The players of Bundesliga club and Champions League runners-up, FC Bayern Munich train at Aspire Academy grounds during their winter training camp in this file picture of January 4, 2012. RIGHT: Andreas Jung, Deputy Executive Board Member of FC Bayern Munich, speaking to The Peninsula in Doha yesterday. Picture by: Kammutty VP
by Armstrong Vas
Doha: Bundesliga club and Champions League runners-up Bayern Munich will have their winter training camp for the third consecutive year in Doha, a top club official informed The Peninsula, here yesterday.
The camp will be held from January 2 to 9.
“This is the third time we are coming to Doha and to the Aspire Academy. The (previous) training camps gave us perfect preparation for the second phase of the (German) league. So we are very happy to come in January 2013,” Andreas Jung, Deputy Executive Board Member of FC Bayern Munich, said.
The Bundesliga, like in previous seasons, will have a winter break from December 16 to January 18 for the Christmas and New Year season this season.
The German club will arrive in Doha on January 1, Jung said.
Most of the German clubs regroup soon after the New Year in preparation for the second phase of the season by holding winter training, most of which are held outside Germany.
Extreme weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures in Germany force the clubs to base their camps outside the country.
The Middle East has been a favourite destination for Bayern Munich for the last decade.
The German giants were having their winter camps for the last six years in Dubai but moved to Qatar in 2011.
Club officials at Bayern Munich were very impressed by the facilities at Aspire Academy and opted for Doha as a winter camp destination.
“The facilities are very, very good. The climatic conditions are so perfect for the season. Time difference between Germany and Qatar is just two hours and so that is not a problem. So we are happy that Qatar will host us for the third time and we will be using the Aspire Academy facilities.
“We were the first German team to train in Doha three years back. Last season, FC Schakle 04 had their camp here. It shows Doha is the destination for training during winter breaks. We are happy to get Doha and Qatar more importance in the German football,” said Jung.
This season another German club is likely to join Bayern Munich and Schalke to Doha.
“A third German club is thinking of a camp in Doha, so that shows Doha is a good area for the winter camp preparations,” said the 52-year-old.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen, the partner of Barvarian club, which has a strong market presence in Qatar, is keen in playing an event in Doha involving the Champions League runners-up and two other clubs.
“We will play two friendly matches on January 5 and 8; our local partner Volkswagen is planning a tournament involving us and two other clubs. Which of the two other clubs will feature in the tournament will be decided later,” said the German club official.
The Champions League runners-up are having a near perfect run in the local league having won all their eight matches and head the 18-team league.
“We set a new Bundesliga record on Saturday, for the best start to the season, with our eighth successive win,” said Jung, who is also the spokesperson for the DFL League Association’s sponsorship task force.
Leaders Bayern Munich crushed promoted Fortuna Duesseldorf 5-0 to move up to 24 points in the Bundesliga. Eintracht Frankfurt are second with 19 points.
In the Champions League final last season, Bayern Munich lost to Chelsea at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany in a penalty shoot-out.
Doha has in the past hosted English giants Manchester United at the state-of-the-art Aspire Academy in January 2010.
The Peninsula
