Jan-Christian Dreesen: 'We want maximum sporting success, not maximum financial profit'

At the 2025 annual general meeting at BMW Park, FC Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen not only presented impressive financial figures but also emphasised the unwavering spirit of the Bayern family. Dreesen opened his report with heartfelt thanks to president Herbert Hainer and the executive committee, reaffirming the cornerstones of Bayern's DNA in terms of consistency, innovative strength and cohesion.

Record economic performance

Dreesen began by presenting the figures:

• Total revenue rose from €951.5 million to €978.3 million (+2.8%), which is another record high

• Operating profit improved by 11.3% to €187.8 million – a result that Dreesen commented on as follows: “In international comparison, this means we are world class!”

At the same time, the CEO warned of the challenges ahead: higher write-offs on player values led to a reduction in earnings before taxes (€42.5 million, –32.2%) and after taxes (€27.1 million, –37.1%). Despite the tense transfer market – which exploded by over 50% this summer – Dreesen sees these developments as an incentive to be more creative and to work even more closely together as an organisation: “We are competing with clubs that don't have to work nearly as hard for their money as we do,” said Dreesen. “We don't have anyone who can just slip us a few million from their pockets. But you know what? I think that’s a good thing!”

Success in core business and strategic investments

In addition to solid revenues from match operations – which grew by almost 15% to €260.7 million – Dreesen also pointed to other revenue drivers:

• Sponsorship revenues increased by 6.5% to €240.4 million

• Central media marketing increased by 13.2% to €102.9 million

• Merchandising achieved growth of 11.4%, resulting in record revenue of €150.5 million

The transfers, however, offered a more mixed bag of results. Despite declining transfer revenues (€117.7 million, down 36.8%) and increased squad costs (€408.3 million in total, up 3.0%), Dreesen emphatically reiterated the ironclad maxim: “We don't spend more than we earn.” Investment in the squad is an integral part of FC Bayern’s philosophy – because for the CEO, maximum sporting success is more important than maximum financial profit: “We can afford any transfer we want to make. But we don’t want to make every transfer – and certainly not at any price,” Dreesen aptly summarised.

Sporting success as an unshakeable foundation

Parallel to the economic developments, success was at the top of the agenda on the pitch:

• With 15 competitive wins from 15 competitive games at the start of the season, a new European record was set

• The 34th German championship and a strong run in the Champions League prove that the team has made the leap back to its former glory

Dreesen also highlighted the return of new impetus in marketing – including the return of Rouven Kasper to strengthen the areas of sponsorship, marketing and sales – as well as the extension of coach Vincent Kompany's contract until 2029, which underlines the unwavering team spirit and high level of cohesion. “Vincent has not only brought back the fun, but has also formed a real team – with that very special Bayern spirit that doesn’t come around every year,” Dreesen emphasised.

All details on the 2024/25 season's financial results:

The Bayern Family – more than just a club

Dreesen didn't just focus on facts and figures. In his speech, he also emphasised the importance of solidarity within the club and the entire Bayern family. He called on everyone to find more strength and support in each other than difficult times require – whether in the stadium, in the office or behind the scenes. FC Bayern is much more than a sports club: it is a place where tradition and innovation meet. The recently introduced new anthem, “Immer vorwärts, FC Bayern, Deutscher Meister, Münchens Stolz...” (Always forward, FC Bayern, champions of Germany, pride of Munich...), symbolises this unshakeable spirit, in which scepticism quickly turns to enthusiasm.

Always looking ahead

Dreesen concluded his report with a clear call to roll up our sleeves and tackle the road ahead together – always looking ahead. Just as FC Bayern continues to prove itself in both sporting and financial senses, cooperation is also the key to continued success. “Mia san Mia – and with this combination of economic strength and united team spirit, FC Bayern is ideally positioned for the future,” said Dreesen.

President Herbert Hainer also addressed the AGM: