Season 1984/85: When Karl-Heinz Rummenigge leaves FC Bayern, many experts expect Munich to fall in the Bundesliga table. But things are different, also because the young star Lothar Matthäus is committed. However, under extremely strange circumstances – in which Jupp Heynckes is significantly involved.
Hard to believe, but true: It was only 38 years ago that German television broadcast a complete Bundesliga game for the first time. Just like this weekend, the great rivals of the seventies – Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Bayern Munich – met each other. The catch-up game of the twelfth matchday was broadcast live on December 11, 1984 by Bökelberg in Mönchengladbach. None other than Mister “Good evening everyone” commented for ARD Heribert Faßbender.
Unlike in the legendary 1970s, however, Borussia could no longer keep up with Bayern. And so, in the 1984/85 season, the Reds from Munich managed to defend their lead in the league for the third time in their Bundesliga history from the first to the 34th day of the game. In the end it got a bit tighter again, but in the end the Munich team won the title with a four-point lead over Werder Bremen. However, the really big showdown on the last matchday didn’t materialize because Werder didn’t manage to win the game at BVB, who were in danger of relegation. They lost to Borussia 0:2. Dortmund thus saved themselves from relegation, and Bayern’s victory over Braunschweig, which was relegated, became meaningless.
However, the march through of today’s record champions also came as a surprise to experts. Many had previously assumed that Bayern would not be able to cope with Rummenigge’s move to Italy. But apparently the opposite was the case. The former teammates really blossomed. And as early as autumn, coach Udo Lattek said full of euphoria: “I always like beer, but it’s particularly good at the moment.”
One of the big stars of the season, Waldhof’s coach Klaus Schlappner, provided a very logical reason for Bayern’s triumph: “You also won the title because Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was no longer there. It was always like this: when they used to won, then only Rummenigge had won. But if they lost, then it was always only the remaining seven dwarves.” But not only Rummenigge’s change caused a sensation. At the same time, Bayern signed Lothar Matthäus from Mönchengladbach. A circumstance that did not go down well with everyone. In a letter to the editor, football fan Helmut S. from Hockenheim was quite clear about the two Bayern transfers before the season: “With Rummenigge, not only were sympathies sold on foreign places, a referee bonus was given. Borussia Mönchengladbach is still a football sanctuary in all of Germany, from which something has now been taken (Matthew). With this removal, Bavaria, in all legality, has acquired hatred in all stadiums.”
The Munich team around Uli Hoeneß had to bleed profusely with this change. Because Gladbach’s coach Jupp Heynckes subtly artificially increased Lothar Matthäus’ transfer fee. Because he knew that Matthäus had already signed with Bayern and would have had to pay a contractual penalty of 150,000 marks if the transfer did not take place, Borussia offered their player the insane salary of 474,000 marks. The special highlight: Jupp Heynckes even reached into his own pocket for this bogus offer. 50,000 marks came from his private coffers.
A trick that should pay off in the end. But despite all the joy about all the money, Heynckes knew exactly which self-confident world-class player he was losing to Bayern. He remembered precisely the first days with the young talent in Mönchengladbach: “I let them play five against two, in a circle. Then Lothar came and hit them on the socks. The older ones scolded, of course. Lothar stood up and meant: ‘Man boys, you have to notice that I’m here!'”
A little side note from the season: On matchday 19, Bayern lost 4-2 away at Werder Bremen and were angry at a true referee legend. But routine Klaus Augenthaler saw things a little differently than his teammates. He wanted to wrap up Wolf-Dieter Ahlenfelder and take him to the Bavarian capital: “If we always get a referee like that in the Munich Olympic Stadium, then we’ll never, ever lose a home game.” Sören Lerby, on the other hand, had something else to complain about: “Sometimes the line judges seemed to me as if they were asleep.” Bavarian President Fritz Scherer had a solution for Ahli’s “problems” with the whistle when he spotted a camera team with searchlights in the cabin aisle: “Just point them at Mr. Ahlenfelder. Maybe then he’ll see the light!”
And then the bon mot of the season at the end: When Gladbach narrowly lost to tough Bayer players in Leverkusen, Borussia player Ewald Lienen served up the quote of the season afterwards in his well-known way: “The company damages the environment and the team the Soccer!”
