The corona crisis is an enormous challenge for FC Bayern. Board member Oliver Kahn outlined the club’s actions in an interview with club magazine ’51’.
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Oliver Kahn interviewed
How is FC Bayern dealing with the crisis internally, what are the daily procedures?
“Familiar procedures and routines change during extreme situations like the current corona crisis. In addition to daily virtual meetings, we’ve founded a team to coordinate the particular demands of this unfamiliar situation. Thereby everything’s done in very close coordination with the entire board, our departments and thus also with the FC Bayern staff.”
What are FC Bayern’s priorities during this unusual period?
“The executive board, the supervisory board, the coach and the team demonstrated that solidarity is more important now than ever when they waived 20 percent of their salaries. In addition, they showed: ‘I care about what’s happening to my employer, my club.’ It’s our priority in the club’s leadership that we don’t abandon our staff. Many people are uncertain these days, but we always talk of the Bayern family for a reason.”
What’s the biggest challenge?
“It’s about the protection and health of all our staff and their families. Besides, the club must keep an eye on the financial challenges. It’s about minimising potential effects of the corona crisis on the club and on football in general. The dynamics of crises require enormous flexibility to assess events anew on a daily basis.”
How do you cope with the situation personally, in your new role at FC Bayern?
“It’s a new situation for us all, in a form we’ve only seen in disaster movies so far. Of course I hadn’t been prepared for this challenge in my new role at FC Bayern. But I accept it, as every one of us does. We must steer the club through this crisis.”
Is there anything positive to be taken from this crisis?
“A crisis is always a test of resilience. It shows how we as a club, how everyone involved deals with change. If we can manage to absorb those shocks, chances are we come out of the crisis stronger. There’ll be a world after corona. We’ll change our attitude in many areas of life through this crisis. For football it might mean a reversal from chronic oversaturation to more moderation.”
A look ahead is difficult – but what can you promise the fans now?
“We all at FC Bayern feel a special responsibility towards the club and beyond that towards football. We want to live up to this responsibility. At this point nobody knows when we’ll be able to play at a stadium again. Nobody knows when we’ll be able to do it in front of fans. But we can definitely promise we’ll do everything so that FC Bayern will delight its fans again – and of course aim at titles – when the time comes.”
