Jan-Christian Dreesen ahead of PSG second leg: ‘We need 100 percent Mia san Mia’

Jan-Christian Dreesen has been a member of the FC Bayern board since 2013 and has served as CEO since May 2023. Ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, he’s spoken about excitement, nerves and belief in Bayern’s strengths on the pitch and as a global club. He emphasises the club’s special role, its growing global influence and the vital importance of the fans in creating a great European night at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Interview with Jan-Christian Dreesen

Mr Dreesen, how does the Bayern CEO approach a match like the semi-final second leg against Paris? How nervous are you, and how confident?
Jan-Christian Dreesen: “On a day like this, you’re first and foremost a football fan; I feel the same as millions of others: excitement, nerves, the whole range of emotions. I’m also delighted for Vincent Kompany that he can get back to his job on the touchline. He did suffer a bit up there in the press box in Paris. It was clear from the outset that these two matches against Paris would demand everything from us. At half-time we’re a goal down – and that’s exactly how we need to approach it, with humility, because Paris have an outstanding team, but at the same time with confidence. I can’t remember a post-match banquet where the atmosphere after a Champions League game was anything like it was last week in Paris. I praised the team there; they deserved it, but I also warned them that we have a goal to make up. We mustn’t let up for a single second. What gives me confidence is that we’ve already scored 85 goals at the Allianz Arena this season, 20 of them in the Champions League alone.”

How do you view all the international praise following the first leg?
“There were really a lot of superlatives. Coaches, experts and legends from all over the world, from Pep Guardiola to Thierry Henry, have been hailing the match. Peter Schmeichel said on CBS that he’d never seen a better one. It was a historic evening because never before have so many goals been scored in a Champions League semi-final. And we had the privilege of being there in the stadium. But praise won’t get us to Budapest. We want to reach the final, and to do that we need to thrill the football world once again against this immensely strong Paris side.”

Champions League matches like these are broadcast worldwide. What does that mean for Bayern?
“The second leg of the quarter-final against Real Madrid was reportedly watched by almost a billion people worldwide. The first leg against Paris broke all streaming records. Thanks to the matches against Real and Paris, we’ve gained over five million new followers on social media. When Bayern is discussed so intensively even in the US and in major international media, it shows that global interest in Bayern has reached a new level. That’s important for our fans, but of course also for our partners and sponsors.”

Is it perhaps more important than ever, especially in today’s climate, for Bayern to show that it can continue to compete at the very top in a changing world of football?
“Yes, of course. We are independent; no investor dictates our direction. That’s what makes Bayern special, and our fans can be proud of that. But we’re not naïve. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to hold our own, particularly against the Premier League and its financial resources. At the same time, this season shows that money alone isn’t everything. Many people talked about the six English teams in the round of 16. Now there’s just one English team left. I think it’s great that four teams from four different top leagues are in the semi-finals: England, Spain, France and Germany. That speaks for the quality of European football. And we’ve just overtaken Real Madrid to take first place in UEFA’s ten-year rankings. We operate differently but no less successfully.”

Vincent Kompany wants every fan to give it their all this evening…
“Just thinking about the tifo against Real Madrid gives me goosebumps all over again. Vincent is absolutely right. We need every voice on Wednesday. We need 100 percent ‘Mia san Mia’, the full solidarity of our Bayern family and as many people as possible in red. The team showed in Paris that they can bounce back from setbacks and keep going. The Allianz Arena is a tough place to break down, and that’s exactly what Paris need to feel from kick-off. It’s only half-time. Now we need to create a great European night together in Munich.”