A handmade sign, an unforgettable moment and tears of sheer joy: A handmade sign, an unforgettable moment and tears of sheer joy: for Jan Feddermann, Sunday at the Allianz Arena was a day that he’ll never forget. After the 8-1 win over VfL Wolfsburg, a video went viral: a young fan, tears in his eyes, overcome by emotions – with the match-worn shirt of Jonathan Tah in his hands. In an interview with fcbayern.com, Jan explains what made this moment so special and why FC Bayern is much more than just a football club for him.
It was clear from a young age that FC Bayern were the team for him. Jan received his first Bayern jersey at the age of eight – in the days of Robert Lewandowksi. “I was always really impressed by the Allianz Arena, by the atmosphere, by this Bavarian flair,” he explains. Bayern exuded something special for him from the start. “I always find the club very likeable.”
Yet Sunday’s visit to the stadium was his first. Live in the Allianz Arena for the first time – a Christmas wish come true. And what followed surpassed all his expectations.
One moment that changed everything
As Tah came over to him at full time, Jan was completely overwhelmed. “It was indescribable,” he says. You can still hear the disbelief in his voice. “I obviously didn’t expect that. There are so many people in the Allianz Arena, the chance is extremely low.”
But he wanted to give it a try. On the Friday before the game, he took a bedsheet belonging to his grandma, painted it and hung it in the stadium. “I just thought: maybe he will see it.”
Then came this one moment. Tah took his shirt off, went to the steward and pointed to Jan. “A massive dream came true in that moment,” he says softly. “I couldn’t even think anymore after that. Not until the way back.” Without hesitation, Jan describes it as “the happiest moment of my life”.
‘Just sheer joy’
Holding the jersey in his hands makes it all even more surreal. “It’s something you normally only see from the fan shop or from videos,” he describes. “And then suddenly I’m holding a match-worn shirt in my hands – with stains directly from the original match.” Just a few minutes before, Tah had been fending off Wolfsburg attacks in front of 75,000 spectators. Now his shirt was with Jan. “I just couldn't comprehend it.”
He hardly slept that night. “I dreamed about it and asked myself in the morning: did that really happen?” Only when he saw the shirt again did he realise: yes, it was real.
Why Jonathan Tah?
The fact it was specifically Tah made the moment even more emotional. Jan was already a fan of the Germany international before his move to Munich. “He always comes across as very likeable, he has a very cool nature on the pitch,” he explains. “And he does so many important things for the team.”
I've never felt emotions like that. I don't usually cry with joy. I just couldn't keep it in there.
Jan Feddermann
When Tah joined Bayern, everything came together. “My favourite player at my favourite club – it was just perfect.” It was clear to Jan: if he paints a sign, then it’s for Jonathan Tah.
Tears that say it all
The images of Jan's tears of joy touched lots of people on social media. For him they were an expression of something he’d never experienced before. “I’m often happy, of course – about wins, about great games,” he says. “I've never felt emotions like that, though. I don't usually cry with joy. I just couldn't keep it in there.”
Family and friends were deeply touched, too. His mother was in the stadium, his father watched it all on TV. Friends got in touch, fellow students at school spoke to him. “It was just nice to see how many people shared in my joy and didn’t begrudge me that,” acknowledges Jan.
For Jan, this moment symbolises FC Bayern. “It confirmed to me once again how important the fans are,” he says. “That there is this connection between players and fans.” It is precisely this approachibility that makes the club so special to him – whether it's autographs, open training sessions or friendly matches against smaller clubs. “You just realise: this is a family.”
A symbol of closeness to fans
The jersey will be given pride of place. “I’ll frame it and hang it over my bed,” Jan tells with a grin. “Then I’ll enjoy it every day when I go to bed.” And what if he were to encounter Tah again? “I’d thank him a thousand times,” he says. “And tell him that the shirt will be well looked after.”
The dream of one young fan – made true by one gesture. And a moment that shows what FC Bayern is about: closeness, emotions and the feeling of being part of something bigger.
Michael Olise and Luis Díaz starred in the clash with Wolfsburg on Sunday:
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