Ten years ago, FC Bayern won the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco. In view of the opponents at the time, it is not disrespectful to speak of a compulsory task. For coach Pep Guardiola, it was the second and last international title with the Munich team
As the reigning Champions League winners – the Munich team had famously won the final 2:1 against Borussia Dortmund under Jupp Heynckes – FC Bayern traveled to the Club World Cup in Morocco, where they only had to play in the semi-finals as Europe’s participants.
Their opponents in Agadir were Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande. The Chinese team’s most prominent figure was on the bench: Marcello Lippi, the Italian world champion coach from 2006, but even he was unable to prevent Bayern’s clear 3-0 victory.
Shortly before the break, Franck Ribery, then reigning European Footballer of the Year, and Mario Mandzukic decided the semi-final prematurely with their goals (40th/44th). Mario Götze added to the final score two minutes after the break, but instead of a resounding victory, Bayern were content to play for the final
The surprise team of Raja Casblanca from the host country awaited. The Moroccans had qualified for the final with three wins, including a 2:1 in the semi-final against the favored South American champions Atletico Mineiro.
In Marrakesh, however, the underdog’s miraculous journey came to an end. Guardiola spread the load in the two games just before Christmas. Central defender Dante, one of the players rested for the semi-final, scored with his head for an early lead (7th). 15 minutes later, Thiago made it 2:0, but nothing more was to happen in the unspectacular match.
Bayern’s third strike
Thirty-seven years to the day after winning the World Cup for the first time, the Munich team won the title again, for the third time after 1976 and 2001. And it meant the fifth title in this fantastic 2013 after the championship, DFB Cup, Champions League and the first UEFA Super Cup win.
“I would say: It doesn’t get any better than this! You can’t find a better title,” said the then CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge about a “year of superlatives”. Captain Philipp Lahm added: “To win another title at the end of such a brilliant year and this one too – incredible.” Lahm received the Silver Ball for the second-best player of the tournament at the Club World Cup, while Franck Ribery won gold.
What nobody could have known: After the UEFA Super Cup, it was to be Guardiola’s second and last international title with FC Bayern – nothing more followed until his departure in the summer of 2016. Despite the impressive, dominant and great soccer he played, he and his team were eliminated three times in the semi-finals of the premier class. Bayern didn’t win the trophy again until 2020 under Hansi Flick – and a few months later, the Club World Cup
