End of the Decade Poll #2: Best Bayern Munich Acquisition

By: Luke | December 23rd, 2009

Here we go again. This time, we’re going to focus a lens on Uli Hoeness’ work over the last 10 years. Well, just part of his work, we’re going to leave the negatives for a later and surely more hilarious poll. So that we’re essentially comparing apples to apples, bringing a player into the youth system or up from the amateur team will not count, we will focus on players brought into the first team immediately from the transfer market. Overall contribution will be weighed along with “bang for the buck” in the evaluation. Ribery is not in the list. I know, I know, you’re going to say how can Ribery not be in the list? From my perspective, it’s still an “incomplete”. Anyway, vote after the nominee capsules, and don’t forget to vote for the Bayern Goal of the Decade, if you missed our first poll.

Willy Sagnol, age 23, 2000: €7.7 million from AS Monaco sagnol
For 3/4 of the decade, Sagnol was a fixture at right back for Bayern. Versatility was the name of his game. He was a guy who could crack unbelievable crosses in attack, but also get his nose dirty defending the goal. I always thought Sagnol knew how to be nasty, while really being subtle about it. The captain’s armband likely would have fallen to Willy upon Oliver Kahn’s retirement, but by that time he was hardly on the field anymore, fighting a losing battle against a bum Achilles tendon. He retired in January of 09, the last member of the Champions League winning roster to leave the team.
Bundesliga stats: 7 goals, 34 assists in 184 matches

Claudio Pizarro, age 22, 2001: €8.2 million from Werder Bremen pizarro
Pizarro immediately stepped into an important role for Bayern, and scored in the early minutes of his first Bundesliga match. Even though he scored more overall early on, 2004-05 was probably his best season with his 4 goal performance in the Pokal against Freiburg and 2 goals in the first leg of the Champions League matchup with Arsenal. He scored double digit goals in the Bundesliga for five straight seasons before falling off in 06-07 and moving on to Chelsea.
Bundesliga totals: 71 goals in 174 matches
All competitions: 100 goals in 251 matches.

Ze Roberto, age 28, 2002, €9.5 million from Bayer Leverkusen
young ze
All the later analysis would be about signing Michael Ballack the same summer, but it was Ze Roberto who cost more, and may have made the longer term impact on the club. In his first two seasons in Munich, he tallied an exceptional 19 assists. But so much of Ze Roberto’s game defies statistics; the runs down the center, the defensive stability, the sparkling pass that starts a play. When the club couldn’t agree with him on a contract after the 05-06 season, he returned to his native Brazil, ostensibly to wind down his career..
2002-2006 Bundesliga totals: 5 goals, 29 assists in 110 matches
2002-2006 All competitions: 7 goals, 34 assists in 154 matches

Roy Makaay age 28, 2003, €19.75 million from Deportivo La Coruna makaay small
The most expensive signing in the history of the club at the time, “The Phantom” would become a crowd favorite, and the highest scoring Bayern player of the decade. His 3 goal performance against Bayern for Deportivo in the Champions League put him on Uli’s “must have” list. The numbers were always there for Makaay, perhaps the worst he could be accused of was disappearing in the clutch at times. Even in his final season he scored double the goals of any other Bayern player, along with the fastest goal in Champions League history. He moved on to Feyenoord in 2007, and will probably call it a career this spring at age 35.
Bundesliga stats: 78 goals in 129 matches
All competitions: 102 goals in 178 matches

Ze Roberto, age 33, 2007 free transfer from FC Santos ze_roberto_bayern
While the conventional wisdom remains that Bayern’s underachieving 2006-07 season resulted from not replacing Ballack, Ze Roberto wasn’t replaced either. Uli realized he could make amends for this mistake and brought him back. While Toni and Ribery stole the headlines, Ze Roberto got back down to being the cog that ran the offense, along with a new found taste for goals. His 9 in two seasons equaled the most in any two years of his career. His role in setting a Bundesliga season record for least goals allowed is also frequently glossed over. Also, to go along with is anti-aging image, he had more hair. When he was not offered a multi-year deal in 2009, he split for HSV, where he continues to amaze when not injured.
2007-09 Bundesliga totals: 9 goals, 11 assists in 51 matches
07-09 All competitions: 12 goals, 14 assists in 80 matches

Hans-Jörg Butt, age 34, 2008: Free transfer from Benfica butt penalty
So, your legendary keeper retires, you have his young replacement in place, all that’s left to do is dumpster-dive for a veteran keeper to play the odd home match and tell jokes to Andi Ottl. Jörg Butt was a reasonable choice, after all, he did have high profile Champions League experience. But no one expected him to become the starting keeper. But then it just kept getting better. He stops 2 penalties in a Champions League match. He follows it up by scoring one on a penalty. It would have taken a lot to convince fans at the end of last season that Bayern didn’t need a new keeper. Butt has done just that.
In all competitions: 32 matches, 11 clean sheets, 1 goal

Ivica Olic age 29, 2009: Free transfer from Hamburger SV olic sweaty
Sure, it’s a little early to judge, but while it’s pretty easy to give Robben and Gomez “incomplete” grades thus far, it may not be an exaggeration to say that Olic has become an impact player beyond what many had expected. Despite injury, he’s on pace to top his numbers from his best season in Hamburg.
Bundesliga stats: 6 goals, 3 assists in 13 matches. 2 goals in Champions League.

So there you have it, your seven nominees for the best acquisition of the decade. The next poll is going to be worst acquisitions, surely it will be a challenge to keep that limited to 7 or so, but I’m going to try!