February 2025
BAYERN FAMILY
Party animals :
Tyler , Chris and their friends have celebrated many titles since the fan club was founded .
MUNICH AIRPORT
FRÖTTMANING
because his favourite German players – Philipp Lahm , Bastian Schweinsteiger , Lukas Podolski , and Miroslav Klose – all played for one and the same club , Bayern Munich . “ The following season , I got up early every weekend to watch the Bayern games ,“ recalls Tyler . Kick-off at 3.30 pm meant 8.30 am in Chicago . Tyler absorbed everything he could find about FC Bayern . About the team , the club , the tradition , the fans . “ The first time I experienced the Südkurve in the stadium was a unique experience ,“ he says : “ That ‘ s what I was looking for . This camaraderie and community is something we don ‘ t have in basketball or baseball here in America .“ The walls of Cleo ’ s are plastered with jerseys and fan scarves from all over the world of football , from Peru to Germany . There ’ s a table football game in the corner ; Oasis are blaring out of the speakers and TV sets hang from the ceiling . This is where Bayern fans watch every one of their club ’ s games , sing the club anthem “ Stern des Südens ” ( Star of the South ), eat burgers and drink Paulaner beer . “ HSV and Borussia Dortmund fans used to meet up here too ,“ relates Tyler , “ but they haven ‘ t been here in a long time .“
Star of the East
The Bayern community has grown rapidly : the fan club now has over 800 members . 80 to 90 per cent of them are Americans with no direct connection to Germany , estimates Tyler . “ I didn ‘ t expect that myself . They were born and raised in the USA and don ‘ t speak a word of German . At most , some may have had ancestors in Germany a long time ago .“ It ’ s a very special bond that ’ s based more on free choice and less on fate . While people in Europe rarely consciously
The fans travel to Munich as often as they can – to experience the “ community and camaraderie “ in the stands that doesn ‘ t exist in US sport .
FC Bayern Magazine 95