For both parties this is no exaggeration. The ink from the agreement was barely dry before the first meeting was on the programme. At the “Chinese-German youth football forum” in Berlin the very same afternoon, representatives of the Chines Department for Education and Chinese football association met their German colleagues, Curtius and Seifert. The meeting saw the first steps being taken for the future cooperation between the two sides in areas of coaching development and youth development. “This meeting is a fantastic platform to begin bringing today’s agreement to life and establishing our mutual trust. These events are important for us to understand one another,” sai Curtius after the meeting.
A day later and it was much of the same for the two new partners. Following the meeting at the chancellery, representatives from both associations had a meeting of their own in Cologne. With Liu Yandong in attendance, the focus was on themes such as the training of players, coaches and referees, as well as cooperation at club level. Together with the president of 1. FC Köln, Werner Spinner, Dr. Reinhard Rauball began the meeting. Dr. Friedrich Curtius, DFB treasurer Dr. Stephan Osnabrügge, DFL chief executive Christian Seifert, DFL vice-president Peter Peters and representatives from several Bundesliga clubs also took part. The Chinese partners included the deputy Education secretary, Hao Ping, and also Cai Zenhua, president of the Chinese football association, as well representatives from a number of Chinese clubs.
The partners aren’t wasting any time, as is clear from the action plan for 2017 and 2018. On a technical level, there are numerous measures ahead, both in Germany as well as in China. These include everything coaching education to instructor training to refereeing schools. Mutual visits from both national teams to each other’s countries are also in the pipeline, as well visits from teams at club level. These measures will run right through the year, with a school for youth development also part of the plans. Right at the beginning of the New Year there will be a return visit to China. The message from the DFB is clear: as part of the expansion of the pools of foreign experts, the DFB are looking for coaches and instructors in China both on a short- and long-term basis.
Enthusiasm for sport already exists and we have a lot of promising young talents. The goal is to develop this enthusiasm even further. In order to do so, Germany and China have established a partnership in football. China have lots of ambitions and the DFB and DFL want to help them to achieve them.
Usually, two parties are involved when the DFB works internationally: the DFB itself and the national association of the country they are working with. This time however, the DFB were working with some big partners such as the Federal Government, the Chinese Government, the Chinese Ministry of Education and the DFL. Things were evidently a bit different this time. Even the partnership was established somewhere different, this time in Berlin, Willy-Brandt-Straße 1, office of the German chancellor.
Not only was the location of the signing unusual, but also the content of the agreement. The office of the German chancellor was not chosen as the location for the signing of the agreement for no reason. There are several levels to the agreement, incorporating both respective state governments. The Vice President of China Liu Yandong visited Angela Merkel in the chancellor’s office to sign three agreements that had already been agreed upon in previous discussions between Merkel and the President of China Xi Jinping. The agreement settled a close co-operation between Germany in China, particularly in football.
China have a lot of ambitions. Xi Jinping has called out for increased funding for football in China to become a national objective. Promoting football will help to increase social cohesion in a country of China’s size. The German chancellor was convinced to sign the agreement by this argument back in the summer of 2014. Merkel went to speak to the newly crowned World Champions in the dressing room after the final at the Maracanã. Everyone was only speaking about one thing: the Germany national team. Merkel told them about the team’s astonishing popularity in China and how the players have really become ambassadors for Germany.
There are plenty of reasons behind the popularity of German football in China. They are based on a long-term and sustainable co-operation between the two countries. German football has always been represented in China. Klaus Schlappner managed the China national team at the beginning of the 1990’s, as well as working as a technical advisor for the Chinese football association. Eckhard Krautzun managed the China U20 national team and worked as an advisor for the Women’s national team. The first ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ between the German and Chinese football associations was signed more than ten years ago.
Clearly, the agreement has a lot of tradition, but now it’s entering a whole new dimension. A key part of the bilateral agreement are the deals between the DFB and DFL and the Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese football association respectively. “The fact that this agreement is treated at such a high political level proves that is an important issue, both here and in China. We want to support the young talented players in China,” said DFB President Reinhard Grindel after signing the agreement at the chancellor’s office. “We enjoy co-operating with our friends from China.”
This co-operation is aiming for a sustainable, mutual exchange between the two countries. Ample measures will be taken to support the development of football in China, either in training players, coaches and referees or providing an information exchange to aid the setting up of leagues. One of the main constituents of the agreement is the development of a football curriculum for schools and universities as well as appropriate training for teachers and coaches. We are entering into new territory with the signing of the agreement because this time there is a political framing. The agreement is really important to the DFB,” said General Secretary Dr. Friedrich Curtius. “The men’s team are World Champions and the Women’s team won a gold medal at the Olympic Games. Therefore, it is our responsibility as a successful football country to support the development of the sport in a country like China.”
A special part of this agreement is the cooperation with the league. “It’s special and also groundbreaking, when the most-populated country in the world are on one side of the agreement and the World Champions, with one of the strongest leagues in the world, are on the other,” said DFL president Dr. Reinhard Rauball. “With the influence from politics we can certainly expect things to happen soon.” DFL chief executive Christian Seifert continued: “The DFL has had good relations with China for some time, there will be multiples areas of cooperation, for example communication about the youth academies between German and Chinese clubs. We now have to develop these together.”
For both parties this is no exaggeration. The ink from the agreement was barely dry before the first meeting was on the programme. At the “Chinese-German youth football forum” in Berlin the very same afternoon, representatives of the Chines Department for Education and Chinese football association met their German colleagues, Curtius and Seifert. The meeting saw the first steps being taken for the future cooperation between the two sides in areas of coaching development and youth development. “This meeting is a fantastic platform to begin bringing today’s agreement to life and establishing our mutual trust. These events are important for us to understand one another,” sai Curtius after the meeting.
A day later and it was much of the same for the two new partners. Following the meeting at the chancellery, representatives from both associations had a meeting of their own in Cologne. With Liu Yandong in attendance, the focus was on themes such as the training of players, coaches and referees, as well as cooperation at club level. Together with the president of 1. FC Köln, Werner Spinner, Dr. Reinhard Rauball began the meeting. Dr. Friedrich Curtius, DFB treasurer Dr. Stephan Osnabrügge, DFL chief executive Christian Seifert, DFL vice-president Peter Peters and representatives from several Bundesliga clubs also took part. The Chinese partners included the deputy Education secretary, Hao Ping, and also Cai Zenhua, president of the Chinese football association, as well representatives from a number of Chinese clubs.
The partners aren’t wasting any time, as is clear from the action plan for 2017 and 2018. On a technical level, there are numerous measures ahead, both in Germany as well as in China. These include everything coaching education to instructor training to refereeing schools. Mutual visits from both national teams to each other’s countries are also in the pipeline, as well visits from teams at club level. These measures will run right through the year, with a school for youth development also part of the plans. Right at the beginning of the New Year there will be a return visit to China. The message from the DFB is clear: as part of the expansion of the pools of foreign experts, the DFB are looking for coaches and instructors in China both on a short- and long-term basis.
