In spring 2011, 30,000 teenagers applied to participate in the camp, a large number of whom came directly through the newly created Allianz platform “football-for-life.com”. Here, applicants simply had to describe their best football moment and upload a football-related picture. The numerous different applications proved once again that the passion for football is a true international language. Some countries such as India also launched local tournaments or school events to select the winners.
The popularity of the Allianz Junior Football Camp has grown over the years. In 2009, Allianz organized the first international football camp in Munich with 34 young teenagers from 9 different countries. One year later, already 43 participants from 10 countries came to Germany. And now, the success story continues in 2011 with even more participating countries and teenagers.
“As a global leader in Insurance and Investment and long-standing partner in football, Allianz is ideally positioned not only to provide exclusive insights into the world of Allianz Arena and FC Bayern, but also to bring together young talents from all around the globe,” says Christian Deuringer, Head of Global Brand Management Allianz SE.
In Munich, an outstanding program with a whole number of highlights was offered to the teenagers: training with official coaches from FC Bayern’s youth teams at the FC Bayern training grounds, meeting FC Bayern star players, visiting the Allianz Arena for a live match, as well as an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these kids – it’s not only about gaining insights into the professional world of football, but also about experiencing the intercultural exchange between the different cultures,” says Tobias Grünewald (project manager for the camp at Allianz SE).
Another novelty this year was the introduction of the official “Media Days”. Journalists from all around the world experienced the unique atmosphere of the Allianz Junior Football Camp here in Munich. As well as the opportunity to conduct an interview with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Executive Board Chairman of FC Bayern) and Joe Gross (Head of Group Market Management Allianz SE), the journalists also had the chance to accompany some of the young camp participants for one day.
More information: http://www.football-for-life.com/