We’ve witnessed the German national team reign supreme many times over the years, winning everything there is to win in systematic and ruthless style. Many of the players who’ve played for the country have dominated the Bundesliga, too, and have sought to take home the coveted prize of the Bundesliga top goalscorer.
While the Kicker-Torjägerkanone trophy is an obscure piece of silverware to hand the winner of this feat, it’s an accomplishment that puts the player in the upper echelons of the European football rankings. talkSPORT BET explains why the award is so lucrative and discusses some of the most famous campaigns to date that have led to stars holding the cannon-shaped trophy aloft.
The History of the Bundesliga Top Goalscorer Award
It’s no secret that German football has a tumultuous history during the pre-unification era, but the Bundesliga has blossomed since West Germany and East Germany united in the early 90s. Bayern Munich have dominated most domestic campaigns, winning more than six times as many titles as their nearest competitors, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach (not including pre-Bundesliga champions).
When you think of German football, from a British perspective at least, your mind jumps to some of the irrepressible names that became household names. Goalscoring is where our focus is today, and no man can escape the shadows of Gerd Müller when we have this conversation in Germany.
Spending most of his illustrious career at Bayern Munich, Müller is the all-time Bundesliga top goalscorer with an astonishing 365 goals in 427 appearances – it’s a truly outstanding achievement that looks extremely difficult to ever beat. He took home the top scorer award seven times in total, three of them being shared as joint-top scorer.
In the 1971/72 particularly, he managed to bag 40 goals, a record that stood until the 2020/21 campaign. His longevity at the top of the game means he’ll be spoken about for decades to come.
Second on the list of top scorers in the Bundesliga is not German, despite the top ten being dominated by homegrown products. To say Robert Lewandowski’s move from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich garnered a polemical reaction from some corners of Germany would be an understatement. Still, the Polish striker justified the swap by joining Gerd Müller atop the list of seasons finishing as the Bundesliga top goalscorer, although not one of these was shared.
For five seasons in a row, Lewandowski collected the Kicker-Torjägerkanone trophy before deciding he fancied another challenge at Barcelona. He has cemented his legacy as the finest forward in German football this century so far.
Recent Winners of the Bundesliga Top Goalscorer Award
Claiming the award for the top scorer in German football is quite an accomplishment. It means you’ve beaten many of Europe’s best attackers and sit on top of the pile. talkSPORT BET presents odds on the top leagues across Europe each season, and the Bundesliga is no different, so we wanted to remind you of campaigns from yesteryear to highlight previous achievements enshrined in German football folklore.
Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich, 2020/21 – 41 Goals
Statistically, this is the best goalscoring season ever in German football. There was simply no point in even trying to stop Lewandowski from scoring during this campaign, as all too many opposition defenders found out. The seasons on either side of this remarkable feat were stunning in their own right, tallies that most players would be quick to accept, but Lewandowski did what nobody thought possible: beat Gerd Müller’s 40-goal haul.
Of course, Bayern went on to win the Bundesliga comfortably that season, to nobody’s surprise, given they had the most in-form striker in Europe featuring for them. Lewandowski won the European Golden Shoe to boot.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Borussia Dortmund, 2016/17 – 31 Goals
If you have the division’s top scorer among your ranks, you’d think you might stand a good chance of challenging for the title. However, this wasn’t to be for BvB, who had to settle for third place but at least had the consolation that Aubameyang was red-hot all year.
The Gabonese forward hit a hat-trick against Hamburg to march to his first Bundesliga top goalscorer award and help his club achieve a Champions League qualification spot.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Schalke 04, 2011/12 – 29 Goals
Bitter local rivals Borussia Dortmund may have taken home the Meisterschale, but Dutchman Huntelaar finished above the rest in the goalscoring charts. To the delight of thousands in Gelsenkirchen, Klaas-Jan almost hit the 30-goal mark in a sensation season for Die Königsblauen.
Huntelaar finished three goals ahead of his nearest competitor to the prize, Mario Gomez, to crown another season where Schalke made it into the continent’s elite competition the following campaign.
Grafite, VfL Wolfsburg, 2008/09 – 28 Goals
This was truly a special year for German domestic football. Not only did Wolfsburg upset the apple cart and knock Bayern off their perch, but they managed to do it in the last game of the season, securing their first-ever German title. Better still, the top two goalscorers in the division were wearing the green of Die Wölfe.
But it was the Brazilian entertainer Grafite who edged teammate Edin Džeko to finish the season as the Bundesliga top goalscorer. Crowning a sensational domestic campaign in this fashion was the stuff of dreams for Wolfsburg fans that they’ll never forget.
German football is as exhilarating as any league across Europe. You can find odds across German football markets here on talkSPORT BET. And remember to check out any special offers before placing your bets.
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