Championship party in the heart of Munich

When the footage of the pros and coaches dancing and singing at Nockherberg on Saturday night arrived, people asked themselves how Sunday morning’s visit to the Town Hall balcony was supposed to work after a wild night of partying. But as the team bus made its way through sunny Munich towards the heart of the city, where thousands of fans in white and red were eagerly awaiting their heroes, people sensed something magnificent would follow: the next championship party for the FC Bayern family, packed with beaming and proud faces.

Marienplatz full to the rafters

So many people had come that the police had to close off the square – everyone wanted to see the team who won the championship title with a 16-point lead and a goal difference of +86. “It was great once again, the support was there,” said captain Manuel Neuer, adding: “The team dressed up for the occasion, we were happy we could present the Meisterschale to the fans.”

For the second time in a row and the 35^th time overall, FC Bayern had brought the trophy to the Bavarian capital after an impressive season full of records. Now it was time to enjoy the official reception hosted by the City of Munich before celebrating with the fans. “I’ve been to a few of FC Bayern’s championship parties,” said Munich’s new Lord Mayor Dominik Krause, “but never as Lord Mayor.” He added: “When you're travelling the world as a politician, people always mention two things with regard to Munich - the Oktoberfest, but above all FC Bayern.” This illustrates the club’s enormous appeal and the special significance of the connection between the city and its greatest flagship.

The Lord Mayor thanks the head coach

Beyond football, Krause was impressed by Vincent Kompany’s appeal against racism in particular: “You didn't shy away or play anything down, you addressed it clearly and laid bare racist structures for everyone to see. I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for that,” said the Lord Mayor, who praised the shared commitment to “a colourful and diverse Munich.”

President Herbert Hainer: ‘You’ve won people’s hearts’

On behalf of the club, Herbert Hainer expressed his gratitude for the invitation: “It's always an honour for us to be received at the Town Hall,” said the FC Bayern president, who then addressed the team dressed in traditional costume: “What you’ve achieved is great, you’ve thrilled people from all over the world, you haven’t just played football, you’ve won people’s hearts and made them happy – that’s what we want to do,” said Hainer, who was “incredibly proud” of the team and the coaches.

The FC Bayern president emphasised the importance of social responsibility alongside the club’s outstanding achievements in football: “The City of Munich and FC Bayern have been standing together for decades - not only in sport, but above all on socio-political issues. I want this to continue. We're proud Munich and Bavaria are our home, and we want to fill it with life in the socio-political domain too,” Hainer promised.

A sea of white and red

The team then took to the Town Hall balcony to look at the impressive sea of white and red, packed with scarves, hats and flags. Captain Manuel Neuer, who had extended his contract just a few says ago, got things going and presented the Meisterschale to the cheering fans. “It's an honour to be here every year,” said Jan-Christian Dreesen: “It's packed, everyone's happy – it's just a wonderful day,” added the CEO.

The players stepped out onto the balcony, called out one by one and greeted with wild cheers. Their faces were beaming, even though the night had been short, as Tom Bischof revealed: “We've got a few party animals. It'll be calmer today, then we'll have a normal week, and we want to win the cup trophy in the final.” Leon Goretzka, who is saying goodbye after eight years at FC Bayern, revealed: “I want to soak it all up one more time and have fun. I'm grateful for this time. We still have the cup final in Berlin, we absolutely want to win it. Then it'll be a proper farewell.”

'Berlin, Berlin, we're going to Berlin'

The enthusiastic crowd chanted ‘Berlin, Berlin, we’re going to Berlin’ several times to help the team kick off the last week of training ahead of the cup final with the right energy. “What I admire is the team spirit and solidarity, you can see that in the dressing room and on the pitch,” said Herbert Hainer, greeting “the best fans in the world.” Jan-Christian Dreesen added with regard to Saturday: “We're not done yet, so from tomorrow our full focus will be on the next task. Of course we want to win in Berlin.”

The reaction to championship party at Marienplatz: