Bundesliga Daily Report - 2026-10-22: Viessmann family agrees Bayern Munich stake purchase

The Viessmann Generations Group agreed on Thursday to acquire just under 6.7 per cent of FC Bayern München AG. The transaction, reportedly worth about €250 million, will be completed through a capital increase and represents the final equity stake Bayern can sell under its statutes. Bayern’s controlling eV organisation will be diluted from 75 to 70 per cent, while Adidas, Audi and Allianz will each hold just under 7.8 per cent. The four minority shareholders will collectively own the permitted maximum of 30 per cent once the deal is entered in the commercial register.

The agreement strengthens Bayern’s financial base while preserving the club’s distinctive ownership structure and majority control. Viessmann becomes the professional football company’s fourth outside shareholder, joining three long-standing commercial partners. The family business’s entry also underlines the attraction of Bayern’s global sporting and commercial position, although the transaction does not alter the balance of power at the club. The contracts were signed on Thursday morning, according to reports cited in the coverage, with completion dependent on formal registration. Bayern’s eV will therefore continue to set the strategic direction of the football operation.

Bayern Munich confirmed on Thursday that Luis Díaz suffered a minor tear in his left hamstring during Wednesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Arsenal. The Colombia international entered in the 68th minute at the Allianz Arena but was forced off in stoppage time, with examinations by the club’s medical unit confirming the injury. Bayern said the 29-year-old would be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The timing is particularly awkward, with Bayern due to visit Freiburg on Sunday before facing Magdeburg in the German Cup and Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga three days later.

Díaz’s absence removes an important attacking option during one of Bayern’s busiest periods of the campaign. The forward had already been carrying muscular problems and did not start against Arsenal, while Kim Min-jae also failed to complete the first half after arriving short of full fitness. Vincent Kompany had hoped both injuries would prove minor, but Díaz’s confirmed lay-off leaves Bayern managing a depleted squad across several competitions. Bayern lead the Bundesliga on goal difference, with Dortmund level and Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen one point behind, increasing the importance of the coming fixtures.

Borussia Mönchengladbach will try to avoid becoming the first Bundesliga team to lose its opening seven matches when they visit VfB Stuttgart on Friday. Gladbach have already lost their first six league fixtures, and another defeat would create an unwanted record in the competition’s 63-year history. Their task has been complicated by an injury list of nine players, including Tim Kleindienst, Isaac Lidberg, Franck Honorat and Ko Itakura. Stuttgart sit 13th and have recorded more Bundesliga wins and clean sheets against Gladbach than any other opponent.

Alexander Blessin took over from Eugen Polanski during the international break after the side had begun with four defeats, but the change has yet to produce a league point. “We have to go through the valley of tears,” Blessin said, while insisting that his players remained focused despite the unrest around the club. Gladbach’s fan umbrella body has called for president Rainer Bonhof to resign, adding pressure before a fixture that has become about more than three points. Historical precedent offers a small measure of hope: Fortuna Düsseldorf, Mainz and Bochum all earned their first point in game seven.

Monaco beat Freiburg 3-0 on Thursday to end the Bundesliga club’s unbeaten start to the Conference League campaign. Julian Schuster’s side had opened the league phase with a 3-2 victory over Jablonec, but struggled to turn pressure into clear opportunities in France. Patrick Osterhage replaced Yannik Engelhardt after 15 minutes, forcing an early midfield change, and Monaco gradually took control before Paris Brunner put the hosts ahead in first-half stoppage time. Freiburg remained competitive for periods, but Monaco were more clinical in front of goal.

The result gives Freiburg plenty to address after a night in which their attacking pressure produced little reward. Schuster’s team had travelled with the momentum of an opening European victory, yet the early substitution disrupted the midfield and Monaco grew stronger as the contest progressed. The defeat also arrives during a demanding domestic spell, with Freiburg sitting among the Bundesliga’s leading sides and Bayern scheduled to visit on Sunday. Freiburg must now respond quickly in Europe, where the loss has removed the margin for error created by their opening win.

Harry Kane entered the final days before Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony as the leading contender after a 73-goal season for Bayern Munich and England. The Bayern striker scored 61 goals in 51 club matches, including 36 in the Bundesliga, and helped the club win the league title and the DFB-Pokal. A victory in London would make Kane the first Bundesliga player to win the award since Borussia Dortmund’s Matthias Sammer in 1996 and the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001. Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé are regarded as his principal rivals.

Kane received fresh public support from Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice after Wednesday’s 2-2 draw in Munich, in which both England internationals scored. “I think it’s his time. I think he deserves this,” Rice told CBS Sports, pointing to Kane’s consistency, longevity, leadership and performances for England. The award would cap the most productive season of Kane’s career and end a long wait for both England and the Bundesliga. The ceremony’s London setting adds an extra personal dimension for Kane, although the final decision remains with the voting panel.

Schalke expect Maximilian Wöber to miss the remainder of 2026 after the defender suffered a thigh injury in training on Tuesday. The club confirmed the injury on Thursday, and head coach Miron Muslic gave the pessimistic assessment at his pre-match press conference, saying Wöber would “in all likelihood” not return this calendar year. The 28-year-old joined Schalke on a free transfer during the summer and had featured in all six of the newly promoted side’s Bundesliga fixtures, making five substitute appearances and one start.

The setback is a significant blow for Wöber after he had hoped to put a series of fitness problems behind him. His first Schalke start came in the recent 2-1 defeat by Freiburg, and another prolonged absence now leaves Muslic without a defender who had been involved throughout the opening phase of the club’s return to the top flight. Schalke will need to adjust their defensive options for the remainder of the autumn schedule. Wöber’s injury also interrupts his attempt to rebuild a consistent run of football after difficult seasons at club level.

Borussia Dortmund will launch FanModus during Saturday’s Bundesliga meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt to encourage supporters to keep their smartphones locked during matches. Developed with principal sponsor Vodafone, the feature will operate through the official BVB application and reward spectators who spend less time on their phones. Dortmund said the initiative was intended to help fans engage more fully with the matchday atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park. The club cited a 2023 Vodafone survey of 1,000 regular stadium attendees, in which 63 per cent said they regularly used smartphones during football matches.

FanModus responds to growing frustration over selfies, streaming and social-media activity in the stands, while presenting the club with a way to combine supporter engagement and digital technology. Prizes will be offered to fans who keep their devices locked, making the programme an incentive rather than a restriction. Its debut against Frankfurt will provide the first test of whether supporters accept a scheme designed to make the stadium experience more present and communal. Dortmund’s decision also reflects the wider challenge facing clubs as phones become increasingly embedded in live football culture.