Just like FC Bayern München AG, the joint stock company responsible for professional football operations, members' club FC Bayern München eV unveiled "outstanding results" at Friday's Annual General Meeting. "We remain extremely popular," declared president Karl Hopfner, drawing appreciative murmurs from the audience at the Audi Dome when he announced a further steady increase in membership to 270,329 (2013/14: 251,315). "I proudly informed you last year that we were now the biggest sports club in the world. We still are," Hopfner stated.

In the previous fiscal year from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015, the strong membership roll enabled FC Bayern eV to report income of €11.5 million Euro from its core activities, a 27 percent increase on the previous year. "You, the members, provide the economic foundations of our club," said senior vice-president Rudolf Schels. Just as in every year, the main source of commercial revenue was the dividend distributed by FC Bayern München AG (€6.75 million). The club's capital reservesrose to €81.737 million (2013/14: €70.433 million), meaning the club has what Schels described as "a phenomenal equity ration of 96.9 percent."

Overall, FC Bayern eV announced a surplus of €11.3 million. "We can look back proudly and confidently on our work over the last 12 months. FC Bayern eV has grown substantially and has accumulated considerable reserves," continued Schels, announcing that the surplus would be "invested in its entirety in our new sports facility. We will create the foundations for the stars of tomorrow."

'Another milestone'

Hopfner explained the new Ingolstädter Strasse facility with its elite youth academy in more detail. The 38-hectare site, four times as large as the club's Säbener Strasse headquarters, will incorporate eight football pitches, a multi-purpose sports hall and the academy as its core. Constructed at a cost of €70 million, the facility is scheduled to open in time for the 2017/18 season and will become the new home of the junior team (U9 to U19) and the amateur sports sections. "I am entirely convinced it will be another milestone in the history of our club," said Hopfner.

FC Bayern eV deputy vice-president Prof Dr Dieter Mayer gave an overview of developments in the amateur sections (veterans' football, refereeing, handball, sports skittles, table tennis, chess). He stressed the highly successful youth programs in all sections and listed a number of titles, for instance the German blitz chess championship title for the men's team and the German championship title in fast chess for Anita Stangl. The veteran footballers' success is also remarkable, they have brought "13 titles to the Säbener Strasse yet again."

German championships in chess and in junior basketball

"I appreciate and admire the unconditional identification of all sections with FC Bayern," commented Mayer: "We're not only proud of our footballers, but also of our amateur sections." The basketballers lost their amateur status as FC Bayern München Basketball GmbH came into being on 1 July 2014. "We took account of rapid developments," explained Schels, and reported an annual profit of €26,000 for the basketball company.

The basketball section can look back on a very good previous season in terms of sports too. The juniors had their "most successful year ever," said Schels. The U-19s and the U-14s clinched the German championship title; no FC Bayern basketball juniors have achieved this before. The men's pro team "represented the club's colours outstandingly," losing the championship finals only in the last game, according to Schels, who is convinced that head coach Svetislav Pesic "will give us plenty to smile about in the current season too."