10 players whose careers dipped after joining Bayern Munich

German giants Bayern Munich have a stellar fan base all over the world. The Bavarians are known as one of the powerhouses in European football. They have a glittering history when it comes to winning trophies in the game.

Also, Munich is blessed with a great youth academy, having churned out exceptional talent in the last few years. To add to the pile, they are an ambitious club and have the financial muscle to buy any player they desire to have in their team.

Real Madrid supporters refer to Bayern Munich as bestia negra, meaning 'Black Beast'. That is because the Los Blancos always find it tough to beat the Bavarians. Bayern have built quite a reputation as one of the most feared teams in Europe.

Like every other big club, Bayern have some of their own legends to boast of. Gerd Mueller, Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and many others made a name for themselves in their time at the Allianz. But not every player that passes through Die Roten becomes a legend of the game.

Over the years, Bayern Munich have also been credited with misusing some of the most promising talents that the game has seen. Let's have a look at the players who couldn't make it at the Allianz:

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#10: Ruggiero Rizzitelli

Ruggiero Rizzitelli is known for his deadly partnership with Rudi Voller at AS Roma.

Ruggiero Rizzitelli joined the Bavarians back in 1996, after impressing with Italian outfit Torino. Although a player with short stature, Rizzitelli was a versatile forward with good technique and skilled dribbling. He is mainly known for striking up a deadly partnership with German legend Rudi Voller at AS Roma.

Rizzitelli couldn't quite make a mark at Bayern after the rise of Carsten Jancker saw him being replaced in the starting XI at the Allianz. To top it all, injuries did play a part in hampering his progress.

Limited chances saw him pack his bags earlier than expected and he left with only 11 goals in 45 appearances between 1996 and 1998. However, the Italian was never able to replicate his previous form after joining Piacenza in Italy.

#9: Thomas Kraft

Kraft was toted to replace Hans-Jorg Butt as the first-team goalkeeper.

Thomas Kraft came to the Munich squad through their youth ranks. The young German shot-stopper was a third choice goalkeeper behind Michael Rensing and Hans-Jorg Butt.

He eventually became the second choice as Michael Rensing left Bavaria. Louis Van Gaal agreed to give Kraft his deserved first-team chances for the second half of 2010-11 season.

However, the promise never came to fruition as Van Gaal was sacked while assistant Andries Jonker resumed the duties as an interim manager for Bayern.

With Jonker in the hot seat, Butt again found his way back to the first team leaving Kraft frustrated about his chances.

Kraft gradually left Die Roten after appearing just 19 times for the first team between 2006 and 2011. A talented youngster, Kraft had shown all the qualities of being a keeper for any big club in Europe. As of now, the German guards the posts at Hertha BSC.

#8: Michael Rensing

Michael Rensing played most of his career for Bayern Munich II.

Michael Rensing was handed a gigantic responsibility during his time at Bayern - replacing the legendary Oliver Kahn. With Kahn already in the twilight of his career, the young shot-stopper was given a chance to establish himself.

However, Rensing failed to hold on to his place while experienced keeper Hans-Jorg Butt replaced him as the first-choice goalkeeper at the club.

Rensing played most of his career for Bayern Munich II, although he did deserve a second chance in the first team. But that never came and he left for FC Koln after making 53 appearances between 2003 and 2010 for the first team.

#7: Danijel Pranjic

Pranjic was another of Bayern's victims after being denied enough chances.

Any player who wants to establish himself at a club has to get enough game time to prove himself. Lack of games tends to kill the spark in any footballer. Perhaps that's what happened with Danijel Pranjic at Bavaria.

The skilled Croatian winger displayed impressive qualities as an offensive winger, winning the Dutch Cup with Heerenveen in season 2008-09. Soon, Bayern came calling and Pranjic joined Die Roten in June 2009.

But, the winger struggled to cement his place after competing with the likes of Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben on both the wings. To add to his woes, Van Gaal played him as a wing-back where he failed to deliver the amount expected of him.

Pranjic left Bavaria with 55 appearances in three years with Bayern Munich.

#6: Anatoliy Tymoshchuk

Tymoshchuk was brought as a replacement for Ze Roberto.

Changing positions of a player can hamper his abilities. But it can prove equally dangerous for other players already playing in the position in question. And, fate had something similar for Ukraine midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk in store.

Tymoshchuk was brought to replace the ageing Ze Roberto in the central midfield in June 2009. Although Van Gaal's decision to play Schweinsteiger as a central midfielder was right on the mark, it proved to be poisonous for Tymoshchuk.

With Schweini putting up impressive displays in the centre of the park, the Ukrainian midfielder found himself pushed to the fringes at Bayern.

In the fewer chances he got, Tymoschuk had to fill in at defence for the injured players. After failing to cement his spot in the starting line-up, the Ukraninan left for Zenit St. Petersburg in 2013.

Tymoschuk managed only 86 appearances and 4 goals in his 4-year-stint with Bavaria.

#5: Julio Dos Santos

Dos Santos found it hard to dislodge Micahel Ballack at the Allianz.

Julio Dos Santos was signed from Cerro Porteno after being named as the Paraguayan Footballer of the Year in 2005. The initial fee for the signing was £1.89 million which looked like a bargain for the talented youngster.

However, the dream move for Dos Santos soon turned out to be a nightmare after the youngster tussled against Michael Ballack for a place in the starting line-up.

The Paraguayan went out on loan for three times in his two-year spell with the German champions. But, Dos Santos failed to reignite the spark that had caused Bayern to sign him.

With the loan spells proving underwhelming, the Paraguayan midfielder was transferred to Atletico Paranaense in Brazil. Dos Santos never fulfilled his potential, after appearing just 5 times for the Bavarians.

#4: Tobias Rau

Tobias Rau had a miserable time at Bayern Munich.

Tobias Rau arrived in Munich in 2003 as a bright young star shouldering high expectations. But, Rau failed to make it past Frenchmen Willy Sagnol and Bixente Lizarazu as the first-choice left back for the Bavarians.

Injuries played their part in further scuppering his chances of getting more game time. By the time Bixente Lizarazu had retired, Rau was way past his best and still ignored while a young Philip Lahm stepped up to the occasion at the Allianz.

Leaving Bayern for Armenia Bielefeld in 2005, Rau was a mere shadow of the player who impressed during his time at Wolfsburg. Rau made only 13 appearances for Bayern Munich from 2003 to 2005.

#3: Mario Gotze

Mario Gotze found it tough to book a berth in the starting XI.

There couldn't be a sadder sight for a football fan than watching Gotze's downfall at Bayern Munich. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder wouldn't have dreamt about warming the benches after scoring the winner in World Cup Final.

Bayern Munich roped in Gotze for a sum of €37 million from bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2013. Until Ozil made his move to Arsenal, Gotze remained the most expensive German player of all time. The reason he joined Bayern was to work with Spanish mastermind Josep Guardiola who had recently arrived at the Allianz himself.

However, things didn't turn out as good as expected. Bayern's midfield consists of heavyweights Mueller, Robben, Martinez and Ribery. Gotze found it hard to break this deadlock and book a starting berth under Guardiola. In the meanwhile, injuries did their jobs in limiting his playing time at Bavaria.

As Guardiola started losing trust regarding Gotze, the German found himself at the fringes more often. The midfielder's agent accused Guardiola of using the midfielder in small and less attractive games and dropping him for the big clashes.

Though Gotze did win trophies at the Allianz, his contribution was next to minimal. Frustrated with lack of playing time, the 'German Messi' forced his way back to Dortmund in 2016. Although Gotze remains an important part at the Signal Iduna Park, he seems far from the dynamic midfield enforcer that made him the hottest prospect in German football.

#2: Xherdan Shaqiri

After an unsuccessful stint at Bayern, Shaquiri now plays for Stoke City.

Xherdan Shaquiri was the rising talent of Swiss football when he arrived at the Allianz Arena from FC Basel in 2012. Although he has a short stature, Shaquiri is well known for bamboozling defenders with his efficient stepovers and other skills.

On his day, the Swiss footballer can be a nightmare to handle. So where did it all wrong for him at Bayern?

Bayern had a host of stars in their line-up with Shaquiri joining them. The budding footballer became a victim of less game time at the Allianz. Pep Guardiola's lack of trust saw Shaquiri being benched at Bayern more often when he should have been playing.

To top it all, the young Swiss international failed to deliver in the handful chances he was given to prove himself. He made 58 appearances and scored 11 goals for Bayern in three years.

As a result, Shaquiri left for Inter Milan where he again failed to resurrect his career. The winger currently plies his trade for English side Stoke City.

#1: Lukas Podolski

Podolski was a regular starter under Jurgen Klinsmann in Germany.

Lukas Podolski is a household name when it comes to watching Germany in the World-Cup. The former Arsenal frontman was a trusted servant of the Die Mannschaft before retiring in 2017.

However, Podolski never exactly spent the time of his life in his three-year unhappy spell at Bavaria. The striker joined Bayern for €10 million from German side FC Koln in the summer of 2006.

Podolski showed tremendous potential and if it had been for more game time, the forward certainly would have established himself as a Bayern Munich regular at the Allianz. But, the return of Ottmar Hitzfeld signalled the beginning of his end at Bavaria.

Hitzfeld brought mercurial Italian forward Luca Toni to the Allianz in summer 2007. It was Toni and Klose who would get the nod as the first-team regulars while Podolski found himself at the fringes. He starred comparatively less due to Toni and Klose's successful partnership on the field.

Jurgen Klinsmann took over the reigns from Hitzfield after resigning as the national team coach. The former FC Koln striker might have hoped to get more chances under a coach who trusted his abilities.

But, Podolski's spirits seemed to dampen when Klinsmann seemed to be in favour of the Toni-Klose link-up in the attack.

Frustrated with the lack of opportunities, Podolski left Bayern to return to FC Koln. He joined several high-profile clubs like Inter Milan and Arsenal. But, his abilities had faded away and the striker never succeeded in making the highest echelon of footballers.

Podolski made 71 appearances, netting only 15 times for the Bavarians.