The other German champions: Bayern Munich haven't always won the Bundesliga

In a season many consider the greatest Bundesliga campaign ever, Leverkusen won the 2024 title without losing a game. Xabi Alonso's team never looked troubled by Bayern Munich, who finished third, a full 18 points behind. Spurred on by an outstanding Florian Wirtz, Leverkusen finished the season with 28 wins and six draws to win their first ever Bundesliga title. They also won the German Cup.

Borussia Dortmund won the Bundesliga title in 2012, and as such were the last to win the title before Bayern Munich went on their serial run. In doing so, Dortmund defended their title from 2011, thanks in part to the goals of Robert Lewandowski (left). They also won the Bundesliga in 1995, 1996 and 2002.

Dortmund's last two Bundesliga titles had a lot to do with then coach Jürgen Klopp, who first took charge of the club in 2008. The current Liverpool manager led Dortmund to the 2011 title, the double of league and German Cup in 2012, and took them to the 2013 Champions League Final – where they lost to Bayern.

One of the most unlikely Bundesliga champions were Wolfsburg in 2009. Coming out of the winter break in ninth place, coach Felix Magath's men went on an amazing run in the second half of the season to lift the trophy. The Werksklub became the 12th club overall to become Bundesliga champions and were the last first-time winner of the Salatschüssel (salad bowl), as the trophy is popularly known.

Edin Dzeko (left) of Bosnia and Brazil's Grafite (right) were driving forces in Wolfsburg's success. Grafite won the scoring title with 28 goals in 2008-09 while the other half of this striking duo found the net 26 times – with 21 of those goals coming during that amazing run in the second half of the season.

Stuttgart went into Matchday 34 of the 2006-2007 season needing a win to clinch the title. The Swabians fell behind early against Energie Cottbus before Thomas Hitzlsperger (right), nicknamed Der Hammer (The Hammer), got them back on level terms with an eye-catching volley. Sami Khedira got the winner to make it 2-1. Stuttgart also won the Bundesliga in 1984 and 1992.

Werder Bremen were the dominant team of the 2003-04 season. The combination of Brazilian striker Ailton (bottom row, second from right) and playmaker Johan Micoud (bottom row, second from left) helped Werder to the Bundesliga title, while they beat second division outfit Alemannia Aachen in the final to win the German Cup. This was Bremen's fourth Bundesliga title after 1965, 1988 and 1993.

In 1998 Kaiserslautern did something no other club has ever achieved – winning the Bundesliga in their first season after winning promotion. The driving force behind the Red Devils' title was "King Otto" Rehhagel, who had led them back to the top flight. Six years later Rehhagel took Greece to an unlikely triumph at the Euros, earning him a new nickname "Rehakles" (word play on Herakles/Hercules).

In 1983 iconic Austrian coach Ernst Happel guided Horst Hrubesch (photo) and his teammates to not only the Bundesliga title, but also the European Cup, the forerunner of the Champions League. This was the climax of the club's most successful era, having also won the league in 1979 and 1982. Another key member of that side was current Hertha Berlin coach Felix Magath.

In 1978 Cologne won their second Bundesliga title, having also won it in the league's inaugural season, 1963-64. The 1977-78 campaign also saw the Billy Goats win the German Cup, which Heinz Flohe (left) wears as a hat. Hannes Löhr holds the Bundesliga trophy. Cologne's biggest rivals back then weren't Bayern Munich, but Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Borussia Mönchengladbach were Germany's best team in the 1970s. In 1977 coach Udo Lattek (second left) led Uli Stielike, Jupp Heynckes, Berti Vogts and the rest of the "Foals" to a defense of their 1976 title. They had sealed the 1975 title under Hennes Weisweiler, with whom they had also won it in 1970 and 1971. Gladbach lifted the UEFA Cup, the forerunner of the Europa League, in 1975 and 1979.

You have to go back even further to find the other three teams to have won the Bundesliga title; 1860 Munich (1966), Eintracht Braunschweig (1967), and Nuremberg (1968). Here 1860 Munich captain Peter Grosser is presented with the Bundesliga championship trophy following his team's 1-1 draw with Hamburg on Matchday 34 of the 1965-66 season.

The first ever German champions were VfB Leipzig, who won the inaugural German championship final in 1903, before adding two more in 1906 and 1913. Their successors had success in East Germany as Lokomotive Leipzig, before reverting to their old name VfB in the Bundesliga in 1993-94, before going bust. Their official successors are the modern-day Lokomotive Leipzig, who play in the fourth tier.

Apart from that, 1860's local rivals have dominated the Bundesliga since it started in August 1963. Bayern have won the league a total of 31 times, including three spells of three consecutive championships (1972-1974, 1985-1987 und 1999-2001) until the current streak. With 11 titles, Thomas Müller has won more than any other individual player.