Herbert Hainer: "Extend joint perspectives"

This Saturday, FC Bayern is not only inviting fans and members but also everybody else to a day of diversity at the Sugar Mountain cultural centre in Munich. Under the motto Diversity Mountain there will be a lively programme of sports events with football, basketball, table tennis, chess etc, the team bus will be there, the mascots Berni, Ben and Mia will be on site, club legend Diego Contento will be happy to sign autographs and there will also be the possibility of gaining experience in blind football. There will be a roundtable discussion in the evening on the subject of diversity. In the following interview, president Herbert Hainer, the FC Bayern officer for the disabled Kim Krämer plus Thomas Ponetsmüller and Marcus Janke from the QUEERPASS Bayern fan club talk about the event that starts at noon and ends at ten in the evening.

Interview about ‘Diversity Mountain’

Mr Hainer, what is Diversity Mountain about for FC Bayern?
Herbert Hainer: "Unfortunately, in sport as in everyday life, people are excluded because of their religion, origins, sexuality or also because they are disabled – that can't be tolerated. We are turning the Sugar Mountain culture sent in Munich into a Diversity Mountain for a day – the commitment against discrimination appears to be as big as a mountain and, if we can all work together and support each other, then we can gradually make advances. It's an event from our campaign Rot gegen Rassismus (Red against Racism) that has seen FC Bayern regularly campaign against discrimination of every type for the past three years. The target is to achieve sustainable awareness of diversity together and not only our fans and members are invited but also everybody to come together and appreciate diversity."

The QUEERPASS Bayern fan club will be involved in the roundtable discussion.
Herbert Hainer: “As a rule, we maintain a regular, open and constructive dialogue – including on sensitive subjects. Dialogue is the key to achieving things. We are happy that QUEERPASS has been committed to our campaign 'Rot gegen Rassismus' for many years and the fan club also organises workshops at our Campus or invites members of staff to information sessions. This year we will again be at Christopher Street Day alongside our fan club and the Allianz Arena will again be lit up in rainbow colours. It was also important to us to integrate a representative into our working party on fan dialogue to extend our joint perspectives."

Mr Ponetsmüller, Mr Janke – what's your assessment of the interaction?
Thomas Ponetsmüller: "Very positive. Since 2019/2020 in particular, a partnership has developed that feels good to us – as it is mutual support. The doors are open when there's something to discuss. We don't want to overload anybody but just make people aware of the subject of diversity."

Marcus Janke: "Homosexuality did not start yesterday or the day before. A good example is Angelo Knorr who we will focus on again on Christopher Street Day. He was the president of FC Bayern before Kurt Landauer, he helped shape the club – and was arrested because of his homosexuality. We are primarily football fans but we also have a social responsibility. We want to reflect that: What happened before must not happen again today."

Where does Angelo Knorr stand in the history of FC Bayern Angelo Knorr?
Herbert Hainer: "Angelo Knorr was president of the club three times and that shows how highly he was valued and what a big heart he had for FC Bayern. Membership numbers increased threefold under him, he professionalised the club, brought in an English coach for the first time and was described as the second founder of FC Bayern. Angelo Knorr is one of the fathers of FC Bayern – the club is very grateful to him. Back then he died, physically and mentally destroyed, because they were incredibly difficult times for him and it is our responsibility to maintain his memory.

Tomas Ponetsmüller: "Angela Knorr was outed against his will. He resigned as president because of that to protect FC Bayern. In our eyes, he is somebody, similar to Landauer, who represents the history of FC Bayern. He was also seen as a forerunner for Landauer."

Will inclusion be a focus at Diversity Mountain?
Herbert Hainer: "Our society, but also us all at FC Bayern, have lots of opportunities to do more. We are active: Our Allianz Arena set standards and is being rebuilt accordingly. The Red Deaf FC Bayern fan club got involved came up with signing for our female and male players as part of the Rot gegen Rassismus campaign, the Rollwagerl eV will be 30 years old in the autumn and here to are representative has been brought onto the fan dialogue working party in the area of inclusion to bring in everybody and make inclusion at the club even more sustainable."

Kim Krämer: "The key to everything is, as Mr Hainer said, to talk to people. The subject of inclusion was already taken into account in the construction of the Allianz Arena when there are no requirements for it. I've made a rough estimate: FC Bayern misses out on one million Euros a season in ticket income so that people in wheelchairs can watch games without restricted views and barriers. Inclusion and diversity our powerful concepts you have to live up to. At the moment it often seems to me as if everybody's talking about it because it's trendy – FC Bayern has been dealing with this subject in an exemplary manner for a long time."

What are the highlights in the partnership beyond the Allianz Arena?
Kim Krämer: "The project with signing for female and male players is one of the biggest and best of all in the whole of the Bundesliga: fans with impaired hearing ran the project independently. I ran an active part of the FC Bayern family, the female and male players provide charisma, the signing will be shown on the screens at the Allianz Arena in the future – that will see FC Bayern create sustainable awareness of removing barriers. Removing barriers starts in the mind."

Herbert Hainer: "We want to be a big family – not only for those who can run fast or who are good in the air but for all people who are connected by sport and a club like FC Bayern: Everybody should have the chance to be able to follow their passion and thereby be part of it all."

Diversity Mountain comes at the start of Pride Week. Why is it important at FC Bayern organises an event like that?
Marcus Janke: "Because FC Bayern makes raises awareness. It makes people think. That's the most important thing. Our experience is that homosexuality is now accepted more in society – but people who cannot deal with it become more radical and louder. I feel that it's a reflection of the general development: Contrary views are becoming more extreme. So it's good that FC Bayern builds bridges with an event like Diversity Mountain."

What does it mean for society in general if FC Bayern becomes involved in community affairs?
Kim Krämer: "It's about collecting joint experiences. When I look at the subject of inclusion: not many people were interested back in the day but at FC Bayern we can build on experience from over 30 years and now I see commitment in the areas of diversity, in fighting racism, homophobia and discrimination of whatever sort. FC Bayern is building on very solid foundations here."

Thomas Ponetsmüller: I think it's good the way FC Bayern acts consistently. You have to bring values to life and not just once a year when there's a day of action but permanently instead."

Kim Krämer: The path taken by the club is leading in the right direction. The sign language project has attracted as much positive feedback from people with disability as those without disability and everybody says: 'I think it's brilliant that FC Bayern, as I know it, is my club!' For me it's the new Mia san Mia: Nobody at all feels excluded today.”

What does that mean for the club, Mr Hainer?
Herbert Hainer: "That we must not ease up. And that we bring in things that matter to people. We think a lot about making sure our community campaigns are not one-day wonders. In such sensitive subject areas it's not crucial to be the first every time. Community action is not a race. You have to do much more better and above all live it – we don't just want to be successful on the pitch. It's also important to me that you all sitting here know that FC Bayern is always open to suggestions. We can all learn from each other. And Diversity Mountain should be another venue for dialogue and coming together."