Bayern Munich Slapped with Fine Amidst Controversial Delay Blame Game

Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga titans, have been asked to cough up a fine for a 37-second delay in a kick-off schedule, an incident they’ve pinned on Mainz. Nonetheless, the Sports Court wasn’t swayed by their argument and ruled against them.

What’s the Fuss About?

It all goes back to a contentious match last season. The kick-off for Bayern Munich’s home game against Mainz on matchday 31 was delayed by 37 seconds. The German record champions are now staring at a €35,000 bill as a result, based on a judgement passed by the DFB Sports Court.

The Crux of the Matter

The ruling highlighted that “the equipment check of the Bayern players” didn’t occur at 3:25:30 PM as it should have, but was pushed to 3:27:00 PM. This 1:30-minute delay, which the Sports Court ruled was Bayern’s responsibility under Section 14a of the DFL rules of play, subsequently led to the 37-second kick-off delay.

Bayern Munich tried to turn the tables and argued that the Mainz players’ pre-kick-off huddle was the real cause of the delay. However, the DFB Sports Court wasn’t buying it, noting that the huddle only lasted 50 seconds – “and thus 15 seconds less than allowed for in the schedule.”

A Little Trivia

Interestingly, if the kick-off had been delayed by just 29 seconds instead, Bayern might have dodged this bullet. But this isn’t their first rodeo. According to the DFB, this is the seventh time the record champions have been held accountable for a delayed start, hence the decision to impose a fine.

What’s on the Horizon?

Looking forward, Bayern is set to play their first competitive match of the 2025-26 season on August 16, squaring off against Stuttgart in the DFL-Supercup. Their Bundesliga title defence will then kick off the following weekend, on August 22, against RB Leipzig.

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Story credit: Jonas Rutten.