More Than Just a Marketing Trip: Eberl Reveals Bayern’s Plan for the Asia Tour | OneFootball

FC Bayern has set off on its Audi Summer Tour to South Korea and Hong Kong. For the German record champions, this trip is about much more than just friendly matches. In addition to athletic preparation, the focus is also on team building, youth development, and the club’s international marketing. Sports Director Max Eberl has now outlined the goals of the week-long trip.

Following the training camp at Lake Tegernsee, the Munich squad is set to embark on the next intensive phase of preseason preparation. With stops in South Korea and Hong Kong, FC Bayern will visit two of its most important markets in Asia, where it will play two friendly matches and hold numerous public training sessions, as well as media and fan events.

The tour kicks off with a match against Jeju SK FC on August 4 at Jeju World Cup Stadium. Three days later, in Hong Kong, they’ll face their first real test against Europa League champions Aston Villa.

“Growing Together as a Team Again”

For sporting director Max Eberl, the trip serves several purposes. In addition to the athletic training sessions, the main goal is to further strengthen team cohesion. “The Asia tour is simply a wonderful opportunity to grow closer together as a group again,” Eberl explained. He also recalled the positive experiences from the Club World Cup: “I talked about this quite often last year—how the Club World Cup was a great experience for us because the group was together for such a long time. Now it’s the Summer Tour. Great games, good for the squad. It’s also good for the Bundesliga that we can represent the German Bundesliga in Asia.”

On the field, however, Vincent Kompany will still have to do without several key players. Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Dayot Upamecano are still on vacation following the World Cup. Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, Lennart Karl, and Ismael Saibari are working on their return in Munich.

That’s precisely why numerous young players are once again getting the chance to showcase their talents on the international stage.

The focus remains on the sporting aspect

Photo: IMAGO

In addition to the two friendly matches, numerous PR events await the record champions. For Eberl, however, it’s clear that soccer remains the top priority despite all the marketing commitments.

“We have commitments. The main focus is on training sessions and matches. Of course, we also have to attend a few PR events and media appearances. But those of us responsible for the sport are clearly focused on the sporting side of things,” emphasized Bayern’s sporting director.

New signing Nathaniel Brown is also looking forward to his first trip to Asia with great anticipation. The left back sees the tour as an ideal opportunity to get to know his new teammates even better and to further integrate into the team.

After the match against Aston Villa, FC Bayern will immediately begin their journey home. The team will land back in Munich on August 8, before the final phase of preseason preparation begins with friendly matches against RB Leipzig and 1. FC Heidenheim. The highlight will be the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup on August 22 at Borussia Dortmund.