Indians excited to take on Bayern München

New Delhi: Football fans in India are in for a treat with the upcoming Audi Football summit between European giants FC Bayern München  and the Indian National Football team. This clash promises to be one of the most star-studded football matches ever held in the country. It is not just the fans who are looking forward to this clash but also the players themselves. Players like Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, to name a few have a huge fan following not only in India but also amongst Indian football team itself.

 

 

The exhibition match titled “Audi Football Summit”, between the most successful German club, FC Bayern München  and Indian National team will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, on January 10, 2012. The historic match will be a farewell for the Indian football icon, Baichung Bhutia, and the proceeds of the event will go to support the quake-affected people in Sikkim which incidentally is Baichung’s home state.

Donning the captain’s arm band for the one last time, Baichung Bhutia said, “My career has been a great learning for me, a wonderful experience. My 16 year international football career has made me richer in experience and I have grown as a person. Playing my final India match against Bayern München  is a great honour, but also a tough finale for me. Bayern are one of the best teams in the world and I rate them as better than Germany.”

“Indian football is moving in a positive direction with the Indian team qualifying for the Asian cup after a gap of 27 years. In addition to this, the junior teams and the developmental team are making good progress on the Asian front.  I believe that it will not be long before we see Indian players plying their trade on the international club circuit,” added Baichung Bhutia.

As his team prepares to take a shot at the European giants, Coach of Indian team, Savio Medeira, said, “It’s not every day that you get a chance to play against the best in the World. It would be a learning experience for us.”

Player of the tournament in the recently concluded SAFF games and Indian footballer of the year Sunil Chhetri said “With the phase which Indian football is going through, the more we play stronger opponents, the better for us. You get to play Bayern München  possibly once in a lifetime. We ought to make the most of it.”

Another rising star in the Indian football team, Jeje Lalpeklua (Striker), said, “The opportunity to play with one of the top clubs would be an experience indeed. It gives us the opportunity to improve ourselves.”

Excited to play the crucial match, Defender, Gourmangi Singh, said, “It will be a great opportunity to be playing on the same field that too against such star players. It’s also an honour to be a part of Baichung Bhutia’s farewell match. I’m looking forward to it.”

Beaming at the opportunity of playing against most successful German club, Midfielder, Jewel Raja, said, “The match gives us an opportunity to learn from International Stars. You don’t let go such an opportunity for sure.”

While the strength and technical superiority of the mighty Bayern München may prove to be daunting a task for the Indian team, the Indian team players are set to put their best foot forward and play their hearts out especially given that this is their farewell to an Indian hero who has given his all to Indian Football for over 16 years now.

Commenting on the upcoming clash between the two teams Mr. Michael Perschke, Head Audi India said, “We are a Company with a worldwide focus on football and are associated with some of the leading clubs in Europe. We also own an approximate 10% stake in Bayern München. Audi has been also committed to promoting football in India. We believe that Indian football has huge potential and this match will uphold the spirit of football through a keen display of skill, enthusiasm and will spread the essence of the sport throughout the country and ensure that football is popularized in the nation.  We, at Audi, are justifiably proud of the fact that this event epitomizes our commitment in promoting football in the country”

“With the Audi Football Summit being hosted in new Delhi we are expecting a huge turnout as Football has a grand following even here. I am sure that the match will further embellish the growth of this sport and will be invigorating with ample display of collective and individual sporting brilliance”, he added.

Considering the potential to become the next national sport, Audi has been on a mission to promote football in India. To promote the game of football and give young talent the opportunity to experience the game at an international level, Audi has partnered events such as a scouting program in Kolkata in 2010, the FC Bayern All Star Match and the FC Bayern Youth Cup India 2011 in October 2011. 

The German giants led by coach and former German World cupper Jupp Heynckes will arrive in India via Qatar, where they will stop over for a training session. Captain Philipp Lahm, credibly the world's best full back, Thomas Muller, the winner of the 'Golden Boot' in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, are among the star line-up for the match against the Indian National team.

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