Created on 24-04-2012 at 00:00 AM
Munich airport on Tuesday morning was a mass of rampaging camera crews, reporters searching for quotes, and hordes of fans looking for snaps with their favourite Bayern stars. It was impossible to ignore, as the German footballing family, the people of Munich and the FCB fans in particular are buzzing with anticipation for what Thomas Müller called “the highlight of the season so far." The Lufthansa charter plane carrying a Bayern party numbering some 290 people took off just before 11 am, arriving a little over two hours later in Madrid, venue for the Champions League semi-final return against Real on Wednesday evening (Live in English from 8.45 pm CET on FCB.de Web Radio).
“It's been a wonderful Champions League season for us so far. Reaching the semi-finals is already an achievement. Now we'll try and realise our fans’ greatest dream," declared chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge before taking his seat in the gigantic Airbus A340–600. Actually reaching the final at the club’s home Allianz Arena would be “historic", the 56-year-old continued. “No team has ever done it before, even the greats like Barcelona and Real Madrid."