They help big events like the European Football Championship work - and that without payment: Volunteers.
Volunteers from the Starnberg district are in Munich.
District - Without them, major events such as the European Football Championship currently taking place in Munich, among others, would not be possible at all: volunteer helpers, called volunteers (English term for "volunteers").
Be it by distributing stadium brochures or by preparing the press conferences: The areas of application are wide-ranging.
There are also people in the district who have taken pleasure in contributing to the success of competitions.
At Germany's European Championship games in Munich, like this Saturday against Portugal, some of them are doing their voluntary service again - and even come into contact with one or the other star.
Volunteer Piet Fentross from Tutzing: In the elevator with Oliver Bierhoff
Piet Fentross from Tutzing is now an old hand in the volunteer business.
He helped out for the first time at the 2006 World Cup.
"Since then I've been to almost every event in Bavaria," says the 62-year-old.
Hansi Flick picked up his ticket from us.
Volunteer Piet Fentross
Therefore, he also has one or the other anecdote in store.
For example, from the 2007 European Championship qualifier against the Czech Republic, when DFB team manager Oliver Bierhoff got into the elevator at half-time when the score was 0: 2 from a German point of view (final score 0: 3).
This was followed by a little chat about the - Bierhoff quote - "shit game".
+
Volunteer Piet Fentross is assigned to ticketing.
© Private
Piet Fentross fondly remembers such moments.
Also this year he was very close to a familiar face.
"Hansi Flick picked up his ticket from us," reports the ex-soccer department head of TSV Tutzing, whose free time revolves around the round leather.
He chased the ball himself for a long time and is still a referee today.
Volunteer Rudolf Beutel from Söcking: Still highly motivated at the age of 79
Rudolf Beutel does his voluntary work very close to Fentross, who is assigned to ticketing at this European Championship.
He is one of the directors in the Allianz Arena, who is on hand to provide visitors with advice and assistance.
I asked myself: should I mess around at home now?
Volunteer Rudolf Beutel
Söckinger also volunteered for the 2006 home World Cup for the first time - for a very pragmatic reason.
"I asked myself: Should I mess around at home now?" Says Beutel and laughs.
He had retired shortly before.
And instead of being lazy at home, he signed up as a volunteer.
"I had so much fun and it was one of the best times in my retirement life."
+
Volunteer Rudolf Beutel works directly in the Allianz Arena.
© Private
In the meantime, Rudolf Beutel is 79 years old, but this is by no means a thing of the past.
"I met an 87-year-old at the game against France," says the former youth soccer coach at SV Söcking.
He still feels fit enough to work as a volunteer and makes it clear: "I'll be back at the EM 2024 if I can."
Volunteer Felicitas Niggl from Oberalting: Cell phone numbers from the sports stars
Working as a volunteer is so exciting for many that they are always happy to get in touch.
The 36-year-old Felicitas Niggl can tell you a lot about it.
This year alone, it has already been used seven times - mostly at smaller events.
“Despite Corona,” says the woman from Oberaltingen, who with a wink describes herself as a “volunteer junkie”.
At the EM, she is responsible for receiving officials and referees at the airport and escorting them to the right vehicles.
+
Volunteer Felicitas Niggl picks up EM officials and referees from the airport gate.
© Private
In this way, she almost had direct contact with the national teams.
But because of the pandemic, footballers are known to be in a so-called bubble.
You do not even enter the airport, but are picked up directly at the tarmac.
I've even exchanged cell phone numbers with a few para-athletes.
Volunteer Felicitas Niggl
Felicitas Niggl is not particularly sad about the missed opportunity.
She's already got used to meeting top athletes.
"I've even exchanged cell phone numbers with a few para-athletes," she says.
But that's not what drives the 36-year-old.
But like most of her colleagues, the community and the atmosphere.
“I made very good friendships,” says Niggl.
You always meet the same people, adds Piet Fentross.
Volunteer Corinna Lischka from Inning: To see Portugal on TV?
Corinna Lischka from Inning cannot yet draw on such a wealth of experience.
This year she is participating as a volunteer for the first time - apart from her work at the 2006 World Cup, when she was allowed to carry a banner onto the field as a teenager.
+
Volunteer Corinna Lischka (here relaxing after work at the lake) is involved in the ceremony before the games.
© Private
The 27-year-old has a very similar task this time: With 79 other volunteers, she presents the giant flags in the form of the national jerseys of the teams participating in the game at the ceremony before the games.
If you look closely, you might see Lischka playing against Portugal.
To be there up close is something completely different than to experience it on TV.
Volunteer Corinna Lischka
The inninger particularly appreciates "the spirit within the group" about the job.
And the atmosphere in the stadium.
“To be there up close is something completely different than to experience it on TV,” she explains.
“That is breathtaking.” Corinna Lischka traveled from Budapest especially for the voluntary service, where she has been studying for a semester.
"If I had known that before I registered in Munich, I would have applied for a volunteer position there," she says with a laugh.
Volunteers at the EM: No payment, but gifts and a certificate
Incidentally, volunteers are not paid, after all, the work is voluntary.
But the helpers are paid for food, an MVV ticket, receive a certificate at the end and are allowed to keep the clothing they have provided - which this time are various tops and pants.
mg