"FC Bayern is more than just football - FC Bayern is characterised above all by its more than 400,000 members: Thank you very much for always giving your all for your club!" This was how Walter Mennekes, deputy vice-president of FC Bayern, bid farewell to the 600 or so guests in the hall at the end of an inspiring day at the final talk of the ‘FC Bayern Show’. The evening ended with sustained applause - clear evidence of a thoroughly successful programme.
What will your FC Bayern look like in ten years? That was one of the central questions at the premiere of a very special, unique and exclusive members' event at the Telekom headquarters in Bonn. Over 1,000 members had applied to attend, and the 600 guests who were drawn by lot experienced a multi-faceted programme themed around their club: first, the issues of the future were analysed together in a ‘Future Lab’ before the evening culminated in the big ‘FC Bayern Show’, where Mennekes and the two FCB Legends Giovane Élber and Claudio Pizarro, among others, had plenty to say.
With 400,000 members in its 125th year of existence, FC Bayern has set yet another record - the popularity means responsibility, said eV Managing Director Benny Folkmann, explaining the background to the idea of the club's ‘Future Lab’: "We want to continue to develop, and it's important for us to know what concerns our members - it's about tackling the issues of the future together. A club is a dynamic community, lively and agile, and as FC Bayern we stand for interaction and dialogue. So we’re delighted with the great interest in our 'Future Lab'. In times of digitalisation, face-to-face events like this often make the emotional difference." The input from the participants will be analysed over the coming weeks and incorporated into the club's future direction.
Among other things, members had the opportunity to give their feedback on issues such as member support or merchandise using forms with QR codes, and they were also able to test their knowledge of the club itself, the issue of diversity and FCB's ‘Red against Racism’ initiative in a quiz. The club's departments were represented by mini basketball hoops and a table tennis table, for example, as the topic of exercise was not to be neglected despite all the dialogue. In the end, Elfie Stopperich was crowned the winner of the quiz by Walter Mennekes; she received a unique Matchworn jersey signed by Konrad Laimer, which the Austrian international, like his teammates, had worn in the match against FC St. Pauli to mark the ‘International Weeks against Racism’ with the special ‘Red against Racism’ lettering on the chest. All the other winners each received two tickets for FC Bayern Women's opening match of the 25/26 Bundesliga season on 6 September at the Allianz Arena.
During the ‘FC Bayern Show’, stadium announcer Stephan Lehmann and Fabian Raabe hosted an emotional, entertaining evening with lots of special moments that were well received by fans and partners. Among those present were 90 fan club members and guests of FC Bayern sponsor Telekom, without whom the evening would not have been possible. The show took the audience on a journey through the biggest moments in the club's history - with stories, photos and anecdotes that made it clear why FC Bayern is so close to the hearts of so many people. It was about what makes this club unique - about emotional matches, great personalities and the joy of being part of a community. The evening was punctuated by songs and musical interludes from the band led by Otto Schellinger. In addition, the show offered insights into the diversity of the club's departments, showcasing FC Bayern in all its breadth. Élber and Pizarro charmed the crowd with insights into their playing career that showed how deep their connection to the club still goes today. Élber summed it up at the end: "It was great fun to be able to talk to FC Bayern fans in a setting like this. You realise how passionate people are about this club - and it was simply wonderful to see the sparkle in their eyes. They put so much heart and passion into it - that's my FC Bayern!"
A fan festival was also held at Bayern Park at the weekend:
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