Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness believes the new youth training campus of the German record champions can help the club in a time of spiralling transfer fees and wages.
"Perhaps this is the answer of Bayern to the transfer madness and wage explosion," Hoeness said Monday at the opening of the 70-million-euro (82.3-million-dollar) site. Set over 30 hectares and within sight of the Allianz Arena stadium, Bayern hope the facility can help them develop stars to follow on from Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Mueller.
But with two of that trio now moved on (Schweinsteiger) and retired (Lahm), it shows that there has been a failure to produce top quality players in Bayern's recent youth development. Bavarian prime minister Horst Seehofer, of the Christian Social Union, said that the new campus, along with the training ground and stadium, would form a "magic triangle" of future success for the team.
"The campus is a milestone in the great history of Bayern," he added.