The German league leaders are well ahead of schedule on and off the pitch…
German clubs, and FC Bayern Munich in particular, are known as models of well-run football teams, but now it’s getting ridiculous.
The Bundesliga have announced on their official website that Bayern have finished paying off the debts they incurred building the Allianz Arena an astonishing 15 years early.
“We have financed out stadium by completed private means,” said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the executive chairman.
“In 2005 we borrowed exactly €345m in a 25-year plan, which was meant to last until 2030. Now we have paid the stadium off after only nine and a half years. I’m very proud of that.”
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Work began on the stadium in 2002, and Bayern and TSV Munich moved in three years later. It was used for several games in the 2006 World Cup, including the opening fixture, which saw Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2.
With the debt repaid, TSV and Bayern will now be able to reap the rewards of the full revenue stream.
The German champions already have a revenue of well over €431m, a figure that will only now increase.
The arena’s most memorable unique features are the 2,760 rounded diamond cushions around the outside, which can change colour depending on whether Bayern, TSV or Germany are playing there.
Unfortunately, Bayern were defeated in their biggest game in the arena to date, drawing 1-1 with Chelsea in the 2012 Champions League final before losing on penalties.