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Is this the greatest Bayern Munich side ever?

In the early hours of Sunday, Bayern Munich were crowned FIFA Club World Cup Champions to claim their record fifth title of the season – albeit it defeating the severely weaker Raja Casablanca 3-0 in Morocco.

2013 saw Bayern Munich claim the Bundesliga with a record 91 points before beating German counterparts Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at Wembley to claim a fifth European Champions League through a 89th minute Arjen Robben winner.

Led by captain Philip Lahm, this Bayern Munich team has entered the club and European record books as one of the most successful teams by adding the DFB Pokal and European Super Cup, along with the three other titles, to their collection.

With players such as Frank Ribery, Arjan Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger, this Bayern Munich team can lay claims to be its greatest so far.

Here’s a look at three Bayern teams that can also lay similar claims.

2001: Redemption completed

The 2001 European Champions League win by Bayern Munich was the sweetest of victories. Oliver Kahn’s penalty shootout save allowed the Bavarians to lift the European Champions League trophy for the first time in 25 years after being minutes away from holding it two years prior, until the comeback kids of Manchester United arrived.

Led by manager Ottamer Hitzfield, Bayern’s class of 2001 claimed the treble including the now defunct Intercontinental Cup and the Bundesliga on a final dramatic day of the season through a 93rd minute Patrik Andersson strike against Hamburg to claim the decisive point.

One of Bayern’s greatest sides, it included legendary Oliver Kahn, Germany’s greatest ever goal keeper who went on to become the only goalkeeper to win a FIFA World Cup Golden ball, for the tournament’s best player, a year later.

The team also included that years UEFA Club footballer of the year, Captain Stefan Effenberg, who held the team together in midfield alongside englishman Owen Hargreaves. The team also had Mehmet Scholl, Thomas Linke and Brazilian Elber in its ranks.

Late ’80s: Five league titles in 6 years.

With players in that era such as Lothar Matthaus, Klaus Augenthaler and Hans Pflugler, Bayern Munich were the most feared team in Germany and went on to claim five league titles between 1984-85 and 1989-90.

Led by Udo Lattek, and then Jupp Heynckes, Bayern did all but win the Champions League (then known as the European Cup). The closest Bayern got to that achievement was in 1987, when they let a all familiar 1-0 lead slip to Porto at the Praterstadion in Vienna, Austria.

Just a few years later the classic Bayern team was a shadow of itself as a mere five points separated them from relegation in 1992. The once feared Bayern had to rebuild as FC Hollywood would become synonymous with the club in years to come.

1974-76: Die Kiessar leads the Kings of Europe.

The original and, to date, the greatest Bayern Munich team of all.

Led by Franz “Der Kaiser (The Emperor)” Beckenbauer, Bayern Munich claimed three European titles in a row while being managed by Udo Lattek and then Dettmar Cramer.

The three-peat began with victory at the only ever replayed European Cup Final against Atletico Madrid, a 4-0 win after the two clubs could not be separated after extra time in the original final.

One year later, under new manager Dettmar Cramer, Bayern defeated Leeds United 2-0 to reclaim the European Cup through goals from Frank Roth and Gerd Muller.

The treble was completed when Franz Roth scored a goal in his second consecutive European Cup final as Bayern defeated Saint-Etienne 1-0.

The highlight of that era was the combinations between strikers Gerd Muller and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, along with central defensive pairing Franz Beckenbauer and Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, and goalkeeper Sepp Maier.

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