FC Bayern Munich and the Sino-German Ecopark Qingdao have agreed a comprehensive partnership this Thursday (27th October) at the Chinese embassy in Berlin. The deal includes the establishment of the “FC Bayern Football School” in Qingdao, regular exchanges, a constant presence of FCB development coaches and the support and training of Chinese players and coaches in Munich. There are also plans for former Bayern stars to visit the port city on China’s east coast as well as for football workshops.
Jörg Wacker, the head of internationalisation and strategy at FC Bayern Munich, said alongside the Chinese ambassador Mingde Shi and the president of the Sino-German Ecopark Shiyu Zhao, “We want to be actively involved and make a contribution to the development of football in China. It’s also strengthens the presence of the FC Bayern brand in China and is yet another important component of our international strategy.”
The Chinese ambassador Shi highlighted the benefits of the partnership, “The collaboration between FC Bayern and the Ecopark Qingdao has a great future because of the potential from both sides.” From this collaboration, Ecopark president Zhao expects “a new level in terms of sporting and cultural exchange” and hopes “this project will set an example for sporting exchanges between China and Germany.”
Qingdao has a population of around nine million and is one of five cities to be named a “football city” by the Chinese government. The aim of these “football cities” is to use the help of European clubs and associations to develop Chinese football to a point where it can compete on the world stage by 2030. The Sino-German Ecopark in the People’s Republic of China’s eastern Shandong province is a pilot project for sustainable city development in China being carried out in cooperation with the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Chinese government.
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