15,000 celebrate Heynckes and his team at Marienplatz
Even the weather played its part. Right on cue for the start of the title celebrations at Marienplatz, the sun broke through the clouds above Munich and bathed the balcony of the town hall in warm sunshine. Moments later, the FC Bayern players, coaches and senior figures stepped out onto the balcony where they were enthusiastically greeted by 15,000 fans to celebrate the club’s 28th German championship.
“I didn’t expect this today. To have so many fans here celebrating us is just mad,” coach Jupp Heynckes said the day after the DFB Cup final defeat, which “affected us all,” as he admitted. The departing FCB coach was “overwhelmed” by the reception the team received from the Bayern fans, who filled their air with chants of “Jupp, Jupp, Jupp”, just as they had done following the treble in 2013.
“Our friend Jupp had his final game yesterday. He is now in retirement,” said Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in his short speech as he thanked Heynckes for his work in the eight months since he took over from Carlo Ancelotti in October. “What he has done for FC Bayern is beyond words. We all would’ve liked to give our coach the perfect send-off, but it wasn’t to be. But I think Jupp has still had a great time here,” Rummenigge continued.
“It was great fun to work with this team this season. The team has played a football we haven't seen for a long time in Munich,” said Heynckes in review of the previous months before guitar duo “Dis M” performed one of Heynckes’ favourite songs as farewell: Pick Floyd’s “Wish you were here”.
The players also thanked their coach and the fans for their great support during the season. “Seeing how many of you have turned out today, we can only thank you,” said Thomas Müller. David Alaba found it “unbelievable”, while it was “breath-taking” for first-time champion Niklas Süle and Sebastian Rudy spoke of the “great feeling to play for Bayern Munich”.
“We, the city of Munich, are proud to welcome this successful team today,” declared deputy mayor Josef Schmid in place of mayor Dieter Reiter. FC Bayern is “an embodiment of the city, and it is a great honour to host them,” Schmid continued. “The celebrations on the balcony of the town hall are always an amazing event for the fans and for the city of Munich.”
Before the party came to an end with renditions of “Stern des Südens” and “Forever number one”, Arjen Robben declared, “We’ll go again next year!” And goalkeeper Sven Ulreich followed up: “We’ll be back again next year, and hopefully with one or two extra titles.”