Bundesliga International signs strategic cooperation with Taicang high-tech zone: China’s ‘Little Germany’

• The three-year cooperation will strengthen the Bundesliga’s presence and support Sino-German economic, cultural and football development in the Yangtze River Delta
• Strategic cooperation builds on a Memorandum of Understanding between DFL and Taicang, signed in Germany
• 560+ German firms work out of Taicang, a city near Shanghai known for industry and trade, dubbed ‘Little Germany’

4 August 2025 – Bundesliga International has signed a three-year strategic cooperation with the Taicang High-tech Zone – a thriving commerce hub in China.

A close neighbour of the metropolis Shanghai, Taicang is a key area for Sino-German trade. The cooperation aims to strengthen the presence of the Bundesliga in the city dubbed ‘Little Germany’, because it has more than 560 German firms.

Located near Shanghai, Taicang has been attracting German companies since the 1990s, as a gateway to help firms establish a foothold in the Chinese market.

Taicang perfectly fits our strategy of supporting local football development and working with our partners. The Bundesliga remains the most active European league in China and we are excited to continue broadening relations.

Peer Naubert, Chief Executive Officer of Bundesliga International

The strategic cooperation, signed last Friday in Taicang, is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties at the 17th Taicang Day in June in Stuttgart, the home of Bundesliga team VfB Stuttgart, with Rouven Kasper – the club’s Chief Marketing and Sales – attending as a witness.

The MOU is designed to help give the Bundesliga a bigger profile in the prosperous Yangtze region – one of China’s top economic regional clusters spanning Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui in an area home to around 240 million people – acting as a springboard for German clubs to enter the China market.

The agreement builds on the strong commitment by the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga to China. The Bundesliga has its own office in Beijing and five clubs – FC Bayern München, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt – all have offices within China, more than any other European league.

Aside from its broadcasting partnerships, Bundesliga International is committed to developing grassroots football in China by increasing regional engagement to grow its Chinese fan base. Through it’s close ties with the Chinese Football Association, the Bundesliga is highly active in China and continues to build the foundations for footballing pathways to Germany.

Projects like Bundesliga Dream China offer a route to play top-flight football in Germany by giving the most talented Chinese players the chance to play and train at the youth academy of top Bundesliga clubs. Five players from the first Bundesliga Dream squad contributed seven goals and seven assists while China was heading to final of AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2024.

“Bundesliga International is proud to sign a cooperation with such an important city for German business,” said Peer Naubert, Chief Executive Officer of Bundesliga International.

“Taicang perfectly fits our strategy of supporting local football development and working with our partners. The Bundesliga remains the most active European league in China and we are excited to continue broadening relations. We’re looking forward to more great joint ventures in the future.”

Other projects earmarked for Taicang also include a Sino-German business summit, while local activities like an Oktoberfest-style festival will promote the Bundesliga in the community. A Corporate Cup initiative will bring firms together through football and there will also be a youth competition.

“The Bundesliga enjoys extensive influence in China, and the in-depth cooperation with it will greatly contribute to football cultural exchanges between Taicang and Germany, the improvement of youth football standards, and the enhancement of the city’s profile,” said Xu Huadong, Mayor of Taicang.

“I look forward to both sides working together to formulate specific annual cooperation initiatives, elevate Taicang’s youth football to new heights, boost the influence of signature events like the Taicang Rottenburg Oktoberfest and achieve tangible results from the collaboration.”

The cooperation is the latest collaboration between the Bundesliga and it’s partners in China.

Last April, Bundesliga International and telecommunications giant China Mobile Migu signed a Joint Declaration of Intent in Frankfurt to work together over media rights distribution, broadcast technology and innovations, such as the use of virtual reality and content, technology.