Palm trees outside the door – inside the building, white and blue banners hung from the ceiling like in an Oktoberfest tent, FC Bayern jerseys adorned the walls, and everywhere you looked, people were balancing beer mugs and plates laden with schnitzel, Leberkäse and potato salad. The slogan ‘Servus Miami!’ glowed in red and white on the monitors in the Fritz & Franz Bierhaus. At the fan event organised by the German champions together with Paulaner in the heart of the US metropolis, Bavaria and Florida were closer than ever, as if there were no big pond, no ten-hour flight, no time difference. Bayern had already received a great reception from fans a few days earlier at the pub takeover in Cincinnati, said Michael Diederich: “And when you look around here, we say: ‘Mia san Miami!’”
250 members of FC Bayern eV and various fan clubs in the USA and Germany came to the event organised by the fan division to compete in beer mug lifting with FCB legends Giovane Élber and Claudio Pizarro, among other things, as well as to get their autographs and photos. “I feel at home wherever our fans are,” said Élber. “Today it feels like home here!”
What could be better than a party, asked Diederich, and the deputy CEO immediately provided the answer himself: “Two parties! We're celebrating twice today: FC Bayern will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2025, and the Miami Munich fan club is celebrating its tenth anniversary.” The registration tool for the event had to be closed within a very short time because so many fans wanted to attend. “The pulse of FC Bayern can also be felt here in Florida,” added Diederich.
Over 100 fan clubs and more than 6,500 members in the US
FC Bayern is at home in Munich and Bavaria, Diederich emphasised, “but proximity to all fans around the world is fundamental: whether in Munich or Miami, we want emotions and global togetherness across continents”. The club has had its own office in the USA for over ten years, “because we don't want to talk about fans, we want to talk to them”. FCB now has over 100 fan clubs with more than 6,500 members in the United States. “Our fan base is growing because FC Bayern stands for special values: community, tradition, success – and passion that knows no bounds.”
Before the team led by Bierhaus owner Harald Neuweg handed out the beer mugs for the traditional Bavarian competition, Michael Morton from the 250-strong fan club ‘Miami München’ led all the fans in singing ‘Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit’ (A toast to cosiness). Among the guests were representatives of the German Consulate General and employees of FCB youth football partner STYSA. The atmosphere was excellent and as everyone left, the new FC Bayern anthem, which the fans had sung in the beer hall, could still be heard outside – the palm leaves in front of the door swayed in the wind, almost in time with the music.
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