More restructuring: Bayern Munich names Bianca Rech head of women’s football

As part of its club-wide front office restructuring, Bayern Munich has promoted Bianca Rech to head of women’s football per an announcement from the club website:

FC Bayern’s women’s football section will be structured as a division from 1 July. As part of this, Bianca Rech is promoted to director. Last summer, the ex-FCB player succeeded Karin Danner, who had led FC Bayern Women for 25 years. In her first season in charge, Rech’s team with coach Alexander Straus won the German championship.

Rech, who’s been known to all as “Jay” since her playing days, returned to Bayern in September 2016. She’d previously worked as team manager at 1. FC Köln, where the midfielder ended her playing career. After three years in team management at the Munich club, the sports economics graduate was promoted to the position of sporting director in 2019. She was appointed head of section on 1 April 2023. She continued to work alongside Danner for the first three months before assuming sole responsibility on 1 July.

Since she’s been part of the management team, FCB Women have won the Women’s Bundesliga title three times and have always finished in the top two, enabling them to take part in the Champions League every year. The team have also reached the final of the DFB Cup twice. As a player, “Jay” Rech made 95 competitive appearances for Bayern from 2006 to 2010, scoring 12 goals in the process.

The 20-time Germany international won three league titles with 1. FFC Frankfurt as well as winning the UEFA Women’s Cup, the forerunner of today’s Champions League. She also played for SC 07 Bad Neuenahr and Swedish top-flight club Sunnanå SK.

Max Eberl, Bayern Munich’s board member for sport, explained the move:

“By restructuring the women’s section into a division, we want to give women’s football at FC Bayern the importance it deserves. Three German championships in the past four years are proof of the outstanding work being done here,” said Eberl. “Bianca Rech used to set the pace as a player; now she’ll do the same as director of FC Bayern Women. We look forward to further joint successes with her at the helm. The whole of FC Bayern and its fans can be very proud of what is being built here.”

As for Rech, she is excited about the move and her ability to help grow the women’s division of the club, along with its brand.

“I am delighted and very grateful to FC Bayern for their trust. I am also grateful to Karin Danner, without whom FC Bayern Women would not be where they are today. The new structure represents a great appreciation: it increases our visibility and is another major step in the professionalisation of women’s football at FC Bayern. In future, we will be able to plan even more strategically and utilise the resources within the club in a more targeted manner,” said Rech.

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