KPL hoping Bundesliga tour sparks leagues growth

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) management hopes their latest tour to German counterparts in the Bundesliga will spark the next phase of growth in the running of the domestic top flight competition.

The KPL sent a total of 20 officials for a two-day workshop at German Football League (DFL) offices in an effort to raise the profile the local league as a global brand as well as improve the state of Kenyan football.

CEOs from 13 KPL clubs were among those in the delegation of 20 to Frankfurt for the invitational tour fully sponsored by the DFL.

The officials studied the system of German football, club licensing, youth academy structures and audiovisual rights.

The presentation also captured the growth and success of the Bundesliga under the management of the DFL over the last 15 years in regards to player development and how the same could be implemented locally.

KPL Chief Executive Jack Oguda says he hopes future success of the league helps elevate Kenya as a footballing nation as well pushing it higher up the World FIFA rankings.

“A total 21 players of Germany’s 2014 FIFA WC winning squad were trained by clubs playing in the Bundesliga while 15 of them played in the Bundesliga. Each Bundesliga team had at least one player at UEFA Euro 2016.

German clubs have enjoyed success in continental competitions and in revenue generation. The league is currently the second-most lucrative league in the world after the Premier League with revenue of over 2.3 billion Euros,” Oguda said.

The KPL also sought to establish the division of tasks between the German Football Association (DFB) – which governs football in the country – and the DFL amid their prevailing tussles with Football Kenya Federation over the local league’s composition.

The German league features five tiers with the top two being are run by the DFL while the rest are run by the DFB.

In comparison, the KPL Limited runs only the top division while FKF has the mandate to run the National Super League (NSL) – the country’s second-tier – as well as the lower tiers.

The success of the German national team has been attributed to the DFB’s policy of advancing young talent and the KPL is now hoping to adopt the same campaign.

Since the introduction of youth academies, Germany has reached – excluding UEFA Euro 2004 – at least the last four in 6 major tournaments.