World Cup Fever at the German Centre

9 June 2006

Germany is not the only place you can feel it... far from the homeland, too – in Shanghai – it's spreading: World Cup fever!

The German Football Night on 9 June 2006 at the German Centre Shanghai was by no means the only place to view the opening match of the 2006 World Cup, but it turned out to be the largest football event in Shanghai! An estimated 1,500 German fans gathered to celebrate together and to cheer on the German team in the match against Costa Rica.

The German Centre Shanghai, together with the German Chamber of Commerce, had invited to an al fresco summer festival starting at 20 h on the greens between the office building and apartment building! On this day, even the weather played along. Despite the rainy season, we had fantastic weather! In the beer tent, German DJ Thomas Paninaro heated things up for the football fans.

Delicious food and an exuberant mood ...

Invigorated by freshly grilled sausages, steaks, and German beer on tap, the fans then turned their attention to the match, as of course sport is a key part of such an event. The human table soccer (also called human table football or human foosball), in which one can slip into the role of a player at the kicker table, turned out to be an especially popular
event. Young and old duelled the entire evening just for fun.

Whoever needed a bit more could prove his skill with the football on the tackle course, at the goal wall and at the table football tables.

With painted faces and wafting German flags, then at 23 h it was time to go to the atrium, in which the opening ceremonies of the German Centre had been celebrated in November 2005.

The large-screen projection system (6 x 5 m) and the round atrium facilitated a real stadium atmosphere! The excitement was boiling all the way to the end! The evening was a complete success for us, as well as for the German national team, and the match ended 4:2 for Germany to the sound of cheering and singing fans.

The event at the German Centre received a lot of media coverage and with the extraordinary atmosphere, even the not-so-football-crazed enjoyed themselves thoroughly.