Beware of the Lion – TSV 1860 Munich can still mix with the Bundesliga’s best

MÜNCHEN (Bulinews): On our excursion to München last weekend, naturally topping the list of priorities was the Bundesliga’s famed Der Klassiker as FC Bayern Munich hosted Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, 31 October. One could be forgiven for having tunnel vision.

To that, I would say do that at your own peril. The Friday prior to the bright lights of the Allianz Arena also served up a footballing delight in the vibrant southeastern suburb of Giesing. The might of TSV 1860 Munich taking on Regionalliga Bavaria rivals TSV Buchbach.

Four tier of German football you say? Fear not. A whopping 15,000 fans – of which maybe 1000 are Buchbach supporters – filter into the Grünwalder Stadion. The noise is already reaching fever pitch as we wind our way up the concrete steps of the South Stand. 

Shortly after, the whistle blows to get the ball rolling. The football is nothing short of brilliant either. That blend of gritty 50-50 duels with no shirking out, coupled with some technical excellence. Namely, Buchbach’s No.10 Tobias Heiland who neatly curled in the opening goal. 

𝘋𝘪𝘦 𝘓ö𝘸𝘦𝘯 (The Lions) hit back in a flash. Ex-FC Augsburg star Florian Niederlechner and Felix Weber find the net. Still, Buchbach find a response. Heiland again with a sweet half-volley on the edge of the box before Samed Bahar’s drive finds the bottom corner. 

In need of a refreshment after a half that ended 3-2 to the guests, we make our way to the kiosk. As if the night couldn’t get any more interesting, my colleague Manuel Veth of The Gegenpressing Podcast and I happen to bump into the referee’s father there. 

Overhearing some 1860 fans mulling over his son’s first-half calls, he smiles but you sense a hint of paternal worry. The arbiter in question is 26-year-old Johannes Wagner – it was his first time officiating at this level. Might I add, he went on to do an exemplary job of it too. 

Into the catacombs we go for an interval meeting with 1860 president Gernot Mang. There’s no fancy murals or glitzy design to the interior. You must duck under the stand’s support beams to avoid hitting your head. But that’s football. Real football. I find it charming.

Mang is a charismatic, calmly spoken but passionate man who confesses his and the club’s aim of returning to the Bundesliga – something they’ve missed since 2004. This isn’t some crazed pipe dream. It’s a mission. It may take time, but Giesing wasn’t built in a day.

Back to our press box for the second helping of what seemed destined to be inevitable chaos. That’s exactly what happens. Both sides had chances but Arian Calderon heads in from six yards for the hosts. We’re tired at 3-3 with 8 minutes to play plus injury time.

With the clock hitting 90+4 minutes, space was afforded to Lance Fiedler. Buchbach stood off enabling the left-back to hammer a shot inside the left upright. Cue pandemonium in the terraces. You can’t help but get caught up in it. Even the steward beside us delights. 

Chants of “𝘌𝘪𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘓ö𝘸𝘦, 𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘓ö𝘸𝘦” (Once a Lion, forever a Lion) fill the cool Munich air. The three points sees them rise to second in the table. After the emotional rollercoaster, the party continues in Bamboleo – a 𝘒𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘱𝘦 – your unpretentious, cozy local matchday bar. 

Sure, the allure of FC Bayern and BVB may have dominated the weekend. But in a way, the 1860 atmosphere is unfiltered and unmatched. One could argue it even surpasses their arch rivals in red and merits a hasty return to Germany’s topflight. 

Things may not be entirely harmonious behind the scenes after majority shareholder Hasan Ismaik’s exit. However, the football drops jaws and the fans remain unwavering. A lion is the king of the jungle. It’s fearless, resilient and untamable – TSV 1860 Munich embodies it all.