In addition to the reception from Yuriko Koike, the Governor of Tokyo Prefecture, FC Bayern received a second special invitation in the Japanese capital: President Herbert Hainer and vice-president Professor Dr Dieter Mayer, together with board members Michael Diederich and Andreas Jung, paid a visit to Ambassador Dr Clemens von Goetze along with a delegation of the German record champions. In his speech to 100 invited guests, Hainer focused on this year's motto of the Audi Summer Tour, "A way to inspire": "Sport stands for inspiration - beyond playing fields and international borders. Sport seeks, promotes and improves interaction with people. Sport can do a lot to help the world grow together."
In his speech, Ambassador von Goetze traced an arc between politics, society and sport - and then explained why it is important for a club like FC Bayern to speak directly to people in Japan, for example: sport stands for encounters and interaction, and that is how you promote understanding for one other.
“When we talk about inspiration”, Hainer said in his speech, "we also always talk about role models who convey and live values". In this context, he praised the Japan international Saki Kumagai, who was a pillar of FC Bayern Women and won the German championship this summer: “With her whole nature, Saki Kumagai has given us a lot beyond football. We want to continue to discover, develop and promote such personalities - also together with you here, with our partners and friends in Japan."
The fact that 65,000 fans came to Tuesday's match against Manchester City shows how great the mutual enthusiasm is, the FCB president continued - the National Stadium in Tokyo had never seen a bigger crowd for a football match. "Tokyo in particular, with its Olympic history, has always been a place where sport has made a lasting impact," said Hainer: "We all promote dialogue, wherever we are. We all shape the future of our two countries. In the spirit of sport - and beyond. 'A way to inspire' ideally never ends."
The speech was met with applause from the guests, among them Frank Ullrich, Olympic champion and member of the Bundestag, as well as FCB Legends Giovane Élber and Claudio Pizarro, who were on hand for several souvenir photos afterwards. The evening ended with a buffet: Japanese snacks - and Weißwürste (white sausages). A perfect match, also in culinary terms.
All you need to know about the reception with the Governor of Tokyo Prefecture:
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