Andreas Jung's farewell interview: It only ever works as a team

Andreas Jung started at FC Bayern in the spring of 1996. After 28 years in the employ of the record champions - half of them as a member of the board – he’ll now say goodbye on 1 July. As he bids farewell, the 62-year-old talks in the FC Bayern members' magazine "51" about great emotions - and smaller balls that still teach him humility.

Andreas Jung - the interview

Herr Jung, you were an FC Bayern fan from an early age. What does the club mean to you?
Andreas Jung: "FC Bayern plays a very central role in my life. It means something special to me to be part of this club, I consider it an honour. Even as a young boy, when I played football myself, I always orientated myself towards FC Bayern: how do the players conduct themselves, what do the managers say, how do the fans react? I found that exciting. For me, FC Bayern is more than just an employer; it's emotion, it's passion, it's my heart."

What did you find so fascinating about FC Bayern?     
"I liked the players. Back then, you would sit in front of the radio and always hear: 'Müller, Hoeneß, Breitner, Beckenbauer, Maier ...', and when a game was broadcast on TV, you would always be amazed that Beckenbauer actually did stroke the ball the way they described it on the radio. Where I grew up, there were Eintracht Frankfurt, Kickers Offenbach, Darmstadt - FC Bayern were not the obvious choice, and back then my Reds often suffered heavy defeats. But I never considered supporting any other club."

That speaks for your high level of identification from an early age.
"Being able to identify with something is key. Otherwise you're just imitating - and there's a world of difference. If you don't feel what you're committed to, you can't develop your performance. There would always be one or two per cent missing, and at FC Bayern's level, those are the crucial ones. When talking to our partners, I always say: ‘This is a brand that lives and emotionalises. It's running around down there on the pitch, it has 22 legs, it gives everything for the fans and for the people watching it. FC Bayern is the strongest brand we have in sport in Germany - because it stands for values and because it's so vibrant.“

You always said to young colleagues: "You will hardly find a comparable employer, because here you see game after game on the football pitch what you give your all for during the week."  
"I don't think you can really work for FC Bayern if you're not emotional about it. If I go to FC Bayern, I have to know that the focus is always on what happens on the pitch. Everything has to be subordinate to that, everyone has to be subordinate to that. It's about a deep conviction - if this conviction unites everyone, the club is incredibly strong and cannot be thrown off course."

What has also characterised FC Bayern over the decades is its familial character. Can the club retain this in the future - isn't it actually a must?
"For me, it's a must, now more than ever. We live in a digital world, a world that’s becoming more anonymous - and also tougher. Togetherness is fundamental and a functioning community has to have people who communicate well with one other. FC Bayern has grown, that's what success brings, and that's also a good thing. But at its core, it must retain what makes it so special. That's what sets us apart from all the other top international clubs, and that's a trump card you can always play."

Turnover has quadrupled during your time at Bayern. Is that something you would have expected?
"To say that we expected it would be presumptuous. But the goal was to increase turnover - and we all knew that FC Bayern had enormous potential. To date, it has paid off that the path we’ve taken is the right one: FC Bayern looks for partners who stand for continuity, for reliability, and our philosophy is that we always try to cooperate with the number one in the respective industry. A unique network has developed over the decades, and FC Bayern is a focal point for a wide variety of companies."

You were there when sport and FC Bayern began to set new economic benchmarks. Were those gold-rush times - or did you have to do a lot of hard digging and shovelling?  
"I have to disagree with anyone who says that everything just fell into FC Bayern's lap. I like that image of the gold rush. Let me put it this way: everyone knew you could be standing in front of a vein of gold here - only the nuggets weren't lying around on the street. You had to mine and dig, but the hard graft was worth it. And there were others mining and digging too, so you had to be quick and have the right instincts. Nothing was gifted to FC Bayern."

You’ve always been FC Bayern's representative in the Champions League draws - how has the perception of the club changed over time?
"The fact is that FC Bayern is one of the clubs that can say without contradiction that it has established itself at the very top of the international game. FC Bayern is watched and listened to, and we treat every club with the same respect, from Real Madrid to the smaller clubs that don't regularly play in the Champions League. You can't go around saying we're FC Bayern and we have more rights than others - on the contrary: especially when you have experience and are at the top, you have to accommodate and support the others. We have a good reputation."

What's your wish for FC Bayern?
"My wish for FC Bayern is that we continue to play an important role in Europe, that the brand retains its appeal and that the club holds onto what has always made it strong. Every single person here must realise that it only works as a team. Success is achieved together, no one can achieve it alone. Especially at a large club, everyone has to know their place and find their role - that's what successful teamwork is all about."

© Photos: Fritz Beck

The full (German language) interview can be found in the current issue of the FC Bayern members' magazine "51".