Berlin: German champions Bayern Munich will tap into a growing demand for their brand in Asia with a tour of China in July as the Bundesliga looks to accelerate growth in the world’s most populated continent.
Bayern, who last year opened an office in the United States eyeing the American market, are Germany’s richest club with a turnover of more than half a billion euros in the previous season.
“It is clear: just like we did last year in the United States, we will do a tour of China in the second half of July,” Bayern executive board member, responsible for internationalisation and strategy, Joerg Wacker told Bild newspaper.
“We will most likely play matches in Beijing and Shanghai. There are more than 170 million football fans in China, almost 90 million Bayern sympathisers. Football will soon be a school subject there. So we see a huge potential there,” he said.
Bayern are not the only German team to cast their eye on Asia, with Borussia Dortmund opening an office in Singapore, assisted in its expansion by sponsor Puma and the sportswear maker’s own global network.
Several big name German clubs, including Bayern, Hamburg SV and Schalke 04, have also moved their winter training camps from sunny Spain, Portugal or Turkey to Asia and Qatar and the UAE in the Arabian Gulf in recent seasons.
Bayern have also played friendly matches in India and Saudi Arabia in recent years.
