Suche
Mein Konto
EDEKA and FC St. Pauli: Strong partnership for young footballers!
EDEKA is intensifying its partnership with FC St. Pauli to promote young talent and social responsibility.
EDEKA and FC St. Pauli: Strong partnership for young footballers!
FC St. Pauli and EDEKA are taking their cooperation to a new level. How fcstpauli.com reports, EDEKA's commitment is being expanded, particularly in the youth sector. The focus is on supporting FC St. Pauli Rabauken, the club's popular football school. The branding of EDEKA Herzstücks will also be seen on the sleeves of the bullies and enlisted children in the Millerntor Stadium in the future. The aim of this initiative is to introduce children and young people to football.
Markus Mosa, Chairman of the Board of EDEKA Zentrale Stiftung & Co. KG, emphasizes the continuation of this important partnership, which is based on shared values such as social responsibility, sustainability and regionality. The commercial director of FC St. Pauli, Wilken Engelbracht, thanks EDEKA for the long-standing cooperation and highlights successful joint projects. This includes food donations, fundraisers and the provision of free period products at the stadium. In addition, the stadium sausage was converted to organic quality for the 2023/24 season and is available under the “Kiezküche” brand.
Sustainable commitment to young talent
The concern that millions could be lost in FC St. Pauli's youth sector was raised Hamburger Abendblatt on. A study by the University of Lüneburg entitled “Fading Shooting Stars – The Relative Age Effect, Ability, and Foregone Market Values in German Elite Youth Soccer” sheds light on the relative age effect when selecting youth players. Early-born players have physical advantages and are often favored, while second-half players are often overlooked. FC St. Pauli has already established permeability between age groups in its youth performance center (NLZ) and is implementing individual development plans that are not exclusively based on rigid age groups.
NLZ director Benny Liedtke emphasizes that significant differences in the biological age of players motivate the club to find creative solutions. While some clubs may not correctly assess potential and waste market value, FC St. Pauli follows its own path to take responsibility in its work with young people.
Youth football is changing
Youth football is facing challenges: The German Football Association reports a decline of over 18% in youth teams over the last ten years. The pandemic has also increased this trend, as there were 5,142 fewer football teams in Germany last year. Sociocultural trends, such as individualization and digitalization, are turning the demands on football on their head. The changing living conditions of parents and the increasing flexibility of the world of work are also contributing to the decline in teams.
In this context, playr.ai Coaching offers individual training offers and support for amateur clubs. Emil Pollmann, the sporting director, emphasizes how important the individual support of young football players is. Through holiday camps and weekly training programs in cooperation with clubs, playr.ai wants to offer children and young people optimal development. Demand for their services is high and plans to expand their offerings are progressing.
Not only the young players benefit from EDEKA's collaboration with FC St. Pauli, but also the broader community. In this way, the club shows that commitment to young talent and responsibility towards society go hand in hand.