FC Bayern believes they are closer to Europe’s women’s elite after their triple dream was once again shattered. What is needed to close the gap?
Amidst deep disappointment and lingering frustration with the referee, Giulia Gwinn and her teammates gradually felt a sense of pride. «We are returning to Munich with our heads held high,» Herbert Hainer consoled his dejected footballers. After the triple dream collapsed, the FC Bayern president turned his gaze to a future he hopes will be bright.
The German champions «put up a strong fight against the best team in the world,» Hainer praised after the 2-4 (1-2) loss at FC Barcelona, thus «showing that FC Bayern is increasingly establishing itself at the international top» in the Champions League semi-final second leg. For the club, which is miles ahead of its competition in the Bundesliga, the yearning for the Champions League trophy has long been the strongest motivation.
«Our future will be great if we continue on this path,» prophesied the ‘proud’ coach José Barcala. And Director Bianca Rech stated in an interview with BR: «We have taken a step forward this year. We will carry this with us.» However, to close the diminished gap to Europe’s elite, further efforts are required, efforts that the finalists from Barcelona and Lyon have been undertaking for a longer time.
This pays off in the long run. The more experienced, though certainly vulnerable, Barca, with their world stars Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí, are in the final for the sixth consecutive time. And OL Lyonnaise, with national player Jule Brand, will be vying for their ninth triumph as record winners in Oslo on May 23rd.
FC Bayern: New Stadium as a Foundation — and a Look Towards England
But things are moving. In Munich, the groundwork for the future has been laid with the purchase of a stadium in Unterhaching. After necessary renovations, the Sportpark will host matches and training. In general, far-reaching investments are intended to advance the Women’s Bundesliga.
«Between 700 and 800 million euros in the next eight years,» Katharina Kiel, president of the newly founded league association FBL, stated as a target in Kicker. In the project of realignment, following the failed negotiations with the German Football Association (DFB), there is often a look towards England.
More and more top players are migrating to the Women’s Super League, and Bayern’s midfield engine Georgia Stanway is also reportedly considering a move back home. «As in men’s football, the millions and billions of investors there may not be sustainable, but they distort competition. I am convinced that we will find an answer to this,» said Kiel.
For Gwinn and her colleagues, such future visions offered no comfort on this bitter evening at Camp Nou; the missed final premiere after the 1-1 draw in the first leg was painful. «The feeling is that we were close,» lamented the DFB captain. In particular, the disallowed 3-4 goal by Pernille Harder (90th minute) due to a foul after VAR intervention caused frustration: «That’s how you kill the game.»
The Bayern players can build on their strong, but ultimately late, surge in the DFB-Pokal final. Against their national perennial rivals VfL Wolfsburg, the double is to be secured again on May 14th (4:00 PM/ZDF and Sky) in Cologne. Then, with renewed momentum, they can once again launch an assault on Europe’s crown.