Bayern shows solidarity in battle against Corona

FC Bayern Basketball has grown even closer together during this Coronavirus pandemic, naturally only in a figurative sense. To help secure the financial stability of the German basketball champions, all players have agreed to waive a substantial amount of their salaries. The FCBB staff are also on reduced hours using the government ‘Kurzarbeit’ furloughing scheme. The steps taken by the team should help reduce the severe financial consequences that come with the Coronavirus crisis, while also compensating for lost wages for the club’s staff.

Team waives salary, furloughing and 25 percent ticketing donation for social causes  

CEO Marko Pesic: “We would like to thank the team, who have made a valuable contribution by waiving 30 percent of their salary. It gives us a chance of taking on this huge financial challenge ahead and also means we can compensate for any lost wages for our staff through the furloughing scheme. We would also like to thank our employees, including the managing board, who demonstrated collective solidarity and an understanding for the situation from the beginning. Everyone sees that it’s about pulling together. We hope that our fans and partners support this approach.”

He added: “We have been more or less self-sufficient for almost a decade now and thus carry the chief responsibility for our finances. As it is well known, there was a spin-off of FCBB’s commercial business from the non-profit ‘FC Bayern München eV’ registered association into the limited company ‘FC Bayern Basketball GmbH’ in 2014. We may still be a part of FC Bayern, but we are also an independent company, which is responsible for its own sporting and commercial success. Our task is to secure not only our financial and sporting foundation, but also jobs.”

Read our Q&A with FCBB CEO Marko Pesic

Furloughing using the ‘Kurzarbeit’ scheme applies from 1st April retroactively. The players have already agreed that their salary reduction will include the month of April, and they will continue to waive almost a third of their wages until the end of June.

Danilo Barthel: “Every part of society needs to show solidarity”

Captain Danilo Barthel: “The team held in-depth talks, including with Marko Pesic and sporting director Daniele Baiesi. Of course, it is never an easy decision for any of us, but every part of society needs to show solidarity right now, and that goes for us too.”

Fans of the defending BBL champions also have the chance to show solidarity: should the remainder of the 2019/20 season’s home games take place behind closed doors, purchasers of season and gameday tickets can voluntarily choose not to get a refund, with some of that money also being donated to social projects. FC Bayern Basketball has committed to donating 25 percent of the net amount of every ticket not refunded to good causes. Should fans be allowed to return to the Audi Dome this season, FCBB would also donate a quarter of each game’s ticket takings to charity.

  

The plan is to support two Munich-based organizations: The Ambulantes Kinderhospiz München foundation, which voluntarily cares for terminally-ill children and young adults, as well as their families, and the hardworking nursing staff of the München Klinik, an amalgamation of the five clinics of Bogenhausen, Harlaching, Neuperlach, Schwabing and Thalkirchener Straße, whose almost 7,000 staff have been under an immense strain for weeks.

Fans can donate a quarter of ticket price to children’s hospice and Munich clinics

The campaign will kick into action at the start of next week. “Just like for many other thousands of businesses, organizations and clubs, and for people in general, the Coronavirus crisis is a financial strain for us as a basketball club – a very big one at that. However, what’s even more important right now is people’s health and solidarity. And solidarity is not a one-way street; you cannot hope for it yourself without being willing to show it. That’s why we want to demonstrate our social responsibility with this ticketing campaign, even in spite of the difficult situation.”

Due to the measures in place to tackle the spread of the Coronavirus, the easyCredit BBL has been suspended for the past month and is currently due to remain so until the end of April. The EuroLeague is also postponed until May. FC Bayern Basketball unreservedly supports these steps in the interest of health and safety. Both competitions aim to complete the season so long as it is safe and legal to do so.