In future, the German national football team will be travelling on an exclusively fitted out MAN Lion’s Coach. The women’s national team and the U 21 team will also be acquiring a customised team coach from MAN Truck & Bus.
The big day is 20 March 2019, as the national football team kicks off their game at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg. Two days before the national team’s home game against Serbia, head coach Joachim Löw welcomed a powerful new addition to his squad. Oliver Bierhoff, General Manager of the National Team at the German Football Association (DFB) officially accepted the keys to the new team coach – a MAN Lion’s Coach C.
“We are delighted to be a significant part of the partnership between Volkswagen and the German Football Association. As the DFB’s official coach partner, we are supplying the new team coaches and, from now on, we will be getting Joachim Löw’s team to international matches in style. The new national team coach scores highly in terms of driving dynamics, comfort and efficiency. Its distinctive design and unique range of comfort features make it a real eye catcher and a place for the players to relax”, said MAN Truck & Bus CEO Joachim Drees at the official coach handover outside the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg.
The “Mannschaft” will start the international year and the forthcoming qualification campaign for the 2020 European Championship with an impressive 500 hp (368 kW) behind them. The women’s national team, who are looking forward to a real highlight this year with the World Cup in France, will be enjoying a 460 hp (338 kW) MAN Lion’s Coach C as their new team coach. The stars of the future in the U 21 team are also getting a travelling team headquarters from the MAN brand – also a Lion’s Coach C delivering 460 hp (338 kW). All three DFB team coaches have extensive special fittings and an exclusive interior design. The three-axle vehicles with a length of 13.4 metres were customised by the MAN Bus Modification Center in Plauen.
“We want to get back to the top of the world. Part of this is having strong partners, which we are fortunate to have in Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and MAN. Team coaches always have a strong emotional appeal, for fans and players alike. The new team coach will be part of the national team’s public face and its bright, friendly and innovative exterior design is sure to attract plenty of attention”, said Oliver Bierhoff, General Manager of the National Team at the DFB.
The European Championship qualifying campaign will give the national team ample opportunity to familiarise themselves with the extensive comfort features of the MAN Lion’s Coach. As well as built-in tables and leg rests on the front row, all 36 leather seats are equipped with adjustable headrests. Four face-to-face tables, two of them height adjustable, provide a place for meetings before and after the game. A state-of-the-art catering area with plenty of storage space, refrigerator and coffee bar, and a comfortable toilet make travelling an enjoyable experience. The outstanding multimedia equipment provides everything the team could need. Premium WLAN with LTE reception, media server, LCD monitors at the rear, a sound system with additional speakers and subwoofers, HDMI connection and USB sockets deliver perfect entertainment.
The DFB representatives place huge emphasis on the issue of safety. In addition to six cameras monitoring the surroundings, the DFB team’s MAN Lion’s Coach is equipped with numerous assistance systems, including Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Lane Guard System (LGS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), rain light sensors, MAN AttentionGuard system and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
As part of the extensive partnership between Volkswagen and the DFB, MAN is continuing its long and successful history of involvement in sport. “Many leading European clubs – including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain travel on MAN coaches. In terms of team sports, it’s almost impossible to get away from team coaches supplied by MAN Truck & Bus. Sports sponsorship is now an established brand communication instrument and helps to emotionally charge and clearly position our product brands”, says Hartmut Sander, who as Vice President Corporate Communications at MAN Truck & Bus is responsible for sports sponsorship.