Bayern closed its U.S. tour with a 1-0 win over AC Milan in Kansas City on Tuesday night.GETTY IMAGES
In addition to sharing the latest on the club's U.S. expansion earlier this week, Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge spoke to SBD about the club's broader int'l growth and his thoughts on the proposed European Super League, among other topics.
Q: Where you do you stand on the proposed European Super League?
Rummenigge: I'm not in favor of the Super League.
We have domination in four of the five biggest countries regarding soccer in Europe. We have the domination of Real and Barcelona in Spain. We have the domination of Juventus in Italy. We have the total domination of Paris. St. Germain in France. We have the domination of Bayern Munich in Germany. We have the Premier League, with its five or six good teams, it has a different story to sell. The domination is not good from this point of view and that was the reason why some of the bigger clubs discussed the possibility to install a Super League.
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But I believe in the meantime, you can forget this. It's clear that supporters in Europe do not like the idea of the Super League because they're happy with the currently running system, which is based on national leagues. If you qualify for the Champions League, then you have the pleasure to compete in the best soccer competition in the world, and that makes everybody happy. It's difficult to compete in the Champions League, but that is the cherry on the cake, I would say.
Q: What is the latest on the legal action the club is taking against BMW?
Rummenigge: The latest on that situation is that the case is not really solved, so it's not possible for me to say the final outcome. We are in discussions with them and I hope that at the end, we are able to find a solution which makes everybody happy, but we have to wait for that.
Q: What are the other markets outside Europe that the club is currently prioritizing?
Rummenigge: It is an obligation for us to globalize our business. About six years ago, we hired Jörg Wacker, who is responsible for international affairs. He did a great job building out the business in the U.S. and in Asia, especially in China. We opened an office in Shanghai [in '17], which is working very well. We have increasing numbers of sponsoring partners and of course we will visit this market, maybe next year, because we have come to the U.S. twice in a row, so probably we will go to the Asian market next year. ... We have found a good condition between the globalization and our homegrown markets. Supporters in Germany, especially the Bavarian ones, are following our team when we are playing in the States, for instance.
