Football is an amazing growth story in China that has captured public attention. It is set to continue on this path thanks to a partnership between Allianz SE and FC Bayern Munich, and the Chinese Football Association. This is the result of talks that have been taking place between the three partners since last year.

“Allianz is delighted with the opportunity to make this modest contribution to the German-Chinese football friendship. We are extremely proud to host a friendly match between the Chinese national football team and FC Bayern at the Beijing Olympic Stadium,” says Oliver Bäte, CEO of Allianz SE.

On May 29 this year, the Chinese national team will play a friendly match against the German champions at the Olympic Stadium in Beijing (known as “The Bird’s Nest”).

In addition, FC Bayern and Allianz will organize a “China Week” in Munich in autumn 2019, which will revolve around various specialist football topics such as training, sports medicine and management. A highlight will be the visit by the Chinese Football Association to the FC Bayern training grounds for an exclusive week of training. This will include an exchange between players, coaches, medical experts and top officials from both sides. A dialogue between German and Chinese companies on the topics of health and innovation during the week is also planned.

“Allianz and FC Bayern Munich have been working together for many years, also internationally,” says Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, CEO of FC Bayern München AG. “Our club has been active in China for many years and supports the development of Chinese football through numerous initiatives. We are delighted to have our partner Allianz on board and look forward to making a sustainable contribution to Sino-German football relations together.”

Allianz is represented in China with locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen and offers its customers a wide range of property and casualty insurance, life insurance, credit insurance as well as asset management and assistance services. “We have been present in China since 1917 and we have invested in our capabilities there, especially over the last 20 years. We expect that over the next decade three out of four euros of revenue growth in the global insurance market will come from China,” says Oliver Bäte. “The cooperation goes beyond football and is also intended to serve as a link between Chinese and German companies.”

FC Bayern Munich has also defined China as a focus market in the club’s internationalization strategy. The team has already made an appearance three times in China during “summer tours”, with matches in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Two “FC Bayern Football Schools” are currently being built in Shenzhen and Taiyuan. The first school belonging to the German record holder was opened in Qingdao in 2016.

(Allianz)