Jovana Damnjanović: A tireless presence for FC Bayern Women

If you cast your eyes over the FC Bayern women's squad these days, ahead of the next big clash against VfL Wolfsburg (Sunday, 16.20 CET), you'll see international careers, German champions, a two-time European champion. And then your gaze lingers on one year: 2017. Only one player has been with the team without interruption since then and has witnessed every sporting high and low, every reorganisation, every change of coach, every title celebration and every defeat in a final. Jovana Damnjanović is the longest-serving member of the Munich squad. In a business that thrives on acceleration, she has epitomised consistency. For years. Yes – for almost a decade.

Her first Bundesliga match was on 7 September 2013. Back then, Jovi, as everyone calls her, came off the bench for VfL Wolfsburg. Her opponents were Bayern Munich, of all teams. For the 18-year-old from Belgrade, it was the start of a chapter that would later make her one of the Munich side's most recognisable figures. She can still remember that day very clearly: "I came on just after the start of the second half. Bayern were clearly better; we were lucky. Lena Lotzen headed for goal, rounded the keeper, and fluffed her shot. The game finished 1-1. I still have the images in my mind's eye." Now, ahead of the next clash against VfL, her career has once again come full circle.

The one who stayed

Eight and a half years at a club is anything but the norm in modern professional football. The Munich club has invested, created structures and developed international appeal. Anyone who joins FCB today will find a club that sets standards. When Damnjanović arrived in 2017, many things were still in the making. She was 22, had spells at Wolfsburg and SC Sand behind her and had won the Champions League with the club from Lower Saxony. She could perhaps have signed elsewhere, but she opted for Munich. "I was convinced by the project. I was at the Campus on day one and have been part of the development right from the outset. You can't compare what's happening now with back then. Even the Bayern we know today, the players we have, that's a huge difference. We weren't like that back then."

Belgrade in her heart, Munich in everyday life

She was born in Belgrade in 1994. Football isn’t a sport there, but a state of mind. "My childhood was very nice. We, my brother, mum, dad, cousins, all lived in one house. It was noisy, lots of children. I'm thinking of our garden and all the games we played together." The path to football had a random start. "There were a few boys playing in first grade. They ended up with an odd number, so the coach said: 'You, get in goal'. That's how it all started. At home, I said to my mum: 'I'm going to play football now.' She said, 'But you're already doing karate and playing basketball.' I said: 'No, I want to play football'. After two sessions, she came to training for the first time - and saw my passion. Since then, my parents have supported me every day."

Apprenticeship years and triumph in Wolfsburg

The move to VfL Wolfsburg in 2013 was the step up to the European elite. In 2014, she won the Champions League there, albeit as a substitute. A triumph that shaped her self-image and ambitions. At the same time, that period was a school of hard knocks. "I was 18 and spoke no German. I came from Belgrade, a big city of two million people, and moved to a small town in Lower Saxony. It was a big change, football-wise and beyond. But I learnt a lot and won trophies. It was a good start to my career overseas"

Then, via a spell at Sand, came the move to the other side, the step to the Bavarian capital. There have been a few favourite moments against VfL since then: "In February 2019, we played here on Campus and ended up winning 4-2 at a time when Wolfsburg were very dominant. We very quickly went 3-0 up. That was our first clear win against them." And: "Two years ago, we won 4-0 in Wolfsburg. It was clear then that we would be champions. Games against them are always special."

The nine in flux

Damnjanović used to be the classic centre-forward, lurking in the penalty area, trapping medium-height crosses and using her physicality. Today, she's more flexible: she switches sides, drops off, overloads wing zones, makes herself available in half-spaces, presses and closes down passing channels. "The coach knows I'm flexible, whether it's on the wing, as a number ten or up front. He puts his trust in me - and I'm currently making the most of it." Our game plan has also changed somewhat: "We used to pass the ball back more often in the final third. Today, we're more daring, take risks and are more direct in front of goal."

Jovi has no need for grand gestures. She shows her loyalty by standing in the dressing room corridor after losing matches, giving younger teammates a pat on the shoulder and completing training sessions with the same intensity as Champions League nights. In a squad brimming with international stars, she is a constant, a reminder, often a driving factor. "I don't want to praise myself, but I don't think I'm unimportant for the team, on and off the pitch." She's right about that, as her teammates consistently confirm her importance within the team.

Coffee as culture

Damnjanović feels at home in Munich. She lives for FC Bayern, for football. And for coffee. Over the past few years, she has gradually developed into the expert she is today. "I slowly got into the world of coffee: first portafilter machine, home roaster, training. Step by step. At some point I thought: it makes sense." Curiosity turned into a project: her own online shop for coffee was launched in 2024, followed by the café in Neuhausen-Nymphenburg in January 2025: "I opened the Nine Fine Roastery." The name is biographical: "I have the number nine. 'Fine' stands for the quality of our beans. My mum was born on 19 September, hence the reference to nine."

Alongside football in the afternoons and mornings, the café is her second great passion. Despite her entrepreneurial spirit, her priority remains clear when asked about her career choice: "I always say: 'I'm a footballer'. That's my main job. Everything else started as a hobby and is now a bit more than that. But as long as I’m playing, football will remain my main job." Despite her professionalism, Jovi never seems aloof, laughs loudly and speaks openly. It's also this special collaborative nature that her teammates and fans have appreciated so much about her for years.

She incorporates this form of interaction into her café. You could also say it's a tangible team culture. "When I created the menu, I also incorporated my teammates' ideas about what they like to eat and what was missing in Munich." This resulted in something concrete: “The Stahlmann Bowl is from Linda Dallmann; we developed it together, with berries and oatmeal, among other things." And: "Of course there's also the Gigi Special from Giulia Gwinn."

Even the coffee blends she offers in her online shop carry meaning: "We launched 'Double Meister' when we became champions. Giuli, Lea [Schüller] and I are on the label. A reminder of our friendship." This is how they combine competitive sport, passion and community. Cup for cup.

The clash as a mirror

Now the focus will turn to Sunday. Wolfsburg vs. Bayern is more than just a game: it's a question of supremacy in German women's football, a reminder of finals, league titles won, but also bitter defeats. For Damnjanović, it's also an assessment of the situation. "They are two comparable teams with enormous quality. I don't enjoy these games any more than others, but this clash is always special nonetheless." She clearly expresses her respect: "I'm not saying that we're here and Wolfsburg are there. We're both top teams, it can go either way. We'll have to be at 100 per cent." And the ingredients for victory? "We'll need every player, the starting XI and the bench. We'll have to be efficient, allow Wolfsburg few chances and be extremely careful at set-pieces, where they're very dangerous. But: We are Bayern."

Legacy and the present

Eight and a half years at FC Bayern is a commitment in modern football. Ahead of the clash with VfL, it won't just be a striker taking to the pitch, but a story. It started in Belgrade, gained momentum in Wolfsburg, and found its home in Munich. In a sport that is constantly looking for the next player, she's the one who stayed. This chapter is far from over.

🏟️💫 FC Bayern Women face Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Champions League - get your tickets here!