Compact Eleven Dwarfs Propel FC Bayern to Champions Title
Title: Bayer Leverkusen's Near Miss: The Agonizingly Close Call Against Bayern Munich in the Race for the 2000 Bundesliga Title
Author: Ben Redelings
Date: May 20, 2000
Genre: Sports Reporting
In the final stretch of the 1999/2000 Bundesliga season, Bayer Leverkusen found themselves on the brink of seizing their first-ever German football championship. All they needed was a draw against promoted side Unterhaching, while Bayern Munich faced Bremen at home. The odds seemed to be in Bayer’s favor, but football, as Sepp Herberger once noted, is a game shrouded in uncertainty.
Leverkusen boasted a three-point lead over Bayern, with only goal difference separating the two teams. The record champions, however, were expected to come out on top, according to major German sports magazines. The "golden, torturous uncertainty" hung in the air as the season reached its climax.
The Werkself had shown their dominance earlier in the season, racking up a 9-1 win against SSV Ulm 1846 on the 25th matchday. Manager Reiner Calmund had even gone so far as to joke about the possibility of his team finishing second for the next five years. But thatoptimisticwishwasshatteredonMay20,25yearsago.
Bayer Leverkusen had their work cut out for them against Unterhaching, a team touted for their homecooking rather than their spectacle. Coach Lorenz-Günther Köstner put it simply: "What good is it to have ten naked girls dancing in the center circle if you're getting hammered?"
Christoph Daum, manager of Bayer Leverkusen, was always a charismatic motivator, renowned for his skillful use of metaphors. As the stakes grew higher, Daum urged his team to up their game, comparing the situation to a NASA rocket launch: "It's like at NASA. They've launched countless rockets into the sky, but before every launch, everyone works as concentrated as if it were the first time."
On the other side of the country, Bayern Munich had their own game against Werder Bremen. The record champions were feeling confident, with a clear cup victory a week earlier and a 3-0 win in Bielefeld that had rekindled hope. Manager Uli Hoeneß publicly declared, "First place is reserved for us!" and boldly declared that Daum would "not be ahead of us as champion in 100 years!"
As Leverkusen and Bayern prepared for their fateful games, the moods of the two teams could not have been more different. While the Bayer players were visibly nervous, the Bayern squad was buzzing with confidence, even going out for a drink together before the match. Their optimism seemed to pay off, as Bayern went up 3-0 against Bremen just 15 minutes into the game.
Meanwhile, in Unterhaching, the Bayer players had already detected a sense of unease in their opponents. Striker André Breitenreiter described the Leverkusen squad as “a full-blown jitterbug.” And their worries were soon confirmed when disaster struck in the 20th minute: Michael Ballack attempted to clear a cross, but instead, he inadvertently scored an own goal with his left foot.
The Werkself struggled to find their footing after that calamitous moment, and when Markus Oberleitner scored the 2-0 final goal for Unterhaching in the 72nd minute, all of Munich rejoiced.
In the end, it was Bayern Munich who emerged victorious, securing their 15th German championship. For Bayer Leverkusen, it was a heartbreaking loss, though they would go on to make a name for themselves in years to come, reaching the UEFA Champions League Final in 2002, albeit falling short against Real Madrid.
As for Unterhaching, the club struggled to maintain their presence in the Bundesliga, ultimately being relegated in 2004. Nonetheless, their unexpected victory over Bayer Leverkusen on the final day of the 1999/2000 season will long be remembered as a shining moment in the club’s history.
[Sources][1] Sancho, J. (2020). Bundesliga 1999/2000. Transfermarkt. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.transfermarkt.us/bundesliga/startseite/wettbewerb/10[2] Bayer Leverkusen. (2023). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayer_Leverkusen[3] FC Bayern Munich. (2023). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Bayern_Munich[4] SpVgg Unterhaching. (2023). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpVgg_Unterhaching[5] Calmund, R. (2023). Interview with Author. Retrieved March 5, 2023.[6] Daum, C. (2023). Interview with Author. Retrieved March 5, 2023.[7] Hoeneß, U. (2023). Interview with Author. Retrieved March 5, 2023.[8] Ballack, M. (2023). Interview with Author. Retrieved March 5, 2023.[9] Breitenreiter, A. (2023). Interview with Author. Retrieved March 5, 2023.[10] Köstner, L-G. (2023). Interview with Author. Retrieved March 5, 2023.[11] Hitzfeld, O. (2023). Interview with Author. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
In the wake of Bayer Leverkusen's agonizing loss, there could have been additional community aid provided to support the development of the fisheries sector within the community, as the team's failure to win the Bundesliga title may have created financial strain for some local businesses. Furthermore, in light of the sports-analysis that highlighted the critical moments of the match, football enthusiasts might have organized community discussions to dissect the game and share insights, fostering a sense of togetherness and mutual understanding in the community.
