CWC Profile: Bayern Munich

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On June 15th TQL Stadium will hear the chant “Mia san mia” coming from visiting fans.  They’ll be supporting their team who will be participating in the 2025 version of the Club World Cup (CWC). What does that chant mean? “Mia san mia” means “We are who we are” in Bavarian German. And why Bavarian German? Because they will be chanting in support of Bayern Munich, one of two German clubs competing in the CWC (you can read more about the CWC in Byran Weigel’s excellent overview. A full tournament schedule is available at: 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Schedule.

   
Club History

Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V., or simply Bayern Munich, plays in the city of Munich in the German Professional Football League, better known among soccer followers as the Bundesliga—the top tier in the German soccer system. Bayern Munich have had the most success of any club in this league and are one of the most decorated teams in the world. They have won 33 national titles, including 11 consecutive ones from 2013 to 2023, 20 national cups, and multiple Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) club championships. They go by various nicknames including Die Bayern (“The Bavarians), Stern des Südens (“Star of the South”), and Die Roten (“The Reds”).

Founded in 1900 by 11 players, they won their first championship in 1932. When the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, they were initially not selected as part of that league but did join as of the 1965-1966 season. They began having success during the late  1960s but it was in the 1970s under their legendary captain, Franz Beckenbauer, der Kaiser (“the Emperor”), that they started to be relevant on the world stage. They won three consecutive European Cups (now known as the UEFA Champions League tournament) from 1974 through 1976, started accumulating league and cup titles, and in 2020 became only the second team in European soccer history to win what is called the “Sextuple” (six club trophies in one year span that includes the League title, the national Cup title, the national Super Cup title, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup).

Club Venue

A club as old as Bayern Munich will have played in several stadiums during its history. The two stadiums over the last 52 years have been the Olympiastadion, which among other prominent events hosted the opening and closing ceremonies (plus track and field competitions) for the 1972 Summer Olympics. It was also a host stadium, and scene of the final, for the 1974 World Cup which West Germany won. Bayern played their homes games at the Olympiastadion from the 1971-1972 season through the 2004-2005 season. After that, the Allianz Arena became their home stadium.

 

Team Crest

The current crest is blue, red, and white. It has the colors of Bavaria (blue and white), which are from the Bavarian flag, in its center. The words “FC Bayern München” are written in white on a red ring enclosing the Bavarian colors.

Kit

As with any team, Bayern Munich has a variety of kits. The current home kit has three different shades of red, representing identity, emotion, and the drama of the game. Red has been more than just a color for FC Bayern for over 100 years—it’s a way of life.

The current away kit has a bold black base color, symbolizing strength and power, complemented by intricate turquoise elements.  The current UEFA Champions League (UCL) kit has a white retro design and features  the emblem of the 1970 to 1979 seasons directly over the heart.

Legendary Players

It would be impossible to name all the great players that have passed through the storied history of Bayern Munich but some of the more relevant ones were Franz Beckenbauer (CB), Gerd Müller (FW), Sepp Maier (GK), Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (FW), Lothar Matthäus (MF), Oliver Kahn (GK), and Bastian Schweinsteiger (MF). The last one played in MLS in the Chicago Fire and was on the pitch when FCC, which was still in the USL, defeated them in the epic PK shootout that moved FCC to the semi-final of the Lamar Hunt Open Cup.

Fans and Supporter Groups

The club has close to 300,000 official members and 4,433 officially registered fan clubs with over 390,000 members, making it the club with the largest fan membership in the world. An average of 75,00 fans attend Bayern games at Allianz Arena, which is always a sold-out crowd. The club’s most prominent supporter groups are Schickeria München, Inferno Bavaria, Red Munichs ’89, Südkurve ’73, Munichmaniacs 1996, Red Angels, and Red Sharks.

Vincent Kompany

Before we talk about Bayern’s style of playing we have talk about their current head coach: Vincent Kompany. He first played with Belgian Pro League team R.S.C. Anderlecht, the Bundesliga team Hamburger SV, and then made the jump to Manchester City where he eventually won four Premier Legue Trophies. He was one of the best center backs in the world (CB) and was part of Belgium’s “Golden Generation” of players that took them on deep runs in international tournaments.

After his playing career he was named the head coach of his first club, Anderlecht. He then moved to the Championship League (the second tier of the English soccer pyramid), coaching Burnley in the 2022-2023 season. He won the championship with seven games to spare, was named manager of the month several times, finished with 101 points, and had only three defeats. This earned Burnley promotion to the English Premier League (EPL), the top tier of the English soccer pyramid. Unfortunately, Burnley were unable to compete at that level and were relegated back to the Championship League at the end of the season.

For the following season, and to the surprise of the soccer world, Kompany was named the head coach of Bayern Munich. However, Kompany had always shown intelligence in playing and managing the game and Bayern felt that was key to winning championships after a disappointing 2023-2024 season and lackluster performances on the international scene.

Current Style of Playing and Tactics

Kompany was hired to rebuild the team but for the most part he has retained the core base and only let go a handful of players. He has mostly used a 4-2-3-1 formation which allows Bayern to build from the back, control possession, and close down spaces when necessary. He has placed his confidence on core players such as Dayot Upamecano, French Center Back, and Kim Min-Jae, South Korean Center Back, and this season it has paid off. On the wings has attack-minded Alphonse Davies, considered one of the most offensive wing backs in the world, and Raphael Guerreiro, another wing back that tends to be attack oriented.

However, Kompany has instructed his wingbacks to be less attack-focused and play more narrowly, which allows their backline to use their tackling and passing abilities. The formation also gets the best out of defensive midfielders Joshua Kimmich and the teenager Aleksandar Pavlovic. Kompany did reinforce the midfield by bringing in Olise, French attacking midfielder, and Joao Palinha, Portuguese defensive midfielder. Bayern also has Jamal Musiala who plays a key role in their build-up tactics, frequently dropping deeper to facilitate ball progression. And then he has Harry Kane at the front. Kane, in addition to being a proto-typical striker, is a good all-round player who at times drops down as an attacking midfielder.

While Bayern continues to play by their 4-2-3-1 formation, their style also allows them to switch during the match to a 2-3-2-3 formation, which gives them stronger presence in the midfield. This allows them to better control the match and dictate the pace. Of note, Kompany’s insistence on building up from the back sometimes results in his goalkeeper, veteran Manuel Neuer, playing high up between his two central defenders. 

Bayern Munich and the CWC

Bayern Munich has participated in the FIFA Club World Cup twice, in 2014 and in 2020. They won both times. They defeated Raja Casablanca from Morocco in the final in 2013 and Tigres UANL in 2020. Now they will be participating in their third CWC where they have been seeded with Auckland City FC from New Zealand, Boca Juniors from Argentina, and SL Benfica from Portugal.

So get your Bayern scarves out if you are a supporter! And if you aren’t, then let’s go get some to support Die Bayern and show them our very Zinzinnati Germanic heritage!