Berlin: Herbert Hainer, boss of German sportswear giants Adidas and a member of Bayern Munich’s advisory board, says future Bundesliga matches could take place overseas, especially in China.
“Of course that could happen,” Hainer told German magazine Sport Bild when asked about future Bundesliga matches being hosted by Chinese cities.
“We have already seen in US sports that the so-called Season Opener has more often taken place in other countries, so why not?
“We’re talking about future vision and whoever starts it first, whether that is the Premier League or the Bundesliga.
“You can never ignore the national factor, but as a highlight, the icing on the cake, it could be a reality.”
North America’s MLB baseball league has played season opening games in Mexico, Tokyo, Porto Rico and Sydney in recent years.
Since 2007, American Football’s National Football League (NFL) has staged matches outside of the United States, mainly at London’s Wembley Stadium.
This year’s Top 14 final, France’s leading rugby union competition, was played at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium, while in March, London Irish and Saracens played the first English Premiership rugby match abroad when they met in New Jersey.
French football has played Super Cup matches in Austria, Canada, China, Gabon and the United States in recent years.
Adidas, who supply the playing kits for several top European clubs, has a vested interest in the continent’s top leagues expanding their markets overseas.
Hainer, 62, will step down as Adidas boss at the end of the month, but the Bundesliga has already shown it is keen to explore overseas options.
Borussia Dortmund toured China in August, while Bayern Munich toured the US.
