When somebody says Bayern Munich, you immediately think of football. And if you think of Bayern and training, you think of Säbener Straße in the Munich district of Untergiesing-Harlaching. However, this has now changed. Since 2017, the FC Bayern Campus has created a new showcase training area that sets new standards in promoting young talent in the Bundesliga. The FC Bayern Campus Performance Centre is the new home of the FCB Juniors from U9 to U19, as well as the women’s and girls’ teams. When it comes to German professional football, Bayern has set the benchmark for years. Similarly, in international football, these German record champions have established themselves as a firm fixture. Even before the start of the season, high goals are set at the traditional Munich club and fan expectations are high. Consequently, it is important to create the best possible training conditions in order to be able to compete at the highest level in top international football, both now and in the future.
With this goal in mind, the new FC Bayern Campus was opened in August 2017 on a former barracks site in northern Munich, within sight of the Allianz Arena. Through this prestigious project, the managers of FC Bayern Munich were able to send a clear signal for promoting young talent. The goal: In the future, more and more stars from their own talent factory will make the leap from the FC Bayern Junior Team to the professional squad. The young FC Bayern players are trained on artificial grass, Tartan tracks and synthetic surfaces from Polytan.
Optimal, campus-style training conditions
The extensive location covers 30 hectares, four times the area at Säbener Straße. The campus, which cost around 70 million euros, makes every footballer’s heart beat faster. It boasts seven large pitches, several mini pitches, a basketball court, a beach football court and a Tartan track. The facilities available to the players are both varied and versatile. With a small fitness park, including its own fitness slope, the campus is also perfectly equipped for athletics and rehabilitation training. The first-class training conditions that have been created for young football talent leave nothing to be desired. The football campus even has its of own stadium with three stands, which can seat up to 2,500 spectators. The FC Bayern U17 and U19 Juniors play their Bundesliga home games here, as well as the UEFA Youth League U19 home games.
FC Bayern also places great importance on the well-being of the next generation off the pitch, with a clubhouse, cafeteria and doctor’s surgery, the athletes receive the best possible medical and dietary care. The campus boarding school is available for all the up-and-coming talent who do not come from Munich and the surrounding area.
Bayern Munich training on Polytan sports floors
In order to be able to offer the next generation optimal training conditions, it was necessary to equip all the sports facilities with first-class sports floors. Artificial turf and synthetic surfaces from the Polytan, the supplier of choice were laid over an area of around 22,000 square metres. For their artificial grass, FC Bayern chose the LigaTurf RS Pro II CoolPlus premium artificial turf system with Bionic Fibre infill. Polytan professional artificial turf was installed on two large playing fields, two mini pitches and various fitness and coordination facilities. In addition, the basketball court and the Tartan track were also equipped with Polytan sports flooring. From now on, basketball will be played on PolyPlay S flooring, while the Tartan track will be a real competitive feature thanks to the Rekortan M high-performance sports track. The two areas are finished in classic brick red.
Polytan artificial grass at Säbener Straße
The football pitches at the training ground at Säbener Straße, where the official FC Bayern first team train, were equipped with Polytan artificial grass back in 2009 and 2011. In some areas, an artificial turf heating system from AST Eis- und Solartechnik GmbH was even installed. This means that the FCB Juniors can train on a green surface even in icy temperatures and snow. The LigaTurf RS Pro II CoolPlus grass system offers natural, turf-like playing and training conditions and, in combination with the elastic base layer, ensures optimum shock absorption. The straight filaments mimic natural blades of grass, which enable consistent and optimal playing characteristics. In addition, the Bionic Fibre infill granules contribute to a natural grass-like feel and enhanced playing characteristics for the athletes.
The irregularly shaped EPDM granules provide an optimally damped, soft surface, at the same time as reducing ‘splash’, the spraying of the granules. The two-tone grass blades and green infill granules complete the consistent appearance of the synthetic turf pitches. Now, football at FC Bayern is no longer only played at the Allianz Arena and Säbener Straße, but also at the prestigious new project of the German record champions, the FC Bayern Campus. Here, the course is set for the football of the future, and Polytan, with its high-quality sports flooring, is an integral part of the new flagship facility, which sets new standards in the promotion of young talent.
