"In a candid account, Owen Hargreaves shares his emotional response after England's 5-1 triumph over Germany; he reveals he was unexpectedly let go by Bayern Munich following the momentous Three Lions win."
Life after a Triumphant Clash: Owen Hargreaves' Bittersweet Experience with Bayern Munich
Back in 2001, Owen Hargreaves was left wrecked after being benched by Bayern Munich, a move that came shortly after his glory days with England. Known as the "Bavarian Blitz," England defeated Germany 5-1 at Bayern's own turf, a feat not achieved since 1965.
You might recall that July 1996 encounter when Dietmar Hamann scored the last-ever goal at the old Wembley, putting Germany in the lead. The heartache didn't end there, with England's penalty shoot-out loss to Germany in both the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96 semi-finals still etched into the national psyche.
England looked ready to replicate their past misfortunes in Munich, with Carsten Jancker opening the scoring for the hosts within the first six minutes. But the tide turned quickly, with Michael Owen equalizing swiftly followed by a Steven Gerrard goal just before half-time, giving Sven-Goran Eriksson's side a 2-1 lead.
Owen added two more goals after the restart, completing his hat-trick on 66 minutes, while Emile Heskey scored another to round off the win with a convincing 5-1 victory. Hargreaves, playing for England for the second time, entered the game just a few minutes after Heskey's fifth goal, becoming the first player to appear for England without ever having lived in the country.
For the young, 20-year-old Hargreaves, it was an incredible year. Fresh from winning the Champions League final with Bayern, he was playing regularly for the first team and called up to play for England. But the celebrations were short-lived as, following the triumphant win against Germany, Hargreaves found himself on the bench at Bayern.
Reflecting on the situation, Hargreaves shared, "That was a wild time for me. I went from winning the Champions League final with Bayern to being on the England team, so I was flying. But then I got dropped after that win. I didn't think it was anything petty – I think they just wanted me to cool down. But I was devastated."
Despite the initial setback, Hargreaves quickly regained his place at Bayern and helped them to three more league titles before signing for Manchester United in 2007. His tenure with United was marked by winning the league title and the Champions League in his first season at the club, but recurring injuries eventually forced him to retire in 2012.
Owen Hargreaves was speaking to our website on behalf of TNT Sports.
Footnote:
- The specific reasons for Hargreaves' benching after the win against Germany are not detailed in the available sources. To gain a deeper understanding of the context and team dynamics at the time, it would be beneficial to consult additional sources or interviews.
Sports analysis shows that Owen Hargreaves' triumphant performance in the Champions League with Bayern Munich was followed by a bittersweet experience, as he was benched shortly after England's victory against German teams in the European-leagues, such as the 2001 Bundesliga match against Bayern Munich. Despite the initial setback, Hargreaves continued to excel in sports, contributing to more league titles with Bayern before his move to Manchester United, where he also experienced success in the premier-league and Champions League.
