Before Bayern's first Bundesliga season in 1965/66, coach Tschik Cajkovski grumbled that he had no finished players and would be satisfied if the club avoided relegation.
What am I supposed to do with short, fat Mueller? mused the Yugoslav. On the first matchday of the 1965/66 season, TSV 1860 lost the derby 0-1. It was a brutal affair. An incident that would shape the course of the season — indeed, of football history.
Bayern's rugged centre-back Danzberg kicked the already-grounded 1860 striker Konietzka. The consequences: a red card and an eight-week ban. He lost his place in the team, and a young academy player moved up who had an entirely different understanding of the game — Le Kaiser Franz Beckenbauer.
The then 19-year-old was the discovery of the season.
After just six league appearances, he was called up to the national team. On matchday four, FC Bayern stood at the top of the Bundesliga for the first time. The first season ended in third place.
It is the only time in Bundesliga history that both Munich clubs finished in the top three at the end of a season.
Had Bayern won that match, they would have been champions straight away (assuming the same course of the season); as it was, 1860 won the title for the only time. FCB won the DFB-Pokal for the second time, after 1957 (1-0 against Fortuna Duesseldorf), this time in the final against Meidericher SV. After the 4-2 victory, Sepp Maier said: It was hot, we sweated, and we won too.
Just lovely!