FC Bayern Munich, the most successful football club in German history, completed their seventh winter training camp in Aspire Zone Foundation yesterday after a final training session yesterday morning.
The team has conducted a series of rigorous training sessions on Aspire’s outdoor pitches since first arriving in Qatar on January 4, all of which is in preparation for the club’s crucial upcoming UEFA Champions League games as well as the second half of the Bundesliga season.
The squad, led by popular Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, featured some of the best known and most successful footballers in the world including Philipp Lahm, Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, Thiago Alcantara, Xabi Alonso, Franck Ribery, and Arjen Robben.
As part of their training camp, the team held morning and evening training sessions throughout the week. The morning sessions, which were open to spectators and media outlets, attracted hundreds of local, regional and international football fans of all ages who were keen to meet the players and see them in action.
The delegation from Bayern Munich – comprising the squad, the management, coaching teams and accompanying members of the German media – engaged in a number of events held throughout the week in partnership with Aspire Zone Foundation.
On Sunday, a number of journalists from leading German media outlets were taken on a tour of Aspire Dome, during which they were given an overview of some of the cutting-edge technologies, innovative programmes and state-of-the-art facilities available.
During the tour, Silke Keul, a journalist from SID, praised Aspire Zone Foundation saying: “Aspire Zone’s comprehensive facilities are very impressive in their size and how developed they are – particularly in light of the fact that Qatar is a relatively young country.”
Talking about the training camp at Aspire, Ancelotti said: “The players are very happy training at Aspire and making use of the great facilities. The weather is ideal and hotel is located close to the training pitches which makes it very convenient for the team and all the staff.”
Bayern Munich’s visit to Qatar also coincided with a great learning opportunity made available to a number of coaches from Asia who travelled to Qatar to take part in an educational Pro-Diploma coaching course. Organised for the fifth time by the Asian Football Federation, the coaching course is held every January in conjunction with Bayern Munich’s training camp, and provides opportunities for participants to engage with and learn from coaching staff from the Bundesliga side.
In addition to Bayern Munich, Aspire Zone’s world-class facilities and pitches have attracted a number of other leading teams for training campaigns including Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, FC Schalke 04, in addition to Aspire-owned Cultural Deportiva Leonesa and KAS Eupen.

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