Munich/Magdeburg/DUR/sid – Everything was prepared for a Christmas ceremony, there were around 30 Christmas trees around the center circle, the FC Bayern players wore red hats. But after his sporting spectacle at the end of the year with the 5:1 (3:1) against RB Leipzig, the record champions no longer felt like celebrating.
The suspected attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market dampened the previously great atmosphere, the planned show was canceled, and the people of Munich and their audience were left with reverently singing “Silent Night” with the Tölzer Boys' Choir.
Read here: Detailed information about the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market from the “Volksstimme”
“This ceremony should be a happy one, and that is not appropriate at this moment,” said club boss Jan-Christian Dreesen over the stadium microphone. He had to make himself heard because the fans had by then booed five Leipzig players who were in the already darkened room Arena still wanted to leave. After his short speech, Dreesen asked for a minute's silence. After “Silent Night” the stadium emptied.
Read here: 1. FC Magdeburg is in shock after the Christmas market attack
Bayern now go into the short winter break with a cushion of at least four points. But no one wanted to talk about the game. “It is almost impossible to talk about football, now the people of Magdeburg are in our thoughts,” said Munich coach Vincent Kompany, who concluded his short statement with the sentence: “We won today, but I wish victories for peace next year.”
For Marco Rose too, there were more important things than the game. “We are disappointed with the result, but there are more important things in life,” and he therefore “doesn’t want to talk about football today,” said the visibly moved Leipzig coach. The events in Magdeburg, he added, “put everything into perspective, including the result in the end. Tomorrow the wheel will keep turning. But personally I would really like to pause now.”
Belgium
