FC Bayern to Dismantle Ancelotti-Era Fitness Course, Paving Way for Future Upgrades

FC Bayern Munich is reportedly planning a significant transformation of its training facility at Säbener Straße. This overhaul is expected to lead to the removal of a specific legacy item from the era of former coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Sources indicate that an additional training pitch is slated for construction. This new pitch will occupy the site currently home to a fitness course, which was originally commissioned by Carlo Ancelotti. The elaborate course featured a sprint hill with two different gradients, a balance beam, sand and bark mulch areas, a basketball hoop, a football-tennis court, and equipment sheds.

The construction of this facility, undertaken during the 2016/17 season, reportedly cost approximately one million Euros. Giovanni Mauri, Ancelotti's fitness coach at the time, was a strong advocate for its implementation. Mauri later garnered headlines for allegedly smoking in the locker room, a claim made by then-sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. Following Ancelotti's dismissal in the autumn of 2017, the fitness course largely fell into disuse. The sole recorded instance of its use thereafter was for a rehabilitation session by Douglas Costa in March 2021.

FC Bayern: Is This the Start of a Larger Transformation?

Recent photographs show a high-ranking FC Bayern delegation, equipped with architectural blueprints, inspecting the site. Among them were CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, Sporting Director Christoph Freund, Head Greenkeeper Peter Sauer, Facilities Manager Sebastian Faforke, and Allianz Arena Chief Jürgen Muth, who serves as a liaison between FC Bayern and architects, construction companies, and service providers. Like the existing pitches, the new playing surface is expected to be surrounded by a meter-high privacy screen.

This particular adjustment might only be the precursor to a more extensive, long-planned renovation. In 2024, Dreesen stated in a press release: "A new performance center is a crucial component to ensure FC Bayern can continue to attract international players and remain competitive at the absolute top level." It was reported in December that preliminary approval for this larger project has already been obtained. This ambitious construction is projected to take three years, cost approximately 100 million Euros, and could potentially commence as early as 2026.