The German-Chinese youth football tournament has been held alternately in Germany and China since 2012. The initiators include Felix Kurz, chairman of the Society for German-Chinese Friendship of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, and Klaus Schlappner, former Bundesliga coach and head coach of the Chinese national team. The tournament serves as a platform for the exchange of young people from both countries and is considered one of the most significant exchange projects between Germany and China in the field of youth football.

After landing in Shanghai, the participants will initially head to the nearby Nantong for the first tournament. The participant field includes five Chinese teams and 1. FC Union Berlin, along with two other German representatives: SV Waldhof Mannheim and a selection team from the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. Additionally, the program includes activities off the football pitch, such as a visit to the Nantong University campus and insights into various traditional crafts of the region.

Subsequently, the group will continue to the capital Beijing, where a performance comparison against Chinese Super League participant Beijing Guoan awaits, followed by the second tournament and further cultural highlights like visits to the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, and the Forbidden City.

Alongside the coaches and staff, Christian Arbeit, a member of the board and managing director of communication, and Henry Rehnisch, player and coach developer for U16-U12, will also travel as part of a larger German delegation.

“The trip to China is a special start to what we hope will be a very successful season,” explains Henry Rehnisch. “We are going there to compete and with the clear mandate to win, thanks to Union’s virtues. We aim to impress with our style of play and play dominant football. Furthermore, we need to learn as a team to overcome any challenges that might arise during such a competitive trip.”

“We see football as a connecting element between people. In addition to the sporting comparison, the encounters, mutual getting-to-know, and interest in another culture are at the core of this journey. We are therefore very pleased with the invitation and look forward to many new impressions,” says Christian Arbeit.