Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, the President of Iceland, visited FC Bayern Women at the Campus just a few days before International Women's Day. Head of department Bianca Rech and the Bayern’s Icelandic captain Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir led the entourage including Minister for the Environment and Energy Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson through the facilities on Ingolstädter Straße.
Bianca Rech: “We were very pleased about the visit from President Guðni Jóhannesson and Environment Minister Gudlaugur Thórdarson. A visit from a head of government is definitely a great honour. The president's interest and expertise in women's football in Iceland and with regard to FC Bayern were impressive. The discussion on professional sport and sports promotion in our two countries was also informative. Iceland is a role model in many areas, including equality. We can learn a lot from each other here.”
“FC Bayern is very popular in Iceland”
FC Bayern currently has three Iceland international players under contract in Viggósdóttir, Cecilía Rán Rúnarsdóttir and Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir, who is currently on loan, which is very well noted in Iceland, according to President Jóhannesson: “FC Bayern is very popular in Iceland, especially the women's team with Glódís, Cecilía and Karólína. They play an important role at Bayern, but also in the Iceland national team. We are very proud of them. Glódís in particular is a great role model as captain at Bayern and in the national team. I've been following her career for a long time, she used to play for my home club,” said the head of government. “Glódís is not only a strong player, she also has a strong character. She is a good ambassador for Iceland here in Munich and Germany. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for her and FC Bayern Women that they can defend their Bundesliga title this season.”
“President Jóhannesson was very impressed”
Viggósdóttir led the tour of the FC Bayern Campus and told the members of her home country's government about the everyday life of a professional footballer at FC Bayern. “It was a surprising but pleasing visit today. I'm delighted that I was able to show President Jóhannesson our training facilities and that we had the opportunity for a personal discussion. He was very impressed by the Campus, and I agree with him that it is a privilege to be able to work and train here every day. I was very pleased with his interest in women's football and our life here in Munich,” explained captain of Die Frauen.
President Jóhannesson wished the Munich women every success before their departure for the DFB Cup quarter-final in Jena, where the Bayern advanced to the semi-finals the following day with a commanding 3-0 victory.
FC Bayern Women are releasing a special jersey in co-operation with Lena Gercke for International Women's Day: