FC Bayern Munich already has partner clubs in the USA and China, and now another is to follow – in Uruguay. Why that would be a turnaround and which two clubs are in contact with.
Diego Forlán, Edinson Cavani, Luis Suárez, Darwin Núñez: The small South American country of Uruguay has always produced outstanding footballers. Possibly even more impressive than the quality at the top is the quantity. According to a FIFA study, in 2021 every 485th man from Uruguay, which has a population of around 3.5 million, was working as a professional footballer abroad.
One of 485! That is an incredible rate that no nation in the world can surpass. For comparison: It would be like if around 86,000 German men were earning their money abroad as football legionnaires. It is possible that this impressive statistic gave those responsible at FC Bayern Munich the idea that Uruguay would be a formidable place for a partner club.
Representatives of the first division teams River Plate and Wanderers from the capital Montevideo recently confirmed an exchange with FC Bayern about a possible cooperation. “They told us that they will travel to Montevideo later this month,” River President Fabián Motta told the Uruguayan newspaper Ovacion early February. An anonymous Wanderers manager also reported ESPN of talks with the people of Munich. FC Bayern wanted to ask from SPOX and GOAL do not express.
A potential partner club in Uruguay could serve as a development platform for talent from across South America. After playing for the first time in the Uruguayan league, the best would move to Munich at some point, while others would be sold for a profit. The demand is known to be high.
FC Bayern: Recently the focus was on the USA and China
For FC Bayern, such a commitment would be a return to the South American talent market, which it left after the Breno drama. The Brazilian centre-back came to Munich in 2008 at the age of 18 for 12 million euros, but never found his way there and ended up in prison for arson. “We won’t bring any more young players from South America, that doesn’t make sense,” said then-Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 2011.
As a result, FC Bayern oriented towards other continents. There has been a partnership with the MLS club FC Dallas from the USA since 2018 and with FC Wuhan Three Towns from the Chinese Super League since 2020. Players from both clubs have already moved to Munich. The American Chris Richards was sold to Crystal Palace for twelve million euros last summer after a few professional appearances; 19-year-old keeper Shaoziyang Liu became the first Chinese player in the history of FC Bayern and is currently on loan to Austrian second division club Grazer AK.
With these partnerships, there are not only sporting ulterior motives, it is also about opening up the huge growth markets of the USA and China. Years ago, FC Bayern opened offices abroad in New York and Shanghai, followed by another in the Thai capital Bangkok in 2022. In the case of the planned engagement in Uruguay, on the other hand, the search for talent should actually be in the foreground.
A number of top clubs are already involved in South America, above all the two most famous football constructs in the world. Red Bull has an offshoot in Brazil in Bragantino, while the City Football Group is represented in Uruguay by Montevideo City Torque. The logo of both clubs was quickly changed after the takeover. Whether blue Bayern checks will soon be integrated into the red and white coat of arms of River Plate or into the black and white of the Wanderers?
FC Bayern: This is how a partnership could be implemented
Partnerships with foreign clubs or companies are very common in Uruguay, in fact they even have their own system to facilitate implementation. For a certain period of time, clubs can delegate their entire administration to a so-called SAD (Sociedad Anónima Deportiva) set up specifically for this purpose. Loud Ovacion This construct is currently used by six of the 16 first division clubs. To the ESPNAccording to a report, FC Bayern also wants to found an SAD and take control of River Plate or Wanderers for 15 years.
“If it’s a proposal that fits all sides economically and sportingly, we will present it to our partners and they will approve it in a meeting,” said River President Motta. According to reports, his employer is in bad financial shape. In the recent past there have also been talks with “other clubs from the USA and Europe”. It is said to have been Atlético Madrid and Inter Miami, among others. David Beckham’s MLS club was also interested in Wanderers.
Incidentally, both River Plate and Wanderers are traditional clubs that are neither related nor related by marriage to their famous namesakes from Buenos Aires and Wolverhampton. Both have even won a few championship titles, but before the introduction of professional football in 1932. With four titles, River Plate is third in the record championship rankings, but the two big clubs Uruguay’s Peñarol (51 titles) and Nacional (48) are rather out of reach . In the new season that started recently, the Wanderers have been particularly convincing: After three matchdays they are in second place behind Peñarol.
