Munich’s Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter’s membership of FC Bayern is currently causing a political stir. The SPD politician is even facing disciplinary proceedings after his additional income from a job at the record champions became public
The debate was triggered by a report from the Left Party, which recently revealed that Reiter has held a position at FC Bayern for several years. The Lord Mayor finally confirmed on Thursday that he has received around 20,000 euros a year since 2021 for his work on the club’s administrative advisory board
According to FC Bayern’s articles of association, this function is also linked to a seat on the supervisory board
Secondary employment should have been approved
The problem: Reiter would have had to obtain official approval for this secondary activity
Until 2025, a particularly strict regulation applied, according to which all ancillary income – regardless of the amount – had to be reported and approved. Since a change, this obligation only applies from an annual limit of around €10,000. Since Reiter’s remuneration from the Bayern office is significantly higher at around €20,000, the city council would have had to be informed and approval obtained
Reiter himself explained that he was not aware of this approval requirement, but at the same time emphasized that he did not assume that the city council would have prohibited such an activity
New allegations exacerbate the situation
However, the affair took on a new dynamic after further details became known
As the Münchner Abendzeitung newspaper reported, there is a letter from Reiter from February of this year in which he asks his advisors to report additional income – but only if it is above a certain limit
In the letter, he explicitly mentions the amount of 10,387.74 euros per year. The letter was dated February 3 and signed by Reiter himself
Critics therefore accuse him of being well aware of the relevant regulations
Disciplinary proceedings under review
The Left Party has now officially lodged a complaint with the government of Upper Bavaria, which acts as the supervisory authority for Munich City Hall
The authority is now examining whether disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against the Lord Mayor. According to constitutional law expert Thomas Spitzlei, possible consequences include a fine or a temporary reduction in salary
Reiter himself is now trying to limit the damage. In a statement, he declared that he wanted to contribute fully to the clarification. „I will do everything necessary on my part to ensure that all questions from the city council and the government of Upper Bavaria can be answered and legally assessed,“ emphasized the SPD politician
Until the allegations have been clarified, Reiter also intends to stay out of all decisions and meetings in connection with his functions at FC Bayern
The affair is therefore likely to cause some discussion both in Munich city politics and around FC Bayern.