Wed, Mar 19 08:45 PM
Kolkata, March 19 (IANS) Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge termed the team's visit to Kolkata as a promise which he kept and hoped this would be the beginning of a wonderful journey of developing football in India.
Bayern's Head of Foreign Affairs Martin Haegele played to the media here a pre- recorded interview in which he said: 'In December 2005 the Bayern Academy side won the IFA Shield here. I promised the fans here that sometime in future the real stars of Bayern will play here. We are keeping our promise and on May 27 the real stars descend on Kolkata.'
The former German National team captain added: 'This I hope will be the beginning of a new partnership and friendship between Bayern and the huge Indian football family. We are ready to develop football here and are proud to be the first in Europe to play here.'
When Bayern Munich keeps its date with Kolkata on May 25 for Oliver Kahn's farewell match for the club, they will also make the city a part of its lasting legacy in the form of a souvenir shop and may be an academy in future.
Oliver Kahn will play the last match of his 20-year career under the floodlights of the Salt Lake stadium. The soccer legend will defend his goal one last time in Bayern Munich colours against Mohun Bagan on May 27.
Martin said the Bundesliga leaders will play the last tie of their 10-day Asian tour -- after matches in Indonesia and China.
'We thank Bengal Peerless for inviting us to play Mohun Bagan, the oldest club in Asia. This will be the third station in Bayern's Asia tour. In the first two stops we will meet the national team of Indonesia and the Chinese Olympic side,' Rummenigge said.
'Its also a very special event as it will be Oliver Kahn's last official match,' he added,
Some Bayern biggies will be away for Euro 2008, but squaring up against Bagan would be the likes of Mark van Bommel, Martin Demichelis, Lucio and Ze Roberto.
'We see ourselves as a global club, desiring and requiring an overseas presence. Our objective is not simply to play an exhibition match and collect our fee. We want to contribute to the development of the game,' Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.
Martin Haegele added, 'We will be organising a kid's clinic where some of the stars will practice and play with the Indian kids. We plan to take a few selected players to the youth camp in Munich and show them the Alianz Arena.
The team will also visit a hospital.
Asked if it was a one off trip, he said: 'India was on our radar from 2005, but because of the time constraint they could not come to this country. In 2005 when the academy club came the stadium was half full and it was a great excitement and we hope to generate that and take it forward from there.'
He made it clear that Bayern's motive was not only to play soccer, but help other nations grow in soccer as they consider it lucky to have begun earlier than the others.
'The Bundesliga began in 1963 and we have given 21 world Champion players. So it is an obligation for us to give something back to the other nations playing soccer,' he said.
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