Football connects!

Over the course of four days, 20 youngsters from the UK experience life as an up-and-coming footballer in Cologne. The participants, who are aged between 14 and 17, are members of the Premier League Kicks Programme, which is organised by Arsenal FC, and meet with like-minded youngsters in Cologne for communal training and performance analysis which is organised by the 1. FC in Cologne.

This carefully-constructed programme serves to broaden the horizons of young people, take them out of their comfort zone and show them the range of professional opportunities available in the area of sport. The participants also experience German life and culture first hand and visit for example the German Sporthochschule in Cologne. No prior knowledge of the German language is required, and many participants feel so inspired by their experience in Cologne that they decide to take up studying German.

This programme is a collaboration between Arsenal in the Community and the Goethe-Institut. The programme is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Goethe-Institut London, Football Is More and the German Youth Hostel Association DJH.