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After Harry Kane’s three closing heartbreaks with Tottenham and England his first main trophy win, the Bundesliga title we initially regarded as instantly inevitable, was on reflection by no means going to be simple. Final week’s yellow card towards Augsburg saved him within the stands for Bayern Munich’s potential title clincher at RB Leipzig (a visibly irritated Kane instructed referee Bastian Dankert had been “making an attempt to make a reputation for himself” after the tough reserving, issued when he didn’t return the ball shortly sufficient after he was whistled for a foul). Then Yusuf Poulsen’s Ninety fifth-minute equaliser for the hosts meant Bayern weren’t fairly there mathematically, despite the fact that Thomas Müller felt snug sufficient to steer the gamers and a trench-coated Kane by way of some frolics with the away followers on Saturday. Leverkusen solely drawing at Freiburg on Sunday has, finally, lastly sealed the deal. Kane’s Bayern future has been fulfilled, and no obvious jinx might get in the way in which this time.
On the day he signed in August 2023 Munich was balmy, when it comes to climate and temper. It was the morning of Bayern’s DFL-Supercup sport towards RB Leipzig and because the thermometers crept above 30C, scorching and bothered followers queued exterior the a number of Bayern fan retailers within the metropolis centre with the goal of getting their fingers on one merchandise: the brand new, white-with-red-trim house jersey with “Kane 9” on the again. The red-on-white, multi-lined font of title and quantity – a throwback to the figures adorning the backs of Bayern’s 1974 European Cup winners – hinted at a brand new period of glory.
After which the brand new legend, that of the Kane Curse, was born. That Saturday night he took a spot on the substitutes’ bench. By the point he was launched by Thomas Tuchel Leipzig led 2-0; minutes after his entrance the champions and hosts trailed by three. What ought to have been the right gentle launch, getting Kane off the bottom at Bayern with some instantaneous silverware, became a deflating actuality examine. England’s captain had moved to Germany with the goal of breaking his trophy duck. The season curtain-raiser made clear that it simply wouldn’t be that straightforward, as Bayer Leverkusen spent the subsequent 9 months displaying him, and Bayern, how.
Not that any of it was his fault as a result of, frankly, Kane couldn’t have accomplished any extra. Since day one “Herry Kane” (as it’s pronounced in Germany) has been a smash hit on and off the sphere, underlining that it’s one factor to see a famous person from a distance and one other to have him in your individual yard, appreciating each polished high quality and nuance of his sport. Thomas Müller was key in Kane’s adaptation, publicly cheerleading for him from the minute Kane arrived on the membership’s Säbener Straße coaching floor and getting him on to the staff council of senior gamers earlier than the brand new arrival might communicate even a number of phrases of German.
The numbers have been extraordinary – 44 objectives in his debut season together with 36 within the Bundesliga, the place for a very long time he threatened Robert Lewandowski’s season document of 41 from 2020-21, which beat a seemingly unbeatable Gerd Müller milestone that had stood for nearly 5 many years. Kane has added one other 36 up to now this time period. His opener within the victory over St Pauli on the finish of March took him to 100 aim involvements (77 objectives, 23 assists) for Bayern.
But the figures don’t absolutely clarify how and why Kane has come to be the topic of such affection at Bayern. It may need been anticipated that the connection could be transactional: elite membership seeks elite goalscorer, annoyed star seeks superclub to scratch silverware itch.
As a substitute it has turned out that Bayern and Kane had been made for one another; on the pitch, the place his relentless goalscoring is matched by his elite passing, feeding Jamal Musiala and the squad’s sometimes stacked wing expertise; and off the pitch, the place his good-natured embrace of membership custom (particularly at supporter occasions) sits alongside his innate Englishness, rising above the same old ego-driven squabbles and the airing of soiled linen in public that usually characterises life at FC Hollywood.
It’s not tough to make the case that whereas Lewandowski was admired at Bayern, Kane is beloved. You possibly can argue that is partially as a result of the Pole starred for a Bundesliga rival earlier than he arrived, and partly due to the notion he fished for a transfer to La Liga a great whereas earlier than the transfer to Barcelona got here to fruition in 2022. However primarily it’s as a result of Kane has all of it. He’s businesslike and relatable, star and servant, scorer and supplier. Artisan and artist.
It hasn’t all been plain crusing on a person degree. Preserving damage at bay has been a problem, regardless of Bayern’s dedication to guard their star asset (final season’s shock DFB-Pokal exit to third-tier Saarbrücken, which a bemused-looking Kane watched from the bench as his aspect missed likelihood after likelihood earlier than conceding a late winner, was a living proof).
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Tuchel was initially criticised for taking off Kane within the closing phases of the Champions League semi-final second leg at Actual Madrid final 12 months with Bayern successful, just for Joselu’s two late objectives to all of a sudden necessitate a rabbit from a hat that his key man was not there to supply. It turned out the longer term England coach was proper, with Kane’s again damage badly hampering his shows at Euro 2024.
At that time brows started to furrow in Bavaria. Although his efficiency has been unimpeachable since arriving, paying a Bundesliga document payment of greater than €100m for a longtime star heading into his 30s with a 12 months left on his Tottenham contract was such a cultural break from German soccer’s norm {that a} sense of guilt and unease about it has by no means actually gone away. The data that Bayern put all their eggs within the Kane basket means each little knock he takes makes many reconsiderhow secure that funding was.
Kane has usually rebuffed any doubts with sheer weight of numbers. That was not the case within the Champions League quarter-final with Inter this month, when he missed a string of clear possibilities within the first (house) leg specifically which Bayern, going through elite opponents whereas managing an in depth damage listing, merely couldn’t afford. Few, nonetheless, would consider chiding Kane for this. He has greater than stuffed the Lewandowski-shaped gap that gaped earlier than his arrival. He has lifted the gamers round him as solely the elite can do and, in serving to to pulverise Leverkusen within the earlier Champions League spherical, he arguably broke the spirit of Xabi Alonso’s aspect, making certain Bayern’s new rivals couldn’t deny them the Bundesliga title as they did final season.
Kane is not going to be denied any extra. A daily spot enjoying within the Champions League is what he deserved on arriving, however the silverware is what he actually needed. Lastly, it’s what he has received – and he has loads of time left to have fun, and conventional beer showers to barter, again in Munich.
