FC Bayern are in the United States since Monday evening. In addition to six training sessions for the pre-season, this six-day visit included several off-field appointments. Kicker provides an overview.
FC Bayern train at the Green Bay Packers Stadium.
AFP via Getty Images
Georg Holzner reports on Bavaria’s trip from Green Bay, Wisconsin to the USA
Delayed by 1 hour 34 minutes, the Bayern crew took off from Munich for Washington DC on Monday afternoon. For a week, the German record champion went on a packed tour to raise awareness and promote marketing. According to Marketing Director Andreas Jung, 29 million followers in the USA is not enough, there is more. The game against Manchester City at the Green Bay Packers (NFL) stadium, which will be broadcast worldwide by ESPN (6pm local time, 1pm CEST), will certainly help.
Another game will be played at this venue for the first time, the infamous Lambeau Field. It is an attraction for local fans. A city with only 100,000 inhabitants would have 80,000 people, including 300,000 citizens in the surrounding area. After all, they rarely see the football stars of Europe.
exhausting training sessions, multiple appointments, mega heats
The game aspect may seem secondary, but the game is not entirely unimportant to the FCB; It is the first major test – as well as the last – before the start of compulsory play in the Supercup in Leipzig next Saturday. Wednesday’s 6-2 win against DC United served more as the first stocktaking than a 90-minute experiment. For the pros, only half of whom were on the field, it was the first step, although the travel and weather conditions were noticeable. In particular, the 36 °C and extreme humidity in Washington DC made things difficult – a number of off-field appointments were added, although visiting the White House, the Capitol and the monuments in the United States capital is one of those privileges.
“The Champions League is Bigger Than the Super Bowl”
Green Bay, where FC Bayern is from Friday, is a place that almost slows you down. Pleasant summer temperatures, a rural area, short distances, less traffic, more free time and a wonderful stadium. Although basketball (NBA), American football (NFL), ice hockey (NHL) and baseball (MLB) are still industry leaders in the states, executive Jung says, “there are also 130 million people who are interested in football”. . ascending trend. Marketing experts cite the Champions League final as an example. The final of Europe’s major football league is “watched by more people than the Super Bowl,” which is believed to be the biggest sporting event in the world. The credit for the popularity of the show goes to the marketing. But, Jung insists, “the biggest sporting event is the Champions League final. It has the widest reach. The Champions League is bigger than the Super Bowl.”
Mane is a bestseller among Bayern players
Even in the United States, the acceptance of football is slowly developing. This is also reflected in jersey sales. If Robert Lewandowski was the most famous professional on the Bayern team in recent years, it is now Sadio Mane. His jersey was in high demand. Sure, Mane comes from the Premier League – there, compared to the Bundesliga, worldwide marketing is in full swing.
FC Bayern is scheduled to land in Munich on Sunday at 2pm
The trip to the United States, which could not be made in the last two years because of the pandemic, was successful again, this time. Sponsorship and marketing appointments went well; The players were incredibly accessible to fans, very open. But from the financial point of view, the journey was successful. From a sporting point of view: Bayern were able to train six times and play two friendlies. But of course after arriving in Munich, due to the stress of the journey, it takes time to revive before preparations for the final stage begin. The schedule includes: We head to the airport in Green Bay right after the game against Manchester City; The team flies back overnight to the Bavarian capital at around 2 pm (as planned) on Sunday, should FC Bayern take off. Players have a holiday on Monday. Elaborate work has started in view of the Super Cup from Tuesday.
