Bayern Munich chief accuses English clubs of 'kidnapping' players

Rummenigge

Berlin: Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has accused English clubs of effectively "kidnapping" young players from overseas.

Bayern are due to open the doors on a new youth academy in the north of Munich in the summer, and Rummenigge has declared he would have "moral reservations" about filling it with pre-teens from other countries.

"We don't want to bring some 10 or 11-year-old to Munich like the English do," he said in comments published in the club's magazine.

"You could almost speak of kidnapping with them and I would have moral reservations about that."

Rummenigge still hopes to lure the best local talent to the record champions, from the age of 14 upwards, with the focus on youngsters in and around Bavaria. "Our priority will certainly be Germany and Bavaria," he said. "Our future talented players will much rather come from Rosenheim than Rio."