On Wednesday evening, FC Bayern will be chasing their first cup final since 2020. Before the turn of the millennium, Munich had even longer droughts – and responded in their own way.
In its history, FC Bayern has reached the final of the DFB Cup 24 times, winning 20 of them. In the recent past, however, the Munich team has been unable to take the most important national cup competition for granted. Since winning the cup in the 2019/20 coronavirus season – a 4:2 win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen – FCB have not actually reached the final once.
Fittingly, the semi-final on Wednesday evening will see them face Leverkusen, who were responsible for the German champions’ 1:0 cup exit in the round of 16 last year.
In the history of the competition, which was introduced in 1935, there have only been three long periods in which Munich have not reached the final since their first cup triumph in 1957. The first drought immediately followed that first cup victory, when FCB beat Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-0 at Augsburg’s Rosenaustadion thanks to Rudolf Jobst. Bayern were denied a place in the final in the eight years that followed.
In 1966, Munich struck back with a 4-2 win over Meidericher SV, in which Franz Beckenbauer scored the final goal – and went on to win the DFB Cup three more times until 1971. Had the new dominator of the competition been found? Not at all. Bayern actually remained “finalless” again until 1982. Only then were Bavarian rivals Nuremberg beaten 4:2 in Frankfurt’s Waldstadion – despite trailing 2:0 at the break. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge provided the impetus for the comeback, which Dieter Hoeneß completed.
Basler redeems the Bayern fans in May 1998
The Munich team celebrated two more triumphs until 1986, only to fall into their “deepest hole” to date: Twelve long years of waiting without a cup final followed until the redeeming 2:1 against MSV Duisburg in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on 16 May 1998. After trailing at the break, Markus Babbel (70th minute) and Mario Basler (89th) turned the game in FCB’s favour.
Since the turn of the millennium, the record cup winners have won the golden trophy eleven times alone, which makes the most recent “Berlin ban” even more remarkable. However, the hunger of head coach Vincent Kompany’s team, who are even eyeing the treble this year, is all the greater.