5 great club teams on paper that failed on the field

#4 Bayern Munich 200607

Talking about quality all over the pitch, the Bayern Munich squad of 2006-07 had it all. Speed, power and intelligence could be found in plenty. Last but not the least, there was a proper mix of youth and experience – from the veterans Kahn, Scholl and Salihamidzic to the youngsters Lahm, Schweinsteiger and Podolski.

The 20-year old Podolski was a new arrival from FC Koln, having just been named the World Cup’s Best Young Player. Leading the attack was the prolific Roy Makaay, who was accompanied by two other accomplished names – Pizarro and Santa Cruz.

It could have been wonderful but unfortunately coach Felix Magath and his men got it all wrong. Magath got the sack at the end of a season that saw Bayern miss out on Champions League qualification. General manager Uli Hoeness reportedly described the team as ‘the worst in a decade’, although we can be sure he wouldn’t have said so at the start of the season. In the years that followed, the Bavarians would recover but 2006-07 will remain a season everyone at the club woud like to forget.

Notable players: Kahn, Sagnol, Van Buyten, Lucio, Demichelis, Lahm, Scholl, Van Bommel, Salihamidzic, Hargreaves, Schweinsteiger, Makaay, Podolski, Pizarro, Santa Cruz

League Position: 4th

Performance in Cup: Third round

Performance in Europe: Champions League quarter-finals