In March, the DC Bayern Capitol 11 fan club visited Munich and the Allianz Arena. Markus Meindl, director of division Fans, was delighted with the visit from the USA: "International fan clubs now regularly visit our home games at the Allianz Arena as part of our fan club visits. It was a particular pleasure for me to welcome our largest fan club in the USA (741 registered fan club members), DC Bayern Capitol 11, with 75 fan club members to FC Bayern World in the heart of our home city of Munich. We are an international club with Bavarian roots. We look forward to the support of the many Bayern fans and nearly 100 official fan clubs in the USA this summer at the FIFA Club World Cup."
Here you can read what the FCB supporters from the USA experienced.
FAWZI KRONFOL
Name: Fawzi Kronfol
Date of birth: 11 September, 1983
Where are you from: Beirut, Lebanon
Member since: Of DC Bayern since inception in 2011.
Became an FC Bayern fan because of: Watching the German national team in the early 90s.
Favorite moment from my visit to Munich: Losing my voice cheering in the away section at the Champions League match against Leverkusen on the way to a 2-0 victory (5-0 aggregate)!
Friday, 7 March 2025
What an exhilarating start to the trip! Today marked the arrival of most of our group, and the air was buzzing with energy and anticipation for the incredible five days ahead. We officially kicked off our adventure with dinner at a historic brewery where traditional Bavarian food ruled the menu. The steins were plentiful, and I may have indulged a bit too much—let’s just say I had a few stumbles on my way out. The laughter, the food and the camaraderie set the perfect tone for the days to come.
Saturday, 8 March 2025
My first full day began with a short walk to FC Bayern World. The guided tour was eye-opening, and we were excited to enjoy exclusive discounts on merchandise. I struggled to find my size among all the 125th-anniversary gear, but the spirit was high! After a hearty lunch and a few more beers at the FC Bayern World Bistro, our enthusiastic group boarded a double-decker bus to the Allianz Arena. It was fascinating to learn about the unique friendship between FCB and VfL Bochum, which made our upcoming match even more special.
The highlight was meeting FC Bayern legend, and 2001 Champions League winner, Giovane Elber at the museum. The language barrier didn’t deter the smiles and laughs as we collected signed memorabilia. The match didn’t turn out how we hoped—losing 3-2—but the shared excitement of the day left us in good spirits. Although the loss stung, we looked ahead to Tuesday’s Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen, buoyed by the fact that most of our star players hadn’t played most of the match (and news that Leverkusen’s starlet, Florian Wirtz, was injured).
Sunday, 9 March 2025
Today didn’t go as planned for me—I missed the trip to see the exciting match between FC Bayern München U19 vs. Köln U19. I heard it was a thrill, albeit overshadowed by another disappointing score of 0-2 (despite a red card for Köln). But the evening made up for it as we attended the FC Bayern München Basketball match against MLP Academics Heidelberg at the Audi Dome. I learned that the Audi Dome is located within the 1972 Olympic Grounds and is located near the Olympiastadion, FC Bayern’s home pre-2005. The atmosphere was electric, a fusion of basketball and FC Bayern passion, and the LED court was mesmerizing. This was our first viewing of an FCB win on the trip, definitely a clear omen of things to come. This adventure just keeps getting better!
Monday, 10 March 2025
This day began with an amazing private tour of the Allianz Arena, followed by a fascinating visit to the FC Bayern Museum. Our group was lucky to have this opportunity at no cost, which made it even sweeter. Afterward, we dispersed for some individual exploration. I opted for a well-deserved nap to prepare for dinner. It was incredible to see over 60 club members gathered at one place, indulging in delicious food and beer—€7.70 for a liter of the world’s greatest beer! We laughed and shared stories, making memories that would last a lifetime.
Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Today was monumental! About 40 of us made the journey to Leverkusen for the round of 16 Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen. The anticipation was palpable as we loaded up on snacks and drinks at a local “grocery store” before gathering by the "DC Bayern Capitol 11 tree of dreams." The fan zone was alive with excitement, and a few of us—myself included—were lucky enough to get interviewed by FCB TV!
The main event was electric! We joined the away fan section with the FCB Ultras, immersed in a sea of passion. From standing the entire match to cheering non-stop, it was crazy euphoria. When Bayern scored, the excitement was contagious—including the celebratory beers showered over us! Watching our team secure a 2-0 victory (5-0 on aggregate) felt amazing. It was an unforgettable experience and although we faced a long trip back to Munich, the win made it all worthwhile.
Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Our final morning was quite the adventure! We spent the hours between 1am and 9am commuting back to Munich, leaving everyone exhausted yet exhilarated. The majority of my day was spent in bed, catching up on sleep and rehydrating after the festivities.
As a fitting finale to this remarkable trip, about 15 of us gathered in the evening to savor our last moments together. We enjoyed delicious food and, of course, more beer. It was the perfect end to an unbelievable journey filled with laughter, camaraderie, and unforgettable experiences.
A heartfelt thanks to DC Bayern Capitol 11’s chairman, Big Mike, and the FC Bayern team for organizing these incredible five days. From shared stories to rekindled friendships, I will cherish these memories for a lifetime. Now, if I can just find the FCB 125th anniversary jersey in a size Large with the Beckenbauer #5 (Rest in Peace der Kaiser) flock, this trip would be 100% complete!!
MIKE HEDGE
Name: Michael Hedge
Date of birth: 19 October, 1979
Where are you from: Lohr am Main, Germany
Member since: Club Founder, 2011
Became an FC Bayern fan because of: Childhood team
Favorite moment from my visit to Munich: Meeting Giovane Elber and having him sign both my Elber kits I bought in 2000.
Friday, 7 March 2025
After having everyone arrive over the last couple days, we finally had all 75 of us together in Munich at last. To celebrate we all went out to a beer garden to start the trip off right with some Bavarian food and beverages. The excitement for the next few days was palpable.
Saturday, 8 March 2025
Matchday! We gathered everyone up and met the fan team from FC Bayern at FC Bayern World near the Marianplatz. We were treated to a fun-filled shopping experience, which worked up a nice hunger that was then sated with an impressive lunch prepared for us by Bayern’s staff at their cafe next door. The club members really enjoyed all the tasty Bavarian specialties and the Paulaner was also a welcome addition. All members of the club were then presented with their own specially personalized Bayern scarves! These proved to be a big hit. We were also warmly welcomed back to Munich by Markus Meindl, Bayern’s director of division Fans. Him and his staff, particularly Selina and Thomas have been as helpful as ever and we’ve always appreciated Markus taking such an interest in our club.
After lunch, we boarded our bus at the nearby Odeonsplatz and headed to the Allianz Arena. It was a fantastic feeling to be back at the stadium. After being taken inside to the FC Bayern Museum we were treated to a meet and greet with Bayern legend Giovane Elber. He addressed the group, answered some questions and then was nice enough to spend some time taking pictures and signing autographs. This was particularly amazing for me. I had met Elber in Washington, DC back in 2022, but this time I was prepared. I have two Elber jerseys, a home and an away kit that I purchased back in 2000, and I made sure to bring both so he could sign them for me. It was a really amazing experience.
Afterward we made our way to the seats to wait for the game to begin. As it was the 125th anniversary celebration game, there was a stadium-wide tifo display that we got to participate in and we got to sing along with the new stadium anthem that was provided by the legendary Südkurve.
The match started well, with Bayern going up 2-0 early. But with a 3-2 final score for Bochum, the outcome was a little disappointing. At least the loss came against our friends from Bochum. The disappointment was noticeable in the group, but everyone had a great time and it was a really exciting experience. Bayern provided fantastic seats for the group. That really enhanced the experience for everyone.
Sunday, 9 March 2025
We started the morning off hopping on our bus and heading out to the FC Bayern Campus to support Bayern’s under-19 team in a match-up against 1. FC Köln. It was fun bringing so many fans from Washington, DC to support one of Bayern’s youth teams. We’ve been to a few reserve matches before, but this was our first time supporting an even younger side.
It was a really fun experience. The stadium at the Campus is great and it’s nice to be so close to the action. Even the concessions at the stadium were great. The match was highly entertaining, you can really see the talent of these younger players and how they really aren’t that far away from jumping into the next stage of their careers. Bayern ended up losing 2-0, but that didn’t take away from the novelty of the experience. Afterward we popped into Clubheim 1900 to grab a beer in the sun before heading back to the bus to return downtown.
Later that evening, we made our way over to the BMW Park to attend the evening’s Basketball Bundesliga match-up between first-placed FC Bayern and fifth-placed Heidelberg Akademics. For a lot of the members in attendance, there was uncertainty about how this experience was going to be. A fair amount of our group were also basketball fans but none had ever attended a Bundesliga basketball game.
It was amazing. The presentation, the sellout crowd, the supporters, the pageantry: it was a true spectacle. The biggest star for our group may have been the court itself. With the built-in LED lights and patterns, it was something none of us had seen before. The FC Bayern court was such that any NBA team would be jealous of the technical capabilities and presentation of such a court. It really wowed the group.
The game itself was exciting and enjoyable. The basketball was very entertaining and really a showcase in basketball fundamentals. Add in the fact that many of us were familiar with a number of FC Bayern’s players, such as two-time NCAA champion Shabazz Napier, who also spent a season in Washington, DC playing for the Wizards in the NBA. Bayern pulled out a strong win, and after two losses, it was great to see an actual FC Bayern win on this trip! The game was a huge success and I can personally say, next time I’m in Munich, I’ll be at an FC Bayern Basketball game.
Monday, 10 March 2025
I got to finally sleep in a little bit today! In the afternoon, we headed to the Allianz Arena for a tour of the stadium and a visit to the FC Bayern Museum. I personally have taken the Arena Tour probably about seven or eight times since 2005 and this was probably the best tour guide I’ve ever had. He was incredibly knowledgeable and even after so many previous tours, I genuinely learned some new facts. Afterward we toured the museum and I was really looking forward to seeing the new FC Bayern film in the little theater. It was a really moving experience for the members in attendance and a great way to start off the tour. Finally, after wrapping up the museum visit, we got to do a little bit more shopping in the Allianz Arena Superstore, which was nice, since it had been far too crowded on matchday Saturday.
To complete the night, we met up at a beer hall in the city and enjoyed another traditional Bavarian dinner with drinks.
Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Matchday in Leverkusen! Due to limited ticket availability, only 25 of us were able to attend the second leg of the round of 16 against Leverkusen. Nevertheless, we knew it was going to be an exciting day.
Those that were unable to make the trek to Leverkusen were hosted by FC Bayern at Clubheim 1900 on the Bayern Campus. Food and drinks were served in what is a fantastic venue to watch a Bayern match. Those members had a great time and were very appreciative of being invited to the venue.
The 25 of us that were going left Munich around 9am for the five-hour train ride to Leverkusen. It was a pretty fun and comfortable trip. We spent three hours in Cologne before arriving in Leverkusen to see the famous cathedral and then grabbed some Kölsch at a brewery to take in a bit of the local culture.
After arriving in Leverkusen, we found a drink shop near the stadium where we stocked up on beverages and did some tailgating in a local park before heading to the stadium two hours before kick-off. As we entered the away fans area of the stadium, we met up with a few media representatives from FC Bayern who conducted a few interviews with our members and then did some video and pictures of the group before we entered the stadium.
The match itself was really exciting. Being in the Bayern away section again was a thrill. Two hours of chanting and singing to support our team was energizing. A two-goal victory just made the night that much better. Both goals were scored in the second half, so right in front of us. It was fantastic.
With much relief after securing the passage to the quarter-final round, we began our return home on the 2am train out of Leverkusen and finally made it back to Munich around 9am. It was a long day, parts of it were exhausting, but ultimately it was an awesome day!
Wednesday, 12 March 2025
With early morning having been spent on the train, the latter half of the morning was spent in bed, catching up on sleep in Munich. Later that day, some of us remaining in the city met up for a final get-together to reminisce on the week and say our goodbyes until we saw each back in the States. It was a long week, yet a quick week, a week that will always be remembered and often referenced. It was a great week.
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