Bayern President Herbert Hainer rushed straight to the bench after the final whistle and warmly congratulated the Munich champion players. Coach Alexander Straus cheered and waved to the audience, while his team jumped around the field and enjoyed the wheat beer showers. The FC Bayern footballers have won the German championship for the second time in a row. The Munich team won 2-1 (2-0) at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday and can no longer be displaced by long-term rivals VfL Wolfsburg with a seven-point lead two games before the end of the season.
The Lower Saxony team had fulfilled their duty against 1. FC Köln 5-1 on Friday evening and had to hope for a mistake by the league leaders. But Georgia Stanway (18th minute) and Linda Dallmann (27th) scored for Bayern to win the title again. “It is the reward for a whole year of hard work and also an expression of the fact that this team is maturing and going through an impressive development,” said club boss Hainer. CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen even said: "I am convinced: you can shape an era."
The Bayern players are still unbeaten in the league this season and won 4-0 in Wolfsburg in March. Apart from a small period of weakness before the winter break, FC Bayern - with its international aces such as Stanway, Pernille Harder, Magdalena Eriksson and Glodis Viggosdottir and German national players such as Lea Schüller, Giulia Gwinn, Sydney Lohmann and Klara Bühl - played an impressive round.
“It is impressive how Bayern prevail again and again in the decisive moments with their determination, enthusiasm and determination,” said national coach Horst Hrubesch in a DFB statement. It is the sixth title triumph for the Bayern women after 1976, 2015, 2016, 2021 and 2023.
The Norwegian head coach Alexander Straus, who has been in Munich since 2022, had already emphasized before the decision that the current success was “a bigger thing” than last year. Stability has now been brought to the performances. "The title would mean everything to me. That's why I'm here, that's why I lost my home," said the 48-year-old.
Second-placed Wolfsburg, who have won at least one title every season since 2013, are now completely focused on the DFB Cup final next Thursday in Cologne against their big rivals from Munich. It also really hurts Wolfsburg that Lena Oberdorf, currently the most sought-after German national player, is saying goodbye to Munich in the summer.
Last year, sixth-placed Leverkusen postponed FC Bayern's early championship celebrations due to a 0-0 draw. This time, under the eyes of Bayern President Herbert Hainer and future national coach Christian Wück, it quickly became clear that this would not happen again. The English European champion Stanway and national player Dallmann scored before half-time in front of 2,817 spectators in the sold-out Ulrich Haberland Stadium.
Nikola Karczewska shortened for Leverkusen (63') and Bayern faltered again. In the end, the Munich women were able to celebrate winning the title. “I still need a little time to process this,” said defender Katharina Naschenweng. She doesn't know anything about any big party plans. “We still have important games this week,” added the Austrian. After all, Bayern also want the cup.
Note: This article has been updated.
