Wer ist die blonde frau beim fc bayern

Published: 06:54 EDT, 2 April 2014 | Updated: 12:20 EDT, 2 April 2014

Though it may shock some of the less enlightened men in football, the blonde woman on the Bayern Munich bench is not there to make their backroom staff a bit easier on the eye.

Kathleen Kruger, the 28-year-old who could be spotted at Old Trafford, is Bayern’s 'Team Manager'. She is responsible for just about all first team administration issues, including flights, sponsorship obligations and accommodation.

VIDEOScroll down to watch Bayern players dining after the 1-1 draw with United

Blonde bombshell: Kathleen Kruger is 'Team Manager' for Bayern Munich - taking care of administration issues

Attentive eye: Kruger watched from the sidelines during Bayern's 1-1 draw against Manchester United

Girl power: Kruger speaks with Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer at the club's training ground

It is a particularly crucial job at Bayern, who make an often very loud point of looking after their players well.

Kruger, who played professional football for Bayern ladies for six years, has worked for the club off the field since 2009. She broke off her studies in international management to accept the position of Team Manager.

VIDEO

Manchester United 1-1 Bayern Munich reactions

One of the gang: Kruger celebrates last season's Bundesliga victory with players including Franck Ribery (L)

Team Bayern: Kruger takes care of business behind the scenes, while Pep Guardiola concentrates on playing

'I prefer to do my work in the background,' she told Bild last year. Little wonder, given the amount of attention her mere hair colour receives every time she is caught on camera.

Damningly, Kruger is the only woman in her position out of all the eighteen Bundesliga clubs. Nor is she joined by any other women in Bayern’s immediate backroom staff.

But she is perfectly happy working in the infamously testosterone-dominated environment of top-level football. 'They’re all nice guys, no one at the club has ever treated me with anything but respect,' she said.

From A to B: Kruger and Sammer leave the Bayern team coach - travel arrangements are among her duties

Highs and lows: Bastian Schweinsteiger scored in Bayern's 1-1 draw with United, but was later sent off

World's best? Bayern are still favourites to progress through to the Champions League semi-finals

She certainly commands a lot of respect from the players, whom she joined on the balcony of the Munich Rathaus during last season’s triple celebrations.

Then, it was Franck Ribery who demanded she make an appearance, singing her name repeatedly into the microphone.

It was one of the few moments in which an unsung heroine of Bayern’s success had been properly acknowledged.

Meet Kathleen Kruger: The blonde on Bayern Munich's bench and only woman 'Team Manager' in the Bundesliga

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• Der FC Bayern ist Deutscher Meister.
• Im Stadion kam es am Samstag zu emotionalen Szenen.
• Niko Kovac gab einer jungen Frau sogar ein Küsschen.
• Bei der Frau auf der Bayern-Bank handelt es sich um Kathleen Krüger, die 34-Jährige ist Teammanagerin des FC Bayern.

Der FC Bayern München machte am abschließenden Bundesliga-Spieltag die Meisterschaft perfekt. In der Allianz Arena gab es am Samstagnachmittag viele Jubel-Bilder – doch eine Szene wurde unter Fußballfans ganz besonders intensiv diskutiert.

Nach dem Treffer von Arjen Robben zum 5:1 gegen Eintracht Frankfurt in der 78. Minute umarmte Trainer Niko Kovac eine junge Frau und gab ihr sogar einen herzhaften Schmatzer. Viele Fans fragten sich: Wer ist die junge Dame, die so innig mit Kovac jubelte?

Bei Betrachtung der TV-Aufnahmen glaubte manch ein Fan sogar, dass es sich um Kristina Kovac handeln könne. Die Ehefrau des Bayern-Trainers ist schließlich ebenfalls blond. Doch auch beim FC Bayern nehmen auf der Bank selbstredend keine Partner der Spieler oder Trainer Platz. Bei der Frau auf der Bayern-Bank handelt es sich um Kathleen Krüger.

Die 34-Jährige arbeitet beim Rekordmeister als Teammanagerin und kümmert sich um organisatorische Abläufe innerhalb des Teams. Einst spielte Krüger selbst in der Damenmannschaft des FC Bayern, doch früh beendete sie ihre Karriere. Als Mittelfeldspielerin lenkte sie das Spiel der Münchnerinnen, nun steuert sie die Interessen der Profis.