More than just a game: diverse projects on and off the pitch | OneFootball

Football means more than goals, victories and titles. FC Bayern’s women's and youth teams show that their sport goes far beyond the game on the pitch. For example, the women’s players have been taking part in activities and events that focus not only on promoting young talent and supporting young people, but also on careers after their playing days. From buntkicktgut to EmpowerHer, on the occasion of International Women's Day, fcbayern.com takes a look at the diverse projects across FC Bayern Women.

U15s support buntkicktgut in integration through street football

The buntkicktgut initiative has been organising a street football league for children and young people for almost 30 years. But it's not just about exercise. The shared passion for football brings children and young people together regardless of their origins or cultural background and promotes integration. The young players trained together with the Bayern U15 players at the last meeting at the FC Bayern Campus and experienced how football builds bridges. A visit by the players to the Bellevue di Monaco, the initiative's venue above the rooftops of Munich, is also planned.

Bayern’s U15s and buntkicktgut promote integration through football.

Football as a learning aid with U17s and KICKFAIR

In the summer, Bayern’s U17s attended a special kind of final. After 24 street football events throughout Germany, the best teams met at Sugar Mountain in Obersendling for the final. The organisation behind the events, in which a total of 12,000 young people took part, is KICKFAIR. The organisation has developed an educational concept that combines street football with educational content and promotes democratic cooperation among young people. Sport was therefore not the only focus of the events. Activities were planned around the final to convey the importance of democracy alongside aspects such as fair play, having a say and teamwork. The cooperation between FC Bayern and KICKFAIR aims to create new learning spaces and promote the involvement of young people.

The final of the KICKFAIR events was about teamwork, fair play and democracy as well as sport.

Women’s second team trying to promote youth with ‘Mädchen an den Ball’

Getting young girls interested in football and encouraging their sporting development is the aim of Mädchen an den Ball project, which has been supported by FC Bayern Women's second team as of this season. “By getting involved in the Mädchen an den Ball project, we want to inspire girls to be active on the ball for the long term,” said Bianca Rech, FC Bayern Women director. In joint training sessions with the FCB players, not only are the girls' football skills developed, but values such as team spirit, discipline and commitment are also taught. As part of the co-operation, the players act as contact persons for the young female footballers and pass on their knowledge and passion for the sport.

Bayern’s second team has been helping young female footballers and conveys important values with ‘Mädchen an den Ball’.

Mentoring for the future with EmpowerHer

Last year was not just about young talent. With the EmpowerHer mentoring programme launched in 2024, the first-team players receive support in planning their careers off the pitch and are therefore prepared early for the time after their professional careers. The FCB women have been assigned managers from companies such as MAN, Allianz and Airbus to match their interests, wishes and ideas in order to develop joint career prospects and build a network. As mentors, they are on hand to advise the players and guide them through the process. For Rech, the project is a matter close to her heart. “I'm delighted with the rapid development of women's football, but I also see the downside. With the density of matches and training, there's not as much time as there used to be to invent yourself. That's exactly why we want to offer the players a platform. They should search for themselves, discover themselves, develop an identity,” the team’s director explained.

EmpowerHer supports FC Bayern Women in their future career planning.

In an interview to mark International Women's Day 2025, Alara Şehitler and Linda Sembrant talk about the development of women's football over the generations:

Generation comparison for International Women's Day