FC Bayern Munich renew Rwanda partnership

FC Bayern Munich have announced a multi-year extension of their partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

The three-year renewal will see the partnership move away from a “commercial” agreement to a “dedicated partnership focusing on football development in Rwanda through the expansion of the FC Bayern Youth Academy in Kigali.”

Jan-Christian Dreesen, CEO, FC Bayern Munich, commented:

“In constructive talks about our future direction, we agreed that a very special part of our relationship with RDB was the developmental nature of our work in Kigali through the FC Bayern Academy. We are therefore transforming our commercial partnership into a talent programme and expanding the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali together with the RDB as both a football and social initiative. This remains perfectly aligned to our strategic objective of developing playing talent in Africa.“

Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO, Rwanda Development Board, added:

“The success of the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali is a great example of what strategic sports partnerships can achieve. As we enter a new phase, we are refocusing our resources to accelerate sports development, with emphasis on talent identification, coaching excellence, and sports infrastructure.  This continued partnership with FC Bayern helps ensure that talent development remains anchored in our broader vision to position Rwanda as a global hub for tourism, investment, and high-performance sport.“

The development arrives on the back of the German club facing criticism and “sportswashing” allegations over its association with Rwanda, with the East African country accused of aiding rebels in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo.