In mid-February, two international FC Bayern youth coaches made their way to Ethiopia. It was the third visit for the representatives of the record champions to the Horn of Africa. In addition to the first FC Bayern Youth Cup in Ethiopia, our coaches also planned two intensive courses with local coaches. But first things first!
FC Bayern in Ethiopia – Coach training and FC Bayern Youth Cup
From 17-21 and 24-26 February, a total of 60 coaches took part in specific FC Bayern workshops in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. The international instruction and training plan for local coaches provides both practical sessions on the pitch and theoretical lessons and exchanges in the classroom. We saw an innovative feature in the second course: It was carried out with 24 coaches from the top division of the national football association of Ethiopia, the Premier League.
The time had come for the first edition of the FC Bayern Youth Cup in Ethiopia. The national final of the world's oldest and largest club-organised youth tournament was held on 27 and 28 February in Addis Ababa. 16 teams of ten players each qualified in advance over two qualifying rounds and were cheered on by more than 2,000 spectators. For the ten best players selected by our coaches - Lars Weichert and Christopher Loch - there was a ticket to the FC Bayern World Youth Cup Final.
At the World Final in Munich the boys will compete against the other international teams and will also complete an extensive supporting programme full of highlights: This includes training sessions with the international youth coaches, a meet & greet with players, an FC Bayern first team home game, intercultural exchanges, sightseeing and much more! We look forward to welcoming “Team Ethiopia” to Munich!
Togo premiere for FC Bayern Youth Cup
However, this was not the end of the trip for our two international youth coaches, who travelled to Togo the next day. The FC Bayern Youth Cup was held for the first time in the West African state on the Gulf of Guinea. Together with BuntKicktGut, the national final took place on 1 March in the capital Lomé in front of more than 3,000 spectators. Eight teams with ten players each took part. The ten winners were delighted with their ticket to the World Final!
FC Bayern Youth Cup Final in the USA
The national final of the FC Bayern Youth Cup in the USA was held from 7-9 February, fully 9,000 kilometres further west. As part of the annual FC Bayern ID Camp, in which talented boys and girls aged between 12 and 16 take part, the ten best boys aged between 14 and 16 were selected from more than 500 kids for the FC Bayern Youth Cup. The project was supervised on site in Rock Hill in the US state of South Carolina by our international youth coach Thomas Döllner. The youngsters travelled from various regions and cities in the USA. "Team USA" won the FC Bayern Youth Cup for the first time in 2019 and will be a strong force again this year!
Information about the last FC Bayern World Youth Cup Final in May 2019 can be found here:
FC Bayern’s U13s take part in the Intercontinental Football Cup in Dubai
Supported by the Bundesliga, the FC Bayern Under-13 youth team competed at the top-class Intercontinental Football Cup in Dubai from 13-15 February. A total of 24 teams from twelve countries fought for victory in the fourth edition of the tournament. After a successful group stage and a convincing win in the last 16 our team sadly fell to defeat in the quarter-finals against eventual tournament winners Real Madrid.
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