Bayern Munich has gained over 30,000 new club members in the past year and now has 360,000 overall. For that, club president Herbert Hainer touted the club’s growth.
“We can be proud that we will pass another milestone on July 1st and now have 360,000 members. The club has gained well over 30,000 new members in the past 12 months. This shows the strength of FC Bayern, that this club represents a home for many people and that people all over the world can identify with it and its values,” Hainer told club magazine Säbener51 (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “The past season did not meet our expectations because we did not have the success with the men’s team that we would have liked and expected. The fact that FC Bayern had no chance in the Bundesliga so early on was simply unacceptable. The quick cup exit also frustrated us all.
“After 11 Bundesliga titles in a row, you have to be realistic and say that no streak lasts forever. But that doesn’t mean you leave it at that. On the contrary, it has to trigger a reflex. Nobody liked the way we played at times, that we were very varied in our performance levels and lacked consistency. Those fluctuations characterised the whole season. In the future, FC Bayern must once again bring the consistency and dominance to the pitch that it normally radiates.
“Our FC Bayern Women and our basketball players clearly brighten up the overall picture this year. The women have won their third league title in four years and have shown that they are getting better every year and want to establish themselves at the top level domestically and internationally. In basketball, we are cup winners and have the chance to become champions. With regard to our men’s footballers, on the other hand, we have to say that trophyless seasons must not become a permanent state of affairs.”
BFW Analysis
Thankfully, Hainer addressed the club’s recent failures in the front office and on the pitch or this would have been a “read the room” moment. After 2020/21 ended in club dysfunction and a change in coaches, 2022/23 started off with bad personnel decisions and ended with Julian Nagelsmann being sacked in the second half of the season. Then, 2023/24 brought another year of instability and another coaching change.
Having new members is great from a business and club standpoint. However, football is what unifies the fan base and that product has been lacking since the moment Hansi Flick and Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić realized they had irreconcilable differences.
Looking for more thoughts on Bayern Munich’s transfer strategy for the summer, including which players we would not mind seeing brought in? What about some ideas on whether or not Bayern Munich is set up to play a 4-4-2? Want even more? Well, we also have takes on Joshua Kimmich’s future in Bavaria, the German national team’s potential cut down, and Julian Nagelsmann’s possible mistake with Germany. Sound good? Then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show, which is available on Spotify or below: