VfB Stuttgart's marketing and sales board member, Rouven Kasper, finds personal significance in hosting China's U16 national football team under the "Bundesliga Dream" project, emphasizing the importance of building cultural bridges beyond sports and economics.
by Oliver Trust and Liu Yang
BERLIN, March 3 (Xinhua) -- For Rouven Kasper, who celebrated his son's first birthday on Chinese soil and welcomed his daughter into the world in Shanghai, overseeing VfB Stuttgart's marketing and sales as a board member carries personal significance.
His affinity for Chinese culture and sports has persisted, making the hosting of China's under-16 national football team under the "Bundesliga Dream" project particularly gratifying.
The project was triggered in November 2023 in a collaboration announcement in Shanghai between the German Football League (DFL) and the Chinese Football Association (CFA), involving key figures like Bundesliga International (BLI) CMO Peer Naubert, BLI Head of Asia-Pacific Kevin Sim, CFA President Song Kai, and CFA Vice President Yang Xu.
Building bridges between his home country and Europe and his "second home" China has become a matter of his heart.
"To build bridges between the cultures is overwhelmingly important as it is to fill the relationship with life. People need to talk and exchange experience and opinions," Kasper told Xinhua in a recent interview.
The Stuttgart official called China one of the most important international fields, while interests go beyond sport and economic ties.
"We in sports have the opportunity to provide emotional and economic fundament," he noted. "Common talk between people has become an important tool to understand each other and expand the relations between the countries."
"As the VfB Stuttgart, we wanted to not only have an exchange in sports but an intercultural dialogue," Kasper said.
To achieve new goals, the Stuttgart club invited China's Ambassador Wu Ken to join the visit of the Chinese youth team, and the squad enjoyed an invitation from Ambassador Wu to a local Chinese restaurant.
"Chinese rice balls" ordered from the VfB met an old Chinese tradition in the Lantern festival served at the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Additionally, sports officials and business leaders convened in Stuttgart to discuss collaborative ventures.
As China developed well in recent years, "we see new demands for leisure time and sports growing rapidly," Kasper said.
Consequently, VfB Stuttgart has intensified its collaborative endeavors, emphasizing, "as we see our social obligation to be a driving part." Kasper highlighted this commitment encompasses expanding exchange and educational initiatives for both players and coaches.
Getting used to European football's speed, tactics and daily procedures is helping Chinese talents to gain ground.
As Stuttgart returned to success after years of sportive draught, "we have a different approach compared to internationally leading clubs such as Bayern and Dortmund."
Stuttgart's strategy involves partnering with cities and provinces to leverage a dual system of sports and education, catering to China's growing enthusiasm for sports and football. Kasper, who serves on committees related to sports business in China and Asia, brings valuable insights from his years in China.
"We set up our strategy to create closer collaborations to pay visits to China with our footballers, provide youth education expertise, and host Chinese footballers in Stuttgart," he concluded. ■
