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As part of a wide-ranging strategic meeting, Bundesliga legend and FIFA World Cup winner Lothar Matthäus joined key stakeholders from both German and Thai footballing ecosystems in Bangkok to discuss the development of football throughout the country and the opportunities for fostering stronger ties between the respective organisations.
As part of the meeting, Bundesliga International Head of APAC Kevin Sim and Head of Sales & Strategic Projects APAC Dennis Kittel traveled to Thailand, meeting with senior executives from key stakeholders, including Dr. Charnwit Polcheewin, Vice President of the Thailand Football Association, Chakrawut Jenyavanija, Acting Content and Programming Director at PPTV HD 36, and Mr Preecha Laloon, Deputy Governor for professional sports and boxing at the Sports Authority of Thailand, with which the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga has an ongoing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Former Ballon d’Or winner Matthäus, who won seven Bundesliga titles during his time with FC Bayern München, was present as part of the delegation to give his thoughts on the opportunities for growth of football in Thailand.
The meeting delved into discussions surrounding the next action points outlined in the MOU and in particular the direction of the ‘Bundesliga Dream’ programme in Thailand.
Emphasising youth development initiatives and learning from past projects, ‘Bundesliga Dream’ aspires to empower the next generation of Thai football talent. As part of the project, a youth development squad from Thailand will travel to Germany to take part in a tailored training programme, working with some of Germany’s best youth-team coaches as well as experiencing the best of German football culture for themselves.
In addition, PPTV will document the journey of the team, from player selection to the training camp itself, creating a mini-documentary series for publication in Thailand.
Following the meeting, Matthäus said: “The Thai people are so passionate about football – each time I come here there is such enthusiasm from fans of all ages. That is why it is so important that the Bundesliga continues to support the development of the sport here, particularly with initiatives such as Bundesliga Dream. I am hopeful that the future of the Bundesliga will feature a Thai player!”
This would be the second edition of ‘Bundesliga Dream’ in Thailand, which has also been replicated with national youth teams from India, Vietnam, and most recently China. The DFL has long been committed to supporting national federations across Asia to develop a pathway for young players succeed.
