From Jeju to Seoul: How the FC Bayern World Squad has developed

After the first few intense weeks for the World Squad Class of ‘26, Roy Makaay and Diego Contento reflect on how things have gone so far. They talk about the team’s sporting development, the importance of spending time together for team building and what lessons the players can take away from the matches in South Korea and the upcoming ones in Germany.

Roy Makaay and Diego Contento interviewed

Roy, the World Squad visited South Korea for the first time – on Jeju and in Seoul. What are your impressions of the trip and what was the most memorable moment for you?

Roy Makaay: “It was a great and intense trip. It was impressive how the players gave it everything once again in the last match against Yeongdeungpo Technical High School, despite the numerous challenges. I think the moment you realise that a group of individual players is becoming a team is always very nice. Many players stayed at the table after lunch and tried to communicate in different languages. Several languages were spoken at the table – it’s just great to see how they communicate with each other.”

Diego Contento: “The trip was something special for the whole team. We gained many new insights, in terms of both sport and culture. The most memorable moment was to see how fast the lads grew together and how professionally they behaved in a completely new environment.”

Almost three weeks have passed since the start. How have the players developed during that time, individually and as a team?

Makaay: ”The team’s development is clear to see. The results aren’t the most important thing for us coaches. They’re probably much more important for the lads themselves. We analysed the first match and worked specifically on certain situations in the following training sessions. The players put a lot of it into practice very well in the last match – despite the heat and three matches in a week. That shows how fast they learn and develop as a team. Individually, it’s always the same: some develop a bit faster than others, the learning curve is never the same for everyone. What matters to me is that every player is a few percent better or takes our advice back home after four weeks. Then the project is a success for us – no matter the results. I’ve told the lads the three matches this week are a great chance for them: they take on three U19 Bundesiga teams and can compete at a high level.”

What role did the time together in South Korea play in team building?

Contento: “A very big one. The time together at the hotel, on the road and in training helped the lads get to know each other much better. It strengthened the trust between them enormously.”

Makaay: “We use trips like this for team building too. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take the whole squad to Jeju because of the weather, so we spontaneously organised a World Cup quiz. We could mix the players up a bit and get them to talk to one another. Communication on the pitch is important, but these joint activities off the pitch are often even more important for building a team.”

You had three challenging matches and won two of them. What is your assessment of the trip in terms of sport?

Contento: “As I said: the results are secondary. We’ve very pleased with the performances. The team have improved with every match, gained confidence and put many things we worked on in training into practice.”

The matches in South Korea were the first the team played together. How quickly did the team gel?

Contento: “Surprisingly quickly, considering the lads had never played together before. The automatisms and team play improved with every training session and every match.”

Makaay: “All players got roughly the same amount of playing time in the first two matches so that everyone could show what they’ve got and settle into the team. In the second match, we started to manage playing times more specifically, and in the last match, everone played, some for a bit longer than others. Our message was clear: whether you’re on the pitch for five, ten or 90 minutes: give it 100 percent! And everyone put that into practice.”

What can the lads take away from the trip – looking ahead to the upcoming weeks in particular? 

Contento: “Mainly the experience of having played at an international level. They’ve seen how important team spirit, discipline and a professional attitude are. That will help them in the next few weeks.”

Three more matches in Germany await them, including the final match against the FC Bayern U19s. How well are the team prepared for the upcoming tasks, and what’s the focus in training right now?

Contento: “We’re well prepared, but we also know we have room for improvement. Now it’s about honing our automatisms, keeping up the intensity and taking the next step as a team so that we can be successful in the final matches too.”

Makaay: “The focus in training was mainly on off-the-ball work in the first two weeks. Now we’re specifically working on how we want to approach the next few matches, but we manage the workload because of the jet lag.

We’re trying to take the pressure off the team. The last few years have shown we can achieve good results even against strong U19 Bundesliga sides if we play as a team. What Diego and I demand is that everyone gives it their all in every match. We can play well and lose nevertheless – that’s just part of it. After two and a half weeks, we’re very pleased with the standard and the development of the team.”

You can follow the entire journey of the FC Bayern World Squad Class of ‘26 in our blog and on Instagram @fcbayernpathway.