The phrase “Mia san mia” is FC Bayern Munich’s motto.

It is the Bavarian variation of “wir sind wir”,

which roughly translates to “We are who we are.”

The following 16 principles mentioned above, and further explained here, are an accurate description of
who Bayern really are. They form a philosophy which players, staff and fans should live alike.

Mia san ein Verein – We are one club: We are all formed by the club’s history, we are all involved in its
development and we share the same values.

Mia san Botschafter – We are ambassadors: Everyone, whether player, staff or fan, builds the image of
the club. It is therefore the responsibility of everyone in the club to always live by the club’s values and
contribute towards a positive image of the club.

Mia san Vorbilder – We are role models: The players and the staff act as role models to their fans. The
younger players look up to them, wishing to follow in their footsteps. Accordingly, the fans too should be
role models for fans of other teams. We should not be sore losers, or hooligans, and we should always
support our team, in good and bad times.

Mia san Tradition – We are tradition: This is pretty self-explanatory, and for me one of the most
important. We should be proud of our tradition and history, both on and off the field. Among others, one
can find Bayern’s opposition to the Nazi regime, the way we treat and respect our players and help them
when they are in need, and our financial discipline.

Mia san Innovation – We are innovation: We should always seek new ways to improve our sporting,
financial, traditional, philantropical image.

Mia san Selbstvertrauen – We are self-belief: We have high expectations of ourselves and always aim
high. We believe in our quality and we fear no one. We aim to win every match and we will attack and
defend courageously as a team.

Mia san grenzenlos – We are diversity: We accept everyone, regardless of race, religion and beliefs. We
believe we can learn from cultural diversity and our values our shaped by it. Here, Bayern’s motto is
linked with the European Union’s motto, “United in diversity”. Bayernforum.com is a good example of us
living this as fans.

Mia san Fußball – We are football: Our club unites people from all walks of life thanks to the beautiful
game. Let us not forget our origins. FC Bayern was formed by Franz John and other members of the
gymnastics club Münchner TurnVerein 1879. They left the team because it did not give importance to
football and refused to allow its footballers to join the German Football Association. They formed Bayern
on 27 February 1900.

One club, one motto

Mia san Respekt – We are respect: Mutual respect between players, coaches, board members and fans is
fundamental for the club to remain successful.

Mia san Freude – We are joy: The players are doing what they love. They must be happy to play for
Bayern and not simply mercenaries who are there for the money. Bayern is also a source of
entertainment for its fans. However, we must accept defeat when it happens and not spoil others’ joy.

Mia san Treue – We are loyal: We pride ourselves on the loyalty of most of our players. We are loyal to
players coming out of our own youth academy and give them all the chances they deserve. We are loyal
to our past players. And we must be loyal as fans, through thick and thin.

FC Bayern, Stern des Südens, du wirst niemals untergehn,weil wir in guten wie in schlechten Zeiten zu
einander stehn

FC Bayern, Star of the South, you will never go down,because we will stand together in good and in bad
times

Mia san Partner – We are partners: In victory and in defeat, we are in this together and will support each
other no matter what.

Mia san Heimat – We are home-loving: We are proud of the city of Munich and will do our best as a
team to keep enriching its history.

Mia san Motor – We are dynamic: We are not conservative and stuck in the past. We are dynamic and
innovative. We will try new things in order to improve and remain on top, but our values should never be
forgotten.

Mia san Verantwortung – We are responsibility: We have a responsibility to set an example for others.
We are responsible for our own actions, possibly even in our failures. This is evident in our recent
failures.

Mia san Familie – We are family: Most importantly, we are one family, sharing in everything for the rest
of our lives. Once a Bavarian, always a Bavarian.

A true Bavarian

Perhaps what we really should seek to improve is this “Mia san mia” feeling. Some of these principles
seem to have been forgotten in recent years. By being a little more innovative and dynamic, more
respectful to each other and have more self-belief, I am sure we can achieve the highest achievements in
football. We should not forget our duty too. All of us have our favourite players and most of us have that
one player we like to criticize (Gomez, Robben, Mandzukic…). Criticizing is ok, as long as it is not
overdone to the point it becomes offensive and personal, but in the end we should remember that they
are, after all, Bayern players (or coaches) and as long as they wear that badge we should support them.