NEWS

[August 26, 2019, Beijing/Wolfsburg] For the third consecutive year, Volkswagen Group China is supporting China's youth football development through the Volkswagen Junior Football Summer Camp in Germany and Train-the-Trainer Program. VfL Wolfsburg’s youth football training experts team, featuring Pierre Littbarski, the head coach and scout, and Eckhard Krautzun, a consultant to the team, provided strong guidance to the group of outstanding U12 football players and youth football coaches.

With the support of the Volkswagen Zhixing CSR Fund, 16 talented U12 youth players and 14 youth football coaches travelled to Germany for in-depth training, friendly matches and cultural exchanges. This year’s focus was on the U12 age group, a crucial period for the development of future professional football players. “Around the age of 11 and 12, youth football players learn techniques and develop a football mentality that will shape their future,” said Mr. Pierre Littbarski, former German national team player. “That is why it is important to spot talent at a very early age and start developing it through high-quality training as soon as possible. Top players are scouted when they are very young and have over 10 years of experience before they even become professional players. Thus, it is crucial that youth coaches are constantly on the lookout for talent, finding exceptional kids and supporting their growth.”

Mr. Eckhard Krautzun, the former head coach of the Chinese National U20 Football Team from 2003 to 2006, said: “The key to further promoting the development of Chinese football is to learn football strategies and methods from other countries, integrate and adapt them to the real requirements and situation in China. I believe that Germany’s experiences in football training can be well applied to China and based on all these learnings, China must find its own football style and create its own philosophy.”

During their stay in Germany, youth players and coaches also experienced authentic German football culture by watching the home game of VfL Wolfsburg and visiting the Volkswagen Arena, exciting occasions for both groups. The youth players were also impressed by the three friendly matches with the German U12 and U11 players, gaining a strong understanding of how the youth football players from Germany perform.

Dr. Stephan Wöllenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said: “Through the concept of ‘Football is More than a Match’, we instill the spirit of team work and self-discipline within young football players, core values that our company and brand share. We believe that football not only makes the body stronger, but also strengthens the mind by teaching young football players important values and ideas that will help them grow as a person. As a close partner to China, we will continue to show our commitment to generations to come and support the sustainable development of Chinese society.”

So far, a total of 365 coaches and 5,000 junior football players have directly benefited from the program, along with 48,000 indirectly. In the future, Volkswagen Group China will continue to provide support for the development of Chinese youth football, promoting cultural and sports exchanges between China and Germany as a responsible ambassador.

For the third consecutive year, Volkswagen Group China is supporting China's youth football development through the Volkswagen Junior Football Summer Camp in Germany and Train-the-Trainer Program, together with the China Sports Foundation and the Chinese Football Association.

The representatives from the China Sports Foundation, Chinese Football Association, VfL Wolfsburg and Volkswagen Brand exchange jerseys before the friendly Sino-German junior football friendly match.

Pierre Littbarski, the brand ambassador and chief scout of VfL Wolfsburg, is the head coach of the Volkswagen Junior Football Summer Camp in Germany.

Eckhard Krautzun, the former head coach of the Chinese National U20 Football Team is the consultant of the Volkswagen Junior Football Train-the-Trainer Program

The U12 players, from youth football training centers all across China, play three friendly matches with the VfL Academy U11 and U12 teams.(1)

The U12 players, from youth football training centers all across China, play three friendly matches with the VfL Academy U11 and U12 teams.(2)

The U12 players, from youth football training centers all across China, play three friendly matches with the VfL Academy U11 and U12 teams.(3)