Bayern Munich win German title

Luca Toni, centre, reluctantly joins the party [AFP]

Bayern Munich have won their record 21st Bundesliga title despite a 0-0 draw at VfL Wolfsburg.

Bayern, which led the league from the opening day of the season, also won the German Cup two weeks ago.

“It wasn’t a good match, but any time you win the title early, you just have to be happy,” Bayern defender Marcell Jansen said.

Bayern players threw beer on each other and management from giant glasses in the traditional celebration for the country.

The main party will be reserved for May 17 in Munich after the team’s final game against Hertha Berlin.

Bayern hardly earned a chance three days after a 4-0 loss to Russian club Zenit St.

Petersburg eliminated it in the UEFA Cup semifinals.

“The team was flat and it wasn’t a good match, but that makes the fact that we won the title even better,” Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said.

“Now we’ve put St Petersburg behind us. Now we will party.”

Hitzfeld adds another title to his collection

Hitzfeld’s 25th title, including two Champions League trophies, came after Wolfsburg controlled the match and had 18 attempts before the break, the most recorded against Bayern since the statistic was first recorded in 1992.

The draw moved the club 10 points ahead of second-place Werder Bremen with three games remaining.

Toni Kroos had Bayern’s best chance in the 73rd minute, putting a shot just outside the right post.

But it became clear that neither team was going to be able to score in the final minutes, handing the title to Bayern.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, right, is forced to join the celebrations [AFP]

Several thousand Bayern fans among the 30,000 at Wolfsburg’s stadium began to chant and cheer as the final seconds ticked away on the stadium clock.

“This was a special season, the expectations were enormous,” Hitzfeld said.

“A huge amount was invested in the team, so becoming German champions is a satisfaction.”

After missing the Champions League for the first time in a decade, Bayern poured a Bundesliga record $114 million into new players like Luca Toni and Franck Ribery.

The exit in the UEFA Cup was a huge disappointment, but management said it didn’t ruin the season.

“This was a great, great season,” Bayern manager Uli Hoeness said.

“Unlike most people I remember we lost in the UEFA Cup semifinals, not the first round.”

Also Sunday, MSV Duisburg beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2.