PARIS: French sports daily L’Equipe has included no fewer than five Bayern Munich players in its annual Team of the Year.

The German club enjoyed the most successful year in their history, winning the domestic league and cup, UEFA Champions League and Supercup and then the FIFA Club World Cup.

The only trophy on which the team fashioned by Jupp Heynckes and then Pep Guardiola missed out was the German Supercup: Bayern lost 4-2 to Borussia Dortmund. That was a consolation for Jupp Klopp’s side after Dortmund had finished runners-up last season to Bayern in Bundesliga and Champions League.

Only one Spanish player – Barcelona’s Jordi Alba – makes the selection compaed with six in 2012: Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Alba, Xabi Alonso, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

L’Equipe’s choice includes the three contenders for FIFA World Player of the Year in Bayern’s Frenchman Franck Ribery, Barcelona’s Leo Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Team: Manuel Neuer (Bayern, Ger ) – Philipp Lahm (Bayern, Ger ), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City, Bel), Thiago Silva (París Saint-Germain, Brz), Jordi Alba (Barcelona, Sp) – Thomas Müller (Bayern, Ger),  Yaya Touré (Manchester City, Iv), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern, Ger), Franck Ribéry (Bayern, Fr) – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Arg), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Por).

L’Equipe also opened up a selection opportunity to internet readers whose team shows three changes with the inclusions of Ramos, Paul Pogba and Mesut Ozil in place of Kompany, Muller and Schweinsteiger.

Internet team: Neuer – Lahm, Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, Sp), Thiago Silva, Alba – Paul Pogba (Juventus, Fr), Touré, Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid/Arsenal, Ger), Ribéry – Messi, Ronaldo.

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