Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

MIROSLAV KLOSE, the FIFA World Cup’s all-time top scorer and current head coach of 1. FC Nürnberg, hinted at a possibility for Chinese football during a visit to Shenzhen’s Nanshan District on Monday: a Chinese player might one day represent his club.

“Maybe one day we’ll have a Chinese player play for Nürnberg,” Klose said in an interview. “I would be very happy about that.”

The German legend was part of a 20-member delegation from the City of Nuremberg, led by Mayor Marcus König. The group also included Thomas Jung, mayor of Fürth, and Ben Schwarz, district head of Roth. The visit to Nanshan marked an official exchange between the sister cities of Shenzhen and Nuremberg.

Klose toured the Eintracht Frankfurt (Shenzhen Nanshan) International Exchange Center and the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, where he watched an elite youth training demonstration led by Frankfurt coaches.

Klose took time to interact with young players, patiently signing autographs for them.

When asked about his impression of Chinese youth football, Klose’s answer came from the heart.

“Football connects people,” he said. “Seeing how much fun the U13 and U17 players here are having — that makes me very happy.”

He also praised Shenzhen’s decision to send its U17 team to Europe for friendly matches.

“I just heard from the coach that a U17 team flew to Europe to compare themselves with another team,” Klose said. “I think that’s important, because then you can see what level the teams are at. Comparisons are always decisive in football.”

Klose also offered a candid and practical perspective on cross-border talent development.

“What’s also crucial for me is that we can see these players on site,” he said. “Because we won’t always have time to come here. That’s why exchange is really key.”

The visit followed earlier cooperation agreements signed between China and Germany in February, covering football league broadcasting, club exchanges, and youth development programs.

Nuremberg Mayor Marcus König described the visit as an opportunity to learn from Shenzhen’s systematic strengths.

“We plan to host two friendly matches — one in each city — next year, on the 30th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Nuremberg and Shenzhen,” König said.

“We will then explore whether such activities can be held regularly, and whether young players from Shenzhen can have more opportunities to experience youth training in Nuremberg.”