120 years of FC Bayern: four fans explain what they love about their club.
BY JONAS NAPILETZKI
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen - If you ask Harald Michel about his favorite club, the 51-year-old will start to sweat. Not because he doesn't know the answer, but because it's difficult to explain half a century of fan history in one sentence. The chairman of the FC Bayern fan club "Die Filetgranen" has been behind the "Reds" all his life. The Geretsrieder cannot explain how this came about in five minutes. "It would take me a few hours to do this," says Michel. The 51-year-old doesn't have that much time. The Champions League round of 16 game between Chelsea and Bayern will begin in a few hours. No question for the specialty retailer: "off to London." So Geretsrieder tries to give a short version of his answer: "You change women in life, but you never change your club."
Harald MichelThe Geretsrieder heads the fan club "Die Filetgranen".
The Geretsrieder is not alone in this opinion. Around 360,000 fans have joined together in almost 4,500 fan clubs worldwide. Andreas Rammler is one of them. The 41-year-old is the chairman of the umbrella association of FCB fan clubs in the Oberland with over 3000 members. He also heads the Bavaria Oberland fan club. 200 members are organized there. "If you grow up here in the area, there aren't many options when it comes to choosing a club," says the Sachsenkamer. "The reds automatically surrendered to the environment."
Michael SchmidThe Münsinger is head of the fan club "d'Münsinger 2010".
It was completely different with Michael Schmid. "Almost everyone in my family used to be fans of the 1960s," says the 45-year-old, who is now the chairman of the "d'Münsinger 2010" fan club. “I probably wanted to sit back and relax a bit,” says the 45-year-old with a smile. Schmid has seen a lot in the past 40 years. "My personal highlight was the triple in 2013" (victory at the German Championship, DFB Cup and Champions League, editor's note).
Hias Hammerl agrees. The 76-year-old has been with FC Bayern since childhood. "I am Bavarian with body and soul," explains the cook. The TSV 1860 was the more popular Munich club in Hammerl's youth. "But the name FC Bayern alone was enough for my decision".
Andreas RammlerThe Sachsenkamer leads the fan club "Bavaria Oberland".
For Andreas Rammler, the players themselves were the decisive factor. "Lothar Matthäus, Oliver Kahn," begins the 41-year-old, "they were heroes of their time." They were real personalities to identify with, the Saxon enthusiast enthuses. And: "With all the successes I used to ask myself often, what is to come now?" In the meantime, Rammler has found the answer: "It's about more than just the next title". The "around" is also part of it. "We have regular places in the Allianz Arena, which is a bit like coming home." According to Rammler, FC Bayern should "remember more about its own values." Faster, further, more expensive - that doesn't do you good in the long run, ”says the family man.
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All four fans agree on this wish for the future. The Münsinger Schmid also wishes “no insane” transfers. Hias Hammerl wants to “promote the second team and your own youth”. Born in Franke Michel regrets in this connection: "The 'Mia san mia' is no longer as it used to be." A little more down-to-earthness would not harm the world club, said Geretsrieder, who has been a season ticket holder for 31 years. "At least the fans are still down to earth," says Hammerl. Compared to other clubs, Munich is sacred, the cook adds, with a view to riots in other stadiums.
"I don't adore anyone," emphasizes Harald Michel, "but moments like the one when I shared a bottle of wine with Niko Kovac in a Croatian hotel, I never forget." And that's why he and his three fan colleagues will be loyal to FC Bayern. "Go on and on", as Andreas Rammler happily quotes his idol Oliver Kahn.
Jonas Napiletzky
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