FC Bayern is fighting against the jewellery club for their own claims
FC Bayern won't play in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday or the German Super Cup this weekend because last season was too poor. Instead, the village club WSG Tirol awaits in the evening. Munich is grappling with claims and transfers before the season starts.
It could have all been so beautiful, they think in Munich these days. FC Bayern starts as UEFA Super Cup winner with full throttle into the season. Sweeps some lower league team off the field in the DFB-Pokal on the weekend. Or wins the German Super Cup. And starts a week later on the mission: 13th consecutive German championship. Everything as always, we are the greatest.
But it turned out differently. Twice and thrice. The record champion starts into the season without national title for the first time since 2012. The 12th championship in a row was not won under Thomas Tuchel, in the DFB-Pokal there was a humiliating defeat against FC Saarbrücken. And so there will be no German Super Cup if champion Bayer Leverkusen meets vice-champion VfB Stuttgart on Saturday (because the Werkself also won the DFB-Pokal). Because the Bayern were knocked out in the Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid, they also cannot play in the UEFA Super Cup on tomorrow's Wednesday, when the royal Bayer conquerors Atalanta Bergamo challenge in Warsaw.
Instead, WSG Tirol awaits Munich in the evening (6 pm / FC Bayern TV Plus) in Unterhaching. The Wattener Sportgemeinschaft Swarovski Tirol, to be precise. WSG instead of Warsaw, sports club instead of Super Cup: The claims have not been reduced, but the reality is different this year. It's tough days for the successful Bayern bosses and fans. And they should be warned. It's the dress rehearsal for the competitive start in the DFB-Pokal on the weekend and with the Austrians comes a special club that could spoil the record champion's sprint.
WSG - a village club with special tradition
WSG Wattens is a village club from the Tyrolean market town of Wattens in the district of Innsbruck-Land. The municipality has 8,113 inhabitants, parts of the Jacob's Way lead past it and a shield with a silver oblique stroke between black and blue marks the coat of arms. It symbolizes the Wattenbach used for hydropower and the industry that has shaped the place for centuries. The paper factory Wattens, which has existed since the 16th century, and the Swarovski crystal cutting factory founded in 1895, founded the club in April 1930.
After the team of head coach Philipp Semlic finished the past season in the Austrian Bundesliga in 11th place, the team around striker Lukas Hinterseer (56 Bundesliga games for FC Ingolstadt, VfL Bochum and Hamburger SV) is suddenly in 2nd place. For a few minutes after the two 5 pm games last Saturday, they were even in 1st place. "Forget it," Semlic judged immediately. "We have to stay humble, must not forget where we come from."
Nevertheless, four points after the first two games is a new record for the club, for which Jamie Lawrence also plays, the two-meter defender who played for FC Bayern from 2017 to 2022. Whether Munich will tremble? Unknown. They also achieved respectable results in the preparation matches against FC Rottach-Egern (14:1) and Tottenham Hotspur (2:1 and 3:2). But against 1. FC Düren from the Regionalliga West, there was only a 1:1.
At Bayern FC, all eyes are naturally on the new coach, Vincent Kompany, who took the job because no one else wanted it. The initial impression of the new head coach in Munich is quite positive. He allows his team to disturb the opponent early in the game, work aggressively against the ball, and play boldly forward. "There's a lot of work being done, and that's something we've been lacking," said Bayern patron Uli Hoeneß recently about Kompany's style, thus taking a swipe at former coach Thomas Tuchel.
There's no peace at the record champions again. As always, potential ins and outs and the accompanying talk are causing anything but peace on the Isar. Desire Doué would rather play for Paris Saint-Germain. Kingsley Coman might still leave, but Serge Gnabry is expected to stay. According to Sky, Bayern have already set their sights on the 2025 transfer market, with either Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen (contract until 2027) or Xavi Simons (contract with PSG until 2027, loaned to RB Leipzig) set to be bought for big money.
But first, the glamour club from cloud nine is coming up. Three days before Kompany's team kicks off the season in the first round of the cup against SSV Ulm 1846 (Friday, 8:45 PM). At least the new head coach remains humble after the successes against Tottenham: "Mentally, we're very good, physically, technically, and tactically, we can handle it, but we need every game." Like the one against Wattener Sportgemeinschaft Swarovski Tirol. Perhaps the expectations in Munich have changed a little.
Despite FC Bayern's poor performance last season, they will face WSG Tirol instead of participating in the UEFA Super Cup or German Super Cup. This Austrian club, known as Wattener Sportgemeinschaft Swarovski Tirol, is a formidable opponent, having finished the previous season in 11th place under head coach Philipp Semlic and currently sitting in 2nd place after two games.
