Dubai: Eintracht Frankfurt’s official UAE supporters club EFC Bembel Beduinen are inviting new members to join them for the start of the 2017/18 Bundesliga season this weekend.
Die Adler (The Eagles) are away to Freiburg in Germany on Sunday and the Bedus will be watching the game live on a big screen in Al Barari opposite Global Village from 7.30pm.
Membership is free and the supporters club, which has been running since 2013 — and has gone on to open a global network of 11 Eintracht fan clubs across five continents — has over 40 male and female members of all nationalities in Dubai.
As well as celebrating all things Eintracht, the club — whose name references the Bembel blue and white clay jar, which is particular to Frankfurt, and Beduinen, which is German for the Bedouin nomadic Arab tribe that lives in the desert — are more than just football fans.
They not only organise events for disabled children but also supply labourers with drinking water during the summer, and stage cultural events with the help of their Emirati members to learn more about local customs and traditions.
It is this community awareness that has made them the go-to club for when Eintracht, or officials from the city of Frankfurt, which is twinned with Dubai, visit the emirates and want to know more about the UAE, or when Emirati clubs and officials visit Germany.
“Our city is the most open minded in Germany with the highest foreign population, so our football team is the same as well, like our supporters club,” said EFC Bembel Beduinen founder and president Andreas Gulya. “Frankfurt is the German financial capital and after Brexit it will probably be so for Europe as well, so soon there will be more focus on our city and our club.”
Eintracht Frankfurt were founded 118 years ago and were European Cup runners-up to Real Madrid in 1960. They also won the Uefa Cup by beating Monchengladbach in 1980. The side regularly train in Abu Dhabi and play friendlies in the UAE during their winter break.
Last season they finished 11th in the Bundesliga and finished runners-up in the cup. They have one Bundesliga title and four DFB Pokal cup wins to their name, but their last major title was won 29 years ago.
“We may not be the biggest club like Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund, but we love our team and support it with all our heart. We are always open to new members to help our Eagles soar. Football is a great opener to the heart and enables everyone from different backgrounds to find common ground, so we encourage everyone in the UAE to come together in the name of Eintracht Frankfurt.”
For more information visit www.efcbembelbeduinen.com, find them on twitter, facebook or email them on info@efcbembelbeduinen.com.
