Football: The Germans are coming...

The last time Thomas Mueller came to India, he was still an unknown quantity. He was just 20, played wide on the right in the two friendlies his side played and won against East Bengal, showing a glimpse or two of the plethora of skills he possessed. And though he was starting to create a reputation for himself back home, in the subcontinent and most of the world, he still wasn’t a name that would stir a passionate debate.

That, though, was in 2009. Fast forward to 2012, and the excitement to watch this wunderkind dazzle the Delhi crowd can hardly be escaped. Mueller is one of the biggest names featuring in the star-studded Bayern squad that will take on the Indian national team on Tuesday.

On the face of it, it’s a match between a club side and a national team. It’s not even a legitimate friendly. Yet, the match assumes high significance for the teams involved.

For Bayern, it’s an attempt to further strengthen their relationship with India. This is their fifth visit to the subcontinent since they first came in 2005. The German giants have shown importance to India more than any other club, European or otherwise.

From donating their gate receipt earnings of a friendly match to the Tsunami-affected victims to conducting the farewell match of Oliver Kahn in Kolkata, Bayern’s idea of India has been different from the other European clubs.

While the ‘emerging Indian market’ is the reason that has attracted the Manchester Uniteds and the Liverpools, Bayern have made quite inroads into the Indian market, not making their financial interests obvious.

“It is true that we want to expand our fan base, we look at India differently. It’s a puzzle waiting to be solved,” Bayern and West Germany legend Paul Breitner had said during his recent trip to Mumbai. “We genuinely want Indian football to develop and be a part of the process, while also making brand Bayern famous in India.”

‘King Kahn’s’ farewell match in 2008 at Kolkata remains the most memorable tie that Bayern have played in India till date. In between their other visits, they have conducted a few coaching clinics, promised a football school (that is yet to be formed) in Kolkata and in their latest venture, have selected youngsters from different cities to be trained in Munich.

Yet, Tuesday’s fixture, dubbed as Baichung Bhutia’s farewell match, might end up being one of the biggest matches played on Indian soil.

For India, it’s an opportunity not to be missed. Bhutia said the country can take a cue from Bayern’s youth development programme and the importance given to it.

“While it is great that Bayern are playing here, it is important we make the most out of this opportunity. They are getting all their big stars, so our youngsters can gain a lot of experience from the match.

“Also, we should not forget that Bayern are one of the biggest clubs in the world because of their youth development structure. For us to develop as a footballing nation, that is the way forward,” Bhutia said. That the AIFF has invested a lot in the youth over the last couple of years is a positive step forward.

“That’s how we will get our Mueller and Gomez,” Bhutia added.
Like Mueller two years ago, Indian football’s next big thing Jeje Lalpehklua, who turned 20 on Saturday, has a chance to shine on what he calls the biggest day of his life. “We speak of exposure tours all the time. Can there be bigger experience than this? It’s an opportunity for us, and we’ve got to make the most of it,” he said.
Can they?