First Legends meet & greet in Cologne with Raimond Aumann

Carnival songs from Cologne boomed through the speakers of the 'Domstube' restaurant in the heart of the city on the Rhine, and the Meisterschale and DFB Cup trophy formed an eye-catching display. The 75 members of FC Bayern and 1. FC Köln, who had been selected in a draw for the exclusive event prior to kick-off in the German champions' 3-1 win over the Rhinelanders, were in high spirits in this special atmosphere. FCB Legend Raimond Aumann and his Köln counterpart Herbert Zimmermann, European champion in 1980 and also an FC Bayern player in the 1970s, were on hand to answer questions in a relaxed setting. "When you look around the room, everything is resplendent in red and white – almost like a home game for us," said the 1990 World Cup winner and long-time Bayern captain. With this event, both clubs have broken new ground – there’s never been a meeting like this before.

Members and fan club members from FC Bayern had registered for the event, and Markus Meindl, FC Bayern director of fan relations, said in his welcome speech: "I would like to express my sincere thanks to 1. FC Köln for organising this event. Meetings like this convey an important message: fans of both clubs come together and, in unison, get in the mood for a match. That's how football should be." The anthems of both clubs were played as the two legends entered the room, after which Aumann and Zimmermann chatted for 90 minutes plus extra time before taking time to sign autographs and pose for selfies.

Everyone present, such as Volker Lüttgen, who lives in Cologne, membership number 1,840 at FC Bayern and a member of the club since July 1982, were thrilled: he had lost his heart to Munich because of Sepp Maier and Gerd Müller, he'd been a fan of FC Bayern since childhood so had often been mocked in the past, as everyone else was a supporter of 1. FC Köln, he said: "But no one could turn me away from supporting FC Bayern." Based on his experiences, he had come to the meeting with a sense of respect, "you never know how the members will get along with each other – and I'm pleasantly surprised by how the event is going. I felt very comfortable and will now head to the stadium with these great impressions."

Playing for FC Bayern was "the best decision of my life," Aumann told members about his early days after then-general manager and now honorary president Uli Hoeneß had brought him to Munich from Augsburg. Despite winning the World Cup in 1990, his most important achievement was winning his first league title with his beloved club: "It was incredible to stand on the balcony of the Munich Town Hall." The goalkeeping idol described the 3-1 win in the 1988 UEFA Cup tie at Inter Milan as the game of his life – "everything went right that day, and thanks to this 'miracle of Milan' we progressed against legends such as Lothar Matthäus and Giuseppe Bergomi."

With regard to the immense sums involved in international football these days, Aumann referred to the exceptional striker Harry Kane: "If we want to have a say in the Champions League, we need players of his calibre. He’s worth every penny." FC Bayern is characterised by "a philosophy that is lived and breathed by its leaders, from Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to Herbert Hainer today. That is the key to the success of this unique club."

The German record champions are continuously expanding their various dialogue formats – for members and fan clubs alike. FC Bayern currently has over 430,000 members, and around 340,000 supporters are organised in 4,491 official fan clubs. In January, two further exchange formats exclusively for club members have already been scheduled: curling with president Herbert Hainer at the Paulaner Nockherberg and, at the end of the month, the joint Shabbat celebration with the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is being held for the fourth year in a row.