Bayern to open Japan academy

koclokindoblog, 29 maret 2012,

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich will open a football academy in the western Japanese prefecture of Hiroshima next month, according to Kyodo News.

Based in the city of Fukuyama, the school will enroll 320 children ranging from three to 15 years of age, with fees ranging from 270 to 900 euros per term.

The four-time European champions are one of the more popular German clubs in Japan, having won the 2001 Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo in addition to a pre-season tour against J.League clubs in 2005.

However, Bayern's popularity has waned recently; Japanese loanee Takashi Usami has failed to break through to the top team at the same time that stars such as Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki, and Atsuto Uchida have made waves with their Bundesliga clubs.

With even more Japanese players expected to head to Europe after the 2012 London Olympics, the school represents a prime opportunity for the current Champions League contenders to expand their reach into one of Asia's deepest talent pools.

soccerway.com