FC Bayern won his heart in one of the bitterest defeats in the club’s history. Juan Pernia has been a fan of the German record champions since the ‘Finale dahoam’ in 2012. “I was still a child back then but I felt something different when I watched this team play,” explains the native Venezuelan, who we’re meeting on the morning before the Club World Cup match against Boca Juniors in Miami.
Venezuela, Denver, Miami
Juan has lived in Denver with his younger brother Victor since the age of five. Today he’ll watch Bayern live for the first time. “A lifelong dream is coming true for me,” he says at an FC Bayern event in Wynwood, the artists’ quarter of Miami. “I can’t even describe how much I’m looking forward to it, I get tears already just thinking about it. It’s obviously a shame it’s not at the Allianz Arena, but that will come too.”
FC Bayern event in Wynwood
In an area characterised by murals, FC Bayern are also immortalised on a house facade, The artist Bagnasco, in collaboration with FCB partner Paulaner, sprayed Harry Kane, Thomas Müller and Jamal Musiala on the wall. On Friday morning, Bayern legend Claudio Pizarro stopped by and signed the mural in confident style.
An unforgettable day for Juan
For Juan, the encounter with the former world-class striker is a first highlight on this very special day. “He used to score a lot of goals against Venezuela, which wasn’t as nice,” says Juan and laughs. “Getting to meet him here is something extraordinary for me, he’s an idol.” Just round the corner from the mural, an FC Bayern event in conjunction with Classic Football Shirts is taking place. Juan takes a souvenir photo with Pizarro and the Meisterschale in store. The glint in his eyes speaks volumes.
In his homeland of South America, many football fans have a favourite club in Europe in addition to their local club. In Venezuela, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are particularly popular. But for Juan, there is only one club: “That's Bayern Munich, they’re the right team for me.” At first, it was Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger who most excited him. He is particularly fond of Thomas Müller, though. “He is the greatest legend for me,” says Juan. Today, he has lent the jersey with the number 25 to his brother Victor, who travelled with him to Miami. Victor actually supports Barça but with this unique experience in Miami, Juan is hoping to convince him to root for Bayern in the future.
Bayern community in USA growing
Juan regularly plays football with other people from Venezuela at home in Denver. “We kind of realised that they also follow FC Bayern closely – the club has a lot of significance in Venezuela,” he explains. In the USA, Juan is noticing an increasing interest in football and also in Bayern. “I saw a lot of people in Bayern jerseys at the airport and on the flight here,” he reports. “There’s also a watch party taking place in Denver for the game against Boca Juniors. I believe the community is growing.”
Events such as the one in Wynwood, where numerous FCB fans gather to celebrate their love for their club, also ensure that enthusiasm for the Reds continues to grow in the USA. Immediately after the opening of the Classic Football Shirts store, a long queue of Bayern fans formed outside the shop. The meet & greet with Pizarro, the retro jerseys and the special FC Bayern t-shirts for the event created a great atmosphere among the fans. Lukas Podolski's spontaneous visit also rounded off the successful event.
Win against Boca Juniors the high point
However, the pinnacle of the day came in the evening as he watched his beloved Bayern in person for the first time at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The 2-1 victory against Boca Juniors sparked wild celebrations from him. A day that Juan will never forget.
We met Keith and Jeff at FCB’s first Club World Cup group game against Auckland:
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