The legacy of the shirt
Bayern Munich has a rich history with legends coming and going, and there will be scrutiny if a young star or incoming player shares a number with one of them.
When Harry Kane arrived as the number 9, he was compared with Robert Lewandowski. When Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane took over numbers 7 and 10, many hoped they could replicate the legendary "Robbery".
Number 8 might lack the iconic romance in Bayern's history, but it was donned by legends like Lothar Matthaus, Paul Breitner, Torsten Frings and Hamit Altintop. Important board members and former Bayern coaches, including Max Eberl, Hansi Flick and Niko Kovac, have worn it during their playing days.
In Bischof's case, it will be hard to escape comparison with the past two number 8s, Leon Goretzka and Javi Martinez, as they are all midfielders with great physicality and some similarity in playstyle.
Javi Martinez was arguably Bayern's most prolific player to wear the number in the 21st century. An absolute monster of a defensive midfielder who became integral in the club's treble-winning feat in 2012/13 before another in 2019/20. Despite an injury-riddled career, he still ended up playing 268 times for Bayern across nine seasons and scored some of the most memorable goals in the club's history in the UEFA Super Cup.
Leon Goretzka's stint as a number 8 started after his predecessor, Martinez, left the club, similar to Bischof. The German international contributed to Bayern's domestic dominance in the next few years, but his performance could not warrant the club another European title. While he won many major trophies and enjoyed plenty of success after the switch, many people did not rate him as highly in his individual play as when he wore number 18.
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