FC Bayern has been investing a great deal of time and money in its international marketing for years. However, President Herbert Hainer believes that’s not enough—at least when it comes to the Bundesliga as a whole. The 72-year-old is calling on the other clubs and the league to become much more active. In his view, the German record champion cannot boost the international appeal of German soccer on its own.
Bayern Munich’s current tour of Asia demonstrates once again the effort the Munich-based club is putting into strengthening its brand in international markets. In South Korea and Hong Kong, Vincent Kompany’s team has more on its schedule than just training sessions and exhibition matches. Numerous sponsor and fan events are also part of the Audi Summer Tour.
President Herbert Hainer had already made it clear at the start of the tour that he felt other Bundesliga clubs were not making comparable efforts. Now the Bayern boss has doubled down on that point.
“Internationalization is not a task that a single club can tackle on its own. We all need to work on this together as the Bundesliga, and the league itself must play a much more active role,” Hainer explained.
“We need much stronger support.”
For the Bayern president, the key lies above all in a unified approach. Individual clubs should not attempt to tap into international markets on their own. Rather, the Bundesliga must present itself more strongly as a unified product.
“FC Bayern cannot be expected to bear the entire burden alone. We need much stronger support from the entire Bundesliga—not just from one or two clubs, but from the entire league,” Hainer demanded.
His criticism is thus directed not only at Bundesliga rivals but also at the league itself. While FC Bayern benefits from its enormous international reputation and has long had a global fan base, Hainer believes that a single record-breaking champion with strong international presence is not enough for the economic development of German professional soccer.
The Premier League, in particular, demonstrates just how valuable the global marketing of an entire league can be. English clubs benefit from enormous international TV revenues and a worldwide presence that has long since extended far beyond Manchester City, Liverpool, or Manchester United.
Bayern Warns of a Growing Financial Gap
For FC Bayern, the discussion is also of great importance from a sporting perspective. The Premier League’s economic superiority has a direct impact on the transfer market. Even some English clubs outside the absolute top tier have financial resources that many Bundesliga clubs can hardly compete with.
Vincent Kompany recently highlighted this disparity as well. For the Bayern coach, the Premier League is currently the strongest league in the world due to its enormous financial resources. The Belgian ranks the Bundesliga second.
Hainer wants to prevent the gap from widening even further in the future. Better international marketing could generate additional revenue through media rights, sponsors, and partnerships, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of the entire league.