Bayern Allstars look forward to Kolkata trip

The Allstar team of German Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich will visit Kolkata next week to play a friendly game against an East Bengal Allstar XI at the Saltlake Stadium on Wednesday, November 17. The match will be played for the street children of Kolkata to raise funds for an NGO named "Towards Life Foundation of India".

The Allstars will be represented by 15 former FC Bayern players, who have been chosen from a big pool of players and the squad includes six former FIFA World Cup winners and 14 Bundesliga champions. Some big names of the Allstars could not be included due to other commitments, while others had be to omitted from the squad. Actually there was a big interest amongst the former players to be part of the team, but the management had to decide on a balanced 15 member squad. Amongst those who wanted to come, but couldn't be included in the squad is former Brazilian World Cup winner Jorginho, who until recently was the Brazil assistent coach of Dunga and is now the coach of Goiás Esporte Clube in the Brazilian league.

"This fourth trip shows the commitment of FC Bayern Munich towards Kolkata and Indian football. We all are looking forward to the trip and hope for a good game against East Bengal," said Martin Haegele, international relations manager at FC Bayern.

Likewise the Allstars look forward to their trip to India after having heard of the numerous experiences of FC Bayern II and the Oliver Kahn's farewell match. A lot of them are curious to see and learn something about India as for most of them it will be their first trip to India. The only member who has experience of having played in Kolkata is Matthias Zimmermann, who in 2005 was a player of the IFA Shield winning FCB II squad.

The big question being asked by the Allstars is how many fans will come to see them in action. Matthias Zimmermann has told them of the crowds of up to 30,000 in the IFA Shield and those of us who were there for the Oliver Kahn match of the 125,000 more then capacity Saltlake Stadium. A once in a lifetime experience if you were standing in the middle of the stadium. And we will see the crowds on Wednesday against East Bengal Allstars.

This will be the fourth visit of an squad from FC Bayern to Kolkata. The first trip came in December 2005 when the second team took part and won the IFA Shield, then in May 2008 a weakened first team came to play Oliver Kahn's final match for the club and then in January 2009 Bayern II returned to Kolkata for a mid-season training camp.

The Bayern Allstars contingent will fly down to Kolkata from Germany on Monday, November 15 and stay for a couple of days in the "City of Joy" and then return to Germany on Thursday, November 18. And I myself will be once more part of the FC Bayern contingent and like the Allstars look forward to this trip. And I will try to keep you updated through my blog...


FC Bayern Munich Allstars

Goalkeepers: Raimond Aumann, Walter Junghans

Defenders: Andreas Brehme, Oliver Kreuzer, Markus Münch, Hans Pflügler, Stefan Reuter, Michael Tarnat

Midfielders: Paul Breitner, Harald Cerny, Armin Eck, Matthias Zimmermann

Forwards: Carsten Lakies, Paulo Sergio, Marcel Witeczek

Coach: Wolfgang Dremmler