February 2025 BAYERN FAMILY
A LIFE FOR FC BAYERN
FC Bayern and Uli Hoeneß, two names that are inextricably linked. Whether as a player, general manager or now honorary president, Hoeneß shaped the German record champions like no other. In this interview, he talks about his life for FCB, curious transfers, but also about what he would like to see in the future for the club closest to his heart.
Illustration Thomke Meyer
Herr Hoeneß, you started as general manager of
HFC Bayern on 1 May 1979. But it’ s said that you didn‘ t
Hreally have much to do when you started. Apparently,
Hafter two hours on the phone, you went home again.
HFC Bayern had a staff of about 20 back then, we had a
Hturnove turnover of about 12 million Deutschmarks. There was
Hvirtually no marketing at all. In terms of merchandising, you could buy a few postcards and pennants at the post office. We perhaps had a scarf, but that was it. However, the work had just begun. I soon flew to Kuwait to organise some friendlies. Unfortunately, that didn‘ t work out. Today we travel around the globe as a matter of course. Back then it was very unusual. How did you get the job in the first place? You were actually still a player. President Wilhelm Neudecker contacted me in January. I was still playing for 1. FC Nürnberg at the time, but my knee had to be injected every weekend and the doctors told me if I wanted to walk around pain-free in future, it would be better to stop. As I always wanted to be a manager, preferably at Bayern, I agreed after a few days of reflection. But when I started on 1 May, the president was Willi O. Hoffmann. However, he stood by Neudecker‘ s word.
FC Bayern won the league title in your first year as general manager. What memories do you have from your first season? It was very intense. I can remember being absolutely worn out and drenched in sweat on Saturdays after matches. I would get so worked up about being in the dugout and powerless to do anything. It took some time until that went away. Back then it was actually very unusual for a club general manager to be in the dugout. It‘ s crucial. You can only see what‘ s going on in the team when you‘ re in the dugout. We‘ d go off on training camps every Friday back then, and I would always be there, for every friendly too. Before the match, at half-time, always. You can demand anything from players, but you must lead from the front. We once played in Tokyo for a million marks. It was a 48-hour trip. If you see off the team at the airport and welcome them back after two days you risk a revolution. But if you‘ re the first to board the plane and the last to leave it you can pull off something like that. It was my credo to demand from the players only what I would undertake myself. Was it difficult for you to always be the main point of contact for the players, whatever the situation? I don‘ t remember having an aversion to any player. Special ties do develop in some cases. When we convinced Roland Wohlfarth to join us his wife suddenly started crying on the sofa because she had to leave her family behind in Duisburg. These things bind you together.
FC Bayern Magazine 53