FC Bayern in mourning for Dr Fritz Scherer

During his time as president, FC Bayern became the German record champions in 1987: the club mourns the death of Dr Fritz Scherer, who passed away in Munich at the age of 85. The long-standing president, former vice-president, former treasurer and honorary vice-president is survived by his wife Claudia, his daughter Katja and his granddaughters Lena and Emily. Scherer had been a member of the German record champions since 1 July 1971 and his last membership number was 418. In total, he was involved in various club management committees for over 30 years.

Herbert Hainer, president of FC Bayern: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Fritz Scherer. FC Bayern will always hold his memory in the highest honour. Fritz Scherer was loyally associated with the club for decades and with him as president, key decisions were made for this club, without which FC Bayern would never be where it is today. Fritz Scherer was an architect of today's FC Bayern. Many thanks for everything!"

Uli Hoeneß remembers exactly "how Fritz Scherer and I started at FC Bayern together in 1979, he as treasurer, I as manager: back then, the club had a turnover of 12 million marks - today it is around 950 million euros.... He always had an open ear for everyone, he has always done FC Bayern good with his calmness, objectivity and expertise. With him as president, our club entered new spheres, and he always remained a loyal companion of FC Bayern later in life."

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge began his second career as a decision-maker at FC Bayern in 1994 as vice-president alongside Scherer. "Fritz Scherer loved and lived FC Bayern," said the long-serving former CEO, "he was always absolutely loyal to FC Bayern. I was always impressed by his whole manner, his great passion, his calm authority and his strategic foresight. Many FC Bayern milestones are closely linked to the name Fritz Scherer. He deserves the utmost respect."

Born in Augsburg, Scherer served as treasurer of FC Bayern from 1979 to 1985, after which he succeeded Willi O. Hoffmann as president before being replaced by Franz Beckenbauer in 1994. He continued as vice-president until 2012, when Karl Hopfner took over. Scherer was also a member of the supervisory board for many years. On the occasion of his 85th birthday a month ago, he recalled his most memorable moments with the club in an interview with the FC Bayern members' magazine '51'. He will never forget the first championship when he was president, nor the history of the creation of the Allianz Arena, during which he served as vice-president under Beckenbauer, he said: in his eyes, the ‘Kaiser’ was the greatest personality the club has ever had. In the 70s, FC Bayern had been spoilt by success, then the club began to stumble, Scherer continued: "With a new strategic direction, the development into a club that is permanently recognised worldwide began. For me, FC Bayern is the best and most successfully managed club in the world. 'Mia san mia' is still a reality and an expression of a family that stands together. It symbolises unity and strength and reflects the values and mentality of the club."

From the 1990s onwards, FC Bayern "grew continuously", not least thanks to the commitment of personalities such as Hoeneß, said Scherer in retrospect, adding that he "already had a certain expectation and confidence that the club would achieve the status of one of the biggest in the world. Investing many millions in players would have been unthinkable in the past - today FC Bayern can afford to compete for the world's top players because there is enough money in the pipeline. In my day, the transfer of Sören Lerby was a quantum leap - and we're talking about two million marks here. The fans can be immensely proud of how everything has developed."

Behind it all was "hard work, determination and the courage to make strategic decisions", Scherer summarised. "The most important factors that contributed to the club's success were continuity in leadership, strong teams and a professional infrastructure that was constantly invested in." On the club's 125th birthday in February, he wished his beloved club that it never strays from its path. It is an enormous challenge to stand up to the top international clubs. But ‘Mia san mia’ has been established over the decades, and as long as this attitude is filled with life, Bayern will continue to inspire its fans.”

Fritz Scherer made an invaluable contribution to this throughout his life.

A look back at Fritz Scherer's time at Bayern in pictures: