Post war After World War II, 1860 played in the top flight Oberliga Süd as a mid-table side, suffering relegation for a period of three years in the mid-1950s. However, they delivered when it mattered most in 1963 by winning the league championship and with it automatic entry into Germany's new professional league, the Bundesliga, ahead of rivals Bayern Munich, who would have to wait two seasons for their own top flight debut since the German Football Association (DFB) did not want two teams from the same city in the new league. 1860 continued to perform well through the mid-1960s: they captured their second DFB-Pokal in 1964, played the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup final against West Ham United – losing 2–0. In 1966, they came away as Bundesliga champions and qualified for the 1966–67 European Cup, but lost 3–2 on aggregate against Real Madrid in second round. On 3 June 1967, they finished as runners up in Bundesliga. The 1970s, 1980s and 1990s Those performances were followed by poor showings in three consecutive seasons leading to relegation in 1970 to the Regionalliga Süd (II). It took 1860 seven years to make their way back to the first division, through a three-game play-off contest with Arminia Bielefeld, only to be immediately relegated again. One year later they were back, this time for a two-year stay, then in 1982 they were relegated once again and then forced into the tier III Amateur Oberliga Bayern when financial problems led to the club being denied a licence. The club's exile from the Bundesliga would last a dozen years. They were promoted to the top flight in 1994, but found themselves in immediate danger being sent back down again. President Karl-Heinz Wildmoser and manager Werner Lorant, however, made several shrewd purchases including striker Olaf Bodden, winger Harald Cerny, attacking midfielder Daniel Borimirov, playmaker Peter Nowak and defensive stoppers Miroslav Stević, Jens Jeremies and Manfred Schwabl. Stars like Abedi Pele, Thomas Häßler and Davor Šuker played for 1860 as their careers were winding down, becoming crowd favourites and making important contributions. 2000s Under the leadership of Wildmoser and Lorant, the combination of proven veterans and young talent helped the club avoid relegation and become a decent mid-table side. 1860 earned a fourth-place Bundesliga finish in 2000 and were entered into the UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round, where they faced Leeds United. A 3–1 aggregate