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Agence France-Presse

German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich opened a Shanghai office on Wednesday in a bid to capitalise on China’s vast fan base and voracious hunger for top-flight football training.
Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge announced the opening of their office in the German Centre, a complex in Shanghai’s Pudong district, with support from the China Football Association and Shanghai’s soccer and education authorities.
“China is a massive market,” Rummenigge said. “Germany is a football powerhouse. We hope we can provide some help in China ... [and] through such cooperation we can help China boost football overall.”
On the same day, fellow German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg also opened new offices in Beijing’s 798 art district.

Club general manager Thomas Roettgermann said it was a “long-term project” for the club.
“At the end of the day, it’s such a huge market that every club which is interested in playing internationally should be in China in order to bring these billions of people on their side and also to earn some money there,” said Roettgermann.
Can China field its own Lionel Messi? Soccer chief says not yet
These efforts are the latest in a spree of European clubs seeking to cash in on China’s explosion of football investment.
Despite its 1.3 billion population, China punches well below its weight in football, reaching the World Cup only once in its history – in 2002, when the team lost all three group games without scoring a goal.

But under President Xi Jinping, a football fan, China has ambitions of hosting and even winning the World Cup, triggering a rush of Chinese investment in foreign clubs, players, coaches and media rights.
Last month Spanish superclub Barcelona launched their own football academy in the southern island of Hainan invested by Mission Hills, owner of the world’s biggest golf resort.
China to speed up creation of football schools for kids; targets 20,000 by end of the year
And in the southern province of Guangdong, Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande have opened an academy in conjunction with Real Madrid for more than 2,000 students, reportedly the world’s largest.
China plans to nearly double the number of publicly run youth football schools this year to 20,000, state media reported last month.

Bayern said they want to lend a hand in China’s youth training by setting up more football schools in the country.
The German club already has one school up and running in the eastern city of Qingdao in Shandong province with the first group of Bayern’s coaches already there.
Why China’s youth football guru says turning country into a powerhouse begins with the parents
The school plans to train 1,000 football teachers and 5,000 students in China this year, mainly in Shandong province, board member of the Qingdao school, Yu Hao, said.
Bayern is the second most influential European team online in China, just after Manchester United, a survey done by sports marketing firm Mailman showed last month.

#FCBayern opens its China offices in Shanghai.

More ️ https://t.co/NM1OKEA2lr pic.twitter.com/ibi5iJZzQh
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) March 22, 2017

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

The German club, claiming to have 136 million fans in China, is set to take on Arsenal in Shanghai and AC Milan in Shenzhen during a promotional tour in July.

German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich opens first China office

Chief executive officer Karl Heinz Rummenigge cuts the ribbon during the opening ceremony of Bayern Munich’s first China office in Shanghai. Photos: AFP

Bayern Munich's chief executive officer Karl Heinz Rummenigge speaks during the officially opening ceremony of Bayern's first China office in Shanghai on March 22, 2017. Germany's Bayern Munich becomes the first Bundesliga club to open an office in Shanghai. / AFP PHOTO / Johannes EISELE

Bayern Munich's chief executive officer Karl Heinz Rummenigge (C) speaks during the officially opening ceremony of Bayern's first China office in Shanghai on March 22, 2017. Germany's Bayern Munich becomes the first Bundesliga club to open an office in Shanghai. / AFP PHOTO / Johannes EISELE

Chinese boys in jerseys of Germany's Bundesliga club Bayern Munich take part in a practice session after the opening ceremony of Bayern's office in Shanghai on March 22, 2017. Germany's Bayern Munich on March 22 became the first Bundesliga club to open an office in Shanghai. / AFP PHOTO / Johannes EISELE

China plans to establish 50,000 soccer academies by 2025

Each school would be able to train about 1,000 young players on average. Photo: AFP

China sets out grand plan to become world’s soccer superpower by 2050

A file photo of China’s President Xi Jinping showing off his moves as he visits a park in Dublin. Photo: AFP

Does China have 7,000 potential Lionel Messis? Soccer academy boss admits he’s yet to see one

Sport

Football

China

Fellow German side Wolfsburg also open new offices in Beijing in latest spree of European clubs seeking to cash in on China’s explosion of football investment


German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich opens first China office

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Fellow German side Wolfsburg also open new offices in Beijing in latest spree of European clubs seeking to cash in on China’s explosion of football investment

Fellow German side Wolfsburg also open new offices in Beijing in latest spree of European clubs seeking to cash in on China’s explosion of football investment