal rule. In 1984, they won their only Cup Winners' Cup, beating Porto 2-1. One year later, they completed their triple crown, winning the first of two European Cups when they topped Liverpool 1-0 thanks to a Michel Platini penalty kick. Prior to that, Juve had twice finished as European Cup runners-up.

Only two other clubs—Ajax and Bayern Munich—have followed Juventus by winning all three of the major UEFA competitions, but Juventus remains the only club to win all of the confederation's official tournaments and cups, including the Intertoto Cup (1999) and the UEFA Super Cup (1984, 1996), as well as the joint UEFA-CONMEBOL Intercontinental Cup (1985, 1996).

12 May 1976 - Once, Twice, Three Times A Champion

On 12 May 1976, Bayern Munich won their third consecutive European Cup, beating Saint-Étienne 1-0 at Glasgow's Hampden Park. It is the last time that any club has won three straight competitions and only the third time that a club has won more than two consecutive Finals.

Saint-Étienne, that season's Ligue 1 champions, had already visited Hampden Park in that year's competition - they beat Rangers there by the score of 1-2 in the second leg of their Second Round meeting with the Scottish club to advance 4-1 on aggregate. As a result, thousands of Scottish supporters turned out to cheer them on in the Final. Combined with the French club's own visiting fans, approximately 45,000 of the 55,000-strong crowd were supporting Saint-Étienne.

The Final was a close contest. Bayern thought they had taken an early lead, but Gerd Müller's goal was flagged (incorrectly) as being offside. The French side then had a number of first half opportunities, but could not take advantage. A 34th-minute shot from midfielder Dominique Bathenay beat Bayern keeper Sepp Maier, but hit the crossbar. Five minutes later, midfielder Jacques Santini's shot just missed the net, slipping inches wide of the goalpost.

The missed chances shook the confidence of the Saint-Étienne players and Bayern took control of the match early in the second half, as midfielder Franz Roth turned a 57th-minute Franz Beckenbauer free kick into the net. The French side attacked with renewed vigor, but were unable to get past the Germans' defense.

Bayern's victory matched the accomplishment of Ajax, who won the European Cup three straight times from 1971 to 1973. The only team with a better streak is Real Madrid, who won the first five European Cups from 1956 to 1960.

7 April 1983 - The First Time France And Germany Agreed On Anything

On 7 April 1983, three-time French Player of the Year Franck Ribéry was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer. A winger who prefers to play on the left, he is considered by many to be one of the leading French players of his generation, with former French superstar Zinedine Zidane calling him "the jewel of French football."

Ribéry began his professional career in 2000 with his hometown team, Boulogne, then in the fourth division. After only two seasons, which saw Boulogne promoted only to be relegated again, he moved to couple of lower-division teams (Olympique Alès, 2002-03, and Stade Brestois, 2003-04) before landing in Ligue 1 with Metz in 2004. His initial stay in the French top flight was brief, as he left after only six months due to a contract dispute, ending up at Istanbul's Galatasaray in January 2005.

His stay in Turkey was equally brief, as after winning the 2005 Turkish Cup, he returned to Ligue 1 to play for Marseille. Although he had three years left on his contract with Galatasaray, he petitioned FIFA to void it, claiming that he had not been paid and that a Galatasaray director had threatened him with a baseball bat. The Turkish club denied the charges, but FIFA decided the matter in Ribéry's favor.

In two seasons at Marseille, he established himself as one of France's most dynamic and creative players, helping the club to capture the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup, then reach the back-to-back Coupe de France finals in 2006 and 2007, leading to his first French Player of the Year Award. His success in Marseille sparked a bidding war among several European clubs, including Arsenal and Real Madrid, but Germany's Bayern Munich eventually signed him in 2007 for €25 million.

At Bayern, Ribéry was instrumental in helping restore the club to its former glory, securing a double in 2007-08 by winning the German Cup and the league. For his role, Ribéry was named both the 2008 French Player of the Year and the 2008 German Footballer of the Year. He is currently still playing for Bayern, who have since won three more league titles (2010, 2013, 2014) and the 2013 Champions League final, while Ribéry added a third French Player of the Year award to his collection that year.