FC Bayern, Kimmich and Co .: The surrender to the unvaccinated

No, FC Bayern didn’t lose in Augsburg because Joshua Kimmich was missing. Coach Julian Nagelsmann was also legitimately “too clumsy” in this excuse. Sure, Kimmich is the engine of the record champions’ squad. But even when idling downhill, the people of Munich usually roll over every (sporty) obstacle. Football is not only won on, but also off the pitch – regardless of the phrase. This applies to regional league teams and professionals alike.

Because of course the media fuss about the Munich coalition of those unwilling to vaccinate causes unrest in the team. Whether this will damage the club from a sporting point of view remains to be seen. But now FC Bayern is more than a club – it is a success-oriented business enterprise, the football club with the largest number of members in the world. No other German club orchestrates its external presentation so meticulously. And Kimmich and Co. do not make music to the beat.

Powerless leadership

It is therefore absolutely correct that the Bayern bosses are canceling the quartet of unvaccinated people – consisting of Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting – for failure during their Corona quarantine. But ultimately, it just shows how powerless the leadership team is in this situation. The loss of earnings will not induce those who are defiant out of conviction to give in.

Because Kimmich, zodiac sign elbow, cannot lose. His fighting spirit ultimately made him the best six in the world despite physical disadvantages. The fact that the 26-year-old puts vaccine skepticism over sporting ambition speaks volumes. Anyway: Anyone who has not voluntarily been vaccinated in winter 2021 will not do so in the future.

Fan pressure as a last resort

So what can the board of directors do at all? The answer: precious little. At the end of the day, FC Bayern München AG is an employer – and as such, it cannot poke its employees in the needle. Resignation is not an option either – not that those responsible would ever consider it. What remains is an absolute PR nightmare. After all, Kimmich, Gnabry and Musiala are not just any backbenchers. They are national players, figureheads, guarantors of success and the future.

The de facto toothless sanctioning of the four professionals is only symbolic. Ultimately, the employer’s hands are tied. The only one who could still convince Kimmich and Co. of the prick is their real boss – the fans. Because they should have neck pain from shaking their heads: If you want to watch unvaccinated millionaires kicking, you have to be vaccinated or recovered AND tested. The fans have to address this injustice and thus build up pressure in order to perhaps convince those unwilling to vaccinate.