FC Bayern Munich - The return of the active fans against Hoffenheim: Hopp in the background

At the home game against TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday (3:30 p.m.), the active fan scene of FC Bayern Munich will return to the south curve. Major hostility towards Dietmar Hopp is not planned, the situation has eased since the incidents in February 2020 for various reasons.

Of course it had to be that way. A clear case of: Of all things! Oh, these stories that, as everyone knows, only football writes! When the active fan scene of FC Bayern Munich is jumping and singing in the southern curve of the Allianz Arena for the first time after the start of the pandemic on Saturday, it will – how could it be otherwise – against TSG Hoffenheim from patron Dietmar Hopp.

Right, there is a history. At the end of February 2020, the conflict between the fan scenes of most German clubs and Hopp escalated at a Bayern game in Hoffenheim. The background: Hopp served the active fans as a symbol for the protest against what they saw as the wrong approach by clubs and associations. It was about freedom of expression, stadium bans, commercialization. Hopp never wanted to be this symbol and resisted the abuse.

Shortly before the duel between Hoffenheim and FC Bayern, the DFB sports court announced a two-year ban on away fans for fans of Borussia Dortmund in Hoffenheim. The Bayern supporters reacted with further abuse against Hopp, which resulted in two game interruptions and a non-aggression pact between the two teams that was unprecedented in the Bundesliga.

The escalation in Hoffenheim was followed by two competitive games for Munich. The worries about abandoning the game because of further abuse were great, but ultimately unfounded. With the 1-0 in the DFB Cup at FC Schalke 04 and the 2-0 in the Bundesliga against FC Augsburg, things remained calm before Corona paralyzed the game.

Malicious posters, almost demolition, non-aggression pact between Hoffenheim and Bavaria: The pictures of the day

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In the game between 1899 and FC Bayern, the sporting takes a back seat: After abusive posters against Dietmar Hopp, the game is about to be abandoned. This is followed by a non-aggression pact – and unprecedented solidarity. The pictures of the day.

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But first things first: From a sporting point of view, the game is decided quickly, Bayern have no problems at all with 1899 Hoffenheim.

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Several pyro actions by the fans in the Bayern block only briefly disrupt a harmonious process.

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Those in charge of Bayern around Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (left) have fun in the stands, Hoffenheim’s patron follows the game in his box.

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In the 67th minute, the fans in the Bayern block unfurl a large insulting banner. The goal of the so-called fans: The DFB – but also Dietmar Hopp.

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First reaction: Referee Dingert interrupts the game.

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Several Bayern players, including David Alaba, who once played for Hoffenheim, are trying to bring their own followers to reason. Also included …

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… is Bayern coach Hansi Flick, who is terribly upset about the insults …

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… and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic.

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Meanwhile, Rummenigge apologized to Hopp, who later came to the sideline and clapped with his players when the game finally continued.

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The Hoffenheim fans fought back that afternoon with their own posters. After all, Hopp was recently attacked by the Dortmund and Gladbach fans.

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Unfortunately, it was not over yet: In the 77th minute, another offensive banner was shown in the Bayern block.

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This time, Referee Dingert sent both teams into the locker room, the game was interrupted for a total of 15 minutes. One thing was clear: another interruption would result in the game being completely aborted.

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When the players were back on the field, they had agreed on a very special reaction: the non-aggression pact was signed. In the last quarter of an hour, both teams played the ball to each other at the center circle and waited for the final whistle.

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Then Dietmar Hopp was brought into the middle circle: The players and those responsible for Bayern openly showed solidarity with the entrepreneur and applauded.

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Rummenigge then spoke of the “ugly face” of FC Bayern and hoped that this Saturday would lead to a turning point and a rethink in Germany.

FC Bayern: Active fans are not planning any big Hopp protests

In contrast to many other German fan scenes, the active fans of FC Bayern agreed not to return to the curve until the stadium was fully occupied. On Saturday against Hoffenheim, after exactly 594 days, the time has finally come for the first time, but a new scandal in terms of Hopp is not to be expected for various reasons.

“We haven’t planned any major campaigns at the moment. But I don’t want to rule out the possibility that there will be individual banners,” said Alexander Salzweger from Club No. 12, the association of active fans of FC Bayern, in an interview SPOX and Goal. “We are initially interested in supporting our club and want to concentrate less on this secondary theater of war.”

Immediately after the start of the pandemic it would have been different, “we would have liked to have made the points that bother us more public”. Chants, symbols and banners in the curve are the most effective way to do this; according to Salzweger, significantly fewer people are reached via one’s own social networks.

In the meantime, the much-praised ZDF documentary on the subject, in which all sides were examined in a balanced way and two representatives from the Ultras Schickeria Munich also explained their view of the incidents, provided some processing.

Bayern fans against Hopp: New club management, new topics

Some points of conflict have since resolved by themselves, including the stadium bans by fans of various clubs for invective against Hopp. “Many of the stadium bans related to this expired during Corona last year. Most of those affected are now back inside,” explains Salzweger.

Meanwhile, at FC Bayern there was a reorganization of the club management: Herbert Hainer and Oliver Kahn, who are unencumbered in this regard, are now the successors of the proven Hopp supporters, President Uli Hoeneß and CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “Perhaps that also contributed to the relaxation a bit,” says Salzweger, praising the current “official and unofficial” communication with the club.

When communicating with the other fan scenes, other topics came to the fore. Salzweger names the voluntary activities and fundraising campaigns during the pandemic, but also the resistance to the Super League plans and the reform of the Champions League: “Hopp wasn’t an issue there. It wasn’t explosive, there was nothing new.”

Hopp himself worked with his company after the start of the pandemic CureVac meanwhile on a vaccine against the corona virus. In spring 2020 he resigned from the ZDF a breakthrough occurred in the autumn of the same year, but it has not yet occurred. “I assume that it could fall on his feet. Not only with us, but also with other fan scenes,” says Salzwenger. “That was a great promise from him that didn’t work.”