Germans Export Soccer to Asia

With the signing of several Asian players during the winter break, the German Bundesliga soccer league is finding itself to be a sought-after commodity in Japan, China and South Korea, where soccer has enjoyed a boom since the World Cup six months ago.

"England showed the way. It's time for the Bundesliga to fly its flag in Asia," Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of FC Bayern Munich, told German news agency dpa Friday.

FIFA, soccer's world governing body, said there were 105.3 million active soccer players in Asia in 2000, twice as many as in Europe.

Some of those players have made their way to Germany, thanks to exposure gained during the World Cup. Arminia Bielefeld signed South Korean Du-Ri Cha. Japanese superstar, Naohiro Takahara, joined Hamburger SV (HSV) and is expected to make the north-German club one of the most popular in Japan. 1860 Munich expects a similar situation in China, having signed Chinese national Jiayi Shao.

HSV expects a six-figure profit from the sale of Takahara jerseys in Japan. The 23-year-old striker's debut was broadcast live in his home country. "When Japanese players play in the Bundesliga, sponsors (in Japan) will take an interest in German clubs," said Yasuhiko Okudera, who played in the Bundesliga in the 1970s.

But the Bundesliga has some catching up to do, Rummenigge said. "In Asia, we are only the fifth most popular league, behind even France," he said, adding, "We have to do more to show more presence."

Bayern Munich may already be a step ahead of its league competitors. "With Oliver Kahn, we have the second-most popular player in Asia behind David Beckham," Rummenigge said.