A few months ago, FC Bayern and Rwanda agreed on a five-year partnership. Since then, the people of Munich have been met with a lot of criticism. CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen now justified the commitment.
The East African country of Rwanda is regularly criticized. Ruled by a dictatorship, freedom of expression is severely restricted, according to Amnesty International. FC Bayern Munich nevertheless started a partnership with the country and its tourism authority in August 2023. Since then, the club has faced a lot of criticism, not just from within its own ranks.
Opportunities for advancement through football
In “Blickpunkt Sport” on BR television, CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen explained the reasons for the commitment: “We are in two places with Rwanda. On the one hand, we want to support youth football, get girls and boys into football, and thereby give them social opportunities Enabling opportunities.”
FC Bayern is not only active in the East in Africa, but also in other countries. In Gambia, in the west, for example, the club supports a football academy, explained Dreesen.
“Africa is a continent of opportunities”
“Overall, Africa belongs in the area of expansion in our international strategy,” added Dreesen: “Africa is a continent of opportunities. There are a lot of opportunities there, there are football-loving people there, a young continent.”
The search for possible Bayern players of the future is also a point for the Munich team’s commitment: “Many fantastic young players come from Africa. That’s the reason why we’re going to Africa from a sporting point of view.”
“Don’t measure Rwanda using Germany’s standards”
But there is also a second central aspect. First, Dreesen presented his view of the country: “Rwanda has no access to the sea, Rwanda has no major industries, Rwanda is still suffering from the genocide that took place almost 30 years ago,” said the CEO: “Rwanda “But today it is one of the most stable countries in Africa. Of course we cannot measure Rwanda with our standards from Germany. Where we are doing well, where we grew up in a big free world, in a free society.”
FC Bayern wants to promote prosperity and jobs in Rwanda
“And that’s why we say we want to support prosperity, that’s why we have this partnership ‘Visit Rwanda’ to support tourism. Safari tourism is high-priced tourism,” explained Dreesen: “It brings prosperity, it creates jobs, as a result infrastructure can be created. And that’s why we’re here.”
The critical view: Rwanda is not yet as far as we would like it to be
However, Dreesen also indirectly admitted that criticism of Rwanda is certainly justified: “We must not close our eyes to the fact that in this case, for example, things are not yet the way we would like them to be.”
Nevertheless, he wanted a tolerant approach: “Only – and this is the only thing I advocate for: one should have respect, not only from a German, a European perspective to judge everything, but from a country in which completely different historical perspectives There were opportunities. And to that extent yes: of course we have to be measured by the values.”
In the video: The complete Blickpunkt Sports conversation with Jan-Christian Dreesen
Source: Blickpunkt Sport
October 29, 2023 – 9:45 p.m
