The partnership between FC Bayern and MLS club FC Dallas is starting to bear fruit. Centre-back Chris Richards (18) will join the FC Bayern Campus from the Texans’ youth academy and play for the FCB U19s coached by Sebastian Hoeneß.
“Chris made a very good impression during his trial in Munich, so we’ve decided to bring him here and give him a chance to play for our U19s,” commented Campus director Jochen Sauer: “We have a lot of confidence in him.”
The first exchange of a player came about five months after the announcement of the strategic partnership. “We’re very happy to announce this so early into our partnership with Dallas,” said Jörg Wacker, FC Bayern München board member for internationalisation and strategy: “FC Dallas is one of the leading MLS clubs in terms of the promotion of talent. With this partnership, FC Bayern aims to help support the growth of soccer in the US.”
Richards completed a ten-day trial training programme at the FC Bayern Campus this spring and will now live there permanently. “I’m really looking forward to this big adventure with this great club and to improving at FC Bayern,” said the 18-year-old from Alabama.
FC Bayern and founding Major League Soccer member FC Dallas agreed on a groundbreaking partnership that will offer players within their youth academies a pathway to professional football, both in the US and Germany. The partnership includes the exchange of talents and cooperation in the structuring of training sessions. As well as Richards, more FC Dallas talents have visited the FC Bayern Campus over the last few months.
FC Bayern has been working since 2014 to help grow the level of the game in the US. By means of coach visits, the club is sharing its coaching philosophy and curriculum with over 90,000 children and 6,000 coaches in 101 soccer clubs in 22 states as part of its partnership with Global Premier Soccer.
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