FC Bayern have won the German championship for the 25th time. To mark the milestone achievement, looks back at the club's 25 domestic title triumphs and the associated facts, anecdotes and legends. In the build-up to a weekend of celebrations, we review five past successes every day from Monday to Friday. Part 5 features 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
2008
FC Bayern rocked the league with new signings Luca Toni and Franck Ribéry. The team coached by Ottmar Hitzfeld once again topped the table from start to finish. FCB wrapped up the title with a scoreless draw away to Wolfsburg on Matchday 31. The Reds finished ten points clear of runners-up Werder Bremen. Bayern striker Luca Toni, responsible for 24 of 68 Bayern goals, finished as leading scorer. The FCB defence set a new record with only 21 goals conceded, a worthy farewell gift for keeper Oliver Kahn who ended his career.
2010
Two Dutchmen, Louis van Gaal and Arjen Robben, were two new and crucial personalities in a season of ups and downs for the Reds. On Matchday 24 the Munich men topped the standings for the first time in some 18 months, eventually finishing five points ahead of Schalke. Van Gaal was the first Dutch coach to win the German championship; later in the season he even brought home the DFB Cup. The Reds almost won the treble too, but Inter Milan beat them 2-0 in the Champions League final. The presentation on Munich Town Hall balcony was truly unforgettable: Lederhosen-clad, self-confessed party animal Louis van Gaal showed a bit of leg to the cheering crowds.
2013
A season of superlatives! FCB wrapped up the championship with a new record of 91 points, 91 goals scored and only 18 conceded. The Reds finished 25 points clear of deposed title holders Borussia Dortmund and were unbeaten for a fantastic 25 matches in a row. Player of the Year Bastian Schweinsteiger scored the title winner in Frankfurt (1-0) on Matchday 28 – the earliest confirmed title triumph ever! But Jupp Heynckes' lads were not done yet: they won the Champions League and the DFB Cup too, becoming the first German team to win the treble.
2014
After the previous season of records, FC Bayern under new coach Pep Guardiola topped even their own achievement. After 27 matches unbeaten, of which the Reds won 25, FCB wrapped up the championship again, this time with a 3-1 victory away to Hertha BSC. They were the earliest German champions of all time, on 25 March, Matchday 27. The team won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup too. The only “problem” occurred during the championship party, of all things: the championship shield slid out of Guardiola's wet hands after an unfamiliar beer shower. “It's not only very, very beautiful, but also very heavy,” commented the Bayern coach.
2015
Champions without playing: for the first time since 1989, Bayern clinched the title with the players at home in front of the TV. It was decided on Matchday 30: First the men from Munich won their home game against Hertha 1-0. On the following day runners-up Wolfsburg lost away to Mönchengladbach in a 1-0 reverse, so uncatchable Bayern sealed a third championship title in a row. It was the third-fastest title win in the Bundesliga history (along with 1972-73 and 2002-03) and the fourth time FCB achieved a title hat-trick (2013/14/15). Bastian Schweinsteiger scored the decisive goal against Hertha and became a record champion: the vice-captain has amassed 15 domestic trophies (championship and cup). No Bayern pro had achieved that before. Only keeper legend Oliver Kahn and former schemer Mehmet Scholl have also won eight championships.
