After a successful start in Vietnam, SV Werder Bremen are intensifying their internationalisation activities in South America. The “Football Development” programme in the Colombian metropolitan city Medellín, which is aimed specifically at children and young people as well as local coaches, began in December.
Various training sessions and further education measures for children and young people will take place in the upcoming months in collaboration with Werder’s partners “Academy Club Deportivo Olimpia” and sports marketing agency “Sportainment”.
“As SV Werder we would like to use the popularity of our players Rafael Borré and Catalina Perez in order to drive enthusiasm for football and the development of young talent. Additionally, Colombia is an important target market for the German Football League (DFL). Amongst other things, a team from SV Werder Bremen will take various activities with the support of the German Chamber of Commerce in order to strengthen the reputation of the Bundesliga and SV Werder in the densely populated South American country,” explained Klaus Filbry, SV Werder Bremen’s CEO.
The first training sessions and coaching programmes took place at the start of December. A coach was sent to coach and develop over 60 children. The “Football Development” programme’s goal is the guiding principle of Werder’s SPIELRAUM concept, which is to get as many children and young people as possible moving and excited about the sport and Werder, as well as promoting these things internationally.
The club from the heart of Colombia’s second largest city which has more than 2.6 million inhabitants is not only trying to facilitate sporting development for young footballers using a holistic approach, but is also attempting to show them a perspective beyond precarious conditions using social work. The collaboration with Werder Bremen makes it possible for the club to further develop their work based on the sporting and social vision that SV Werder Bremen would like to implement in Colombia on the methodological side, whilst also giving the club the chance to adapt and transition from a local level to a potentially national level.
