President Herbert Hainer: ‘FC Bayern is powered by its members and fans’

An exclusive talk with president Herbert Hainer, a meet & greet with sporting director Christoph Freund, a conversation with FC Bayern legend Raimond Aumann, special behind-the-scenes insights during guided tours of the FC Bayern Campus and a shared meal including birthday cake in the *1900 clubhouse were all part of the package that 90 members and fan club members, who were drawn from over 2,500 registrations, got to enjoy at the get-together to mark FC Bayern's 125th anniversary. “Other clubs have oligarchs or entire states - we are powered by our members and fans,” summarised Hainer, earning sustained applause from those present.

After the exciting afternoon activities at the Campus, with the highlight being a discussion with sporting director Freund, vice-president Dieter Mayer welcomed the guests to the *1900 clubhouse with a message from the players. Afterwards, fellow vice-president Walter Mennekes congratulated three birthday children. The introduction by eV managing director Benny Folkmann and Markus Meindl, director of fans, was followed by a presentation by Fabian Raabe on the club's history. Afterwards, Hainer gave an insight into the inner workings of the club during a talk with Heiner Jüngling, the club’s member No.1. The official finale was a discussion with Aumann about his 43 years of service to FC Bayern, both as a player and as head of fan and fan club support. Among the guests were Jürgen Muth, managing director of the Allianz Arena, as well as deaf fan club Red Deaf, and Karl-Heinz Peschen, a former player for the club from 1959 to 1962.

In the afternoon, the members eagerly took the opportunity to quiz Freund on current topics relating to the team. The sporting director also gave a vivid account of how Bayern had contacted him. He had missed two anonymous calls on his mobile before Uli Hoeneß finally caught him. “I was often at Bayern's stadium as a child, back then it was still the Olympiastadion. It was always clear to me that if I left Salzburg, it would only be for something special,” said Freund, “and Bayern is the biggest thing.” Such events also characterise the club, he said: “The members and fans are the foundation, and I think it's great how approachable Bayern is for everyone.”

In his entertaining talk, president Hainer explained why the contract extensions of Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies are groundbreaking (“both have grown up at this club and will be the faces of the new generation”). To applause, he also reiterated the club's social responsibility (“it is the task of all of us to stand up for democratic values and peace”) and said with a smile about the goals for the future: “If we become champions again 11 times in a row and people say that would be boring, I then say we'd love to be boring!”

Jüngling, who has been a member since birth, concluded by wishing “that Bayern will always remain a family like the one we are experiencing once again today”. Aumann added: “If we never give up, we are unbeatable.” Behind Hainer, Aumann and Jüngling hung golden balloons with the number 125 in front of a wall of shelves with trophies and photos from Bayern's past decades. A vivid link between the past and plenty of reasons to celebrate the club in style.