Louis van Gaal, leading the way aboard the coast guard support vessel, was the first man on land. His team, following behind in the sightseeing boat, alighted shortly afterwards at the diminutive marina in Riva del Garda. Almost all the players had been busily snapping away with the cameras in their mobile phones, some even shooting video, because the scenes which greeted them could never have been foreseen.
According to organisers, some 4,000 football fans gathered in Piazza Tre Novembre, a centrally located town square, to give the Bayern party a warm and friendly welcome to northern Italy. “Just phenomenal,” reacted director of sport Christian Nerlinger, as he surveyed the passionate Lake Garda crowd, largely comprising German holidaymakers.
To the strains of club anthem Stern des Süden, the players and coaching staff assembled on a temporary stage, where a familiar face was waiting. In typically charming and professional fashion, FCB stadium announcer Stephan Lehmann ran the squad and crowd through a welcome show laid on by Bayern Partner Trentino, host region for this year’s summer training camp on the sunny shores of Lago di Garda.
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