Bayern Munich Use Record Revenues to Pay off Allianz Arena 16 Years Early

Bayern Munich have announced record profits for the 2014 fiscal year, and used that money to pay off the Allianz Stadium 16 years early. 

Continue for updates. 

Friday, Nov. 28

Bayern Release Official Financial Info

Bayern released their official financial report on Friday, and confirmed a turnover of €528.7 million:

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From a footballing point of view, the 2013/14 season was a great success for Bayern, with a 24th German championship, a 17th DFB Cup success, and a commendable Champions League run as far as the semi-finals. The excellent season on the field has now been matched off it as the club announced landmark financial results for the 2013/14 fiscal year including record turnover of €528.7 million and profit after tax of €16.5 million.

“FC Bayern can present its members with financial results better than any the club has ever had before,” deputy chairman and finance director Jan-Christian Dreesen informed Friday evening’s Annual General Meeting at the AUDI Dome. “There’s no question that our FC Bayern is based on unprecedented sporting and commercial foundations,” Dreesen continued. 

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Thursday, Nov. 20

Bayern Report Record Profits

Bayern Munich will have further funds to improve their already world-beating squad in the future having paid off the €346 million (£276 million) construction cost of the Allianz Arena 16 years ahead of schedule.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge announced on Thursday that the Bundesliga giants' turnover for 2013-14 is set to break the €500 million (£399 million) mark for the first time.

Talking to the club's magazine, Rummenigge confirmed the funds used for the building of Bayern's home stadium—completed back in 2005—had now been completely paid off and suggested that the freed up revenue could be used to buy players, per Reuters (h/t Eurosport):

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We have financed the entire stadium privately and for that we took exactly €346 million into our hands in 2005 with a financing plan to 2030, so 25 years. Now we have paid off the stadium completely after 9-1/2 years. [...]

The revenues from the Allianz Arena can soon also be invested in the quality of the team. 

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The Reuters report indicates that the Bundesliga champions should now, having paid off their stadium debt, have an extra €25 million (£20 million) a year to spend on players, according to calculations done by former club president Uli Hoeness.

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

As Agence France-Presse points out (h/t NDTV Sports), that is "the exact sum needed to activate the release clause in Marco Reus' Borussia Dortmund contract."

Indeed, the much sought-after Reus does have such a buyout clause that will come into effect next summer despite his contract extending to 2017 with Dortmund, per Sky Germany's Jan Aage Fjortoft:

Along with many other top clubs, Bayern have been linked with the German international as they look to continue a recent trend which has seen them poach Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze from their Bundesliga rivals, per Bild (h/t ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld).

If nothing else, Bayern's supremely efficient funding of the Allianz Arena confirms, as if it were needed, how very well run the club is, per GianlucaDiMarzio.com's David Amoyal:

They are currently in excellent health both on and off the pitch as Pep Guardiola's side currently sit four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and have already qualified from the Champions League group stages with two games to spare.

No doubt Thursday's news will only improve Bayern's outlook for the future and allow them to strengthen their squad even further, an ominous sign for the rest of Europe's major clubs.