'Ghost champion' Bayern left basking in an eerie afterglow

Mueller record

Club stalwart Thomas Mueller has now equaled the league record of former Bayern great Franck Ribery with his ninth Bundesliga title.

Mueller was endeavoring not to let coronavirus restrictions dampen his joy.

"We will devote ourselves to the evening in compliance with the rules and let the emotions run wild for the time being," said the striker.

"During the coronavirus period, everyone has to have a single table, but we will not necessarily give up.

"You can still lift a glass two meters away with a little distance."

Bayern is planning a team party but can't invite players' families because of coronavirus restrictions, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

Flick has coached Bayern to 26 wins from 29 games in all competitions since he took over in November after Kovac's reign ended following a 5-1 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern was fourth in the table when Flick took over, but he marked his Bundesliga debut in the dugout with a 4-0 thumping of then-title rival Borussia Dortmund.

"When Hansi took over the helm, he quickly got the ship going again," Rummenigge said.

Flick started out as an interim coach but was given an extension to 2023 in April.

Bayern hasn't lost a competitive game since Dec 7 and has only dropped points once in 2020, in a goalless draw with RB Leipzig in February.

Agencies Via Xinhua