Mia san Mia: Why Bayern Munich Was Born Stubborn

Bayern Munich Was Not Born Big. It Was Born Stubborn.

Here is something most fans never really think about: When FC Bayern Munich was founded, it was not a future giant. It was not even popular.

In the early 1900s, Germany loved gymnastics. Football was seen as loud, rough, and "too English." Bayern began as only a small football section inside the Munich Gymnastics Club, and no one took it seriously. Then the club leaders made a decision that changed history: they told the football team they were forbidden from joining official competitions.

So, eleven players made a simple but risky choice. They left.

On February 27, 1900, they met in a café, signed their names on a piece of paper, and created Bayern Munich. No sponsors. No money. No stadium. Just the belief that if you want to play football, you should not need permission. That was the start of Bayern. Not glory. Not trophies. Just stubbornness.

Struggle Was Part of the Identity

The early years were slow and difficult. Bayern did not win their first German championship until 32 years later. The club was always chasing, always behind, always trying to survive. Then came the darkest period.

During World War II, Bayern’s Jewish president, Kurt Landauer, was forced into exile. While many stayed quiet, Bayern players openly showed respect to him. That defiance labeled the club as a "Jewish club" under the Nazi regime.

The consequences were brutal.

After the war, Bayern had almost nothing. Their stadium was destroyed. The club fell into lower divisions. And when the Bundesliga was officially created in 1963, Bayern wasn’t invited.

The explanation?

Munich only needed one club—and Bayern wasn’t the chosen one.

At the time, 1860 Munich was the city’s favorite. Bayern were just second choice.

One Slap Changed Everything

Football history doesn’t always turn on trophies. Sometimes it turns on something as small as a slap.

A young Franz Beckenbauer planned to join 1860 Munich. During a youth match, an opponent slapped him. Insulted, Beckenbauer walked away and chose Bayern instead.

That decision changed the world. Soon, Bayern had the "Axis" that would define a generation:

• Beckenbauer controlled the game.

• Gerd Müller scored the goals.

• Sepp Maier protected the net.

By 1968, Bayern won their first Bundesliga title. In the 1970s, they conquered Europe with three straight European Cups. From 1972 to 1974, Bayern players carried Germany to a European Championship and a World Cup.

Bayern stopped being just a club from Munich.

They became the symbol of German football.

Chaos, Ego, and the Hollywood Years

Success didn’t mean stability.

The 80s and 90s were chaotic: internal conflicts, media drama, constant noise. Bayern earned the nickname “Hollywood FC.” European trophies slipped away, and the club often felt like its own worst enemy.

But one thing never disappeared: the hunger to win.

Years later, in Lisbon, Bayern reminded everyone who they were. They won the Champions League with a perfect run. No losses. No excuses. Just dominance. But as always with Bayern, the peak was followed by a valley. Coaching changes, unstable results, and missed trophies led to a new narrative: Is the era over?

The New Chapter: Harry Kane and the "Curse"

Then came Harry Kane.

The world’s media loved a specific story: a world-class striker without a trophy joining a giant that had lost its rhythm. Some called it a gamble. Others joked about a "curse" following him to Munich. But Bayern didn’t see a curse.

They saw a mirror.

In Kane, the club found a player who reflected their own early history, someone who had been told "no," someone who had worked in the shadows, and someone who refused to let his career be defined by what others thought he lacked. He didn’t come to Munich for a sunset tour. He came because, like those eleven men in the café in 1900, he was tired of asking for permission to be great.

When the skeptics point at the scoreboard, Bayern and Kane do what they have always done: they go back to work. At Saebener Strasse, you don’t break a curse with magic—you break it with the same stubbornness that built the club.

Why Bayern Feels Different

Bayern’s history isn’t really about trophies.

It’s about refusing to accept limits.

About choosing belief over convenience.

About staying loyal even when it’s uncomfortable.

Bayern isn’t built by winning alone.

It’s built by people, players, fans, generations, who refuse to let the club lose its soul.

We’re not just watching the story.

We’re part of it.

So what does “Mia san Mia” actually mean?

It means supporting without conditions.

It means never backing down.

It means that even when we lose, we stay

Football isn’t just about winning.

It’s about belonging.

So… when did you fall in love with Bayern? ❤️⚽