Although far from a natural athlete, amateur Gerhard Muller possesses a footballing brain. When FC Bayern take a punt on him, he helps deliver the holy grail of promotion to the Bundesliga, from which the club never looks back.

Josef Dieter Maier is recruited as goalkeeper for FC Bayern's youth teams from the age of 14, and is firmly established as the club's number one by the time it begins its meteoric rise to become winners on the national stage.

Franz Beckenbauer is a born leader. He is equally at ease breaking up opposition attacks and building swift, incisive counter offences. Although he was considered abrasive and self-centred, his mastery of the game was undisputed.

Having failed to defend their first Bundesliga title of the modern era in 1969-70, FC Bayern manager Udo Lattek rings the changes for the next season by adding two new young talents to the squad: Paul Breitner and Uli Hoeness.

Ulrich "Uli" Hoeness is organising autograph sessions and advertising deals, but Beckenbauer is annoyed by his ambition. The destabilising actions of these two rebels see the club teetering on the brink of self-destruction.

At the home world cup taking place across West Germany, FC Bayern's fab five form the core of the national team. Amid continuing infighting, they secure a place in the final against the Dutch star Johan Cruyff.