When it comes to the best football academies in the world, many immediately remember La Masia of Barcelona or La Fabrica of Real Madrid. However, do not underestimate the Bayern Munich academy, which has been producing real stars for the main team and the German national team for many years. Players such as Toni Kroos, David Alaba and Bastian Schweinsteiger are just some of the recent graduates of the Bavarian football school. But who is the best of the best in the history of the Bayern academy? Let’s figure it out.
From Beckenbauer to Lahm: Bayern legends from their own academy
Of course, one of the greatest players in the history of Bayern and its graduate is Franz Beckenbauer. The legendary Kaiser was incredibly reliable in defense, which allowed him to win the Ballon d’Or twice – an award that is rarely given to defenders. With Beckenbauer, Bayern became German champions five times and won the European Cup three times. He was a true team leader who often launched his team’s attacks from deep in defense.
Another outstanding Bayern product is Philipp Lahm, who finished his career as one of the best defenders of his generation. Lahm joined the Munich club’s academy at the age of 11 and made his debut for the main team in 2002. Since becoming a regular in 2005, Lahm has made 517 appearances for Bayern, winning eight German titles, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. A technical and fast defender, like Beckenbauer, was a real leader of the team, which marks 1 win.
One cannot fail to mention Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is also a graduate of the Bayern academy. Having started his career on the midfield flank, Schweinsteiger subsequently retrained as a central midfielder due to high competition from Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. At Bayern, Schweinsteiger was one of the best midfielders in the world, distinguished by his versatility, accurate passing, tackling and goal-oriented focus. He played 500 matches for the Munich club, scoring 68 goals, and also achieved most of the possible trophies with the German national team.
Alaba, Müller and others: the new generation of stars from the Bayern academy
In recent years, Bayern’s academy has continued to produce high-quality players for the first team. One of the most striking examples is David Alaba. The Austrian defender made his debut for Bayern on the left flank of defense and has since been an indispensable player for the first team for ten years. Alaba is considered by many experts to be the best left-back in the world, along with Real Madrid’s Marcelo and Barcelona’s Jordi Alba. In 372 appearances for Bayern, Alaba scored 30 goals and won numerous trophies, including eight German league titles. He was named Austrian Footballer of the Year six times.
One cannot fail to mention Thomas Müller, a versatile striker and one of the symbols of modern Bayern. Müller is a product of the club’s academy and has already played 521 matches for the main team, scoring 195 goals. He is distinguished by his incredible work ethic, tactical savvy and ability to find open spaces in the opponent’s defense. Even in this difficult season, Müller shows an outstanding performance and remains one of the leaders of Bayern.
Other notable graduates of the Bayern academy in recent years include Toni Kroos (now playing for Real Madrid), Mats Hummels (played for Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, now back in Dortmund) and Owen Hargreaves (represented Bayern and Manchester United).
As such, Bayern’s academy is rightfully considered one of the best in the world, regularly producing players of the highest caliber for the first team. Franz Beckenbauer, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Müller and other graduates of the Munich football school made an invaluable contribution to the success of the club and the German national team, becoming real legends of world football.
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