MAN Truck & Bus
THE TRAINING BUDDIES FOR FC BAYERN MUNICH
The 2020/21 season has been marked by empty stands adorning the Bundesliga stadiums, which not only saddens the players and fans, but also the escort children who have so far been waiting in vain for their assignments. That’s why MAN and FC Bayern Munich arranged a very special event for these young fans on 21 February: the MAN Training Buddies! This event was held online and started with a live broadcast of the team’s training routines, and a personal greeting from head coach Hansi Flick and his professionals.
Once the processes and components of the training session had been explained to the young buddies, there was a creative and humorous question and answer session with mascot Berni, whose gesticulated answers confronted the presenter with unexpected communication difficulties. In addition to Berni, there was also a player from the professional squad who took time for the children. None other than Austria's seven-time Footballer of the Year and two-time Champions League winner David Alaba paid the youngsters a virtual live visit and answered questions about his hobbies, his successes and the first steps in his football career. The buddies were especially surprised by Alaba’s plan B if his professional career had not worked out: “Then I’d now be an architect in Austria and would be helping to erect buildings.”
THE TEAM COACH ALSO PLAYED ITS PART
The virtual interaction didn’t just involve the players and Berni. Even coach driver Michael Lauerbach couldn’t miss the opportunity to take the young guests behind the scenes at the record champion’s stadium to present “his” FC Bayern team coach with its equipment and many special features. Mascot Berni was also involved again and provided loads of fun as well as a very humorous portrayal of the MAN Lions Coach as team coach for Germany’s record football champions. Michael Lauerbach subsequently spent a lot of time answering the children’s questions and made it clear at this point that a coach driver’s job involves a lot more than just driving a coach.
