FC Bayern is getting its members moving

In the FC Bayern showroom on Säbener Straße, legends from both the German record champions' men’s and women’s teams take up an entire wall; nestled amongst the jerseys, the Bundesliga Meisterschale, the DFB Cup and the Champions League trophy sparkle. It's a motivating atmosphere steeped in the spirit of FC Bayern, which has organised a special programme: The club is taking part in “Football Fans in Training” (FFIT), organised by the German Cancer Aid Foundation and which now involves 27 professional football clubs. 20 FCB members were selected from 80 applications; the requirements: over 35 years old – and a few more kilogrammes on the scales than they would like.

They’ve set themselves the goal of showing those extra pounds the red card, under the guidance of FC Bayern. For the kick-off session, a set of scales, a height chart, a tape measure to check waist circumference and a blood pressure monitor are all laid out and ready to go. There’s no sugar-coating things here – it's about tackling this together. The goal is clear: get fitter, lose weight, and push through it together. Those extra pounds are no longer in the squad; they’re on the transfer list.

Hansi Pflügler, FC Bayern legend and 1990 World Cup winner, motivates everyone with an opening speech: “You’ll need willpower to overcome your inner demons. It’s just like in football: you have to take on the challenges – it’ll do you a world of good in the end, I promise!” Whilst handing out training shirts, managing director Benny Folkmann explains the background to the programme: “As the world’s largest sports club, we want to encourage health and exercise and thus make a contribution to society.” His deputy, Kiki Hasenpusch, adds: “We want to build a community through sport. We want to foster a sense of togetherness and encourage our members to take an active part in club life.”

For the next three months, participants will meet up once a week with fitness coach Clemens Kubina, primarily at the Säbener Straße facilities, though the FC Bayern Campus and the Allianz Arena will also be used for training sessions. The programme will culminate in a friendly against the corresponding “FFIT” group from FC Ingolstadt, and a tournament will also be organised in Frankfurt for all the clubs taking part. Everyone will be kept informed about the sessions via a dedicated app, and a WhatsApp group will be set up during the very first meeting to ensure there are no excuses – an early sign of a growing sense of camaraderie, and Pflügler quips: “Where’s my training shirt? I want to join in too!” One of the participants eyes his shirt with a grin: “Size M – I’ll fit into that after the 12 weeks.”

“We certainly don’t want to skimp on the fun,” says coach Clemens, “and we’ll be making sure of that with a really varied programme.” The participants have all sorts of different motivations: one wants to prove to his daughter that he can do it; another has already lost 50 kg and is aiming to get back to the weight he was at 18; and another is following his doctor’s urgent advice. Everyone agrees: it’s terrific that FC Bayern is offering this opportunity – it’s about health and community, and the German record champions stand for both. On the table in the showroom alongside the members’ magazine “51” and bottles of water, there are also bowls filled with apples and bananas.

Whilst everyone waits patiently to have their measurements taken, one by one they pass the time by taking a souvenir photo with one of the FCB trophies. Their eyes are sparkling – their appetite has been whetted, in this case for success: for progress, team spirit and that unbeatable feeling of achieving something together.

Holocaust survivor Abba Naor recently visited the FC Bayern Campus to give a series of talks as a contemporary witness as part of the 'Red gainst Racism' initiative: