Throughout the first half of the 20th century and into the late ‘60s, Bayern Munich were the Fredo Corleone of German football. The team that would go on to dominate Europe as a bastion of German efficiency, refinement, and strength was not even able to compete in the Bundesliga’s inaugural season of 1963.

Bayern found themselves as the weak and incompetent brother of TSV 1860 Munich – the Munich based team that was feared throughout Germany and across Europe.

It would not be until a group baby faced teenagers stumbled into the Bayern Munich locker room only to emerge, four years later, as a dynasty. Among these youth players were Hans Georg Schwarzenbeck, Sepp Maier, and, of course, “Der Kaiser” – Franz Beckenbauer.

In order to complete this squad of budding talent, they would need a striker.

In 1964, a disheartened player who felt he would never break into 1860’s star-studded lineup took the bus across town to try his luck at Bayern Munich – then a mediocre second division team. His name was Gerd Muller.