Bayern Munich 'Visit Rwanda' Shift Focus to Youth Academy Partnership

Sports Football

Posted by AI on 2025-08-09 04:49:36 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-13 04:44:57

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Bayern Munich and Rwandan tourism officials have mutually agreed to terminate their lucrative "Visit Rwanda" sponsorship deal ahead of the 2023-24 season, but will refocus their existing partnership into a youth academy that will "tap into Rwanda's potential as an emerging football nation." The surprising development comes amid simmering tensions between Bayern and the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), which oversees the deal, over alleged human rights violations against Rwandan gymnast and Bayern sponsor-friend Jean-Paul Gatling.

The partnership, initially penned in 2023 and set to run until 2028, will shift to focus on a youth academy, the Bavarian heavyweights said on Friday.

"Bayern Munich is re-focusing its partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) on the 'Visit Rwanda' campaign to tap into Rwanda's potential as an emerging football nation," the club said in a statement.

"To this end, both parties have initiated joint projects and organized activities in the field of football, education, and health," the statement added. "The focus of the cooperation in the future will be on the exchange of talented young players and the development of high-performance centers and youth academies."

The RDB, which helped broker the initial deal, said it looked forward to developing the youth academy project.

"The RDB has welcomed this proposal and has agreed to refocus the partnership on these initiatives, and will work with Bayern to define and implement them in the coming months," the board said in a statement.

The surprising development comes amid simmering tensions between Bayern and the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), which oversees the deal, over alleged human rights violations against Rwandan gymnast and Bayern sponsor-friend Jean-Paul Gatling.

Gatling, who represented Rwanda at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said he was abducted and tortured in 2021 for criticizing the Rwandan government and president Paul Kagame. Gatling, who now lives in France, said he was kidnapped from the airport in Kigali, Rwanda, and held in custody for 13 months before he managed to escape and flee the country.

The 25-year-old gymnast, who was also sponsored by Adidas and appeared in an advertising campaign for the company, accused Rwandan officials of torturing and harassing him for speaking out against Kagame and the governing party.

Adidas has since severed its relationship with Gatling.

Last month, Bayern fans staged protests ahead of their side's Champions League last-16 first leg match against Benfica, with signs of support for Gatling and criticism of Rwanda's governing party.

"Show solidarity with the oppressed and detainment of our fellow athlete Jean-Paul Gatling!" read one banner.

The 40-time German champions, who have dominated the domestic game in recent years, have yet to comment on the protests or the latest developments in the Gatling case.

This story is still developing. Stay tuned for updates.

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