There was no big trouble at the annual general meeting this time. The pending extension of the contract with Qatar caused unpleasant questions, but did not lead to a scandal like in the previous year. The discussion was controversial but factual.
The annual general meeting of GC Bayern Munich, which ended in a scandal last year, should be smoother this time. A fan opposition shouted “Hainer out, Hainer out” in November 2021 because the president had stopped speaking at midnight. The main point of criticism was the controversial sponsorship by the airline Qatar Airways.
Even shortly before the World Cup in the desert state, the topic has not yet been ticked off, also because the record champions are about to extend their contract. But the Munich bosses were much better prepared than last year.
Occasional heckling and applause
“We all know that this evening was not a day of glory for FC Bayern. That was not how we know and want to see FC Bayern,” said President Herbert Hainer. “And I, too, made mistakes that evening as the leader of the meeting. I would like to formally apologize to you again today, dear members.” .
Consequences of last year’s meeting
The record champions learned a few lessons from the incidents: “We critically questioned ourselves and thought about what we could do better. A lesson we learned from the annual general meeting: We have intensified the exchange with you over the past twelve months – also and especially on the subject of Qatar,” added Hainer, who had met with members throughout Bavaria for the past eleven months to engage in dialogue.
The criticism from the members of 2021 also resonated in that the contract, which runs until 2023, has not yet been extended. FC Bayern will only decide after the World Cup in Qatar in November/December (and with the knowledge gained from it). However, many fans continue to fight for the contract not to be renewed,
Kahn emphasizes the willingness to talk
CEO Kahn explained that he respects the fact that some fans “are very critical of the cooperation with Qatar Airways”: “That’s why we’ve met committed members several times since the general meeting, exchanged ideas, discussed things, sometimes with very different points of view, by the way also among the fans. Next meetings have already been arranged on this topic. We stay in touch. And that is very important to me!”
Kahn continued: “Nobody said that Qatar is a country where all European standards are met,” said the club boss. But human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said “that the country is on the right track.”
Uncomfortable questions – few concrete answers
The lawyer Michael Ott, whose application against the Qatar sponsorship was not approved last year and had triggered the heated discussions in the previous year, held up to the presidium words of praise for FC Bayern from the Qatari ambassador Abdulla Mohammed al Thani. “Our club is being exploited, we have to live with Qatar peddling FC Bayern’s uncritical behavior. That’s unacceptable,” said Ott.
Hainer replied that he didn’t exactly know the context of the statements. But “we are definitely not silent,” he explained. He left the question of the contract extension open: “It depends on the talks after the World Cup. Then you have to see if there is a common denominator.”
What if the majority of members voted against Qatar?
Benedikt Schwagenhofer chose a different approach: “If the majority of members were to speak out against Qatar, what would they do then?” he asked the Executive Committee. “We take every dialogue seriously, as do the opinions of our members. It’s a complex subject. We would include the opinions in our considerations,” said Hainer.
Thomas Jaud, another speaker from the members, was interested in whether the Round Table dialog format would continue: “Of course it will continue,” explained Hainer. Also to find out what fans and members think. In what form will it then be found.
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Source: BR24 Sport on BR Fernsehen October 16, 2022 – 10:45 p.m
