GER - FC Bayern aim high as Munich embraces basketball

MUNICH (BBL) - Basketball has a rich tradition at European football powerhouses Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Both clubs have won many national and international titles in basketball.

Now it seems that another European football giant is developing a love for the orange ball – FC Bayern Munich and its President Uli Hoeness have decided to invest in the sport with ambitious goals.

"Basketball and we have to prove that the sport has a future in Munich," said Hoeness as he launched the project of making Bayern one of the biggest names in German basketball.

Everything has gone according to plan so far. The first step was early last year when they signed up national team coach Dirk Bauermann.

German national team players Steffen Haman and Demond Greene followed shortly afterwards.

Around those two players a strong team of young and experienced German players as well as solid US imports was formed.

Bayern was offered an immediate spot in Germany's top league, but the management decided to do things the hard way, aiming for the second division champion's or runner's up spot that secure promotion to the to the Bundesliga.

After 20 games, FC Bayern leads the league with only one defeat. All home games in their converted ice-hockey arena sell out.

Because of the high demand for tickets, Bayern’s next home game on Saturday will be played in Munich’s Olympic hall.

All 12'500 tickets have already sold out, creating a record for the league.

This hasn't gone unnoticed with German superstar Dirk Nowitzki.

"Munich is a great city and offers the right environment," the Mavericks star said in an interview recently. "The money is right and basketball is accepted by the fans. The top game of the 2nd League against my former team Würzburg in mid-February has already sold out. I think it's really good what's developing over there."

Basketball has become an event in Munich. On the sidelines you regularly see football stars like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller, high-ranked politicians as well as entertainment stars.

The full potential of basketball in Munich is yet to be proven, when Bayern will play next season in Germany’s top league BBL.

The club’s most pressing dilemma is to find a proper venue. The Olympic hall is ruled out as it is fully booked with other events, and the Olympic basketball arena from the 1972 Olympics needs a complete refurbishment.

Another problem is the rule of the German league that a club coach cannot be the national team coach at the same time.

The German basketball federation has given its green light for an exception. However, the league still needs to be convinced that a strong FC Bayern with coach Bauermann is good for basketball in Germany.

Either way, it seems like the basketball buzz that is developing in Munich will be around for a while longer; something that has come as a bit of a surprise in a city where football dominates the landscape.

FIBA