Bayern Munich open new “FC Bayern World” at Marienplatz

FC Bayern Munich announced the opening of their new “FC Bayern World” on Wednesday. FC Bayern World is a multi-story building complex that houses a number of FC Bayern related amenities, including the new three-story Bayern flagship store, two restaurants (one Bavarian and one international), and thirty boutique hotel rooms.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening ceremony was unfortunately limited to a few board members and no guests. CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, president Herbert Hainer, and Executive Board member Jorg Wacker led the ceremony.

Hainer declared that “the whole of FC Bayern can be proud of the ‘FC Bayern World,’” where he says that both the cosmopolitan and traditional values of the club find a unique balance. Indeed, while the complex was born out of modern technology and features, it sits right near the town hall square of Marienplatz. You couldn’t find a more traditional location in Munich than that.

Rummenigge also said that the complex was not just an amalgamation of past and present, but a keystone for the future of FC Bayern as well. “It’s also a sign that we are looking ahead in times of a pandemic and optimally positioning ourselves for the future,” he said. “It’s a new eye-catcher for the club, which is a wonderful sight to behold.”

Wacker went into more detail about the amenities that FC Bayern World has to offer. “Together with our partners, we offer fans and all visitors an innovative shopping and brand experience in a class of its own. With the boutique hotel, our Bavarian restaurant and the international one, we show our connection to our home in Munich and Bavaria and at the same time our cosmopolitanism,” he said. “It’s a brand environment that combines our history with the international appeal of the club.”

Bayern Munich’s appeal is already well-known in Germany. There are a handful of fan shops scattered around the city of Munich, including one right in the middle of Karlsplatz and inside Munich Airport. Not only that, but even the Mall of Berlin has its own FC Bayern Store. FC Bayern World will certainly do a lot to boost this already huge public image and potentially draw in more international fans as well.

FCBayern.com released a few photos from the opening ceremony, mainly of the flagship store. Its sheer size is the first thing that catches the eye, being about the same size as the gigantic Megastore at the Allianz Arena at 1000 square meters. The new store boasts a number of features that the original Megastore does not, however, such as a cage for taking football shots at screens, a wall depicting the club’s history in a timeline, and — get this — a mannequin sculpted to bear an uncanny resemblance to Thomas Muller.

Here’s hoping that we’ll be able to travel soon, and get an in-person look at FC Bayern World! You better believe that BFW will have the inside scoop on it...