Bayern Munich lays foundations for new sports complex, youth academy

Bayern Munich ceremonially laid the foundations for its new €70-million sports complex and elite youth academy Friday morning.

Barcelona's legendary La Masia and Manchester City's Etihad Campus have left the German giant's youth facilities looking tired, and club president Karl Hopfner moved quickly to address this.

"I am convinced this will be a milestone in the history of FC Bayern," Hopfner said at the ceremony. "We have some catching up to do in comparison with other major European clubs. That's exactly why we're doing this now!"

(Courtesy: @FCBjuniorteam)

The complex at the Ingolstadter Strasse site in the north of Munich is intended to be an "investment of around €70 million," and is to be completed for the beginning of the 2017-18 campaign.

"It'll be full steam ahead as of 2017," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge declared.

(Courtesy: @FCBayernEN)