Earlier this season, the club’s board lauded the team’s scintillating home form, labeling games at the Allianz Arena “festivals”. Every Saturday afternoon, Bayern fans would be treated to stunning displays of football. Once the fall days turned to winter nights, however, these master classes slowly faded away as Bayern entered the darkest, most uncertain point of its season. The last of these “festivals” was seen in the first half of Bayern’s game versus Napoli, when the Bavarians were leading 3-1. Perhaps it was Bastian Schweinsteiger’s painful, fateful injury that ended Bayern’s dominance and signaled a decline; perhaps other teams figured Bayern out. One thing was certain; Bayern was declining, and fast. When March rolled in, Bayern had put in solid, but unspectacular, home performances for about five months. Dull home results, coupled with countless bitter away games had fans looking back to the glorious days of the fall. Bayern fans were undoubtedly longing for a return of these “festivals”. Continue reading →