Created on 02-01-2012 at 00:00 AM
After a 12-day holiday season break, the Bayern players reconvened at Munich airport on Monday morning. The stars, kitted out in red tracksuits, appeared a trifle sleepy but still refreshed and relaxed ahead of the 9 am Lufthansa charter departure for Qatar. Some five hours later, at 4 pm local time, the squad emerged into the 20-degree warmth of Doha, ready for seven days of demanding training ahead of the second half of the 2011/12 campaign.
A warm and heartfelt welcome awaited the party from Germany’s biggest club. The players, coaching staff and delegation chief, director of sport Christian Nerlinger, walked the short distance from the aircraft to the terminal building, where they were greeted by a reception committee handing out bouquets of flowers. Arjen Robben was immediately surrounded by fans seeking souvenir snaps and autographs, and by the local media in search of tomorrow’s headlines.