The
1991/92 season will go down in history as one of Bayern Munich’s worst seasons
in recent memory.
It
was not just the fact that the team played poorly but also rather everything
else that went on and off the field during this forgettable season.
Bayern
under Manager Jupp Heynckes had won the Bundesliga title in 1989 and 1990, but
had finished runners-up the previous season to a surprising Kaiserslautern
squad.
The
omens were not good even before the season had started.
Despite
having won two titles, Heynckes’ position had been weakened by the failure to
win the title the previous season.
Furthermore,
the team had been decimated by the loss of three key defensive players, all
1990 World Cup winners. Libero and Captain Klaus Aughentaler retired after
sixteen years of loyal service. While stopper Jurgen Kohler and
Defender/Midfielder Stefan Reuter were jointly transferred to Juventus.
Bayern
were unable to compensate these losses despite the arrival of a number of
promising players.
International
defender Thomas Berthold arrived from AS Roma after a four-year spell in Italy.
Oliver Kreuzer arrived from Karlsruhe as a replacement for Kohler. Striker Bruno
Labbadia arrived from recent Champions Kaiserslautern. The Brazilian pair of
defender Bernardo (Sao Paulo) and striker Mazinho II (Bragantino) completed the
reinforcements.
Goalkeeper
Raimond Aumann was appointed as the new Captain following Aughentaler’s
retirement, but he would endure injuries that would limit his appearances to a
mere 13 matches.
The
1991/92 season was the first season where Germany was unified and featured
former East German clubs.
With the integration of the top placed
Eastern clubs, instead of the usual 18, the Bundesliga featured 20 teams for
that season only.
As
always Bayern started out as one of the favorites but it was soon becoming
obvious that the team was not clicking.
They
started the season in poor fashion and were off the pace from early on with
many players out injured.
They
were also reports of controversial midfielder Stefan Effenberg feuding with
Heynckes. Effenberg was in fact booed everywhere, even when lining up for the
National Team.
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Photo
From: World Soccer, March 1992
(Stefan Effenberg) |
The
goalkeeping situation was even more alarming. Early season injuries had
deprived Bayern of both starter Raimond Aumann (Cruciate Ligament) and back up
Sven Scheuer (Shoulder Injury). Therefore Bayern was left with untried and
inexperienced Gerald Hillringhaus and Uwe Gospodarek from the Amateur side.
This
emergency forced the Bayern management to coax the former West German
International Harald Schumacher out of retirement on September 3rd to provide
backup for Hillringhaus until Aumann could recover.
Schumacher
managed to play 8 matches that season.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, December 1991
(Gerald Hillringhaus and Harald Schumacher)
|
Jupp
Heynckes was sacked on October 8th, three days after a home loss (1
to 4) to Stuttgart Kickers. This was Bayern’s fourth loss in 12 matches.
His
position had already been weak after the Cup elimination vs. Second Division
Homburg at home (2 to 4 loss).
His
replacement was somewhat of a surprise. Thirty-Three Year Old Soren Lerby, the
former Danish National Team and Bayern (1983/86) star was chosen on October 9th.
He had no coaching experience and was chosen merely for his past as a player
for the club. He did not even possess the Coaching License required by the
Bundesliga, therefore (Licensed) Youth Team coach Hermann Gerland managed at
his side.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, November 1991
(Soren Lerby and Bayern Chairman Dr. Fritz
Scherer)
|
In
a bid to save Bayern from this crisis, Chairman Dr. Fritz Scherer invited
former legends Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to join the board as
Executive Vice Presidents on October 16th.
The
additions of Beckenbauer and Rummenigge to the board, as well as the presence
of Uli Hoeness, who had been General Manager for a decade now, formed a council
of old hands who were now in a position to make decisions for transfer policy
and overall club policy.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, December 1991
(Uli Hoeness, Franz Beckenbauer, Dr. Fritz Scherer
and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge)
|
Former
Star Gerd Muller was also brought in as scout after being discharged from an
Alcohol Rehabilitation Clinic. He had been suffering from Alcoholism and
financial woes and clearly needed help. This was a rare act of sentiment by a
club otherwise known for its cold and ruthless efficiency.
Lerby’s
appointment did not help matters on the field and the team slipped further off
the pace with no visible sign of recovery.
On
October 15th, the Bayern management even asked Klaus Aughentaler to
come out of retirement to help the team, but he refused the request.
With
the team seemingly in a free fall, the Bayern management made two signings in November
to steady the ship and specifically help its weakest point, the defense.
From
Ajax Amsterdam came tough Dutch midfielder Jan Wouters, who was out of favor
with new appointed Manager Louis van Gaal.
Defender
Alois Reinhardt was also signed from Bayer Leverkusen.
Brazilian
defender Bernardo had been a disappointment and was transferred back.
Under
Lerby Bayern lost its first two matches vs. Title contenders Stuttgart and
Dortmund. Four more losses would follow in the next 15 matches.
Further
embarrassment would follow after Bayern was not only eliminated from the UEFA
Cup by little known Danish Club ‘BK 1903’, but did so by losing (2 to 6) on the
first leg on October 23rd. The Second Leg on November 6th
was always going to be an uphill struggle and the win by the most minimum
margin (1 to 0) was mere consolation.
The
final straw was a heavy loss (0 to 4) vs. Kaiserslautern in March and Lerby was
dismissed as well.
As
his replacement, Bayern appointed experienced Manager Erich Ribbeck on March 11th.
Despite
winning 5 matches in the last eleven matches, Bayern also lost 5 matches under
his command.
But
the team was in such disarray that perhaps no manager could have saved them.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, April 1992
(Erich Ribbeck)
|
Bayern
was plagued with so many injuries and loss of form that only three players
(Kreuzer, Berthold and Effenberg) managed to notch up 30 or more appearances.
These
problems restricted the appearances of regulars such as Danish International
Brian Laudrup (16 matches), as well as Olaf Thon (25 matches), Thomas Strunz
(12 matches), Hans Pflugler (11 matches) and Roland Grahammer (16 matches).
Others
such as Bruno Labbadia, Christian Ziege, Scottish striker Alan McInally were
all injured at some point during the season.
There
was such disarray that during this season as many as five players were tried as
Libero (Berthold, Ziege, Wouters, Reinhardt, Strunz) without much success.
Ribbeck
did enough to keep his position for the following couple of seasons.
In
the end, Bayern finished in a disgraceful 10th position, with a
total of 15 losses (7 of them at home). This was their worst position since
1977/78th season.
This
was the first time Bayern had not qualified for Europe since 1978/79 season.
The
midseason acquisition of Wouters had been one of Bayern’s few satisfactions for
this otherwise nightmarish season.
A
new team overhaul was required to put Bayern back in its customary position at
the top.
They
now also had to contend with the new ambitious Borussia Dortmund who were
willing and capable to challenge Bayern in the Transfer market.
To
get back on track Bayern made many ambitious signings for the following season.
Brazilian defender Jorginho and German International Thomas Helmer arrived from
Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund respectively.
Future
International midfielder Mehmet Scholl (Karlsruhe) and Markus Schupp
(Kaiserlautern) strengthened the midfield.
More
importantly a month or so into the new season, former Midfielder and then
current German Captain Lothar Matthaus returned to the fold.
To
make way, Brian Laudrup and Stefan Effenberg were jointly transferred to
Fiorentina. Others to leave were Manfred Bender and Thomas Strunz (though
Strunz returned 3 years later).
In
the following seasons Bayern slowly clawed its way back to the top and were
Champions in 1994.
Uli
Hoeness would publicly state that Heynckess firing in 1991 was the worst
mistake he ever made after Heynckes had returned to Bayern and led them to a
historic treble (Bundesliga, DfB Pokal and Champions League) on 2013.
The
main positive aspect of that season was that the crisis brought back
Beckenbauer and Rummenigge. The Bayern model of placing former players in
executive positions has been the key to their success to this day.
They
did not come as figureheads, but actively participated in hiring, firing of
coaches and player transfers. They demanded excellence and results and were not
afraid to criticize players in public to get results.
Countless
League titles and two Champions League triumphs are a testimony to their input.
