Champions League
May 16, 2012
The past few weeks have brought little good news for fans of Bayern Munich after the club lost both the German cup and the Bundesliga title. All hopes are now set on the Champions League (CL) final against Chelsea on Saturday.
A win at home is desperately needed to avoid a strained atmosphere in a club usually spoiled by success. The only thing that could still comfort those responsible at Bayern is to turn a profit, even if the team loses the match.
Major financial source
Experts estimate that the club will earn around 60 million euros in the current CL season, with the UEFA alone contributing 40 million euros to marketing and bonuses. The other 20 million euros will be raised through ticket sales.
The club could make even more money by selling up to one million tickets to its fans, according to the team's spokesman, Markus Hörwick. The UEFA, however, decided to limit the club's ticket's sales for the match to 17,500.
Expensive finals
For those fans who failed to receive tickets and don't want to be stuck at home watching the game on television, the city has organized a large fan party with a public viewing zone in the former Olympic stadium.
The zone will cost about 300,000 euros, with 220,000 euros addtionally going toward a new turf in the stadium where the women's final will take place on Thursday. In total, the city has earmarked up to 1.4 million euros for both Champions League finals.
Munich's mayor Christian Ude considers this to be a good investment, pointing to a study that claims the city stands to earn far more than its initial investment. The survey, conducted in 2010 for the finals in Madrid, calculated profits of about 50 million euros.
It's worth noting, however, that the paper was commissioned by one of UEFA's most important sponsors.
Hospitality industry cheered
Regardless of the accuracy of such estimates, Munich's restaurant and shop owners hope to increase sales and enhance their image, said Claudia Chondros of the Bavarian retailer's association.
No matter who wins the final, the sports event has already been a blessing for Munich's hotels. Most rooms have been booked out for weeks despite a supplementary charge. Those still in need of an accommodation must now look in the surrounding area or simply reckon with a long ride.
They can also consider camping: Plenty of caravan sites still available in town.
Author: Ernst Weber/ gd
Editor: John Blau