Bayern stadium deal almost finalized: „Couldn’t have a better partner“ | OneFootball

FC Bayern are on the verge of buying the stadium in Unterhaching and now Haching boss Manfred Schwabl is speaking out.

FC Bayern is about to take an important step for the future of its women’s team. According to consistent reports, the German record champions are to become the new owners of the Sportpark Unterhaching. This would give the club a significantly larger and permanently suitable venue – a decisive factor in view of the increasing number of spectators and the growing importance of women’s soccer at FC Bayern.

Until now, the stadium has belonged to the town of Unterhaching. SpVgg Unterhaching had the right of first refusal, but allowed this to expire on 30 June. Haching president Manfred Schwabl explained to BR why the regional league club decided against the purchase: „We are now in the 3rd division and regional league regions. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s always difficult economically and always a struggle for survival.“

The sum of around 7.5 million euros and the necessary modernization measures would have been too much for the club financially. „The floodlights, lux figures, police issues, upgrading the pitch heating and so on. We said we didn’t know if we could cope with it,“ said Schwabl.

Schwabl on deal with Bayern: „Little will change for us“

The sports park offers an ideal solution for the Bayern women. The previous venue on the campus has become too small with 2,500 seats, while the Allianz Arena is hardly practicable for regular match operations. With a capacity of around 15,000 spectators and already Champions League-capable, Unterhaching fits perfectly into the Munich women’s plans. The women’s Champions League level will also become an even higher requirement in the future, which the campus will not be able to meet in the long term anyway.

Schwabl is positive about the planned sale: „I’m confident that we’ll get a clean story,“ he said. It is important for SpVgg to have a stadium „that is also suitable for the third division or for the Women’s Champions League, there aren’t that many stadiums that meet the requirements in the European environment.“ In addition to Bayern and SpVgg, the Munich Ravens from the European League of Football are also expected to continue playing at the Sportpark.

Despite this prospect, there is resistance from the Hachinger fan scene. Some supporters have recently protested against the plan because they fear that FC Bayern could gain too much influence. However, Schwabl is trying to allay these concerns. „There couldn’t be a better partner on the landlord’s side,“ he emphasised, referring to the long-standing good relationship between the two clubs. „Little will change for us, only the owner and the landlord.“