Gearing up with Rouven Kasper and Stefan Effenberg | OneFootball

A sneak preview featuring legends: FC Bayern and Aston Villa face off at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong on 7 August as part of the German champions’ annual Audi Summer Tour – and the two clubs have been getting the fans in the major Asian city in the mood for the Audi Football Summit. Alongside Rouven Kasper, FC Bayern board member for marketing & sales, former FCB greats Stefan Effenberg and Alan McInally were on hand – the Scot representing the venerable English club, having turned out for both the Munich men and Villa. Both icons exchanged their clubs’ shirts. Effenberg will be extending his stay to immerse himself even further in this extraordinary city. The local organiser will launch a ticket pre-sale for Bayern fans for the match on 28 April, with the public ticket sale starting on 14 May. Further details will follow soon.

Roots in Bavaria, at home in Munich

FC Bayern is deeply rooted in Bavaria and at home in Munich, said Kasper in his speech, “yet at the same time we have fans and partners all over the world. Whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere – ‘Mia san Mia’ means we are a family, no matter where in the world you may be.” It’s always impressive to see fans on the other side of the world getting up in the middle of the night to watch an FC Bayern match: “I hope many of you tuned in for the epic clash against Real Madrid, when Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Díaz and their teammates under coach Vincent Kompany reached the Champions League semi-finals – and that you also watched our team as they secured FC Bayern’s 35th league title at the weekend.” The FCB board member revealed they want to bring the momentum of this season to Asia as well.

In his speech, Kasper recalled that the Audi Summer Tour marks a return for FC Bayern: as far back as 2007, the German record champions visited Hong Kong for a game against São Paulo, which they won 2-1 thanks to goals from Franck Ribéry and Luca Toni. Over the past 20 years or so, Hong Kong has “continued to establish itself as a global hub”, said Kasper: “A remarkable city full of energy, diversity, ambition and dynamism. That is why we’re delighted to be coming back here this August – to experience this extraordinary city and its culture, to be close to our fans and to offer them an unforgettable football experience.” Effenberg added that he had been to Asia several times before – “it’s always a pleasure to meet these special fans here and to be able to be close to them. It’s an honour for FC Bayern to be able to play here.”

An "impressive, state-of-the-art stadium"

According to Kasper, the Kai Tak Sports Park, which the board member has already visited, is “an impressive, state-of-the-art stadium that reflects the standards, modernity and passion for sport in this city. We don’t just want to experience all this, we also want to give something back: we want to share a piece of Bavarian culture and bring our identity to Asia – the values that define FC Bayern, our way of living and working, our mentality and our passion for football.” FC Bayern will have plenty on offer for all Bayern fans travelling from the region during the Audi Football Summit, with numerous events featuring club legends and opportunities for even closer interaction with the team. “We want to connect with as many fans as possible and leave a lasting impression here in Hong Kong,” added Kasper.

Press conference for the Audi Summer Tour to Hong Kong

The gallery with the photos of the warm-up for the Audi Summer Tour with Rouven Kasper and Stefan Effenberg.

In his speech, Kasper thanked Rosanna Law (Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism), Eric Fok (Chairman of the Hong Kong Football Association), Charles Cheung (Managing Director of the Association) and Zhou Quanqing (Managing Director of KuoKai Sports) for the opportunity to visit the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong: “Without strong, trusting partnerships, events of this magnitude would not be possible.” The city of over seven million inhabitants is a place "where tradition and modernity come together, where cultures meet and where you can feel a special energy everywhere. It’s not only a global financial and economic centre, but also a city that lives and breathes sport, culture and international exchange with great enthusiasm. We are looking forward to our Audi Summer Tour 2026."

11 Audi Summer Tours to date

The Audi Summer Tour has been staged nine times so far, plus two digital versions during the coronavirus pandemic. Unforgettable highlights include matches in a wide variety of fascinating stadiums around the world against top international teams and, above all, the countless activations with local fans as well as visits to the Capitol in Washington or the city prefecture in Tokyo. Thanks to these tours, the German record champions continue to grow their network not only in sporting terms, but also in economic and social terms. FC Bayern currently boasts more than 80 fan clubs in Asia with over 9,500 members. Before the match in Hong Kong, the German champions will play against Jeju SK FC in Jeju, South Korea, on 4 August as part of their Audi Summer Tour.

FC Bayern in South Korea and Hong Kong SAR, China