Dhe TSV 1860 Munich is a traditional club, without a doubt. Founding member of the Bundesliga, European Cup finalist in 1965, champion in 1966. It was all a long time ago, but the “Lions” still have a bit of appeal in the third division. However, the reputation of being one of the most resilient football clubs in Germany does play a part.
Chaos and comedic interludes also belong to the sixty tradition. Especially in the past few years, even two decades, when the sporting decline, which even led to the regional league after bankruptcy in 2017, was accompanied by a leadership dispute. At the moment there is once again high spirits, as so often at the beginning of the season. Sporty anyway. With the 4: 3 victory at the start of the third division against top favorite Dynamo Dresden, the Munich team underlined their promotion ambitions.
The squad has been upgraded with nine new players and last season’s top scorer is back in form. Despite being behind in training, Marcel Bär scored twice in Dresden. The self-confidence is high, and the outcome of the cup game on Friday (8.46 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the DFB Cup, on ZDF and on DAZN) against Borussia Dortmund shouldn’t change that.
An end would be a small mood dampener, certainly, but would hardly initiate the next phase of suffering right now. “Everyone longs for the second division,” said President Robert Reisinger recently in the “Münchner Merkur”. In the past two years, the Munich team just missed the target in fourth place. It just has to work this time. “It would do the maltreated lion soul well if we could finally leave the third division.”
Investor as a necessary evil
But this club doesn’t seem to get by without discord. Before the start, coach Michael Köllner had publicly expressed too much understanding for investor Hasan Ismaik in the eyes of the fans and the presidium, which immediately led to a small reprimand from Reisinger, also publicly. It’s better sometimes to talk less, he let the coach know. The investor is something of a necessary evil for the lions. Although there are no longer any open disputes between the two shareholder sides, the e. V. and Ismaik, like a few years ago, but they haven’t come close either. It has “shifted to a factual level,” said Reisinger recently.
Just in time for the start of the season, Ismaik spoke up again, beyond the factual level. The Jordanian still dreams of turning sixty into a top European club that is on an equal footing with the really big ones, Real Madrid, Liverpool FC and, of course, local rivals FC Bayern. He often has this idea in mind more than the near future and the first step to return to the financially more lucrative professional business.
Of course, the current venue, the stadium on Grünwalder Straße, as it is officially called, does not fit his vision. Even after the planned renovation work by the city of Munich, it will only be suitable for the second division. You have to “take our stadium future into your own hands,” he demanded via Facebook.
Ismaik not only dreams of the Champions League, but also of his own lion arena. During the summer break, he had already caused irritation because the Merchandising GmbH that reported to him had sold a T-shirt with the inscription “We are the club”, which the e. V. had created and circulated. TSV 1860 Munich, it seems, will remain true to itself this season.
