Garmisch-Partenkirchen apparently has a good chance of setting up a base camp for one of the participating teams for the next European Football Championship in 2024 - with accommodation and training facilities.
A DFB team led by world champion Philipp Lahm has now presented the effective advertising partnership to the municipal council.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
- Philipp Lahm was a sought-after man in the Werdenfels festival hall of the congress house, where Garmisch-Partenkirchen's municipal council met - for selfies and autographs.
Green politician Alexandra Roos-Teitscheid even took jerseys from home to have them signed by the football legend.
Ex-Bayernstar is the managing director of DFB Euro GmbH
But Lahm, who won the world championship title in 2014 as captain of the German national team in Brazil, did not travel to Werdenfelser Land with his team to make fans happy. The ex-Bayern star was a guest as an entrepreneur, more precisely as managing director of DFB Euro GmbH, a subsidiary of the German Football Association (DFB) with headquarters in Frankfurt. This organizes the next European Championship in 2024, which will take place at ten venues in its own country - including the Munich Allianz Arena.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen could also play an important role and benefit from the top event - as a so-called Team Base Camp. This means a base camp, where one of the 24 participating teams has their quarters and trains during the four-week tournament in summer. The DFB officials have already inspected the location and considered a combination that would be suitable for the noble kickers: the four-star superior Hotel Obermühle and the sports complex on Gröben.
In the course of the professional presentation, Lahm took on the emotional part. “We want to celebrate a big event together,” enthused the native of Munich.
“We looked around for nice places where the players feel comfortable.” The message was clear: It is something special to belong to this exclusive group.
Matthias Grimm, head of the DFB travel agency, went one better: "We fell in love with Garmisch-Partenkirchen." This affection is not new: in 2019 the influential umbrella association knocked on the door - back then for the current EM and Jogi Löw's troop - , but then the plans were discarded again.
"Your region moves into the spotlight"
Nothing has been decided at the meeting - and much has remained vague. As was heard after the official part, time is of the essence. Garmisch-Partenkirchen should, it was said, decide in the next two to three months whether it wants to be there. There is no guarantee that it will actually become a base for an EM squad. The DFB submits 40 candidates from which the national associations select the 24 domiciles. And then - this is what makes things so interesting for a tourist destination like Garmisch-Partenkirchen - there is an extremely valuable PR effect. "Your region will be in the spotlight," promises the DFB.
The municipal councils dealt with a completely different question: How much would the clammy market have to invest? This is the responsibility of the municipality, the existing infrastructure is used, was the reply of the DFB representatives. The hotel is booked normally. And an expense allowance is paid for the sports grounds. In the course of the discussion, however, it was suggested that the Landesliga turf on Gröben might not meet the high demands of top-class football. There is a renovation or a new system in the room. Lahm promised help with the expertise - in the form of a specialist who inspects the green. “Someone will come by,” promised the 37-year-old, who knows the district from playing golf.
Mayor Elisabeth Koch (CSU) is open to the project: "Investments that may be necessary in the course of the Base Camp topic would also be an opportunity for us to improve the sports facility in the long term," she explains when asked.
And further: "Our amateur kickers are fundamentally worth this commitment - so footballers big and small can train and play their games optimally in the future."
Fire and flame is Christian Wolf, head of the Obermühle, which was extensively rebuilt in 2019.
The full-blooded hotelier speaks of a "great advertising platform" should one win the contract.
“I think the chances are pretty good.” Just the fact that Lahm was here shows how serious the DFB is.