The Bundesliga, one of the most popular and successful football leagues in the world, will be showcasing itself in Kenya September on 19 and 20. Germany’s most-capped player Lothar Matthäus will be stopping off in Nairobi as part of the “Bundesliga Legends Tour”, jointly organised by StarTimes and the Bundesliga.
This was said in a statement from the media office of Startimes. the Chinese mega TV operator in about 33 African countries. The overseas media office is headed by William Macy who once worked in the Lagos office of Startimes.
StarTimes has been the exclusive rights-holder of the Bundesliga in sub-Saharan Africa since the 2015/16 season. This is the second major activity between the Bundesliga and its partner StarTimes in Africa, following hot on the heels of the Legends Tour in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya with Jay-Jay Okocha and Sunday Oliseh in December 2016.
The team will also undertake several media engagements, the captain of the “Bundesliga Legends Network” will be meeting local sports stars and introducing African football fans to the great features of Germany’s top flight at various fan events.
The schedule features a training session for players of three of Kenya’s most prestigious football academies with the “World Footballer of the Year 1991” as well as a meeting with the hugely talented Kenyan javelin thrower Julius Yego, a silver-medal winner at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
In addition, Matthäus will be taking to the studio to commentate on the high-level Bundesliga clash between FC Schalke 04 and FC Bayern München as a guest expert. To round off the visit, there will be numerous media engagements, including with StarTimes and other local media partners.
“To us, activities undertaken with our partners, such as the global Legends Tours, are a key part of our international marketing plans that we are pursuing in the newly formed Bundesliga International GmbH”, said Robert Klein, CCO of the company.
“I am delighted to be introducing the great features of the Bundesliga to African fans on my first visit to Kenya,” said Lothar Matthäus, a brand ambassador for the Bundesliga since 2015. “The development of the Bundesliga is impressive: it is enjoying constant growth, and has professional structures, modern stadia and a fantastic fan culture. I really enjoy communicating this to the world.”
“We are excited about Lothar Matthäus’ join and I believe that African football fans will enjoy a wonderful Bundesliga Legends Tour with Lothar,” said Cole He Xin, StarTimes Media Division Sports Director.
He Xin said: “StarTimes always bring the best to African football fans.”
Now aged 56, Lothar Matthäus played 464 Bundesliga games for Borussia Monchengladbach and FC Bayern München, scoring a total of 121 goals. As well as winning seven German league titles, he captained the German national team to victory in the 1990 World Cup in Italy, and was named “World Footballer of the Year” in 1991.
The “Bundesliga Legends Network” consists of ex-professionals who are active in key target markets as brand ambassadors of the Bundesliga. It also includes Anthony Baffoe (52) of Ghana, who made 199 Bundesliga appearances between 1983 and 1992.
For further information on the Bundesliga Legends Network and its legends, visit Bundesliga Legends website: http://www.bundesliga.com/en/legends/