Even by Bayern Munich’s standards, clinching both men’s and women’s Bundesliga titles with a week still to play in April is striking. The women’s team secured their fifth title in six seasons with a 3-2 win at Union Berlin, having won 21 and drawn one of 22 league games. Later that same evening the men reached the German Cup final with a 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, having already stretched their domestic dominance to 12 league titles in 13 seasons.
“It was a really great evening that leaves us wanting more,” said women’s captain Giulia Gwinn after scoring the goal that sealed the title. “I think we’ve seen throughout the season that we’ve really left our mark on every game in a dominant way. That speaks volumes about our team and the hard work we’ve put in this year.”
With both teams in the German Cup finals and each side in Champions League semifinals, Bayern are chasing an unprecedented “double treble” — winning domestic league, domestic cup and the Champions League in both the men’s and women’s competitions in the same season. Sporting director Max Eberl called the prospect “extraordinary,” attributing it to strong unity across the club. “I’m in constant contact with Bianca Rech [director of the women’s side], which is just great and shows how strong FC Bayern is. … The fact that the treble is possible for both of us is fun and exciting.”
Men’s coach Vincent Kompany has publicly supported the women’s team and welcomed steps toward greater inclusion in coaching, noting his long-standing interest in the women’s game. “My family has been watching women’s football for a long time; we always watched the women’s games when we were in Manchester too,” he said.
The German Cup is by no means guaranteed — Bayern’s women have won it only twice historically, and the men just twice in the last decade — but it is the Champions League that could make this season truly historic. While Chelsea reached both men’s and women’s finals in 2020–21, no club has ever won Europe’s top prize in both categories in the same season.
European success is the bigger hurdle, especially for the women’s team. Jose Barcala’s side take on Barcelona at the Allianz Arena on April 25 and in Spain on May 3. Barca, winners of three of the last five titles, beat Bayern 7-1 in this season’s Champions League group stage and remain favorites. “Barcelona were always a step ahead of us in certain areas back then, especially in terms of mental toughness and speed of execution,” forward Klara Bühl said. “The important thing is that we learned from it and now know what to expect. That’s why it will be easier for us in the next two games.”
Playing the first leg at the Allianz Arena could help: Bayern announced 20,000 tickets sold for the match. Veteran defender Magdalena Eriksson, who played in Chelsea’s 2021 final, stressed the boost a big crowd can provide. “Champions League nights at the Allianz Arena always have a very special atmosphere,” she said. “We face a huge challenge against Barcelona, but we also know the energy that comes from the stands and how important that support will be.”
Historically, Bayern’s women’s department lagged behind Europe’s elite, reflecting underinvestment that has hindered domestic competition in Germany. That trend appears to be shifting, with Bayern investing more — a change that could widen the gap with traditional German powers such as Wolfsburg, who have struggled recently. Alexandra Popp has urged men’s clubs to do more for the women’s game, saying some clubs have only nominally professionalized their women’s teams. Popp will move from Wolfsburg to Borussia Dortmund after the cup final on May 14, joining a rapidly progressing Dortmund project.
On the men’s side, Bayern have also had to adapt to remain a European force. They last won the Champions League in the COVID-impacted 2019–20 season, but recent additions and Kompany’s managerial impact have made them formidable. Having broken the Bundesliga season goals record, Bayern’s attack, featuring Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Díaz and Jamal Musiala, is a major threat. Their semifinal opponent is holders Paris Saint-Germain; the winner would likely head into the May 30 final in Budapest as favorites, awaiting either Arsenal or Atlético Madrid.
Whether Bayern achieves a historic double treble or adds more conventional silverware, the club’s simultaneous success in both men’s and women’s football marks a notable moment for the club and German football.
Edited by: Jonathan Crane