FC Bayern Women sign Bernadette Amani

Bolstering the midfield: FC Bayern Women have signed Bernadette Amani. The 28-year-old Ivory Coast captain is moving to Munich from Spanish first division club CD Tenerife Femenino with immediate effect. The defensive midfielder has agreed a contract with the double winners until 30 June 2029.

Rech: "Delighted Bernadette chose FC Bayern."

FC Bayern director of women’s football Bianca Rech: "Bernadette is extremely strong in the tackle and a compact player who impresses with her pace, stability and confident passing. She brings great composure to the midfield and, as captain of the Ivory Coast, always puts the team first. Bernadette is very open-minded, eager to learn and shows a remarkable interest in developing herself further. We particularly appreciate her committed and team-oriented nature, so we're delighted she chose FC Bayern and are looking forward to working with her."

De Sá Fardilha: "We're convinced she’ll continue to unlock her potential with us."

FC Bayern Women technical director Francisco De Sá Fardilha: "Bernadette will bring a lot of energy and assertiveness to our game. With her game intelligence, she will also increase our attacking threat – both in quick attacks and in controlled build-up play. Her ability to play at the highest level of intensity for long periods will be particularly invaluable to us. We're convinced she’ll continue to unlock her potential and take it to a new level with us."

Amani: “The move fills me with great joy”

Bernadette Amani: "The move to FC Bayern fills me with great joy – for me, it's a dream come true. The club is one of the most prestigious in the world and is also highly regarded in my home country. My goal is to quickly integrate myself in the coming weeks and to repay the trust placed in me with strong performances. I see myself as a true team player, so teamwork and the success of the team are my top priorities. I intend to give my best every day to achieve this."

Ivory Coast captain

Born on 5 September 1997 in Dougbafla, Ivory Coast, Amani began her career with Ivorian side Onze Sœurs de Gagnoa before moving to Spain in 2019. There, she played for Extremadura UD, Peluquería Mixta Friol, FF La Solana, DUX Logroño, SD Eibar and, most recently, CD Tenerife Femenino. This season in the Primera División Femenina, the 1.63-metre-tall midfielder made 13 out of a possible 14 league appearances, 12 of them in the starting XI, and scored one goal.

On Monday, FC Bayern Women began preparations for the second half of the season: