Bayern Munich’s David Alaba buys a piece of his boyhood club

A report from Abendzeitung confirms that Bayern Munich’s David Alaba will be putting some of this upcoming raise to good use in the promotion of soccer in his homeland. The departing Bayern star has bought a 2% interest in the senior side of his boyhood club, FK Austria Vienna, for a reported 500,000 euros.

David spent his key formative years playing for the “Violet Youth” of his home side, FK Austria Vienna. Joining the team at age 10 he spent six seasons with the historic club before moving to Bayern’s youth system in 2007. The rest, as they say is history.

Despite a long history of success on the pitch with a record 27 Cup wins and being only one of two teams never to have been relegated, the Veilchen have been suffering through financial problems for over a decade now since Austrian-Canadian maverick billionaire Frank Stronach ended his ownership position in the club in 2005. Since then the club has struggled to regain its economic footing and the pandemic shutdown has not made things better.

Alaba’s purchase is part of a new program designed to attract medium sized business to invest in and sponsor the club to generate more funds to retain and acquire talent. Wien fans are delighted that their hometown hero has returned to help out the club that helped launch his success, and hope that the new business investment program will be as successful as the similar plan that brought LASK back from the brink of bankruptcy to see them once again competing in Europe.

There is even talk of David increasing his ownership stake in the future and taking on a management position with his boyhood club when his playing days are done. While it is too soon to say, hopefully David’s example of stepping up to help out his boyhood club in its hour of need will inspire other successful footballers to do the same.