Bayern Munich announce Schalke charity match, pledge support to flood victims

Bayern Munich will donate over €1million to support victims of this month’s flash floods and storms in Germany, with a charity match against Schalke also scheduled.

Parts of Germany and Belgium were heavily hit by floods over the last fortnight. Over 100 people are still missing, with Germany’s official death toll standing at 177, while thousands more have been made homeless.

Two of the worst-hit areas have been North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, while storms have also caused disruption in Bavaria.

In response, Bayern have pledged a minimum aid package of €1.1million, with €1m split between the regions in the west, and €100,000 going towards helping to repair damage in the south.

The Bundesliga champions have also arranged to play a friendly against Schalke, who are based in the North Rhine-Westphalia city of Gelsenkirchen.

#FCBayern will play a charity match against @s04_en and donate €1.1 million to the flood victims from North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) July 23, 2021

Schalke were relegated to the second tier last season, though with the date for the charity game at Veltins Arena not yet confirmed, Bayern pledged the financial support immediately.

“The images of the flood disaster shocked us,” said Bayern president Herbert Hainer.

“In such a terrible situation, we have to stick together as a society. Football also lives very much from solidarity and social responsibility. We can only guess what the people in the affected regions have gone through and continue to go through.

“We also want to support them with our charity game and the donation … is on the side of the flood victims.

“I would like to thank FC Schalke 04 very much, Schalke immediately agreed to take part in our initiative. On the occasion of the charity game, together we will also commemorate the people who tragically lost their lives in the storm.”