The Club and its Vicinity
Bayern is one of three professional football clubs in Munich. Bayern's main local rival is TSV 1860 Munich, who were the more successful club in the 1960s, winning a cup and a championship. 1860 have since moved between the first and second divisions. 1860 are often referred to by sections of the Bayern support as "gymnasts", insinuating a lack of footballing pedigree. The rivalry has, at least from a Bayern point of view, lost importance over the last decade, reflecting the lopsided state of the achievements of the two clubs and the absence of players for whom local grudges would still matter. 1860 is considered more working-class, and therefore suffers from a diminishing fan base in a city where the manufacturing sector is declining whilst tertiary industries are booming.
The SpVgg Unterhaching from the semi-rural southern outskirts of town is the third force. Sensationally, they made it to the Bundesliga in 1999, and managed to stay in the top flight for a second season. Their last were the beneficiaries on this occasion. Since then their focus has been on fending off relegation from the second division rather than returning to the Bundesliga. Their audience is more local with a spot of "cult" following.
Bayern is considered the establishment club, which is reflected by their board being stacked with business leaders and the Bavarian prime minister from the Christian Social Union party, which has dominated Bavarian politics since World War II. Their following is mainly recruited from the aspiring middle class and regional Bavaria. A large proportion of their supporters have to travel up to 200km (ca. 120 miles) regularly, to the club's home matches, thus matches on weekday evenings attract lower attendance. Bayern has been always famous for their arrogance in their appearance and this has led to a situation where the club is either liked or disliked in Germany.
These days Bayern considers itself a national club, which is reflected in polls determining them as both the most popular and most loathed club all over the country. Bayern's main rivals are always the clubs who put up the strongest fight against its national dominance. In the 1970s this was Borussia Mönchengladbach, in later years this category has expanded to include Hamburger SV and Werder Bremen. In the last decade or so, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have emerged as the most ardent opponents. Recently Schalke 04, and again Bremen have been the main challengers, but only with limited success. In the German Football Association Cup Tournament, or DFB Pokal Alemannia Aachen has become something of a thorn, but for the most part for Bayern, the real rivals these days are the great clubs of Europe.
