Club Crawl: Bayern Fan Club India
December 9, 2018 Rohit Rathi, the chairman of the Bayern Fan Club India, was so kind to answer our questionnaire and send us some great pictures of events at his fan club which, even though it’s almost 6000 kilometers away from Allianz Arena, eagerly supports Bayern for every match.
| Location | India |
| Distance to Munich | 5900 km |
| Founding year | 2014 |
| Active members | 400 |
| Social Media | Facebook, Twitter |
Tell us the story of how your fan club was founded and what the fan club means to you and your members.
Bayern Fan club India was founded in 2014. There are a lot of Premier League fan clubs in India, but none from Bundesliga and especially of FC Bayern München. Bayern India – as we call it – proved to be a milestone in bringing Bavarians together throughout India.
Where and how do you watch Bayern games? Do you have special traditions (e.g. chants, food, beer, etc.) that you follow on matchday?
Our fan club organizes screenings in all mayor cities in India like Pune, New Delhi, Ahemdabad. Most often the fan club is supported by their local city chapters. As far as traditions, there is obviously one: beer, beer and more beer!
How often do you or your fan club members come to Munich?
A few of our members have been to Munich in order to watch a live match there. One of the proudest moments for us was when a flag of the Bayern India Fan Club was visibly waved inside the Allianz Arena. We hope that in the near future we can organize a trip with members from the fan club as well.
(Image: Bayern Fan Club India)
Which event of your fan club are you most proud of?
This year in February several club officials from Munich visited India for the Bayern Youth Cup along with legendary left-back Bixente Lizarazu. Several Bayern India members got to welcome the Bayern hall of famer and even watched a screening of FC Bayern vs Mainz with the legend himself.
Just recently this December Lothar Matthäus came to India to promote the Bundesliga. While he was here he met members from the Bayern Fan Club India. He greeted members with alacrity and answered all of their questions. We were touched by his humility and down to earth nature, given the legend he is. We discussed topics such as India Football, the Bundesliga, FC Bayern’s current form and some memories from his career too. It was a great day.
What do your family and friends think about you watching all those Bayern games early in the morning or late at night?
Champions League matches start midnight in India, so yeah we all get to hear a lot of things for making those late night disturbances ;). Conducting late night screenings is difficult due to local administration issues but for important matches we try to cover up as much as we can and that’s when we rope in our friends as well for a night out.
How did you become a Bayern supporter in the first place?
It all started in 2002 at the World Cup. Oliver Kahn’s performances impressed me and most of Asia. When he choose India for his farewell match, this was a great gesture for all of us. Apart from Kahn, it was Bastian Schweinsteiger and Bayern’s consistency over the years which did the rest.
(Image: Bayern Fan Club India)
What differentiates Bayern from other European clubs in your opinion?
Bayern has a very rich legacy. We have also produced real greats like Gerd Muller. Furthermore we have always been a factory which produces world class products and those are home made! Plus the consistency we have shown in the football world for several years now is remarkable.
How do you stay active in your community?
Apart from match screenings, we also run a “Prediction Contest” every match day and the winner gets merchandise from our Bayern India team. We also post “Fan Stories” of Bayern India members on a weekly to monthly basis on our social media handles. For last years UCL matches against Real Madrid, the Bayern India community shared videos of members wishing Bayern “good luck” for the match and those videos have been shared by Bayern on their social media outlets as well. Our most active medium are our WhatsApp groups which are active 24*7, while other social media handles are also a tool to the members.
Stay tuned for the next segment of our series “Club Crawl” as we make our way around the globe to give Bayern fan clubs a voice.
Proud to be a part of Bayern India! Proud to be a fan of the best club in the world! Mia San Mia
It’s a very proud feeling to be recognised as a strong fan club and always a thrilling experience to be able to meet our legend’s who make time to come and visit us. Mia San Mia!
It’s amazing to see such passionate fans in country far away from the club and am honoured to be one of them ,we are just starting yet we’ll keep growing Mia San Mia.
Really proud to be a part of this fanbase. In my friends circle I am the only Bayern fan among other premier league and la liga club supporters so it was natural that I was always backfooted. I was desperately in the need of a family which can become a breathing space for me. And forever I will be indebted to this fanclub for providing me with the same.
Thank You.
Mia San Mia.
Forever “Mia San Mia”❤️
It is Incredibly Awesome to be a Fan Of the Greatest Club in the World – Fc Bayern Munich and honoured as well to be a part Bayern Fan Club India !!! Mia San Mia !!!!
Always feels good to be a part of one of the biggest football fan clubs in the world.
One life one club.
MIA SAN MIA❤️❤️
Our hearts beat for FC Bayern München. We are proud to be a part of the Bayern family.
“Mia San Mia” ♥️
The only club that honours it’s fans, regardless of the circumstances they are in. Mia San Mia❤️
Proud to be a part of bayern fan club India! Being a fan of greatest club in the world is an amazing feeling! #miasanmia ♥️♥️
I never became a Bayern Munich fan. I was born as one. My greatest moment is obviously the treble, but it was made sweeter for me when I received a fan jersey signed by all members of the historic 2013 treble-winning team and presented by none other than our chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge!! I had visited Germany that year for a football media conference with the DFL.
A memory that will live with me forever.
#12
#Mia San Mia
Mia San Mia!♥️
FC Bayern sum up words like Emotions, Love and Passion for me
FC Bayern made me fall in love with Germany and Munich but most importantly made me fall for that crest❤
Passion in its purest form❤❤
Well, for me Bayern is an emotion. They make me laugh when I’m sad. Like I can’t be upset when I see them playing (but can be upset at the end when they lose the game :p) I’ll never stop supporting them. Bayern means a lot to me. And I’m glad that I could be a part of FC Bayern Fan Club India. Mia San Mia.
I am proud to be a fan of a club which do not have paper fans. I know a lot of paper fans from other top European clubs, who hardly watch weekend matches of the clubs the supoort, but keep talking limitless about their clubs reading the social media or magazines or news paper.
All Bayern fans, unless they are occupied with another commitment that time, watch all the Bayern matches and thoroughly discuss about it too. Bayern fans are serious football lovers.
When I started supporting Bayern more than twenty years ago, I did not even know there were others like me in India. Now we have a big active club with genuine fans, that too without any help from news/TV channels. People who do not watch Bayern play never know what they miss as a football fan. 90 minute with Bayern on the pitch is the most entertaining stressbuster I can think of after week long work!
For me Bayern Munich is life and it started in the year 2006. FC Bayern India Fan Club has given the opportunity to us to meet with other members from all over India and helping us to connect & share the views with each other. This has brought us, even more, closer to FC Bayern Munich and inculcated the spirit of Mia San Mia in every one of us! Thus greatly serving the purpose of a fan club.
How to be a part of the club. I have been following bayern since 2014. I wish I knew about this club earlier.
Hi Tanvi, I would suggest reaching out via their facebook or twitter listed at the top of the article. Good luck!