FC Bayern fans travel from all over the world to support their team at away matches – even if it takes them hundreds of kilometres through snow and cold. We want to get to know those who spare no effort or expense to see their beloved Bayern away from the Allianz Arena a little better: our away fans with their special stories, their love and their passion for FC Bayern.
Some Bayern fans travel alone, others with friends and others as a family. Jannik falls into the latter category. When the teenagers talks about FC Bayern, the joy is visible in his eyes. Leipzig is not just another away game for him, but a whole weekend with his family dedicated to the club that has been part of his life since childhood.
Jannik travelled from near Cologne with his mum and dad on Friday and will be returning to the Rhineland by train on Sunday. “We do this as a hobby,” says his father, “and it means we travel a lot around Germany.” Leipzig, Stuttgart, Gladbach, Cologne, Dortmund – the list of stops this season is long. On top of that, there are regular visits to the Allianz Arena, although they don't have season tickets. “That's practically impossible,” says his father. Personal contacts in Leipzig made this trip possible.
Jannik was born a fan. His father recounts, almost a little proudly, how it all began. “As a child, I always went on holiday with my parents to Bavaria and Austria, to the mountains. That's where the connection came from.” Born in 1972 and growing up with role models such as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Klaus Augenthaler, he was a Bayern fan from an early age – even though his own father was not. “I didn't become a fan because of their successes, but because my heart is attached to the club,” he says. “Our hearts always lift when we drive towards Bavaria and see the Alps. When we come to Munich or the stadium, it's almost like coming home.”
It's a dream for me to go on such tours with my son, to drink a beer together in the evening – it doesn't get much better.
Jannik's dad on away trips with his son
Nowadays, it’s a special gift for him to share these trips with his son. “It's a dream for me to go on such tours with my son, to drink a beer together in the evening – it doesn't get much better.” Sometimes father and son go to the stadium together, sometimes his mother comes along, as she did in Leipzig – “for dad's sake”. For Jannik, following Bayern is a family affair – sometimes together with his girlfriend.
This passion is also anchored in the fan scene in their home town. Jannik and his family recently became members of the official fan club “Die Elche”, which has been in existence in Cologne and the Rheinisch-Bergisch district since 1985. Just a few weeks ago, they attended a fan club meeting where Raimond Aumann, a true Bayern legend, was a guest – an evening that left a lasting impression and further deepened their feeling of closeness to the club (read more).
Their personal highlights with FC Bayern are easily identified. For Jannik, it was “Thomas Müller’s last game and his last goal in the Champions League against Inter Milan”. A moment that’s stayed with him. “That was my highlight, it was incredible.” It is moments like these that justify trips away, train journeys and weekends on the road – and keep driving us time and time again.
Ahead of the clash at Leipzig, confidence is high. “I’m predicting 4-1 to us,” says Jannik – and he was nearly right! His dad has a different perspective. “It won’t be easy, RB will put up a fight. The first defeat of the season will come at some point.”
Regardless of how the match ultimately panned out (the match report), for Jannik and his family, Leipzig is another entry in a long shared history. A history of feeling at home, of passion passed down generations, and of FC Bayern as a constant presence. Or, as Jannik himself puts it: “We love doing all this as a family.”
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