Future Wynnum Wolves FC junior footballers will be upskilled the “Dortmund Way” following the announcement of a new 5-year development partnership between the Wynnum club and Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
The long-term agreement with Wynnum Wolves FC signals a major expansion of Dortmund’s renowned youth development model into the Asia-Pacific region, with the aim of fostering local talent by sharing their junior development philosophies and methodologies.
Wynnum has been an official youth development partner of BVB for the past two years, with the new landmark deal securing the Wynnum club’s status as an official Club Partner of Borussia Dortmund through 2030.
Borussia Dortmund’s Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Dr. Suresh Letchmanan, is in Brisbane this week to announce the exciting new 5-year deal alongside BVB club legend and new Asia-Pacific Technical Director for BVB, Paul Lambert, who has already been spending time in Brisbane in his new role for Dortmund.
Already a familiar face around the grounds of Carmichael Park, Lambert has hit the ground running in Brisbane, working with our technical team to integrate Dortmund’s youth coaching methodologies at Wynnum.
Borussia Dortmund is a club renowned across the football world for its successful youth development model, which has yielded world-class players such as Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, and Marco Reus through its productive youth system.
“We believe in developing superstars, not buying them,” Dr. Letchmanan said. “Our aim in Australia is to replicate this success, working hand in hand with Wynnum.”
With Dortmund’s well-known success in developing homegrown talent, it’s an exciting time for those in the Wolves technical team across both the boys’ and girls’ programs. “A priority for us at Wynnum is to build our own talent from within—so much so that we did not go outside our own club for players in the 9s to 12s Academy space this year,” Greer said.
“The talent within our junior Academy teams has definitely improved over recent seasons, so we’ve already made the conscious decision to invest in our own. In this way, we’re already aligned with the BVB way—developing our own—and we hope that, with BVB’s help, we’ll be able to roll this approach out across our Youth Academy teams as well—both boys and girls.” “How fantastic will it be to see multiple homegrown players playing in our top men’s and women’s teams at the club in future seasons, and also to see our players exposed to playing opportunities overseas?” he said.
To further cement the new partnership, every Wynnum player will wear the BVB brand in 2025, with the club’s famous name and logo featured as both the front and back shirt sponsor for Wynnum Wolves FC for the new season club-wide.
ENDS