Around 100 employees at the FC Bayern Campus take care of the training and well-being of the stars of tomorrow and beyond. But who actually does what there? Club members' magazine "51" takes a look behind the scenes of the Reds' talent school.
Andreas Rössl – Goalkeeping coach
"I've been the goalkeeping coach here since the Campus opened in 2017. I currently coach the keepers at U13 to U15 level and I'm also responsible for goalkeeper scouting. The position between the posts is a special one. You're a lone fighter in a team, and you have to be the right kind of person for that. You need a certain charisma that can't be taught. That's the first thing I look for when scouting. To be able to work for FC Bayern, to be able to help coach players for this club is a dream. The team spirit here on Campus is great. It's great fun working here every day with my colleagues and the players. I went through a youth academy myself, played in goal and had lots of goalkeeper coaches - to be able to pass this on to our youth players just feels right to me."
Jörn Rolser – Physiotherapist
"I always wanted to work with people, and I find athletes particularly exciting. It just excites me to be able to help them stay fit or get fit again as quickly as possible. When people talk about physiotherapy, most of them only think of massages. But physiotherapy is much more. We make sure the boys can train without any issues, work preventively to avoid injuries and problems, and help injured players get back onto the pitch. The interesting thing here at the Campus is that we deal with different age groups and thus support the kids throughout their development. In the process, you get to know the boys. It's like being in a family."
Florian Cichlar – School liaison officer
"I started as a teacher in the FC Bayern junior team 26 years ago, and today I still look after the schooling needs of our youth players, primarily those of our Academy residents. When a player joins us, I help find a suitable school for him. It's not easy for the boys. They're away from home, have to find their way in a new environment, a new team, a new school, maybe even a new type of school. With a team of ten teachers, we are right by their side. From Monday to Friday there's a two-hour study period in the afternoon, and beyond that we offer programmes, for example, for A-level and exam preparation. We put a lot of emphasis on teaching the boys that they need something to fall back on besides football, because there's no guarantee that they'll become professional footballers. When Bayern play, I always look to see if there's someone on the pitch who used to be here, like Owen Hargreaves, Philipp Lahm or David Alaba."
Maximilian Lösch - Clubhouse *1900 landlord
"The clubhouse *1900 on Campus has been around for a year now. It's always nice to see the beaming faces of people when they walk in the door. It's busiest when FC Bayern Women have a home game at the Campus. Or two or three hours before the men play over at the Allianz Arena. That's when it's full here. We've already been able to implement some nice projects with the eV charity: The presidential Schafkopf tournament, regulars' tables for members, contemporary witness talks... It was also cool that the Campus summer party and the women's end-of-season celebrations took place here. It's a good coexistence and how it should be. When the opportunity arose to take over the clubhouse of FC Bayern, I didn't have to think twice. For me, it's a labour of love. My grandfather, my father and I are all Bayern fans through and through. With the clubhouse on Campus, I now feel part of the Bayern family more than ever."
Carsten Schünemann – Head of athletics/rehab
"We're busy from morning to night. Prevention and individual training determine our daily routine alongside team training. In addition, there's rehab for injured players as well as performance diagnostics and screening of players. All in all, we're responsible for ten teams, which requires a strong team - eight athletics coaches and two rehab coaches - that I'm very proud of. It's a great job supporting young players on their journey over several years. When one makes it to the top, you can say you played a small part. I started at the Campus in August 2019, before that I worked for 20 years in the professional sector of Bundesliga clubs. That's why I can say: Bayern is a very special club. Only here do you have this togetherness, this pride, but also this commitment to the club. Everyone here can feel the 'Mia san mia'."
© Fotos: Roman Lang
Mathys Tel visited the kids from 'Arena of Change' at the FC Bayern Campus and showed them why it pays to always have faith in your path: