FC Bayern is in: Here’s how the new U21 league works | OneFootball

FC Bayern is reported to have registered for a new U21 league. The so-called Bundesliga Talent Series is set to begin in September—with clear guidelines for rosters and the format of play.

As reported by *kicker*, the German record champion has registered for the new competition, which is to be called the Bundesliga Talent Series.

In addition to the Munich club, numerous other first-division teams are expected to participate. Those mentioned include Union Berlin, Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund, SV Elversberg, Eintracht Frankfurt, HSV, RB Leipzig, Borussia Mönchengladbach, SC Paderborn, and Schalke 04. Also joining are several clubs from the 2. Bundesliga, including Hertha BSC, Arminia Bielefeld, VfL Bochum, Dynamo Dresden, Hannover 96, 1. FC Nürnberg, FC St. Pauli, and VfL Wolfsburg.

Swiss league format with two halves of the season

According to the report, the season is scheduled to begin in September. The league is to be played in a Swiss-style format, similar to the new Champions League format. The season will be divided into two halves: one from September through December, and the second from February through April. The top teams from each half will qualify for a final tournament.

The planned organization is particularly interesting: Regular league matches are to be played without spectators to keep costs and effort to a minimum. Only the final tournament will then take place in front of fans.

Clubs are expected to have considerable leeway in assembling their rosters. Priority will be given to players in the U17 through U21 age groups. In addition, according to the report, a limited number of older professionals may be fielded—for example, to give players match practice after injuries and facilitate their return to the first team.

For FC Bayern, the new league would fit well with its recent strategy of developing talent through targeted additional playing time.