The FC Bayern Global Academy has started in the new season and opened with a special Welcome Day.
The 21 players in the new intake come from the USA, Thailand, Rwanda, Spain, Nigeria and Canada. The young players were warmly welcomed at the FC Bayern Campus and then given an exclusive tour, before travelled to the Allianz Arena in the team bus. There, they delved deep into the history of FC Bayern in the club museum and were given exciting insights behind the scenes of the world-famous stadium. A special highlight awaited them in the professionals‘ changing room: instead of the first-team jerseys, the new home shirts with the youngsters' numbers and names were hung up in the dressing room. The crowning glory was the unique experience of walking through the players' tunnel accompanied by the Champions League anthem – a moment that made the young players feel like their role models.
In the 2024/25 season, the young talents will undergo an intensive training programme, which will be supplemented by weekly matches that will be broadcast via live stream. The weekends offer a balance of regeneration and communal activities such as attending home matches at the Allianz Arena. In addition to everyday sporting activities, the players attend an online school to continue their education. Life in the newly built youth centre, away from their parents, encourages independence and a sense of responsibility. Here, the young talents learn discipline and team spirit – essential values both on and off the pitch.
The project
The Global Academy is a central building block in FC Bayern's pathway and enables talented young players to train at the FC Bayern Campus for an entire season and pursue their dream of playing professional football at the highest level. The recent successes of Maycon Cardozo, who made it into the FC Bayern World Squad, and Viktor Orakpo, who has now been able to extend his professional contract with French top-flight club OGC Nice for a further two years, are impressive examples of how the pathway offers real career prospects to young talents worldwide.
It will be fascinating to see which success stories emerge from this season. The development of the young players can be followed on the FC Bayern website.
Find more information on the Global Academy here:
Topics of this article