German youth football tournament builds bridges to China

Young footballers from Germany and China came together in Mannheim this weekend for the German–Chinese U16 Cup – a youth tournament that aims to build bridges through the game both nations love.

Eight teams took part in the competition: six from across Germany, alongside visitors from the Chinese cities of Haikou and Hangzhou. Over two days of matches, players had the chance not only to test themselves on the pitch, but also to share experiences and form friendships off it.

For many of the Chinese players, the trip was their first taste of European football. 

"When we came here, we feel like there's a lot bigger difference between Germany and China," said Jiayu Fang from the Haikou City Selection Team. 

"The most important thing that I get is the experience when we played against Germany, the strong team, because there's a lot of difference between the Germany football team and China football team."

Wu Wei, coach of the Hangzhou Caihe Middle School side, said his squad traveled to Germany to learn. 

"I think the significance is very big," he said. "German football is far ahead of Chinese football, so we came here with the attitude of learning. We've experienced firsthand the atmosphere and culture of German football."

Friendship and culture

The tournament was first launched in 2012 by Klaus Schlappner, the former head coach of China's national team. Now 83, he still attends each edition. 

"This tournament is very important for German and Chinese youth," Schlappner told CGTN. "Much more for Chinese youth, that they see the world, that they watch German football. The tournament is not meant for the German teams, but more for the Chinese side in the sport – but for both sides in friendship."

This year's final, held at the home of SV Waldhof Mannheim, saw the local side face off against JSG Heppenheim. Waldhof triumphed after a tense penalty shootout, sparking emotional celebrations from the home crowd.

But for the organizers, the most significant success went beyond the scoreboard. 

"The best thing about the tournament was not the result," said Felix Kurz, one of the co-initiators. "Three teams said we definitely want to be in China next year, because it was fun to play with the Chinese guys, and also to get to know another culture."

Next year's edition will be hosted in Hangzhou, and some German players have already told organizers they want to start learning Chinese before they go.