Reception for Special Olympics winner Georg Emmerdinger

There was a red and white congratulatory cake from CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, a Bavarian veal sausage breakfast and a toast to the successful Special Olympics participant as FC Bayern celebrated Georg Emmerdinger - affectionately known by everyone as ‘Schorschi’ - with a reception especially for him after his return from the World Winter Games in Turin. The 40-year-old, who is part of the club's facility management team, won one gold and two bronze medals in snowshoeing at the World Winter Games.

Cake for Special Olympics champion

“You are one of the most successful athletes in Germany in your field,” said Dreesen after an emotional clip of Emmerdinger from Turin was played in the meeting room on the boardroom floor. “We are immensely proud of you that we have a gold and bronze medallist in our ranks. We are also particularly pleased that you see your home here at FC Bayern and that you feel our club. Congratulations from all of us.” He had read through Emmerdinger's previous successes with great interest - over 40 medals in five different disciplines – and when the CEO said that it would take a long time to read through because there were so many titles, Emmerdinger smiled: “You couldn't stop reading, could you?” The medallist was also delighted with the cake: “It's enough for a fortnight.”

President Herbert Hainer also congratulated the Gröbenzell native in a personal phone call after his success. “I never expected that. I was completely speechless,” said the 40-year-old. “He congratulated me on my medals and on my interview afterwards. He was delighted.” After his success, Emmerdinger declared that he had “taken the FC Bayern winning gene with me to Turin”. On his return to Munich, he immediately watched the Thomas Müller documentary. It had been exhausting in Turin, with a strict bedtime routine in the early evening and no long sleep in the morning. “But it was also very nice. Nobody can take these memories away from me.” His personal highlights were the award ceremony with the national anthem and the big closing ceremony.

With a time of one minute and 39 hundredths of a second, Emmerdinger won gold in the 200 metres, bronze in the 100 metres (24.26 seconds) and then another bronze with the German 4x100-metre mixed relay team. “We at FC Bayern are delighted with Georg ‘Schorschi’ Emmerdinger's success at the Special Olympics in Turin. He is a credit to our club,” said Hainer. “The athletes give courage to all people with disabilities that they can overcome any challenge.”

This year's Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin were the largest inclusive sporting event for people with intellectual disabilities. Emmerdinger was one of 53 German athletes. In total, over 1,500 athletes from 102 countries took part. Together with its partner Deutsche Telekom, FC Bayern had already invited the German team to the Allianz Arena for the home match against Holstein Kiel in February and bid them farewell for the competitions. Among other things, the club is very committed to inclusion with its Red against Racism initiative and regularly sets standards in this area at the Allianz Arena. Hainer added: “Everyone is part of our society, is our message, and together we can surpass ourselves.”

Find out more about Emmerdinger's achievements in Turin: