FC Bayern starts to new season with Audi
While many things may be new with FC Bayern München, when it comes to its "company cars" the German record champion again relies on equally sporty and comfortable support in the new season: Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Management Board of AUDI AG, today handed over the keys to the new "company cars" to the players, coaches and management staff in Ingolstadt and wished the team a successful start to the season. AUDI AG and FC Bayern München have been "on the ball" together since the beginning of the 2002 season. As always, the players of the double winner had a free choice from the model range – and, as always, the clear majority of the pros opted for the sportiest versions of the Audi models: without exception, they selected cars with quattro drive. The front runner was the new Audi S5 – as many as five players, including Philipp Lahm and Christian Lell, chose the 354-hp coupé.
The new coach duo sports the same style along the boundary as well as on the road: from now on, Jürgen Klinsmann and co-coach Martin Vasquez will be driving to practice sessions in a new Audi Q7 powered by a 4.2-litre diesel engine. The former German national coach's colour choice was cobalt blue metallic, while his assistant ordered the popular SUV, which Daniel van Buyten and Martin Demichelis selected as well, in calla white.
"We are pleased to be standing side by side with the most successful German club again in the new season. The team exudes a notable, positive spirit that promises to deliver excitement galore during the upcoming season. We look forward to thrilling matches and wish FC Bayern a season full of victories and successes," said Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Management Board of AUDI AG, on the occasion of handing over the vehicles at the Audi Piazza in Ingolstadt. Immediately afterwards, the team headed for Tokyo to a friendship match with its Japanese partner club, Urawa Red Diamonds.
Not only the boss himself but many of his employees keep their fingers crossed for FC Bayern each weekend: at the beginning of 2003 the workforce founded the Audi FC Bayern fan club, which now has a membership of over 5,000. "We keep noting how much enthusiasm for football there is at Audi. This makes the partnership between Audi and FC Bayern, which has been in effect for six years now, a perfect combination," said Chairman of the Board Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
The partnership between the two premium brands, which far exceeds a typical sponsoring commitment, continually manifests itself in new ways. An example is the Audi shop in the "Brand World" of the "Allianz Arena", which is a permanent and popular meeting place. On more than 200 square metres featuring a modern shop design supporters can find vehicles from Audi's current sporty model range as well as the FC Bayern collection of quattro GmbH. In addition, Audi presents itself with the four rings at the club's home venue, the "Allianz Arena", as well as at numerous other activities and events.
