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Bayern Munich has paid tribute to its American fan base by lighting up its home ground in red, white and blue. The German football club on Monday joined millions of Americans in celebrating Independence Day by illuminating its Allianz Arena in the colors of the U.S. flag. It is the first time the Bundesliga side has honored its U.S. fans in this manner. “Now that we’ve been in the U.S. for two years, and with our summer tour kicking off on July 25 in Chicago, we felt now is the perfect time to celebrate Independence Day with Americans,” Bayern Munich U.S. Managing Dir Rudolf Vidal told SBD Global. “There’s really no bigger way we could do that than lighting up Allianz Arena to resemble the American flag.” The club, which opened its first int’l office in N.Y. in ’14, shared images of the event through its digital media channels, including its U.S.-specific Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat accounts. Since opening its U.S. office the number of official fan clubs in the country has grown from eight to 100, the most of any European club. The figure, Vidal said, means fans in the U.S. are identifying with the club, its message and values. It also validates the club’s intention of bringing its U.S. and global fans closer to the club. Putting on a patriotic light display is just one more way to let Americans know Bayern Munich is thinking about them, Vidal added. The defending Bundesliga champs will tour the U.S. this summer as part of the Int’l Champions Cup. The club is scheduled to play three games in Chicago (July 27), Charlotte (July 30) and N.Y./N.J. (Aug. 3). Bayern Munich will also host various events in each of the three cities but did not provide any specific details.
