She was very close to Guardiola and Kovac: Everyone at Bayern listens to this blonde

Who is the blonde woman on the FC Bayern bench? Many fans of Munich have probably asked themselves this question. We clarify.

• Kathleen Krüger is the team manager of FC Bayern Munich.
• The blonde woman sits next to Hasan Salihamidzic and Hansi Flick on the bench of the record champions.
• Krüger was very close to Pep Guardiola and Niko Kovac.

Munich - The picture went through social media. How Niko Kovac , then coach of FC Bayern , after Munich's 5: 1 against his former club Eintracht Frankfurt, hugged a blonde woman in front of the record champions' bench and kissed her cheek vigorously.

That May 2019 was the seventh championship in a row for the Bundesliga giant - and once again the blonde was right in the middle of it. 

Questions about her keep coming up on social media - for example, a user on Twitter wrote: "I've always wondered who this privileged blonde woman is."

FC Bayern Munich: Kathleen Krüger is the team manager

Her name is Kathleen Krüger . Your role: The young woman is the team manager. And as the name “team manager” already describes, she is always very close to the FC Bayern squad . 

On the bench she usually sits next to sports director Hasan Salihamidzic and the respective coach, currently next to  Hansi Flick .

But who is this blonde woman exactly? Krüger grew up in Eching, a small town around 15 kilometers north of the Allianz Arena . As a child, she attended Bayern's home games with her father and brother - they had standing room tickets for the south curve in the Olympic Stadium.

Kathleen Krüger attended the home games of FC Bayern Munich as a girl

The connection has grown. Krüger herself played soccer as a girl, in the summer of 2003, at the age of 18, she switched to the club she loved - and became a Bundesliga player. 

She played 33 times in the women's Bundesliga for Bayern and scored one goal. But the money she earned at the time was not enough to live in the expensive Bavarian capital.

Kathleen Krüger (Bayern team manager): "I prefer to do my work in the background. I don't want to be noticed" pic.twitter.com/PhU8cAnHLS

“I quit at the age of 24 because back then there was only nice pocket money for the enormous effort. Besides playing games, we all worked or studied, ”she once told fcbayern.com in an interview . 

She stayed as an employee on Säbener Strasse - initially as an assistant to ex-manager Christian Nerlinger.

Kathleen Krüger worked for Christian Nerlinger and Matthias Sammer

“One day, Mr. Hoeneß simply asked me whether I could imagine the position at Christian. I then went through a three-month application process and got the job, ”said Krüger about her entry into the new position. 

In 2012, when Matthias Sammer succeeded Nerlinger in his role as sports director, Krüger was promoted to team manager.

“I always wanted to work in sports. But I was very realistic from the start and knew that the industry is very attractive and that there are many applicants for a few jobs. The fact that I can work in my sport, for my club today, is a win in the lottery, ”she said in a portrait.

Kathleen Krüger takes care of the organization at FC Bayern

The job is intense. At Kruger tasks of the entire organizational process counts around the Games Professional Team: Which hotel to stay the Bavarians as they get there, what the alternatives are, what the Munich abroad must comply in stages as they get from A to B , and sometimes just that a projector for tactical instructions for away games is in the guest cabin. 

The fact that she  is indispensable for the FC Bayern coaches is shown by the very good relationship she has with them. There is already a friendly relationship with ex-coach Pep Guardiola and his former assistant Domenec Torrent .

They are said to have a very good relationship: Kathleen Krüger, Pep Guardiola and his former assistant Domenec Torrent. Here with today's Ajax coach Erik ten Hag (right).

© MIS / Bernd Feil / MiS

But Kovac also turned to her again and again during games, arguing with her about his team's approach. 

“Right at the beginning I always put myself in the shoes of the boys: What was important to me as a player? I try to take the perspective of the player, the coach, the physiotherapist ”, Krüger once said about her role.

Kathleen Krüger always sits on the bench when FC Bayern Munich matches

She has another task: during a game, she is connected to the physiotherapist through a headset and microphone. 

If a Bayern professional injures himself on the pitch, she receives the first diagnosis from the field, which she then passes on to the Bayern coach . 

Krüger: "They are all nice guys. No one at the club has ever treated me with anything but respect" pic.twitter.com/IBvX7xRJS0

In addition, she is the one who hands over the scoreboard with the player numbers to the fourth official of the German Football League (DFL) or the European Football Association Uefa on the edge of the field. 

Kathleen Krüger is part of the WhatsApp group of the Bayern team

Not only that: Krüger has another privilege that many Bayern fans will surely be jealous of. As the only person outside the team, she is part of the WhatsApp group. 

What does she get to read there? Krüger: "I smile and remain silent, because of course lots of funny photos and sayings are sent around."