It was quite fitting that Bastian Schweinsteiger was the one who scored the only goal for Bayern Munich in the win that secured them the 2012-2013 Bundesliga title for the 22nd time with six matches left to play this season, because by clinching his sixth league championship with the club, more than any other German club has managed to win since the beginning of the Bundesliga format in 1963.
Schweinsteiger, who has been playing with the senior team since the 2002-2003 season, has now scored 8 league goals in something of a perfect season for Bayern, who had to go through two very frustrating seasons of finishing behind Dortmund while losing to them in every head-to-head clash. There haven’t been too many changes to the squad or the coaching staff, but the right additions this summer (Manduzkic, Martinez, Dante) and the injury to Arjen Robben, helping Toni Kroos finally play in the position he’s best at, have made it the most dominant title ever achieved by a German club.
No other German team has won the Bundesliga more than 5 times, although Dynamo Berlin (10 titles) and FC Nürnberg (9 titles) were pretty dominant in the days of before the Bundesliga. Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund are the two clubs closest to Bayern in terms of titles since the Bundesliga beginnings, winning 5 titles each. For Dortmund, all five titles have come within the last 19 season, while for Gladbach, it’s been 36 years since they last won the league title, having their dominant years in the 1960’s and 70’s.
Schweinsteiger? A decade, and six league titles. Bayern have gotten used to winning one every two seasons, at least. After winning his first in 2003 and still being a somewhat marginal player in 2005, Schweinsteiger, slowly moving from the winger position to the middle of the pitch became much more dominant in the following titles – 2006, 2008, 2010 and now 2013, hoping it’ll come with that elusive Champions League title Bayern have been craving since 2001.