Unprecedented! A major triumph for FC Bayern Munich’s exclusive network

Racing is a long-standing fixture in Uruguayan football, but following a spell in the lower leagues, the club has only been back in the Primera División since 2022. Shortly afterwards, Red&Gold Football became the majority shareholder. This is a joint venture that FC Bayern and the MLS club Los Angeles FC have been running together since 2023.

The venture aims to take control of or partner with clubs worldwide in order to streamline talent identification and development. In just three years, the Munich-based club—led by head of youth development Jochen Sauer—has, together with LAFC, woven a network across five continents. Alongside Racing, the structure now includes the Gambinos Stars academy in West Africa, South Korean top-flight side Jeju SK FC and Ecuadorian top-tier outfit SD Aucas.

LAFC also became a strategic partner of the struggling Austrian outfit Wacker Innsbruck and, in 2024, acquired a majority stake in Swiss top-flight side Grasshoppers Zurich. Separately, Bayern cooperates domestically with German third-tier club SSV Ulm and regional-league side SpVgg Unterhaching. The network now spans ten locations.

FC Bayern’s most passionate supporters have already protested against the arrangement on several occasions; they are fundamentally opposed to this kind of multi-club ownership. At Racing, reactions to the takeover have been mixed. “Some fans are for it and some are against it,” noted Damian Herrera, a respected Uruguayan sports journalist, in a recent interview with SPOX. “Apart from a few disagreements on social media, however, I am not aware of any protests.”

Almost three years into the partnership, Herrera observes that “at first glance, not much has changed” at Racing. There have been investments in youth-development infrastructure, but no significant first-team signings. The club’s current success is built on home-grown talent rather than expensive transfers. According to Transfermarkt, Racing’s squad is valued at around €8 million, a fraction of Penarol’s €41 million.

Since the partnership began, several Racing players have moved to Europe. Last season, 25-year-old Tomás Verón Lupi played for Grasshoppers; he is currently back in Uruguay on loan, featuring for reigning champions Nacional. This winter, Anderson Rodríguez (19) and Mauro Marichal (18) joined Tirol. Both impressed at the Red&Gold Global Trophy, a tournament Bayern hosted for its partner clubs and guests at its campus in November.

Although no Racing graduate has broken into Bayern’s first-team squad just yet, another talent from the network has: Bara Sapoko Ndiaye of Gambinos Stars has already made three appearances, starting against FSV Mainz 05 at the weekend.

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