When his violin has a break“I follow every game!” – ESC winner Alexander Rybak raves about Bayern Munich

Why Bayern Munich is more than just football for Alexander Rybak

“That’s why I love it FC Bayern Munich.” In the middle of a conversation about music, the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and his career, this sentence suddenly comes up. And it reveals quite a lot about Alexander Rybak. The 40-year-old is not only a musician – but also a passionate football fan.

“For me they are the best. The best sports phenomenon there is – they just work together.” The Norwegian is downright enthusiastic about the Munich team spirit. For him, it's not just about titles, but about attitude. “But mostly they are a great team that never gives up.”

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He was particularly impressed by one player: “Manuel Neuer! He is my biggest idol. He really is.” He continues to rave about the 40-year-old goalkeeper: “He's really the best athlete in the world. The way he plays on the pitch, how brave he is.”
Alexander Rybak also makes it clear that he is always excited on the screen: “I follow every single game.” One wish remains at the top of his list – to meet the team in person.

Violins at the ESC – a secret to success?

Rybak himself won the ESC in 2009 with “Fairytale” – and made the violin a star in the process. He is not surprised that this instrument always works in competition. “It’s just a very beautiful folk instrument.” And he becomes even clearer: “It is visually an eye-catcher, even more flexible than the guitar, I would say.” For him it is clear: the violin not only has a musical effect, but also visually. That's exactly what makes them so strong at the Eurovision Song Contest. This year too, the big favorites from Finland are playing the violin.

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Like every year, he will be following the competition closely in 2026. In the final on Saturday (May 16th) he will appear as a break act with other ESC legends. And he already has a clear personal favorite for the contest: Italy. The 40-year-old especially appreciates the country's attitude: “They just do their own thing.”

But he remains realistic. “As always, I think the bookmakers are not wrong.” This means: Finland could win the trophy for the second time with Lordi, 20 years after their victory in Athens. At the same time, Alexander Rybak also believes his compatriot Jonas Lovv from Norway can pull off a surprise. He has “the whole package”.

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Why Alexander Rybak didn't feel any pressure in his victory

A look back shows how special Alexander's career is. In 2009 he won the Eurovision Song Contest – seemingly effortlessly. He is uncatchable long before the end of the rankings. Alexander Rybak was already well ahead in the betting beforehand. Doesn't that create incredible pressure? “I never view support as pressure.”

While all of Europe is looking at him, he is not thinking about expectations, but about the fans. “I think about the support that people from all over the world have given me.” He was still a very shy young man back then. Rybak turns 23 during the ESC week in Moscow. “I didn't like being the one who celebrated the most or talked the loudest. I was never that type of person.”

And even when voting, he remains relaxed. “I was thinking more about Iceland because I really liked that song.”
An unusual moment for someone who is currently on the way to victory. “So for me it was much more about how far they would go, and right at the last country they went from third to second.”

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The signs are somewhat different for his second participation in 2018. Although he won the second semi-final, he finished in 18th place in the final. Alexander Rybak is addicted to strong sleeping pills, as he made public in June 2020. “I tried my best, but I was just very, very nervous, very tired.” He wasn't himself on stage back then. “I just wanted to go back to my hotel.” He has been addicted for more than eleven years, and at the beginning of 2020 it was clear to him that things couldn't continue like this. Step by step he got out of the addiction and he is still clean to this day.

New album and a new path

The musician is currently working on new music. “I’ve been working on a new album for a long time and now I’m done with it.” Big tours? Not really anymore. Instead, he relies on being close to his fans. “I call it a gratitude tour.”
Maybe this will soon take him back to Germany – and with a bit of luck even to the stadium of his favorite club.

Sources used: own RTL research