Clemens Fritz and Per Mertesacker were looking forward to an entertaining afternoon of football and that’s exactly what they got. The charity match between Clemens’ Werder and Mertesacker’s H96 selection was a real success with a great atmosphere and numerous goals. There were many familiar faces on both teams who, alongside the 4,444 spectators in the Eilenriedestadion, managed to raise a grand total of €100,000 for a great cause.
“I can only say thank you to all those who helped make this event such a great success. I would like to thank the players for taking part and the spectators for ensuring there was such a fantastic atmosphere. We wanted everybody to have fun and enjoy this afternoon. Overall, we think it was a success. Of course, I am really pleased about the money we raised. We will use it to carry on helping disadvantaged children,” said Clemens Fritz. “We are really pleased,” added Per Mertesacker. “A lot of people came down to watch and we managed to raise a good sum of money for our chosen charity.”
The match finished 7-7, however the final score wasn’t the most important thing to take away from the afternoon. The spectators were able to watch two teams full of former national players and other local celebrities who put on an entertaining display of football. After the final whistle, all the players took time to sign autographs for the fans.
It didn’t all end there. The players of both teams continued to celebrate at a group dinner where they watched the Champions League final live. They had plenty of time to catch up and reminisce about old memories. “I really enjoyed seeing so many of my old teammates again,” said Marko Marin. “It almost seemed like no time had passed at all,” added Tim Borowski. It really was a successful reunion.
Match summary
Merte’s 96 Freunde 7-7 Clemens’ Werder
Werder goalscorers: M. Eggestein, Marin, J Eggestein (3), Trybull, Klasnic
Attendance: 4,444
