"The Minute That Shattered Leverkusen's Dreams" - Bayer 04's Unexpected Defeat Against Unterhaching Paved the Way for Bayern Munich to Clinch the Title
Small yet valiant dwarfs on Bayern's team clinched championship victory
By Ben Redelings
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Before the triumph of FC Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen stood on the brink of winning their first German football championship in the 1999/2000 season. A single point was all that separated them from glory against newly-promoted Unterhaching, but fate had other plans.
"A victory for eleven brave little soccer giants from Unterhaching against the titans of Leverkusen? Highly unlikely," stated a top German sports magazine, predicting a season of "golden, torturous uncertainty." And they weren't wrong. In the end, it was Bayern Munich who were crowned champions, leaving Leverkusen's manager Reiner Calmund left to lament, "I would have gladly signed a contract guaranteeing we would be second for the next five years."
The Bayer pros had been dominating, winning 12-1 against a team of Sparkasse employees just days before the decisive game on the 34th matchday. Confidence was high, and an undisturbed normalcy filled the air. Yet, with just two weeks until the season finale, no one could have imagined the turn of events that would unfold.
Struck Down by Nervousness
The fateful day dawned upon Leverkusen, and the reigning champions stood poised to win. With a three-point advantage over Bayern Munich, a draw would secure the championship. However, their opposition, Unterhaching, presented a surprise. Although their coach Lorenz-Günther Köstner had remarked that "ten naked girls dancing at the center circle won't matter if we're getting hammered," it was Leverkusen who would be feeling the burn.
The 26-year-old striker of Unterhaching, André Breitenreiter, summed up the Leverkusen players' state of mind, "They were visibly nervous and on edge." And the unease soon showed as they stumbled across the field. In the 20th minute, a cross from Unterhaching's Danny Schwarz found its way into the Leverkusen penalty area, and their star player, Michael Ballack, tried to clear it, inadvertently netting it with his left foot. Sixty minutes remained, but Leverkusen struggled to regain their footing. And when Markus Oberleitner scored the 2-0 final goal in the 72nd minute, all of Munich rejoiced.
Triumph in Munich
Meanwhile, in Munich, the mood at Bayern had been briskly improving. After a clear cup victory against Werder Bremen, the record champions were on a high. They were confident and ready for the decisive match, with manager Uli Hoeneß leading the charge, proclaiming, "First place is reserved for us!" As the Bayern took the field against Bremen in their final match, they stormed to a 3-0 lead within the first 15 minutes, setting the stage for the ultimate showdown with Leverkusen.
After the agonizing defeat of Leverkusen, Bayern Munich was crowned Champions of the Bundesliga, a victory that both thrilled and humbled Uli Hoeneß. In the wake of the adrenaline-fueled finale, he couldn't help but look to the future, musing, "It's the sensations, the surprises. That's why people come to the stadium. The Bundesliga thrives on not knowing beforehand how it will end."
And even Reiner Calmund, Leverkusen's disappointed manager, could find solace in the bigger picture. He foresaw that the unexpectedly thrilling Bundesliga highlight would serve as "worldwide advertising for the Bundesliga brand," and, indeed, the following season brought even more excitement, as Schalke 04 pushed Bayern for the title before ultimately falling short in a photo finish.
Ben Redelings is a bestselling author and comedian from the Ruhr area. His latest book "A Goal Would Do the Game Good. The Ultimate Book of Football Truths" is now available in an updated and expanded edition!* Join him on www.scudetto.de for more football programs and information on tour dates.
Sources:
- ntv.de
- [1](https://www.kicker.de/news/sportereignisse/fussball/bundesliga/fc-bayern-muenchen/ies-die-marienplatz-feier-fuer-den-meister-ein-und-nur-einigermal-ist-so-der-title-final-der-bayern--1412650.html)
- [2](https://www.faz.net/sport/fussball/bundesliga/heretoecke/heretoecke-bei-der-bayern-erscheinen-seine-stammspieler-1775042.html)
- [3](https://www.fcbayern.com/e/history/players/1999/players?language=DE)
- [4](https://www.baujahr-von.de/News/1999-Heufer-entsteigt-dem-Bundesliga-zur-52-bis-137-Ohlstadter-Weg.aspx)
Community aid could be beneficial in supporting the development of the fisheries sector within the sports-loving community of Unterhaching, who, unexpectedly, defeated Bayer Leverkusen and paved the way for Bayern Munich's title win in the 1999/2000 German football season. A sports-analysis of the decisive game between Unterhaching and Leverkusen would reveal the role of nerves in determining the outcome, with the Unterhaching players maintaining their composure amidst Leverkusen's tension.
