Rwanda announced on Sunday that it had signed a five-year partnership with German club Bayern Munich, aimed at promoting tourism in the East African country and establishing a football academy there.
“The country of a thousand hills” extends its visibility to a new European football championship after England, where it is a sponsor of the London club Arsenal, and France, where it is a partner of Paris Saint-Germain.
As part of this partnership, the “Visit Rwanda” logo will appear on the illuminated panels located around the grounds of the Allianz Arena (75,000 seats), said a press release from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a government body responsible for promoting the country.
The club, which won an eleventh consecutive national title last season and a six-time C1 winner, has also pledged to establish a football academy in Rwanda.
The amount of the partnership is “contractually confidential”, RDB manager Clare Akamanzi told AFP.
“We are delighted to partner with FC Bayern to support the development of football for boys and girls in Rwanda. We look forward to creating the FC Bayern Academy where their expert coaches can share their knowledge of the game with local coaches and players,” Rwandan Sports Minister Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju said in the statement.
“Africa is a continent of opportunities. For FC Bayern, this is the next important step in internationalization,” said Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen.
The Rwandan government has been investing heavily in the sports sphere for five years with the aim of attracting tourists and investors and increasing the international reputation of the country, whose history is marked by the 1994 genocide.
He signed a partnership with Arsenal in 2018, then with PSG the following year.
It has also embarked on the organization of international sporting events, such as the World Road Cycling Championships in 2025, and hosted the 73rd Congress of the International Football Federation (Fifa) in March.
The partnerships concluded with Arsenal and PSG have generated more than 160 million dollars (148 million euros) and made it possible to attract a million visitors, generating an additional 445 million dollars (412 million euros), had affirmed in March Clare Akamanzi.
This policy is denounced by opponents of President Paul Kagame, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 2000, accusing him of diverting international attention while human rights NGOs regularly accuse the authorities of flouting the freedom of expression and to muzzle the opposition.
