BAYERN FAMILY February 2025
At 15 , Lars Voigt was the youngest participant in the discussion – diversity and inclusion are particularly important to his generation .
FC Bayern ‘ s commitment to issues such as diversity and inclusion is incredibly important . If a player were to refuse to take part in a campaign involving the colours of the rainbow , I assume FC Bayern would seek a dialogue with them and in so doing , stand up for the club ‘ s values . When it comes to inclusion , FC Bayern does a lot more than other clubs , which I think is great , because everyone should be able to be part of the club . For me , FC Bayern is the absolute frontrunner in this respect . HH : We don ‘ t just want to be number 1 in the table . Frau Neumeier and Frau Meixner , who came along as her companion and is also a member – what do you say when a young person like Herr Voigt focuses on your issue of inclusion ? Ingrid Neumeier : For me as someone directly affected , it ‘ s simply wonderful and very impressive – I would like to thank you very much for also focusing on people with disabilities , as well as the issue of diversity . I have to praise FC Bayern in general . I ‘ ve been a Bayern fan for 25 years and I don ‘ t think the general public is aware of everything this club does in terms of inclusion … Andrea Meixner : … just walking into the Allianz Arena , you immediately feel included . As a native of Karlsruhe , I ‘ m happy to be at Bayern now – it ‘ s unique . HH : You have after all been in the best of company from home for years : Oliver Kahn joined us from Karlsruhe , Mehmet Scholl , Michael Sternkopf , Oliver Kreuzer , Thorsten Fink , Michael Tarnat … Andrea Meixner : They all followed me here ( laughs )! HH : And you , Frau Neumeier , have lots of autographs on your FCB jersey .
The love in the detail : a close-up of the FCB décor on Ingrid Neumeier ‘ s wheelchair .
FC BAYERN IS THE FRONTRUNNER WHEN IT COMES TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION – EVERY- ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE PART OF THE CLUB
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Lars Voigt
Ingrid Neumeier : My pride and joy , Giovane Élber is on it , along with many others . That ‘ s from the days of the Olympiastadion . Lars , I would like to say to you once again : Stick to your guns regarding your views ! And FC Bayern is a real role model in this respect . I say to every person with a disability : Come to FC Bayern ! I can draw comparisons with other clubs – Bayern is doing something extraordinary when it comes to inclusion , it ‘ s simply marvellous . Our [ wheelchair fan club ] Rollwagerl eV has now celebrated its 30th anniversary , and we all feel absolutely at home at FC Bayern . Ewald Manz : The fact that FC Bayern stands for its values is important to me . I think this discussion is hugely appreciated today . You feel like part of the family , you ’ re listened to and taken on board , the club has developed terrific discussion formats . It ‘ s easy for me to be proud of my FC Bayern . I used to be a centre-back , my role model was Katsche Schwarzenbeck , and I remember us all sitting in the trees as children to watch an FC Bayern friendly in our neighbourhood near Hoffenheim . Unfortunately , I missed out on becoming a member at the time – otherwise I would have a membership number similar to Herr Lunzner ’ s . I even took time off from school back then , and we travelled to Belgrade , Moscow and Split . To this day , everything at home is decorated with Bayern merchandise . I also think it ‘ s terrific how the club is in tune with the zeitgeist . Tradition doesn ‘ t exclude modern influences . And that brings us back to the values : the club grows with the challenges . HH : As an organisation , how do you pass on values to the next generation ? Ewald Manz : By exemplifying them . That ‘ s what FC Bayern does . A club should convey movement , for body and mind . You have a common set of values that can be used as a guide across generations . Lisa Duregger : I think this exchange of views here today is terrific because young and old are talking about FC Bayern together . It gives Lars and me a lot of exciting insights . That ‘ s how a club should work , by bringing people together . And when it comes to the values that Lars mentioned , we ’ re on the same page across the generations . HH : Herr Riegel , you took part in our members ‘ Schafkopf tournament … How important is tradition ? Christoph Riegel : Playing Schafkopf was the icing on the cake , because tradition is an important hallmark of FC Bayern . But I also agree with Herr Manz that FC Bayern manages to move with the times , be it with the ″ Red against Racism “ initiative or by seeking dialogue with its members . I read the article on the website about the Stammtisch at St Pauli last week , where a gentleman from the far north said that he gets goosebumps
108 FC Bayern Magazine