Chemnitzer FC becomes an ambassador for the "I am the city" campaign

"We see ourselves as ambassadors for Chemnitz - on and off the pitch," says CFC President Dr Mathias Hänel. "No sport generates as much media coverage as football and a professional club is naturally a figurehead for the city. We can also give something back for the city's commitment to building the stadium."

"The team and the coaching staff also identify with the city of Chemnitz and are therefore happy to be ambassadors for the city's "The city is me" campaign. The many new players in particular have quickly settled in to Chemnitz and feel that the city is lively and full of life. I personally share this impression. We don't just want to inspire on the pitch, we also want to inspire people for Chemnitz," says Stephan Beutel, Sports Director of Chemnitzer FC.

"I am delighted with the CFC's commitment. We were able to experience impressively just how much emotion football triggers. And our campaign is also about emotion, above all an attitude to life," says Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig. "We want to get young people excited about Chemnitz and at the same time sharpen their awareness of what makes our city special. Sport is a key factor in this. And the CFC is living what is at the heart of the campaign: we need people who want to make a difference and who want to communicate this to the outside world."

The CFC will continue to wear the ambassador kit until a new shirt sponsor takes its place on a regular basis. The club is allowing this opportunity in order to support the "The city is me" campaign without financial compensation from the city.

Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig also provided information on the current status of the stadium construction: "I hope that fans, players and club will stick together in this special season. It is a logistical challenge to reconcile ongoing match operations, the construction process and the requirements of the DFB time and time again. We will be able to see how things are progressing at least every fortnight at home matches."

And this is how it looks at the moment: The south stand is ready so that the middle block can be used for the first two home matches on 2 and 5 August. The paving work on the promenade is almost complete. The sanitary facilities and kiosks are currently being built. Preparations for the roof of the south stand will also be made at the beginning of August. The lattice girders are put in place so that the roof can be installed at the end of September. Each stand will then receive its roof bit by bit after completion, so that the fans will soon no longer be standing in the rain. If everything goes according to plan, the new south stand should be fully open for the cup match on 15 August.

At the same time, the beams and supports of the north stand are currently being completed and the stand panels will be erected in the coming days and weeks. This will be followed by the metalwork.

The east stand - i.e. the back straight - will then be gradually dismantled and also rebuilt before the renovation of the main stand begins in the autumn once the north stand has been opened.

Keyword stadium

The remodelling of the stadium on Gellertstraße is to take place without interrupting match operations and with a maximum budget of 25 million euros. A modern arena with 15,000 seats is planned, of which approx. 9,000 seats and 6,000 standing places including a family block and barrier-free seats. The client is the city of Chemnitz. More information at www.chemnitz.de/stadion.

Keyword "The city is me"

The people of Chemnitz are at the centre of the new communication concept. They describe their attitude to life, profess the good sides of their city and thus become ambassadors for a strong Chemnitz worth living in. The campaign advertises with the inviting motto "The city is me". This year, people in the city and surrounding area will be addressed first in order to jointly develop what is important for the city's identity and then, next year, to get Chemnitz talking outside the city. The online dialogue platform www.die-stadt-bin-ich.de and the associated Facebook page www.facebook.com/diestadtbinich are at the heart of the campaign.