by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- German champions Bayern Munich have announced a radical change regarding its talent scouting and coaching.
"In future, we'll focus far more on international talents," one of the club's youth coordinators Jochen Sauer said after the official opening of the new 70 million euros youth academy in the north of Munich.
According to 45-year-old Sauer, the search for talents in Germany became difficult as other clubs gained ground. Therefore, it's imperative for Bayern to widen its focus to the international markets in their quest to find talented youngsters.
Asia will be one of the main hunting grounds, Sauer added.
By opening the new academy, the 2013 Champions League winners closed the gap of coaching and educational facilities between Bayern and other top clubs.
"We have to admit that we've been less successful in the last three to four years in this area," said club president Uli Hoeness when talking to German media. Since leftback/midfielder David Alaba made the step to the senior team in 2009, none of Bayern's talents have been able to follow suit.
"Our academy system has lacked the necessary international quality. We've been overtaken by other clubs, both international and national," commented Hoeness, who felt national rivals such as Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and TSG Hoffenheim were holding an advantage.
CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge called the club's new academy a "milestone in club history". The former top German striker said Bayern aimed to become No. 1 in junior and youth coaching, at least in Germany.
Bayern recently signed 17-year-old midfielder Jeong Wooyeong, whose contract will run through to 2022.
With the talented South Korean youngster continuing to play for his home club Incheon United before January, pundits expect that more international talents will follow him to Munich.
"The club's reputation was not good enough to attract top talents," Sauer admitted. "Now we hope that Bayern will not only be one of the most successful club of winning titles but nurturing talents."
Bayern's new 60-hectare academy has six grass pitches, an artificial pitch, a dormitory with 35 apartments, a small arena for 2500 spectators and a rehab and fitness center, offices, medical facilities, beach volleyball courts and a sports hall.
More importantly, Hermann Gerland, 63, who'd sent Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller, Alaba and Holger Badstuber to the first team, has now returned to take charge of Bayern's youth squad after finishing his job as assistant to the senior team's head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Previously, Bayern's talents were based at the club's cramped headquarters in the city center. Now, when they walk along the 70-meter path linking the residential block and the academy's arena, they pass by words like "courage, team spirit, motivation, respect, passion and will" written in big letters on the wall. They, at the same time, can take a quick look at the club's nearby stadium, the Allianz Arena.
