The FCB All Stars, featuring six World Cup winners in a squad coached by Wolfgang Dremmler, arrived in India at 2 am local time after a nine-hour flight to a rapturous reception in Kolkata. Scarves and garlands of flowers were hung round the veterans’ necks, as a throng of fans and reporters numbering several hundred ensured any weariness from the journey soon melted away.
The party retired to their hotel for sleep an hour later, as a packed schedule awaits. On Tuesday afternoon, with temperatures soaring at 35 degrees and 100 percent humidity, Paul Breitner, Andreas Brehme and Paulo Sergio addressed a news conference attended by some 100 journalists and 20 camera teams.
Charity match on Wednesday
“We’re proud and honoured to be here,” said Breitner. The key aims of the trip are to promote football in India and Kolkata, and to tackle the grinding poverty evident in the region. “Social and community involvement is very important to us,” continued the 1974 World Cup winner, “we’re more than happy to help, and we’re delighted sponsors such as adidas, Audi and Lufthansa are supporting the project.”
On Wednesday, the FCB All Stars will play the East Bengal All Stars at Salt Lake Stadium, the second biggest arena in the world. All proceeds from the match go to aid street kids in Kolkata. Dremmler’s squad numbers sixteen players, including World Cup winners Paul Breitner, Andreas Brehme, Stefan Reuter, Hans Pflügler, Raimond Aumann and Paulo Sergio.
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