Accompanied by Xin Li, Head of the Eintracht Frankfurt China Office, and officials from the Nanshan Foreign Language School in Shenzhen, China, the Elite High School U17 team of the Eintracht Frankfurt Academy Shenzhen recently spent five exciting days in the heart of Europe – the academy’s first official visit to Frankfurt since its foundation.
“After working together for two years, our academy in Shenzhen has made great progress and established a fine reputation in China,” said Li, who described the trip as a “unique experience” and “another highlight of our project that has left the door open for further visits in the future”.
Training and two friendlies
The young footballers from China trained daily at the Ahorn Camp Sportpark Dreieich, home of Eintracht’s U21 side, while also getting a look behind the scenes at the Eagles’ youth academy. The Elite High School U17s were able to put their skills into practice in two friendly matches against the Makkabi Frankfurt U14s and the SpVgg Neu-Isenburg U17s, which combined athletic competition with cultural exchange. The youngsters from the Far East emerged from the two fixtures with a win and a draw.
One of the other main highlights of the visit to Germany was Eintracht’s Bundesliga home match against 1. FSV Mainz 05. The Shenzhen contingent’s matchday experience included guided tours of both the stadium and the Eintracht Museum, allowing them to immerse themselves in the storied history of the Eagles.
They were also given a taste of Frankfurt’s history in a guided tour of the city, which included stops at the Römer building, the Alte Oper, the Eintracht fan store at MyZeil shopping centre and a walk along the Main.
Eintracht strengthened their commitment to China by establishing the Eintracht Frankfurt Academy Shenzhen in 2021, before its official launch in 2022 as part of a strategic cooperation with the Nanshan Foreign Language School. The collaboration involves, among other things, three Eintracht coaches (a Pro Licence holder, an A Licence holder and a goalkeeping coach) running training sessions and matches at the school – which also featured the Elite High School U17 side. The agreement also includes four coaching courses a year aimed at tacticians in Nanshan.
As well as football sessions, the academy uses sport as a way of building bridges while promoting comprehensive exchange and collaboration in the fields of business, culture, education, trade, science and technology.
