Bayern Munich sign FC Dallas defender Chris Richards on loan

A mere five months after Bayern Munich joined MLS club FC Dallas in a comprehensive partnership, the first fruits have come to bear: Bayern have signed Dallas defender Chris Richards on a six-month loan. Richards will play the first half of the coming season with Bayern’s U19 team under head coach Sebastian Hoeness.

Bayern Munich’s President of the Americas, Rudolf Vidal, celebrated the move as reflecting the rapid success of Bayern’s partnership with Dallas:

We are very pleased to be making this announcement so early in our partnership. FC Dallas is at the forefront of player development in the U.S., proven by the quality of their players. We look forward to continue building on this partnership with the intention of supporting the growth of soccer in the U.S.

Richards visited Bayern’s brand new FC Bayern Campus for a ten-day training session in April, where he caught the eye of youth director Jochen Sauer. Sauer explained,

Chris made a very good impression so we wanted to bring him back to further develop him, exposing him to different coaching styles, opponents and environments.

A center-back by trade, Richards joined the FC Dallas Academy just last year and played in 20 games for the FC Dallas’s U19 team this past season. He started in all three matches of the Dallas Cup for the team.

Richards himself said,

I’m really looking forward to this great adventure and continuing to develop myself at FC Bayern. This is an incredible club with an amazing history and I’m excited to experience it as an FC Bayern player.

Alles Gute, Chris!

FC Bayern München