South Korean football club Jeju SK FC on Monday signed a deal with a joint venture between FC Bayern Munich and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) that offers a global platform for youth development.
Jeju SK FC announced their partnership with Red & Gold Football during a ceremony at a Seoul hotel, with the club CEO Ku Chang-yong, youth adviser Koo Ja-cheol and Red & Gold Football's managing director, Jochen Sauer, in attendance.
Under the deal, Jeju SK FC will share their youth development philosophy with Red & Gold Football and their young players will have a chance to train in Europe and in the United States.
Red & Gold Football, in exchange, will provide Jeju SK FC with coaching expertise and training methods, with plans to introduce a proprietary scouting system to the South Korean club.
The company said the objective is to give young, talented players in South Korea a path to the top European leagues and Major League Soccer in North America.
Bayern Munich have a strong fanbase in South Korea, thanks to the presence of the national team center back Kim Min-jae. LAFC have recently gained popularity here after long-time national team captain Son Heung-min joined them in August.
"South Korea is an important market for us," Sauer said. "FC Bayern and LAFC have gained valuable experience with Korean players. Min-jae Kim and Heung-min Son are just the most well-known examples. Together with Jeju SK FC, we want to nurture a new generation of talent. We sincerely thank the club management for their trust."
Koo, the former national team captain who spent the majority of his club career in Germany, will lead the initiative for Red & Gold Football in South Korea.
"We have so many talented players in Korea but a lot of foreign scouts have raised issues with the development of youth players," he said. "With this partnership, I want to give those young players an opportunity to develop at the highest level. I think this will contribute to the development of both Korean football and Jeju SK FC."
Ku, the club CEO, said young South Korean players will have a chance to experience European football as early as the end of this year.
"We will try to build systematic infrastructure for youth development, allow Korean coaches to receive instructions overseas, and have Red & Gold coaches come to Korea for exchange programs," Ku added. "I will try to give young players for Jeju SK a chance to play overseas."
Red & Gold Football was founded in March 2023 with the goal of developing international talent for Bayern Munich and LAFC and also of providing an integrated platform to support the athletic and personal development for each player.
Red & Gold Football also has partnerships in youth development with the Uruguayan club Racing de Montevideo and the Gambian football academy Gambinos Stars Africa. (Yonhap)
