Bundesliga talking points: Lewandowski's records, Pizarro last hurrah

Bayern Muncih legend Claudio Pizarro's glittering career came to an end while former champion Werder Bremen's survival hangs in balance.

Bayern Munich players celebrate winning their eighth successive Bundesliga title.

The Bundesliga's longest serving club, Werder Bremen, go into the relegation playoff, knowing it is again in control of its own fate.

A 6-1 win on the final matchday against Cologne meant it was thrown a lifeline and will now face third-placed second division club Heidenheim in a two-leg playoff this week.

“It is now in our own hands,” Bode said. “We are confident but also cautious because we know this season we always had setbacks after success.”

Werder managed just the one win in its last three league games.

“Overall it remains a bad season. We will look at it and discuss it in detail to see what we can do differently in the future,” Bode said.

The four-time Bundesliga champion has been relegated just once in 1980 and has spent more seasons in the top flight than any other German club, including record champion Bayern Munich.

Pizarro bids adieu

Claudio Pizarro has won 16 major trophies during his 21-year career playing in Germany, including the treble with Bayern Munich in 2012-13.

 

Werder Bremen's play-off fate brought a bitter-sweet end to Peruvian legend Claudio Pizarro's stellar career in German top-flight. Ever since arriving from South American club Alianza Lima in 1999, Pizarro made 490 Bundesliga appearances across 21 seasons for Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen and FC Cologne and scored 197 goals. The striker enjoyed two successful spells at Bayern winning 6 Bundesliga titles, 6 DFB Pokals and was part of the side which won the Champions League in 2012-13 season.

He became the league's highest foreign scorer in 2010 and held the record until Robert Lewandowski overtook his tally in 2018-19. The 41-year old could once again be on his way to Munich after Bayern offered him a job post retirement.

Hamburg woes

Fellow northern club Hamburg SV is starting internal discussions following its failure for a second season to win promotion to the Bundesliga, after needing only a point against Sandhausen but losing 5-1 on the final matchday.

Club president Marcell Jansen partly blamed the absence of the fans and the team's inconsistent performances following the Bundesliga restart in May for it narrowly missing out on potential promotion which was a “brutal disappointment”.

Hamburg was the only club to have spent every season in the Bundesliga since its creation in 1963 when it was relegated two years ago.

The future of coach Dieter Hecking is also unclear, with the former European and German champion forced to languish for a third season in the second division.

“To say something now with all the emotions boiling would be wrong,” Hecking said.

Lewandowski records

Robert Lewandowski had a remarkable campaign that saw him become the first foreign player to score 34 goals in a Bundesliga season.

 

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was voted Bundesliga player of the season after his highest scoring campaign.

The Pole kicked off his season with a record of netting in the first 11 consecutive matchdays and never let up. He scored a total of 34 league goals in 34 matchdays, second only to the great Bayern striker Gerd Mueller, who managed 40 in 1972.

Lewandowski also set up another four goals as Bayern grabbed its eighth successive Bundesliga crown and Lewandowski was the league's top scorer for the fifth time.

“34 goals in one season is unbelievable,” said Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “Robert Lewandowski is just the best centre forward in the world.”