A trip to watch ’1860 Munich’ and the Tale of Two mismatched professional clubs

Action from the match

Tickets are so readily available and cheap that Munich’s teenagers seemed to be using the Allianz Arena as a safe haven where they could indulge a new found taste for beer and nicotine away from the prying eyes of their parents, and there were countless groups of boys and girls tirelessly flirting and laughing throughout the 90 minutes of the game.

The match itself did little to boost the morale or ego of anyone in attendance. While 1860 Munich have been a mainstay of Bundesliga 2 for most of the previous decade, their opponents were embarking on their first season in the division since the club’s inception. After three games they were already in the bottom half of the table, although from the way they played I couldn’t understand why.

While 1860 under manager Alexander Schmidt were slow and predictable, sending long balls up to two strikers who were incapable of controlling a single one, or breaking so slowly that any advantage was lost, Sandhausen were flying up the pitch and taking on opposition defenders at every chance possible. Macro Thiede was a joy to watch as he collected the ball (which was constantly lost by a non-existent 1860 midfield) and stormed up-field to confront 1860 Munich’s defenders who were only able to fall to the ground or be soundly beaten.

Unfortunately, a similarly impressive player was lacking from the Munich outfit, and two first half goals from Florian Hubner and Ranislav Jovanovic were enough to secure a 2-0 win for Sandhausen and seal a famous win for the minnows – a result that would leave 1860 Munich without a manager the following morning.

Both at half time and full time the fans inside the Allianz made their feelings evident as an ear-splitting wolf whistle reverberated inside the fish bowl structure of the stadium and the players rushed off the pitch to avoid the punishment. They had seen their constant raucous support, chanting and screaming rewarded with nothing more than the sight of a man in leather trousers foaming at the mouth with anger, drawing many laughs from our section of seating.

The two 1860 Munich fans sat next to me reminded me of the two Arsenal fans played by Colin Furth and Mark Strong in the 1997 film Fever Pitch as they watch the final game of the season against Liverpool. While one is watching the game avidly and being the eternal optimist, believing that his team will grab another goal and cheering everything possible, the other spent most of the Friday night game with his head in his hands, kicking the seat in front of him or wandering away for another beer and cigarette.

They very much represent the feelings of their compatriots in the stadium, who never fail to turn up and sing for their team despite the rut the club has found itself in, and despite the jokes and abuse levelled at them by Bayern fans. For all the doom and silence among the supporters as everyone filed out of the Allianz Arena and headed back to Frottmaning, it was impossible not to feel uplifted at the sight of the arena projecting a dark blue light into the night’s darkness, showing solidarity with the crestfallen fans.