Many young footballers dream of one day playing on the grounds of the FC Bayern Campus and meeting Germany international Joshua Kimmich. For seven inclusion teams from the south of Germany, this dream became reality on Whit Monday. The second "Believe in Yourself Cup" gave them the opportunity to do so.
At precisely 10.30 a.m., the whistle blew for the first match: FC Grün-Weiß Gröbenzell took on the team of FC Espanol München. Also participating in the tournament were SpVgg Etzelskirchen, FC Kempten, SpVgg Bayreuth and, with two teams, PTSV Jahn Freiburg.
Kimmich: "Football is for everyone"
It was the second time the Believe in Yourself Cup had been held. The DFB (German FA) Sepp Herberger Foundation, Bayern Munich and the "Glaub an dich-Stiftung" (Believe in Yourself Foundation), with the support of the Bavarian Football Association, had extended an invitation to the record champions' training centre, which is close to the Allianz Arena. Around 100 children and young people with and without disabilities took part and played against each other in 5-a-side format.
"Football is for everyone and it's wonderful to see how much the boys and girls enjoy playing together," stressed Joshua Kimmich, who, along with his wife Lina, was on hand throughout the day to sign numerous autographs and pose for selfies, and to answer the participants' many questions during a Q&A session.
Particular focus on disabled football
Each team had to have at least two players with a physical or mental disability on the pitch at the same time. "Disabled football is very close to our hearts," stated Tobias Wrzesinski, managing director of the DFB Sepp Herberger Foundation. "Alongside the Blind Football Bundesliga and the German Championship of Workshops for People with Disabilities, the Believe in Yourself Cup is a particularly valued event. We are grateful to be able to stage this tournament with the support of Joshua and Lina Kimmich and FC Bayern München e.V."
The commitment to disabled football is one of the main pillars of the Sepp Herberger Foundation's work. Since 2012, in addition to organising tournaments and rounds of matches, inclusion officers have been acting as contact persons for people with disabilities in the 21 DFB regional associations. It's becoming more and more a matter of course for sportswomen and sportsmen with disabilities to be actively involved in the football family. This is an important and valuable signal. Because: Football is for everyone.
photo: DFB Foundation Sepp Herberger/Carsten Kobow
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