The Office ordered Bavaria to pay about 250,000 euros ($270,000), including penalties for late payments and social security payments from which it had evaded for five years. The investigation found that the soccer club had failed to pay minimum wages at the youth academy it ran. In addition, the club failed to meet its timekeeping obligations, or did so improperly and incompletely, the Customs Department said.
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The customs office said it consulted or evaluated a large number of witnesses and material evidence as part of the investigation and found that staff at Bayern’s youth player camp were paid 450 euros ($490) per month, although their actual workload was much higher.
At the time in Germany, a 450-euro job, also known as a mini-job, limited an employee’s workload to the limit of part-time employment and provided no social security for the employee. This rate has since increased to 520 euros. Contrary to contractual rules and timekeeping – far more hours were worked than agreed upon, resulting in non-payment of the current minimum wage and disregard of social security rules, the customs office said.
Bavaria said it never had any intention of underpaying its workers and would pay the shortfall to the federal treasury. The Bavarian club said it had taken structural precautions not to pay below the minimum wage in the future. The current minimum wage in Germany is 12 euros ($13) per hour.
Last year, Bayern announced a pre-tax profit of 17.1 million euros ($18.6 million) for the 2021-22 season. Salaries were the largest expense at 324.1 million euros ($352 million) for all personnel, including players and employees.
