Harry Kane's debut at Bayern didn't go as he had hoped. Photo: PA
For Harry Kane, the wait continues on. The England captain arrived in Munich this weekend at the start of his new life at his new club, dreaming of new opportunities, but he left his first match for Bayern Munich with a feeling that must have struck him as grimly familiar.
One can only imagine how much Kane wanted to win the first trophy of his career, to lift that burden so soon after moving to Germany. But when he first ran onto the Allianz Arena turf in Bayern colors in this German Super Cup against RB Leipzig, he did so with desperation in the air and anguish on the faces of his new fans.
As a Bayern player, Kane's first task was to save the day. It was a difficult question: Bayern were losing 2-0 when he came off the bench after about an hour of play. Within minutes before he had any impact on the evening, Bayern were three behind after Leipzig's Dani Olmo scored a hat-trick from the penalty spot.
In fact, Kane's first action in a Bayern shirt was to complain to the referee about the decision. Presumably he did this in English, although his first 24 hours in Germany were so hectic that he could easily find time to learn a few phrases. In any case, the game was over before Kane could make his mark. Such, unfortunately for him, is the nature of football. Or, as he might say now, das ist Fußball.
So much of the talk about Kane's transfer, at least in England, revolved around what Bayern could do for him. His first appearance in German football turned this discussion on its head, as it showed why Bayern needed Kane. Thomas Tuchel's team lost chance after chance, missing shot after shot, without Kane in the first half.
Before the start of the match, it seemed that the whole match — and the whole city — was aimed at Kane. The first significant noise at the Allianz Arena came during the warm-up, when he was introduced to the crowd. When he was called up from the bench in the second half, a guttural roar was heard in the stadium, which has not been equaled either before or since.
«We don't expect him to be a superhero,» Tuchel said after the match. “We just expect him to be who he is. He went to bed at 3 am after the physical. We need to learn from him. He doesn't need to learn from us.»
Harry Kane thanks the fans ahead of the DFL Super Bowl Final. Photo: PA 
Harry Kane talks to Thomas Tuchel before being announced. Credit: Getty Images/Christian Kaspar-Bartke
Earlier in the day, just hours after his Bundesliga arrival was officially confirmed, Kane's influence was immediately felt. At the Bayern club shop near the city's airport, Kane's shirts flew off the shelves at an astounding rate.
«I've never seen anything like it,» a Telegraph Sport employee told the outlet. «This is madness». The store has a daily sales target, he said. Since there were still nine hours of trading left, they had already dealt with it.
Clearly, Bayern have quickly capitalized on the commercial boost that Kane should bring them. Already ordered, designed and offered for sale special T-shirts with the Kane logo.
The dominance of Kane's merchandise in Munich shortly after his £86m move from Tottenham Hotspur gives only a glimpse of what Bayern hope to get from the deal. Kane was signed primarily for his goals and assists, but also for his reputation and global appeal. “We expected a lot,” said a salesperson at Bayern Megastore. «And we sell a lot.»
Harry Kane. Photo: Getty Images/Daniel Kopacz
Judging from one shirt in the Odeonsplatz subway station, Kane already has a nickname in this part of the world. «Hurri Kane,» it read, an obvious play on the words «hurrikan,» which is German for «hurricane.» Later, before the game, the Scorpions song «Rock You Like A Hurricane» was played after Kane was first introduced.
Speaking on Friday, before the move was completed, Tuchel tried to explain the meaning of the transition for this country. «We're trying to get the English captain out of England, out of the Premier League,» he said. «That says it all. It's a big deal.»
In truth, Kane's reception on the all-time list seems a little counter to everything we've learned about the 30-year-old in England. Kane has never been spectacular, but on Friday night he was surrounded by cameras and cheering fans, trying to look comfortable as he arrived for his medical in a shiny red Audi.
Harry Kane at Bayern: the journey ahead
The last few days have certainly been some of the most glamorous of Kane's life. He hasn't quite acted like a celebrity over the years, but when he stepped off a private jet on a Friday night, wearing sunglasses and slicked back hair, he looked to the world like the superstar he has become. His promotional video, posted Saturday morning, shows him donning a fresh tuxedo in a theater. Bayern are known as FC Hollywood, a moniker that dates back to the 1990s, and that's the mood they and Kane seem to be aiming for.
What a stark contrast to the mood of the white half in the north London, where a sense of mourning seems to have gripped fans of Kane's former club. «This is a sad day for all Spurs fans,» the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Foundation said. «It should never have come to this.»
Remarkably, Kane, in his farewell video with the Spurs, left the door open for a return to the club. But for the first time in almost two decades, Tottenham Hotspur's problems no longer bother him. His plan was to stop worrying about the High Road and start enjoying the social life in Munich. Off the field, he seems to be making headway already. However, there is clearly more work to be done on this.
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