Karl Hopfner (born August 28, 1952) is a German football executive who is best known for his long-standing leadership roles with the German sports club FC Bayern München. He served as the club's president from 2014 to 2016 and held various high-level administrative positions within the organization for over three decades.
Hopfner joined FC Bayern München in 1983 as the club’s Managing Director. Over the following decades, he was instrumental in the financial management and commercial development of the club, helping it transition into one of the most financially successful sports entities in the world. When the club restructured its professional football department into a joint-stock company (FC Bayern München AG) in 2002, Hopfner was appointed as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Executive Board, a position he held until his initial retirement in 2012.
In May 2014, Hopfner returned to a prominent leadership role when he was elected President of FC Bayern München e.V. and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of FC Bayern München AG. He assumed these positions following the resignation of Uli Hoeneß. Hopfner served in these capacities until November 2016, when Hoeneß returned to the presidency.
Beyond his work with FC Bayern München, Hopfner held several significant positions within national and international football governance. He served as a member of the Executive Committee of UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) and held various committee roles within the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) and the German Football Association (DFB).
In recognition of his contributions to the club, Hopfner was named an honorary member of FC Bayern München. His tenure is characterized by financial stability and the successful expansion of the club’s global brand.