Ismael Saibari says Bayern Munich is even bigger than he imagined after joining the German club, with the Moroccan midfielder also describing the city of Munich as the biggest surprise of his first weeks in Germany.
Saibari, the club’s new Moroccan addition, spoke about his early impressions in an interview with the Bundesliga’s official English-language channel, Bundesliga EN.
Before arriving, he said, his understanding was that Bayern were “one of the biggest clubs in the world”. However, becoming part of the organisation gave him a different perspective on its size and standards.
“But when you are part of it, you see how huge it really is,” Saibari said. “It was even bigger than I expected. Everything here is at the highest level, from the smallest details to the biggest ones. I expected the club to be big, but it is bigger than I thought.”
The 2026 World Cup player also said the welcome he received from Bayern’s coaching staff and squad had helped him settle quickly.
“Everyone has been very kind to me,” he said. “The coaching staff and the players helped me to feel welcome. I feel at home here, so I am very happy.”
Saibari joined Bayern after impressing for PSV Eindhoven in the previous season. His form at club level was followed by a prominent role with Morocco at the 2026 World Cup, where the Atlas Lions’ campaign ended with a quarter-final defeat by France.
Although Bayern’s reputation had already been familiar to him from outside the club, Saibari said Munich itself challenged his expectations of life in Germany.
“I think the thing that surprised me most was the city, Munich, because people outside Germany think that Germany is very grey and not that beautiful,” he said. “But I really like Munich as a city. I think that was the biggest surprise for me.”
His comments underline the contrast between the image of German football that can be formed abroad and the experience of living in one of the country’s most prominent cities. For Saibari, however, the most striking part of his move has been the scale of Bayern’s operation rather than the adjustment to the club’s footballing demands.
The midfielder’s first impressions come after a season in which he established himself as an important player for PSV Eindhoven and then helped Morocco reach the last eight of the 2026 World Cup. He now begins the next stage of his career at Bayern Munich, where he says the standard across the club has already surpassed what he anticipated.
